The Golden Ticket!

Friday, June 24, 2011

We can officially come home!  We just picked up Kate's Passport and Visa for entry into the United States of America!  Without that visa, we'd land at DFW and they'd just send us right back to Africa.  This is her ticket IN!

You can see our excitment here:

We've Got the Golden Ticket Video

Now begins the long journey home...

New Videos

Eric put together an edited piece (about 6 minutes) of our trip so far, including our visits with Kate and checking her out of the orphanage.  It'll be ready in about 1 hour (6:30 PM Central Time on 6/23/11 - it's still uploading)

Also, there is a 3-minute short of Eric trying to figure out food for Miss Kate in a third world country!  (this one is already posted)

The new videos are the 1st 2 on the top.
Click Here for New Videos

Enjoy!

Just Hangin' Out

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Today we had nothing to do and we planned it that way.  We wanted Kate to be able to decompress, so we just hung out and did some of this…

And this…

And even some of this…

Then we did some more of this!

It was a great day of bonding and just being together (I did take a quick shopping trip during afternoon naps with the Skinners, though!!!)

 

Proud to be an American

Wednesday, June 23, 2011

I was very excited to visit the US Embassy here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  We wore Red, White and Blue today in honor of the occasion!  I’ve never been to a US Embassy.  As far as a building goes, it was, um, underwhelming…a very plain edifice that you’d just drive past and not think anything of.  The building was no big shakes, but what happened inside sure was!

We had the same appointment time as the Skinners (9AM – yep, right at naptime again!) and got to enjoy all of this with them.  I knew that cameras were not allowed inside (they “coat check” cell phones and cameras at the front door), so when we got out of the car across the street we intended to take our Embassy photo there and just leave the cameras in the car.  We assembled for a nice group photo when a guard came running across the street saying, “no pictures!”  Of course, we immediately complied.  Well sadly, I have no pictures to show of this wonderful experience…

As soon as we signed in and went through security in a small ante-building, we entered an outdoor courtyard.  I teared up and felt faint, fanning myself to keep from doing so…my emotions were at a high.  We were on U.S. soil!  Home for us, and soon to be for Kate.  This outdoor area was filled with cement block benches where lots of people were waiting, mostly Ethiopians hoping to be granted a visa themselves to the States.  We had already been approved for Kate’s visa and were here for the final “interview.”  Our new daughter was with us and we were jumping this LAST AND FINAL HURDLE!  It was all coming together!

Our attorney from the adoption agency arrived and ushered us inside to the “take a number and have a seat room.”  There were about 200 chairs in the room facing 15 glass windows each numbered. These windows looked like the will call booth for a stage play, you know, where you slide your ID under the glass in the silver plated tray and they hand you back your tickets.  A sign flashed numbers, corresponding to an unenthused intercom voice calling out the same. 

Well, I couldn’t sit.  Too excited.  I felt like fainting and crying and jumping up and down and shouting.  Nope.  No sitting for me.  American images abounded.  Lady Liberty; the Grand Old Flag; the Capitol building lit up at night; pictures of our President and Secretary of State (who had just been here for a visit 2 weeks ago), bulletin boards littered with notices about this and that pertaining to Ethiopians trying to gain a visa to the U.S.  Oh, and don’t forget the flat screen TVs bolted high on a wall for all to be mesmerized by our glittering entertainment.  Let’s see…on one wall it was “Days of our Lives,” um-hum, and the wall nearest to us was “The Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda Someone.”  Oh brother.  To be honest, it kind of dampened my patriotic swellings and I was disappointed it was even there.  I mean, why weren’t they at least playing “The West Wing” or “American President?” (J)  But like most people in the room, I began to succumb to the mind-numbing flashing box and I will admit that it did help to pass the time and give us topics to be snarky about!

So about those people in the room.  The vast majority were Ethiopians and very happy to see all of our babies.  Sweet.  There were about 10 or so other American couples there to adopt babies.  It became evident that Booth #15 was where such couples were called.  We observed.  It was happy what happened there at that booth.  They arrived at the glass nervous and left hugging and kissing and walking away as a newly formed family.  Couples of all shapes and sizes with enough means to get themselves there adopting kids of all ages, with no means whatsoever.  Awesome.

