We are here!

Hi Everyone sorry it has taken so long to post but as I told you the internet here is very iffy. It was off all day yesterday. We have to buy service in blocks and somedays they run out of blocks to sell.

Anyway....we had a great trip over. Flights were on schedule. and all our luggage was here when we got off the plane.

Two taxis took us home to the Guest house. Around 4am. Bob in one with Patrick and Corey and I in with Alex and Lukas. My taxi took about 10 times to start. Bob was already gone. As we went to the Guest house we got off the main road and ended up down some small paths, had no clue where we were. They stop and honk at a gate and then it opens, then stop another gate and then it opened. Then we were at the Guest house. We ended up in two different rooms on two different floors. That did not last. Bob, Patrick and Corey came back down and joined us in our room. We had 2 double beds for 6 people. Nobody complained. We ended up with a few hours of sleep.
The next morning we ended up in 2 adjoining rooms on the 4th floor. No elevators.
Much better.

We have gone for some walks. It took a bit to get used to it all. Kids asking you to buy stuff and if you want your shoes polished...we all wear sneakers.
After seeing us a couple of times they don't ask us anymore. Now they just wave and say hi.

The food is good. They have good restaurants around with "normal" food. Lots of stores with very high end clothing.
We've met a few people here who have already picked up their child and are waiting to go home. Couple from NB here to pick up their child. Some have been here for almost 2 months because they are waiting for the visa papers to come through so they are quite knowledgable about the area and have lots of information. That has made us feel a lot more comfortable.

It is a completely different world. There are police everywhere with guns. But we don't see any one using them. We haven't seen any crime. When you are in a store they follow you around like a criminal. Before we entered a mall we got patted down and scanned for guns.

This afternoon we are going to the orphanage at 2:30pm. Someone is coming to get us and we will go there and just see the place and see her in a group setting. We do not get to talk with her.

I will let you know more later. We are doing good. Patrick is a little sick but it could just be all the different things, nerves, heat, etc.
It has been really warm so we are enjoying that.

Packing....

It is Thursday...the day before we leave. A snow day.

Patrick, Corey and I just packed 4 suitcases full of donations for the orphanages.

Thanks to the generosity of people we have antibiotic creams, tylenols, vitamins, clothes, shoes, coloring books, crayons, pencils, toys, and much more. In total 200 lbs of goodies.

Bob & I will have to fit all our clothes into the carry-ons.

Our Adoption Process

We started our Adoption process in the Fall of 2007.

We found an agency, Kids Link International Adoption Agency, now known as Imagine Adoption. The Social Worker came to visit, the paperwork started. On June 14, 2008 our papers arrived in Ethiopia. Now it was just a matter of waiting..and waiting...and wait some more...

On July 13th, 2009 we received the news, on the 11 O'Clock Evening News, that our agency had declared bankruptcy. We checked the emails and websites and the news was right. What now??

A lot of tears, prayers and time later we got the news on September 22 that the proposal to restructure was voted on in favor by most of the shareholders(adopting families).

Imagine Adoption was approved to have a liscence to keep going on Oct.1st, 2009.

We started to get hopeful again as we continued the wait...