Surgery tomorrow (5/29/09)

Tomorrow Eli will have surgery (circumcision). This involves anesthesia, etc. as well as no food after he goes to bed tonight. Please pray for his safety and for God's healing... that Eli's pain will be manageable and very temporary.

On a lighter note, things are moving along well here. I am out of school (though I am teaching a night course for the next 3 weeks). Abi's last day of preschool is tomorrow. Next year she'll be in kindergarten.

Eli just had another physical therapy appointment last week (he is nearly walking but not yet, he'll take about 6 steps then sit down). They were very pleased with his verbal skills and his fine motor skills as well as his perpetually good attitude (a lady at McDonald's called him a flirt the other day... and he so is).

Next week we have our 2nd post-placement visit with our social worker. The Ethiopian government requires that we sent updates at 3 mo, 6 mo, 9 mo then every year after his adoption to them. While not doing so would not *hurt* us, it jeopardize Ethiopian adoption for other families in the future.

On July 27 we have our court date for readoption. Because our Ethiopian adoption was finalized before we ever *met* Eli, the U.S. requires families to go through readoption in the U.S. I am not really sure the point of it... but maybe I will have more insight after we do it in July.

We are also planning a trip home (to OK) from June 22 - July 11. We can't wait to see family again!

Journal Entry from April 1, 2009

Okay, so first you might notice... why is this from April 1? Where did the end of your trip go? Yes there was a 3 month time span during which I did not write out the conclusion of our trip, but at least it did eventually get written. So here we go back to our final day in Ethiopia...

As I indicated before, we were instructed to arrive 4 hours early to the airport to guarantee our bulkhead seats. So the CWA driver picked us up at 3:00 for our 7:30 pm flight. When we arrived a man approached us to help with our luggage. Our driver asked if that was okay. We told him we didn't have any money left and he nodded like he understood, and then loaded our luggage onto a cart for the man to push up to the airport.

Jeff got out a couple of dollars to give the man (ok so we didn't exactly have NO money left but we were running VERY low). The problem here was that the man saw what was in Jeff's wallet and insisted on the $10 he saw. We were aghast but felt put on the spot and handed over the $10 bill. Then he said "another one." Jeff said no, but he also saw we had 50 Birr ($5) and he demanded that too. We were keeping it as a souvenir for Eli's scrapbook. I felt violated. Even now as I type this the whole thing makes me sick.

After arriving so early, it turned out that the check in was not open yet! We had to wait an hour to check in. BUT at least we got the bulkhead seats. Eli was not at all interested in sitting still. We walked around with him a bit. After we checked in, I found a quiet place to sit and gave him a bottle. Jeff went and purchased one final gift: a hand-painted (usable even) coffee pot for his folks.

As a side note... we were checked through security twice before we boarded the plane. However, security in foreign countries is not like here. We could go through with food and water just fine, for example. Sometimes we had to take our shoes off, sometimes not. It was all very different.

Our plane took off fine but we were sitting next to a mother with her two daughters, approximately 9 and 2 years old respectively. They were up and down the whole flight (approx 3 hours). We had a meal and even though night came, Eli did not want to sleep. He finally fell asleep at about 9:30 and slept about an hour before we arrived in Dubai. Unlike flights in the states, the lights were kept on (at full power) the entire flight even though it was night. When we arrived on the ground in Dubai we taxied 20 minutes right on past the airport and de-boarded outside. I carried Eli - asleep to the bus to be taxied back to the airport. It was ridiculous... but not as ridiculous as what came next.

When we arrived, inside there were hundreds of people all waiting en mass to check through security... people who just got off other airplanes, who had already done this in the previous airport (twice). It felt like we waited forever. I so wished I had brought an umbrella stroller. Once we were at the front of the line, we had our first "race" question. The security official asked us "Can I ask you a question?" It was midnight... I was tired... I said "sure." He then asked (referring to Eli), "Why a different color?" I was taken aback, not sure what to say. It was the first such question... though many more were bound to come. I said simply "Because there was a need." I felt proud of my answer, especially having been put on the spot. Jeff spent the next hour thinking of other responses. My favorite one was "Because you wouldn't."

We were in the Dubai airport for about another hour when we boarded our trans-Atlantic flight. At about 1:30 am (Dubai time) we flew out. Again we had bulkhead seats. This time we were next to a mother with a 3 month old daughter and a 5 year old son. Her husband was behind us with an empty seat next to him. They were from India, now living in the US. The only issue besides the kind of fussy 3 month old was that the mother was nursing and brought a boppy! I was sitting next to her and the boppy took up the armrest and a part of my sitting space. Why the son could not sit next to the husband and the mother move over to give both me and herself more space still baffles me.

