Our "Meetcha" Day- October 29, 2011

We arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at about 7 am local time. We were tired, but so anxious about the day. At the airport we waited to get our visas and then we waited in a very long line to have money exchanged. Next time I will just exchange money at the guest house. 

We were picked up at the airport and taken back to Grace Guest House where we would be staying for the week. I posted some pictures of the guest house here. I just have to brag again about the guest house because we loved it there. Everyone was amazing and I can not wait to go back. When we got to the guest house we unpacked a little and tried to sleep a little. Another adoptive family was coming in and we were going to be going to meet our children together. 

I was so excited to see our driver pull up outside the guest house to take us to meet Silas. We were nervous, anxious, and full of hope. I had imagined this day over and over again in my mind. I kept wondering what it would really feel like to hold him and whether or not he would like us or bond with us.

When we got to the transition house there were many children playing outside. They were happy to have visitors and greeted us warmly. We walked up the stairs and into the house. I kept looking around every corner, just waiting for someone to show up with him in their arms. At some point we realized his room was downstairs in the house so we proceeded in that direction.

As I walked through the doors and watched the nanny pick my son out of his crib I felt like I was watching it all unfold form a distance. Here he was. This sweet child I felt like I knew already from pictures and videos was finally right in front of us. He smiled immediately and seemed so happy. I kept looking at him in amazement, almost frozen before I ever reached out my arms for him. Once I had him, it felt like the most natural thing in this world. This was my son and finally we were united. Oh, how I love this child.

 He spent much of this time just taking in the sight of us and playing with little toys we had. He liked to pull on my hair and glance all around.

This was one of the most amazing days of our lives. I am thankful to be able to look at the pictures and videos we took and to be able to remember it. I could not believe how big my sweet baby was. He was so very tiny when we first saw him. To see him now, so very healthy and happy makes my heart full.

Traveling to Ethiopia

On our way to Addis Ababa we had an eleven hour layover in London, England. We decided to take the "tube" which was a 40 minute train ride into Central London for some sight seeing.

This was a beautiful part of town. The weather was nice and we just walked around. It was nice to be outside after being cooped up in an airport/airplane for many hours already. We planned to see Big Ben and Buckingham Palace but after walking a while we realized we were heading in the wrong direction. :) So we settled on stopping for some authentic fish and chips instead. Which by the way they serve with green peas (whole or mashed- who would have thought).

After a couple of hours in the city we decided we had better head back to the airport. We were super anxious about our flight leaving at 9 pm for Ethiopia! It was a good thing we got back early because somehow our flight had been canceled and we had to wait around for this matter to be resolved. Thankfully we got on that plane with plenty of time to spare.

Waiting at the airport to board our flight. At this point we had already traveled over 30 hours...and I think it shows.

I had waited so long to see the words Addis Ababa on a plane ticket. I was sooo excited. The last time we flew was over the summer. Even then I cried at the airport just thinking about the day we would be back to travel to meet our children.

I surprisingly did sleep pretty well on both flights (as both were at night). And after a late night of flying, I woke up to see the travel map showing that we were almost directly over Ethiopia! It was Saturday October 29th, 2011 and we were going to meet our son on this day!

Sights and Scenery in Ethiopia

For our entire stay in Ethiopia we were in the capital city of Addis Ababa. This city is in the middle of a beautiful landscape full of mountain ranges and lush, green foliage. I truly wished we had seen more of the countryside. We may have to do so on our next trip back.

The city was a mixture of modern buildings and those of a very simple structure. There seemed to be no boundaries between wealth and poverty as we typically see here in the States.

There were people everywhere. In that sense it reminded me of NYC. So many people bustling about yet the nature was more simple. There were so many small, independent shops or fruit markets. Fresh foods were available everywhere. Another large difference was the number of children we saw out everywhere! So many little ones. I loved watching them walk to and from school in the morning and afternoon. They were truly all so full of hope and smiles.

Often while we were driving we had to stop for herds of cattle, donkey, sheep, etc crossing the road.

I don't believe I saw a single stop sign or traffic light. Road lanes seemed kind of non-existant yet I did not see a single car wreck anywhere. 

We stayed at Grace Guest House in Addis Ababa. We LOVED it there. We were able to stay with many other adoptive families and we loved that special time with them. The staff incredibly hospitable and we felt like family staying there. Here is a picture of the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony set. This is a regular tradition in Ethiopia and I have to say that their coffee was the BEST I have EVER had. I miss it.

There was a great common area for families to gather and eat and spend time.

EEvery home and most building had a sort of "privacy fence" around it. It may have been made of sheet metal like this one or of stone or concrete. Family life seemed to be kept very private.

The Ethiopian flag outside of the Hilton.

A very large turtle outside of the National Musuem of Ethiopia.

One of the first churches in Addis.

At the top of "the mountain" in Addis where you can see the view of the city. It was a little hazy in photos but amazing in person.

The weather was incredible. Mid 70's every day and sunny skies. I could live in weather like this all the time. And I believe their weather stays pretty consistent year round (except during the rainy season). I always expected that every place in Africa would be HOT. Ethiopia is set among mountain ranges and so because of the high elevation of the land the temperatures stay lower.

I loved this country and the way it has shaped my heart. I knew it would change me and it has. We loved the people we met and were so humbled by their sweet nature to us. I can not wait to go back. 

To Africa and Back

It feels so strange to be back in the United States. We were only gone 8 days, but in those 8 short days my whole life changed. There is so much to share and I will try to do it in a few days. I feel like I am still processing it all. We have traveled almost 16,000 miles in 8 days and spent  about 60 hours traveling and I would do it again tomorrow.

 My heart is overflowing with love for my son. Africa was like nothing I have ever experienced. Meeting my son for the first time felt so natural. Derek and I agreed that we felt as if we were born to be his parents. I am in awe that God has chosen us to parent this amazing child. He is so sweet and full of giggles and jibber jabber. He is a fighter already. This little boy has overcome many obstacles in his first year of life. He is an absolute miracle to us.

Yet my heart is also crushed because there is another sweet boy we could not also meet, hold, kiss, or become official parents to. At least not yet. We pray for a resolution for children from orphanages that have been closed. Such a bittersweet week in many ways.

And my heart is saddened because after loving my son from afar for 7 months and then in person for 6 days we had to leave him to come home. This part seems so unnatural. We now must wait to be submitted to the US Embassy so that he can be cleared to travel home. This could take many weeks/months. The timeline is very vague and this is hard. Yet we have seen God's hand throughout this process and we know yet again that we must trust in His timing. No matter how difficult this process has been at times, it has been the best experience of my life. It isn't easy, but looking into the face of this precious baby boy I know he is worth every second of this journey.

I will share more throughout the coming weeks about our sweet Silas, our time in Africa, the people we met, and our experience as parents. For now I treasure these pictures of our time with our son.