Our name was called.  It was our turn.  I turned around to the Skinners as we walked up giving a silent, but obviously intended to be high-pitched squeal and double fist pump!  This was it.  Esther warmly and professionally greeted us behind the bullet proof glass.  She asked us to raise our right hands and swear that everything in this file (she placed her palm on a 1/2 thick manila folder with papers spilling out the sides) was true and accurate.  We agreed that it was, actually not having a clue as to what file this was that she was referring to, but assuming it was all that PAPERWORK we’ve been working on for 18 months!  We moved on.  Passports please.  Duly supplied.  Next was her checklist.  She asked us questions like, Did we know anything about the birth parents?  Had we previously met Kate?  What was our court date?  Etc. Etc. The point of the embassy interview is to make sure our story matches that file.  That it’s all copasetic and legit.  No stolen children or human trafficking or anything else terrible that, shamefully, happens every day across the globe.  Esther went through each section of her checklist giving us very pleasant responses and eye contact the entire time barely glancing down at the check boxes she deftly marked through with her blue ballpoint pen.  Embassy employees milled about behind her, working.  I never really looked past her now that I think about it.  I loved Esther at that moment (just like how I loved the anesthesiologist in the operating room during Keira’s C-section.  What was his name again?).  Then came the rubber stamp.  The rubber stamp!  I stood straight at attention and held my breath.  She pounded that thing down and proudly proclaimed, “This adoption is official and final!”

I cried.  We both hugged and kissed Kate, who had been, um, PERFECT this entire time.  We expressed our thanks.  Esther congratulated us.  She gave us a bunch more papers and I still haven’t even looked at them.  Don’t care.  They’re in my bag.  We have Kate.  Officially and Finally.  Yes! 

The Skinners went next and were similarly “approved.”  We made quite a scene of hand shaking and hugging and wiping our eyes.  I’m sure in that moment we were way better entertainment that Kathie and Hoda sampling margarita popsicles.  We headed back outside to say our good-byes to the attorney who has done more behind the scenes for our cases then we’ll probably ever know.  He does great work for a great many people.  Thank you, Sentayu.

Next was an American-style lunch of nachos, onion rings, pizza, burritos, sodas and beers.  Yes, we were hankering from some good old American junk food.  The Island Breeze restaurant was a respite for me on the last trip with familiar tasting foods.  It wasn’t as great this time, but still a welcome change from what we’ve been eating.

We returned to Toukoul Orphanage for our doctor’s appointments.  This is a chance to ask any more questions about the medical records they supplied (pretty much unreadable anyway) or about your baby’s health history.  We didn't learn too much that was new, except that Kate had the chicken pox when it went around the orphanage a few months ago (can you imagine taking care of 240 children under the age of 2 with the chicken pox?  Heavens to Betsy!).  It is not recommended to return once you’ve “checked out” as your child may get confused or upset.  But the doctor had postponed us to today, so we didn’t have a choice.  Thankfully, our babies were all young enough to not really notice and we steered clear of any of their nannies.

And we stopped by a grocery store for some "goods."

Then it was home to crash.  What a day!

Gotcha Day!

June 21, 2011

 

Today was Gotcha Day!  This is a term used often in the adoption community as the big day you take your child out of the orphanage.  This was our day – check out day.  And it was just perfect.

 

Kate has been so well loved at Toukoul and really cared for, physically and emotionally.  They gifted us with an embroidered knapsack and a traditional dress for Kate.  They also agreed to take pictures of Kate in her room, in her crib, etc.  They would not allow us to go in there but took my camera and returned with a treasure trove of priceless photos!  They were so tender and kind, and of course there were tears.  We are very thankful for the staff and especially her nannies.  Of all the nannies, this woman seemed the most attached to Kate, and Kate to her; I noticed it on both of our trips.  She shed tears, too. 