Overall the flight was uneventful (though long). Jeff watched a few movies. I just slept and tended to Eli... which Jeff did too. Eli did extremely well! Remarkably so in fact. We arrived in New York City at JFK at about 7:30 am (NYC time) after a 14 hour flight. We were tired.

When we arrived we had to check through Immigration and customs. First we got in the wrong line. One line said "U.S. Citizens" the other said "Visitors." Since we were citizens and Eli was not a visitor, we got in the citizens line, not the right one apparently, but they let us skip to the front of the other line after we had already waited so long in the wrong one since Eli was an infant. Here they reviewed Eli's documents.

My arms were killing me. Even at 20 pounds, as much as I held Eli he was so heavy! I was quite remiss I did not bring a stroller.

Next we picked up our luggage and rented a cart to push it through the airport. Then there was customs, which was quick, and we were off to Northwest Airlines (NWA) for a flight to Detroit, then home to OKC. We were supposed to arrive in time for Clifton's wedding that night at 7:00 pm. We only had an hour layover in Detroit scheduled.

Checking in through NWA was chaos, things in NYC at JFK are not well-organized. I found myself wondering if we really were back in the U.S. We finally did make it through check in. Then we each changed clothes and freshened up. Then we had an early lunch at Sbarros in the airport terminal. Then we went through security... for the last time (we thought) to catch our flight. At the point when we were supposed to be boarding our flight to Detroit, they informed us that our flight would be delayed... the plane was still on the ground in Detroit. I started crying, exhaustion caught up with me, and I knew this would not let us catch our last flight from Detroit to OKC.

I sent Jeff, with Eli, up to the counter, hoping for some compassion from someone. They could not find us a flight that day back to OKC. Eventually they decided, because of Eli, to put us up in a hotel in NYC (without Eli we'd have been on our own to find accomodations and to pay for them ourselves). Then they changed our flight to Continental the next day, connecting to an American flight with a 1 hour layover in Chicago.

So next we had to wait around to collect our luggage. It took awhile for it to arrive. We got yet another cart to move it all. Then we had to catch the Airtrain - like a subway to the pickup spot for the hotel shuttle. It was cold outside and we could not see the shuttle from inside, so I periodically went to see if it had arrived - Jeff did not bring a coat.

We waited about 20 minutes for the shuttle to take us to the Courtyard Marriott. When we arrived we realized... we left the diaper bag in the Airtrain terminal. I finished checking us in and got a crib in the room. Jeff used the ATM to get cash since we had virtually none left. We also knew we were going to run out of formula and baby food, but we weren't sure what to do about that yet.

Jeff left by taxi to see if he could find the diaper bag. We didn't feel we could wait for the shuttle because it only ran on the hour. I tried to get Eli to sleep but after being held to sleep for nearly 24 hours, he did not want to sleep in a crib. I was exhausted, so I laid him on the bed with me and we fell asleep. Jeff came back sometime later. The taxi ride cost him $40. Now we really freaked out about finding formula because of the cost of another taxi, and although it was only 3:00 pm, we all just went to bed... exhausted. I figured that when we woke up we'd figure out the formula situation and the laundry situation: we had no more clean clothes.

About midnight we were awake but there were issues with laundry. There was a washer & dryer (stackable) in the hotel, but we had no change to feed it and no laundry detergent. The front desk told us we could get both at the gift shop... at 7:00 am! We needed to leave at 8:30 am for the airport. We also got the hotel to agree to have the shuttle take Jeff to get formula when the driver was between airport runs.

Jeff left around 4:00 am. He remembered to get formula, baby food, and change for the laundry... but not detergent. At 7 am he got detergent and washed two sets of clothing for each of us... just in case. However, the dryer did not dry well so we let our damp clothes dry while we ate breakfast. Eli slept (as did I) on and off from midnight to 8:00 am, when we went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. I had not eaten since lunch the day before (at 10:30 am) in the airport. So, I was hungry. This was the 2nd most expensive breakfast of our lives $42! We just kept saying "our trip insurance will cover it" just to keep us from coming unglued at the costs.

We dressed, left for the airport and checked through again. Our flight boarded a little late, but we did have a pleasant surprise. We were booked on first class! The seats were bigger, the flight attendants more generous. But the plane was flown in empty and had to be reloaded with water for the restrooms and food and drinks. We knew now we were cutting our next connection very close.

