Ethiopia

So we are here. it has taken three days to be able to write all that has

happened and of course, writing may not do it one bit of justice, but didn't

want to leave you all hanging. after a pretty rough start the first 24 hours,

today has been better.

 

we got to pick up sydney yesterday wow. she is beautiful. she doesn't stop

smiling. she was definitely the most healthly little one there. we are so

grateful for little sydney. she is so content, hardly ever cries. She only woke

up once in the middle of the night. I turned over in my bed and saw these tiny

eyes staring at me and of course just smile. she likes to sleep on her side and

she loves both Andy and I's chest. She gets into a tiny ball and she is just

tiny! she is in 0-3 month clothes with the tiniest diapers. We gave her, her

first bath today and she loved it (and so did Andy). If anyone knows my husband,

purell, soap, and water are his favorites :). She peed and pooped all over him

yesterday; needless to say, he was ready to shower and in a third world country

with water that just drips, we both have had to grow up. today there is no power

so we are at a cafe with a guy who is here adopting as well and letting us use

his laptop.

 

Impressions.... roads that they build by hand and shovels, diaper rash that is

worse than you have seen, donkeys walking down the road, goats heads in a pile,

smells are intense, the millenium just passed here (calendar has 13 months), no

lines on the roads, no roads some places, almost every road is under

construction, the people are so nice, lots of Christians, you almost hit someone

every other minute while driving, kids in the orphanage watch american soap

operas... these are just a few to get you going.

 

on to andrew... i can't even go into the words we feel right now about him. his

sad eyes were so difficult to see. his lethargic body. his living conditions.

everything; they are too much for a mom and dad to handle. god has been good. he

has kept us calm yesterday when we left him, yet fought tears the entire day for

fear of having a river in the guest house. TODAY, we went back. we were so

nervous when we went back, yet we saw a different side to Andrew. He interacted.

We brought him blocks and the other kids and watched them just stare at them in

awe. By the end, they were all building and fighting over them. We saw Andrew's

fiesty side; he did not want to share the blocks. He spoke a tiny bit and it was

clear his spirit was in there. He sat in my lap, put his head down and just

stared. One hour there gave us hope. So much changed by loving him for just 1

hour. we are hopeful.

 

Sydney has a croupy cough so pray for her health to stay strong. we think a

doctor here will help us with that.

I wish we could post pictures of Andrew for you... i am going to try sydney

right now through our friend. you can check out the guy who is staying with us

and his friend who came with him, while his wife is at home with 4 kids. They

are from Charlotte....

 

http://web.mac.com/derekrogers/RPB4/Welcome.html

(check their blog out bc he has a laptop and is able to post pictures each day;

you can see their stop in Khartoume where there was a sand storm).

 

 

thanks to all your prayers, there is great hope as we found out yesterday we may

be able to rush some of the process. so far, he told us it will take 6 weeks. an

hour later after praying with him and Andy loving him so gently, he called and

said one step was done and he was working on getting us a court date! our hearts

feel that we cannot leave him in this tiny room with 3 cribs. As you all have

done, find every person you know and pray for us to bring him home. Please pray

for a court date on Tuesday and an embassy date Wednesday. Our flights are

booked for Thursday and we would love to bring these children home. Our hearts

are heavy, yet be assured, God is meeting us here. Our time with the Lord has

been so sweet and precious, our time with each other has been so amazing. Andy

and I have been able to pick the other up moment to moment.

 

We love you all. hope to update more.

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