 

There were lots of tears in saying good-bye, mostly from me and none from Kate (thankfully!).  Just as with a birth mother who gives up her child for a better life, this is certainly a loss for the staff here, too.  To care for a child this many months and then to see them go (especially one this beautiful and sweet!  J); that is tough work.  We signed a one page document and that was it.  She was ours!  Voila!  Just like that! 

 

I found out answers to many of my questions which also put me at rest.  Here’s a summary.  All of the children at Toukoul are 2 years or under.  There is a five-story tan stucco building with lots of windows/rooms where the majority of the children live.  Some children live in a one-story white stucco building labeled “Clinic.” Kate has lived in this building since she arrived to Toukoul 9 months ago; this always puzzled me.  Was she always sick?  I found out today that sign is there just because the nurse’s office is in that building, too.  Let’s just say that signage is not one of their big priorities!  At least we know Kate hasn’t been living in the sick bay all this time!  However, chicken pox did make its round through the orphanage recently and I can see tiny white scars across her body.  I’ll confirm with the doctor, but it looks like she had it, too.  She shared Room #3 with 2 other girls.  Her clothes were always embroidered with a “3” and now we know that’s how they determined which room to return the laundered clothes to.  Room #3 is part of Ward A which has 14 total children (including Jack and Hayley Skinner) cared for by 4 nannies at a time. 

 

She eats about 5 times a day, including powdered milk/not formula (via bottle), vegetable soup, and a porridge that they make with potato, meat or fish or egg.  Interesting!  She received a bathed every morning.  They put Vaseline on her skin and parafin wax on her hair.  When I asked, “what makes her cranky?” they thought about it and then laughed and said that she prefers to have all the toys!   Here she is, ahem, enjoying all of the toys and making the other girl cry…oh boy, we have some work to do…

 

She enjoys playing with toys and watching TV, especially when there is music.  They are on a tight schedule at the orphanage so her sleep cycle is very regular and she doesn’t mind going down when it’s the right time.

 

We had had a doctor’s appointment which got postponed, so we had some unexpected extra time.  Eric strapped on the Baby Bjorn we haven’t used in several years and we slowly perused the grounds to take it all in one last time before departure.

 

Kate was really nervous getting into the car, especially when it started up and began to move.  She’s been in a car one other time in her life.  She was 3-months old and being transported from Bahir Dar (the region where she was found) to Addis Ababa.  At that time she sat on a caretaker’s lap, as they don’t do car seats in Ethiopia.  Several other children were in the car with her, including Hayley Skinner – each had an assigned caretaker and lap.  This time her caretaker was her daddy and he kept her snug in the Baby Bjorn. 

 

 

After looking around confused and concerned for a few minutes, she fussed for a bit, and then conked out!   This kid is on a schedule and it was naptime!  After arriving back to the guest home, Eric carried her up 5 flights of stairs, we took off her shoes, hoisted her out of the Bjorn and into the pack n play.  She was out cold that whole time and had a great nap!

 

After naptime, we gave Kate a bath which was a lot of fun.  Especially when I saw that she has no lice, scabies, diaper rash, or any other “scourge” common to orphanage dwellers.  Excellent!  She’s used to being bathed regularly so it was an easy task.  I finally had the chance to play with her hair, which seems somewhat coarse but does have some great ringlets.  And she already has a lot of hair; perfect time to try out a new headband.  Ridiculously cute!

 

Dinner was ready downstairs so we joined the Skinners for chicken, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.  When I turned my head for a quick moment trying to get Kate all set up in the high chair,  she dumped a bowl of rice cereal all over the place and I sprang into action cleaning it up realizing how out of practice I am!  Duh!  You don’t put the bowl of runny food in front of the 1-year old.  Oy!  Luckily, it all started coming back to me after that spill, including sign language which we started on with “more” and “all done.”  The kids have been practicing their sign language at home to help Kate with it, too!  We didn’t have any powdered milk, so gave her some of the formula we had (she liked it for about 2 minutes and then, not so much!), a fresh bowl of rice cereal and some mashed potatoes.  She ate like a champ, although seemed uncomfortable in the high chair, so perhaps they fed them differently at the orphanage.