When we landed we had to change terminals. We were hustling as fast as we could through the terminal. When we arrived at the gate, the plane was still there, but the doors were closed and they would not let us on. Another delay. However, there were 2 seats left on the next flight out... 4 hours later to OKC. We would arrive home about 9:00 pm. So, we took the new seats and went to get an early dinner to make the 6:30 flight.

We found a Chili's to eat at and enjoyed ourselves. Eli sat in a high chair for the first time and did quite well. We stuffed my coat behind him for support. After the meal we went back to the new gate. We waited, there was a flight before ours that had not left yet. Then quickly the whole airport turned into chaos! Essentially all the planes docked at the gates were waiting on pilots or attendants to take off, but the folks they were waiting on were in other planes, which had landed, but were unable to de-board because there were no empty gates! (Again I wondered if I was really back in the U.S.) They finally changed our gate but it was 9:00 before our plane finally took off. Eli slept the entire final flight - starting at about 7:00 as we waited for the chaos to be fixed. We finally landed in OKC at 11:30 pm. My parents, Jeff's parents, my sister, and Abi were there to greet us. It was surreal to be home. We were en route for 65 hours from the time we left the guest home in Ethiopia until we arrived in OKC.

Abi was in great spirits, especially given the hour, and greeted us with hugs and kisses. And when I picked her up I almost could not carry her! My arms were so tired from carrying Eli and Abi was twice as heavy.

We went Jeff's parents that night. We stayed up a little while giving gifts and chatting about our "adventure." We also heard about Clifton's wedding that we missed while we were stuck in NYC. We finally went to bed at 1:00 am, and did not get around until 9:00 am the next morning.

This concludes the adventures to get our son. Now he is here and we are so thankful to God for the amazing story he has given us to give to Eli of His love for Eli and of our love for Eli and what we went through to bring him home.

Stay tuned for the next adventures of Abi & Eli!

Journal Entry from December 19, 2008

So my massage at 10:00 didn't happen until 11:15. Things here are very laid back in terms of time. A culture not governed by the clock, that's for sure! The massage was okay, but a bit too gentle, my aunt does better.

After the massage I had to shower from the massage oil used. Eli had a good early morning, but got tired too early. The early nap meant he was tired in the early afternoon as well. So, Jeff laid him down right before lunch. He ended up with an hour nap. The bad part was this meant he would not take a true afternoon nap later.

Lunch was a pasta dish with spinach and carrots. It was pretty good. The Italians were at their Embassy appointment in the afternoon and the other two couples were volunteering at an orphanage. The family we went to our Embassy appointment with were getting ready to go home.

We tried for an afternoon nap for Eli around 5:00, but it didn't work. Jeff gave him a bottle and he was OUT, but as soon as Jeff put him in the crib he was awake and quite playful actually. Around this time, the Italians got back. We sat with them while they ate. Oh - before this in the afternoon they did a coffee ceremony for the family leaving.

Whenever a family leaves the guest home the staff performs a coffee ceremony. They cook coffee beans over a fire, grind them up and make coffee. Everyone raved over the coffee the first ceremony I saw... so even though I am not a coffee drinker, I decided to try it this time. Eli was with a nanny and I did put in a fair bit of sugar... but actually I really liked it! Jeff - not so much :).



We took a few pictures as the family left at 6:30 and also of the Italian family so we wouldn't forget later. Around 7:00 the other 2 couples returned. Aki wanted to go home and shower, so we planned to leave for dinner at 8:00.



Since Eli did not get a late afternoon nap, we decided to feed him and put him to bed. Around 8:15 we left for dinner. The restaurant tables faced a stage. The tables were set up with 8 chairs in a U shape. In the middle was a small circular table called a "mesob". Aki's girlfriend Rihanna joined us - and as outgoing as Aki is, Rihanna is equally as shy. Aki ordered dinner for us. He ordered 4 meals (for 8 people) for us to share. Aki and Rihanna ordered wine while the rest of us ordered water.

First a waiter brought a pitcher of water, soap and a bowl. We washed our hands at the table. Then a large platter was set on the mesob with injera bread covering the platter and more rolled up on the sides. Then the waitress proceeded to pour mainly meat dishes on top of the injera bread. The way one eats is communal. So, you tear off a chunk of injera and use it to grab chunks of meat. The injera itself was kind of an odd flavor. The best equivalent we have is probably sourdough bread, but this was more sour than that. The meat was good, and very filling. I soon had enough and the various spices began to wear on me, also making me full I think.

The best part about the experience was the dancing. It was amazing to watch! There were 3 women and 3 men dancing, one woman and one man singing, and 3 men playing instruments. One of the instruments was the same (but much bigger) that we had purchased to take home as gifts. It was called a Crar, kind of like a harp. The show had many songs, and just as many costumes. We even got to see dances from Rihanna and Aki's cultures. Aki got up and danced too - trying to get others to join him. Jeff did! The best part was that Julie got it all on video - which we are trying to get a copy of off her camera and onto our computer before we go. When Jeff sat down, Rihanna danced with Aki, then when she sat down a young boy with Downs' Syndrome came and danced with him. This was the final song and then we left.



The dinner cost 498 Birr. Each of the three couples (Aki excluded) paid 200 Birr ($20). We gave 50 Birr to the band and 52 to the waitress. We were so glad to have gone out and to have had the experience!

We got back to the guest house at 10:45. Then Eli woke up about 11:15. I fed him 6 oz and he went back down. We awoke again at 2:30 for 3 oz and at 5:30 for 3 oz. Then he was up for good at 6:30.

The first then we did when we woke up was start packing. We seem to have so much extra space. We brought so much clothing to donate - 2 suitcases worth. Then there were the diapers we brought that Eli had used, as well as baby food and clothes he wore that we are leaving as well. (It was warm weather in Ethiopia, so Eli wore clothing appropriate to that, but back in OK and in OH it would be cold and the clothing would not be appropriate).

We have some souvenirs to take home, but not much in terms of space. We also will carry the diaper bag on the plane now, whereas we did not before. I wish I had not brought my computer, but rather a larger carry-on item. Now I am trying to pack a change of clothes, makeup, and a few toiletries in the computer bag, as well as the items for Eli that are not fitting in the diaper bag. Clearly we have diapers, but also gas drops, Tylenol, cereal puffs, baby food, formula, bottles, water, wipes, clothes, toys, a blanket... and surely I am forgetting things too. (FYI: I included photos of the guest house "grounds" below and the exterior of the guest house above)


Packing is not entirely done, but it is not far from it. Next we ate breakfast - eggs and an orange smoothie. Then Jeff fed Eli bananas and shortly thereafter I took a shower. The shower here is okay, but boy will I be glad to get back to a good shower. (FYI: I included photos of our guest house room below)



Oh - I forgot to mention, Eli's VISA came at noon yesterday, a bit frustrating for us. We were told we could not leave yesterday because we would not have our VISAs until 5:00 pm. So we could not leave any sooner than the 11:00 pm flights and the only flights headed where we needed were at 7:00 pm. So, it turns out we would have had plenty of time to make the 7:00 pm flight. Boy would it be nice to already be on our way.

I will insert here that in hindsight it was good we did not leave the day earlier. There were weather conditions in NY that would have prevented us from landing. Also we would not have gotten to have our traditional dinner - which we so appreciate now.)

Also before dinner last night we did talk to Abi. Mom said she was doing so well - that we must have prepared her well. It was good to hear her voice. She sounds so grown up on the phone! When we get to New York, we will call her from there.

Right now Eli is sleeping. Jeff probably is too. Eli needs a good nap now and this afternoon before the airplane ride. I am not sure how all this will go. Hopefully he will sleep for a good portion of it. But in all honesty from the time we leave the guest home - 3:00 pm till we get home to OK - 5:15 pm on the 20th the trip is a total of 35 hours (don't forget the time change). So, I am a little nervous about how it will go.

Because of Eli we are supposed to get bulkhead/bassinet seats (the bulkhead seats on a trans-oceanic flight have anchors that support a bassinet for infants under 25 pounds). However, in order to get these seats we have to be at the airport early since they won't assign us these seats until they actually see Eli. So, we are supposed to arrive 4 hours early.

So, what is left is paying out, lunch, and the coffee ceremony. And hopefully another nap from Eli. Looking back now it seems that the trip went fast (and even faster now as I type this up!). I know that in the midst of it, it sure didn't feel like it though. (I have included pictures of different guest house staff below.)



I also forgot to say that according to Eli's birth mom the father was Mr. Abel which really makes us glad that we are changing his name to Eli. We would never have wanted him to be named after that man. In fact it seems odd that the mother would name him after the father as well given her circumstances. So, it also makes us wonder if maybe the police named him after the father by default. Either way, not good.

Journal Entry from December 18, 2008

Lunch was pizza and very good. It had olives, peppers, and ground meat. I took the peppers off. They were very spicy. Jeff ate mine and his - but thought he might regret it later.

Later that day - about 2:30 the CWA van came to pick us and Jeff & Eileen's family up. Eli's schedule was all out of whack. Jeff held him while he slept a little while in the morning, then after lunch he slept about an hour.

The ride to the Embassy was about 20 minutes, Zewdu and Sheika took us. We were told not to take any electronics, but apparently no one told the other family. They brought a cell phone, camera, and game boy. There were 2 screenings before entering the building. First we went through a metal detector. They checked our passports and hand-checked the diaper bag. Then they carefully checked the passports and metal detectored and x-rayed the diaper bag at the 2nd screening. Then we went through several doors, upstairs to a waiting room with windows for different services (it kind of resembled the bank with different teller windows).

The wait looked long, but Sheika assured us the wait was by window and we would not wait long for the window we needed. The other family was called first, theirs took longer than ours. When we were called we had to raise our right hands and state we were truthful on all applications. We were asked "Is this the little guy you were expecting?" Which of course, he was - oh, and the person asking was clearly American. Then we were asked what we know of Eli's birth parents. Jeff stated the information we were told by CWA. Then the official said "Congratulation" and that our VISAs would be ready Thursday morning.

Afterward it was back to the guest house, where dinner was rice and a glazed breaded chicken. It was probably our best meal. The evening was kind of rough, though. Eli was very tired, but did not sleep well. He went to bed at 7:30, but he awoke at 10:30, 12:30 and 4:30. Definitely a rough night. Jeff was very frustrated. I think I handled the situation better. I just fed him back to sleep. Unfortunately, it is what he is used to. When we get back to OK I think we can work on getting him on a better schedule, but for now it's not really worth it. Even if we "fixed it" here, we have such a long trip back home, it will be like starting over, I think.

The next morning, Wednesday (12/17/08) proved to be a very eventful day. We had planned to go shopping and to dinner with Stefania & Micael, but Micael got sick, so we decided to postpone it until Thursday night. The two new couples went out shopping but were back early; Jen was not feeling well.

First - breakfast - was some sort of hot cream cereal. It was pretty yuck - much better with sugar but still not good. Lunch was good - pasta with tuna. Jeff, obviously did not like the tuna, but it wasn't bad. Eli took about an hour nap that morning but was pretty cranky off and on.

Then at lunch we asked to go with Julie and Mark to shop while Jen rested. We paid 1/3 of the taxi ($20) and changed our dinner plans once again to go out with Julie and Mark (and Jen and Dustin if Jen felt better). The shopping was good. Better this time than before. We got some bracelets, crosses, an Ethiopian flag, 3 musical instruments (like harps), necklaces, and a couple of wall hangings. Then we got 2 more half-kilos of coffee. We decided we were done - no more spending. We were getting low on cash and did not want to run out.

We had found out (unexpectedly) that we needed to pay in cash (dollars or Birr) when we left for the extras we had used at the guest house: our extra dinners, laundry, and our tip.

Mostly we got our extra water and pop from a shop across the street, as well as the Nan2 formula and calling cards. In addition, the internet was extremely slow and unreliable.

After shopping we asked Aki to take us to visit his church. It was called, Gospel Light Church. It was a really neat experience. It was a very large sanctuary. The other two couples planned to go to church with Aki on Sunday. Aki said there would be headsets they could wear to hear translations in English. They were also building a Bible College next door.

In the midst of picture taking, Aki got a call that Jen was being taken to the hospital. It was kind of scary. He decided we would meet them at the Korean Hospital - a Christian hospital. We beat them there. While we were waiting we saw a large sign of a child with hydrocephalus and a photo of the child after treatment. Eli looked nothing like the before picture. Such a reassurance to us that Eli is okay.

When the taxi with Jen and Dustin arrived, Jen looked pretty bad. However, we did not stay long. Apparently heart problems run in Jen's family and she had been to the hospital in Phoenix 2 days before coming to Ethiopia. However, the Korean hospital did not have a cardiac doctor, so we all left quickly to the Cardiac hospital. Jeff and I felt so out of place since we did not know them well. The van took Hanna - from the guest house - home first, then returned, and Aki took us back to the guest home. Then he went back to the hospital.

In the meantime once plans changed we asked Aki to call back to the guest house that we would now be there for dinner - the 4th decision regarding dinner that day.

Dinner was a cream of chicken soup and it was really good. Eli had slept while we'd been out. He was in very good spirits that evening. He even fell asleep while we watched Oprah with Stefania and Micael - it was her "favorite things" show.

I felt so dirty from the smog that I took a shower and let Jeff feed Eli his last bottle. It was a good night. Eli slept until 2:00 - 6 whole hours! Then another 4 hours until 6:00. And when we woke up he was all smiles. It was a good morning. While we waited for breakfast, he just played and ate a good breakfast of banana cereal.

Our breakfast was waffles - they were good but the drink was an orange smoothie with not much flavor. During Oprah the night before Jen and the others returned. She looked much better. They just told her to slow down and drink lots of water. After all the drama the night before I felt we probably would not do dinner out - so much smog and hassle. Also we did not have the money for a taxi again. However, the two couples planned to go tonight and did not care if we paid part of the cab because they were using it all day already.

So now we have plans - again - to have a traditional Ethiopian dinner tonight. The nannies here have been good with Eli and they'll have to get him to bed tonight.

As I began writing Eli was asleep, but we awoke after only 27 minutes, much too short for a nap! Also, I am waiting for my massage. She is getting the room ready for it now. We each get one free massage. Today is mine - Jeff is not getting one.

It seems so surreal. We should get the VISAs today and we leave tomorrow afternoon. Tonight we will call Abi for the last time from here. I really miss Abi!

Again we talk about Heaven

"What will we do in heaven?"

"Well, we don't know exactly. But we will sing praise to Jesus. It will be like a party all the time for Jesus."

"Will we take the diaper bag?"

"No, remember we will be old when we get there, Eli won't be in diapers. We may not even have to go to the bathroom."

"Really? That means I won't have to stop playing to go potty. Or wake up in the night and potty."

"Maybe."

"When will Jesus take me to heaven."

"Only Jesus knows that."

"But how will he know?"

"He's God. He will just know. But it won't be for a long time."

"How old will I be?"

"Older than Granny and Papa (my grandparents - in their 70s)."

"Older than Nana (my mom - in her 50's)?"

"Yes, older than Nana."

"How old is Nana?"

"She is 52."

"So, how old will I be?"

"Maybe 100."

"Will Nana and Opa (my parents) be in heaven too?"

"Yes."

"Will ZsaZsa and Bapa be there (Jeff's parents)?"

"Yes."

..... At least when these conversations happen we are in the car, so they terminate when we get where we are going. In this situation we arrived at Walmart.

More about Heaven

"Will Jesus take my animals (ie: stuffed animals) to heaven?

"Well, you won't go to heaven until you are really old, so you will probably give your stuffed animals to your children or grandchildren before then."

"But I don't have any grandchildren."

"Not now, but someday you may get married and have children then your children will have grandchildren"

"Who will be their parents?"

"Your children will be."

"Who will be my dad?"

"Do you mean who will be your children's dad?"

"Yes."

"Well we don't know that yet. It is still a long time until you will get married. You may not even know that person yet."

"When will I get married?"

"Not for a long time. You have to be at least as old as the college kids (I teach college), bigger than Daddy's teenagers (Daddy is a youth pastor)."

"But won't my animals miss me?"

"There will be other animals in heaven for you."

Then I think we got to school...

Current News about Abi

I know Abi is young, 4 years old. However, she has been asking a lot about heaven and how we get there lately. A couple days ago the following conversation took place.

"How does Jesus know when to take you?"

"He just knows because He is God."

"How do you get to go with Jesus?"

"When you die if Jesus is in your heart then He will take you to heaven. Is Jesus in your heart?"

"No."

"Do you want Him to be in your heart?"

"Yes."

Tonight Abi asked Jesus into her heart during our evening prayers. Jeff led her and I followed up at the end. Pray that we will keep cultivating in her a heart for the things of God. But for now too... Praise God for claiming our daughter's heart!

Journal Entry from December 16, 2008

So it seems Eli was not sick - no problems since yesterday. Last night we had dinner - noodles with olives, and bread. The new family seemed to do well but the daughter has a bad cough.

Sleep last night was pretty good too. Eli went to bed at 8:00 and slept until 12:30. Then he ate 3 oz and slept until 5:00, ate again 3 oz and slept until 6:00. Jeff and I called his parents and Abi. She seemed to be doing okay but teared up once while I talked to her.

This morning Eli ate 1/2 jar bananas, 1/2 jar sweet potato. He loved the bananas. For breakfast we had french toast and it was very good. Then we played with Eli and talked with Stefania for most of the morning.

Right before lunch two more couples arrived. Julie and Mark have a biological son and daughter and are adopting two older children (a boy and a girl). (You can visit Julie's blog at http://fourplusmore.com/). Jen and Dustin have three biological daughters and are adopting a son about Eli's age. (You can visit Jen's blog at http://beboldjen.blogspot.com/). Both couples know each other and are from AZ. (Note: Since the adoption I have kept up with both of these blogs and have learned so much from these ladies. They truly have a heart for God and I respect them immensely).

Journal Entry from December 15, 2008

Our shopping venture out was very interesting. We had a translator, Aki who rode with us to shop. Not knowing how much to bring, we did not bring enough. We brought 600 Birr ($60). We went to one shop and found shirts, hats, drawings and jewelry. We spent almost 1000 Birr ($100). Aki loaned us 400 Birr ($40).

We also knew we wanted to bring coffee back for much of Jeff's family. So next we went to a coffee house. The driver loaned us 200 Birr and we bought 5 half-kilos of coffee.

We saw much of the city while we were out too. And Aki asked us if we had eaten Ethiopian food yet. When we said "no" he insisted that we do sometime. We made plans to go shopping on Wednesday (17th) afternoon and to dinner that night for traditional Ethiopian food and to see dancing. We could also take pictures.

When we came back to the house, we fed Eli and got him down for a nap. He took awhile to fall asleep but eventually fell asleep on his own. Jeff napped while Eli did. I read then sent a few emails.

At 5:30 dinner: soup, was ready and I woke Jeff and Eli up. We had a nice dinner with Micael and Stefania. After dinner another couple, staying at the other guest home came up to use the Internet. They lived in MI and had 4 biological children, 5 children adopted through DHS and were adopting 2 more (older) children!

At 8:30 we fed Eli a bottle and he was in bed by 9:00. He lasted until 12:30 when we awoke for 3 oz, then again for 3 oz more at 4:30. Overall he slept pretty well. Jeff slept some better. I slept well. I woke up periodically to turn over, the bed is kind of hard.

This morning we had eggs for breakfast and then relaxed awhile. At 10:00 we were picked up with a new family, Jeff and Eileen to fill out paperwork at the CWA office. Jeff and Eileen, DC area, had 3 biological boys at home and were adopting a boy (8) and a girl (3). They had arrived late on Sunday night (14th).

While we were filling out paperwork, Eli was in the wrap against my chest and the other family met their children for the first time. It was so amazing to see. The children just came and hugged their new parents. I wanted to cry, it was so precious.

After the paperwork we met with the nurse and counselor. It was very brief. Then the other family met with them while I fed Eli a bottle.

Next we visited the boys' home, which we hadn't seen yet. It was so strange. The boys came up shaking hands with all of us. We toured the home and there was one boy who held Jeff's hand the entire time. As we left, the nannies there wanted to pray for the children. They prayed for each one and the parents too laying hands on each of us. I cried. It was so touching, not knowing what was said, but knowing that God knew.

Next we visited the girls' home again. Most of the children from Eli's room were gone. If fact while we were filling out paperwork we had met another family Chris & Sarah from IN who adopted one of Eli's roommates. They did not have an embassy dated until January 5, but came and were staying with the family of one of Sarah's colleagues. We exchanged email addresses. They were adopting their first child - a boy about 12 months old. He looked like he could have been related to Eli. (You can see their blog at http://angelsinafrica.blogspot.com/)

After we saw the homes we went back to the CWA office and were picked up by Zewdu to go back to the guest home. At the home we had lunch - rice with corn, peas and carrots. Then we played with Eli a bit, then fed him sweet potato mixed with rice cereal, then 2 oz of milk. Then it was down for a nap as I came downstairs to write. Jeff came down a little while later. Eli was upstairs just screaming. So I went up and picked him up and he immediately threw up all over me. I changed clothes and we cleaned up Eli some. Then I stood rocking him to sleep. But laying him down woke him up - screaming again. So Jeff decided to rock him and law with him on the bed.

Hopefully, he was just worked up, causing the throw up and not a true sickness. Tomorrow will be our Embassy date, and I don't want him there sick.

One thing is feeling sure to me and Jeff echoed too, seeing all the beautiful children needing homes, we will adopt again. I don't know how many or when, but this is just TOO AMAZING not to do it again! There is too much of God in adoption to not want to take part!

Journal Entry from December 14, 2008

When we arrived in Addis on Friday night, we first deboarded the plane outside and rode a bus to the terminal. Once we walked a bit, we came to an area with a lot going on. we asked a gentlemen - who thankfully spoke English - what to do next. First we got our VISAs. It was quick and relatively painless. Each VISA cost $20. Then we went to exchange $300 into Birr. The exchange rate was $1 to 9.9 Birr. We got about 2900 Birr. Then we stood in a line to get our passports checked. It did not take too long either. Next we collected our luggage and luckily it all arrived.

Finally a gentleman checked to be sure we got the right luggage tag numbers and we left through security. We looked around but saw no one holding a sign with our names. A local man approached us - a taxi driver and offered his phone. We made a couple of calls. It was difficult to understand through the accent on the phone. But the gist was that they never got our new arrival information after our delay in Houston. The second person we talked to said they were on their way. We paid the gentlemen 50 Birr ... aprox. $5 for his phone use. A little later he came back with a return call for us. They told us to wait at the Hilton booth.

Our ride did not arrive until 1 and 1/4 hour after we cleared security. I was exhausted and the driver Zewdu was apologetic. He drove us about 30 minutes to the guest house. We were shown to our room. Before Zewdu left he gave us an itinerary. We were supposed to get Elias the next morning!

Our room was nice. There was wood tiled floor as in the living and dining area, a queen size bed - too short for Jeff, a pack-n-play crib, a closet area with no way to hang things, and a sitting area with two chairs and a small table. The bed was very firm but the pillows were plush. The two outer walls were glass windows.

We shared a bathroom - very small, a toilet, pedestal sink and shower with a make-shift curtain. The living area - downstairs had 3 couches, a coffee table, TV, and children's play area - Abi would have liked it. In the same large room, 2 large tables (seating about 8-10 people each) formed the dining room. The stairs up to our floor were marble. There were 2 other bedrooms on our floor, one a suite with its own bathroom. Then the 3rd floor had two additional bedrooms, one bathroom and an outer sitting area. Above the 3rd floor was a very small room that was used as the massage room.

The only problems with our room were ants and noise. Jeff was far more sensitive to both than I was. They interfered with his sleeping as did the hard and short bed. He has not rested well either night so far.

The next morning (the 13th) we met the other guests. Louis & Dorothy were here to adopt a 7 month old son and 5 year old daughter. They brought with them their 3 year old daughter, adopted a year earlier from China. At home in CA they had 5 other children from age 14 - 28 years old. Jim and Angie were here to adopt a 9 month old son and had a 5 year old daughter adopted from China at home in WA. The last family was Micael and Stefania - from Italy. They were adopting a 3 month old daughter through a different agency. Stefania was also from NY, so due to the way their VISAs were done, they had to be in Ethiopia for 3 weeks! However, today the only family still here is the last one. The other two began their trips home yesterday.

Yesterday morning we went to get Eli. The CWA van picked us up at 10:15 with the driver and a nanny from the foster home. We brought clothing donations with us and dropped those off first. Then we were given a tour of the home and held Eli for the first time. It was SO surreal!

Until yesterday Eli had only eaten formula. Before we picked him up, Jim showed us where to buy formula and calling cards to call home. We loaded the phone cards onto a phone given to us for use while we are here by the guest home.

We gave Eli several bottles yesterday and twice gave him rice cereal. He did okay with the cereal. Though he did not seem too excited about it and made many funny faces trying to swallow it.

Breakfast was waffles with freshly squeezed orange juice. Lunch was tuna pizza and dinner was pasta with a red sauce and small bits of meat. The meals were all good (though Jeff would not agree to that statement in reference to the tuna pizza) and we all ate enough.

At about 7:45 we bathed Eli and lotioned him. At 8:00 he ate his final bottle and went to sleep immediately. However, he awoke at 11:00 for another 3 oz and at 3:30 for another 3 oz. At 11:00 after his bottle he went right back to sleep. At 3:30 he tossed a bit before he returned to sleep. Jeff did not sleep well. At 6:30 when Eli awoke Jeff had been awake for a couple of hours.

There is an orthodox church nearby and chanting began at 4:00. Jeff was clearly exhausted, homesick and disenchanted. He felt remiss at a lack of immediate bonding to Eli and he missed Abi. He teared up with homesickness. I miss Abi too, but I am sleeping better than Jeff, so for me, I feel okay about being here. We have 5 more nights before we fly out on Friday. We will leave for the airport Friday at 3:00-3:30.

Today Eli has tried sweet potato, which he seemed to like pretty well, better than the rice cereal for sure. He has been a little more fussy, though. He is pretty chatty: ma, da, na are all repetitive noises. He is mostly happy too. Later today we plan to go shopping and leave Eli here with the nannies.