We walked down the street to a local grocery store (we needed to get some of that powdered milk!!) and had lots of stares, and smiles, from the locals.  She waved and cooed and charmed everyone we met. 

 

After getting back, she played in a Bumbo with some toys and babbled away while we posted and cropped and emailed before bedtime.  One of her favorite things to do is to clap, then look around the room expecting everyone else to clap, too…like a perfomer on stage rousing the crowd into the beat!

 

We didn’t know how she’d do at bedtime considering she was already asleep when we put her down for her afternoon nap.  Well, we put her down and she didn’t like it.  I comforted and cooed and stroked and she popped her thumb in her mouth and settled down.  When we turned out the light and went into the bedroom, she cried.  I learned early from some wise, sage parents to time the crying because it will seem to your bleeding parental heart that they are crying for an eternity, but usually turns out to be mere minutes.  She cried for less than 2 minutes and has been out ever since.  Phew!  I forgot to mention that they still wake up the children for a MIDNIGHT feeding of a bottle of powdered milk (yep, that’s midnight).  So we’ll see if she wakes up at midnight.  I’m sure not going to wake her up!!!  But she’s adjusting FAR better than we expected and we can’t wait to get her home!!!

Well, we GOTCHA, ‘Lil Kate Baesel!  Actually, you got us…you got our hearts.  For good.  For ever.  For real.

PS:  the family with the baby switcheroo issue from yesterday is doing much better.  They told the Skinners (we avoided them as much as possible just to ease their pain) that they are fine now and just needed to go back to their hotel and hit the “reset button.”  We’re very happy for them...

Arrival to Addis

Monday, June 20, 2011

This arrival to Addis was so much different than our first arrival, and so much better!  We knew just where to go to get the visas, money exchanged, which line to stand in and all of that.  AND our driver and guide were there to meet us!  Bonus!  Our wonderful guide and friend whom we met on our last trip, Bizzy, greeted us by name and warmly hugged us immediately taking our bags and heading for the car.

Our first stop was to see Kate!  We headed straight to Toukoul orphanage.  We showed up without an appointment (there should have been one, but there wasn’t…don’t get me started on that…) and they graciously agreed to let us have a visit.  No problem!  We waited about 20 minutes which was no big deal.  I could see into an open window in her building and there was a nurse doing someones’ hair.  I could only see the very top of this child’s head, but I knew it was Kate.  The nurse lifted her up and I saw her face.  It was Kate!  In light brown and teal.  Could recognize her anywhere.  About 10 minutes later they brought out a baby.  But it wasn’t Kate.  I didn’t even hesitate or question myself; I knew that was not Kate!  They were puzzled but took the child away, and then talked amongst themselves, and then asked me again for Kate’s name.  I supplied that, along with her ID number and a reminder that we didn’t have an appointment so we weren’t on that list they kept poring over.  Okay, no problem, they said.    Soon enough, her nurse (I have a photo of she and Kate from our last trip which I was able to show to her) brought out Kate who was wearing light brown and teal, of course!  And her hair had just been done up!

Kate was a little reserved for about, oh, 45 seconds.  She warmed up to me first and then to Eric about 5 minutes later.  She’s just not used to men, but who can resist the charms of Eric Baesel?!?  Not this Daddy’s Girl!  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit noticing how much she’s grown.  She looks just about identical as the last time we saw her 3 months ago, only she now has a bit more hair, babbles a little, and is more active.  She likes to bounce in your lap and is a great crawler.  She barely walks when holding on to your hand, so I believe we’ll have a full-fledged walker very soon after we get home.  After playing and cuddling, we begrudgingly gave her back to a nurse about 2 hours later.

Next, we did some shopping for an outfit and blanket.  These will be used to exchange when we check Kate out tomorrow.  Essentially, Kate comes to us with nothing.  No possessions of any kind, not even a diaper, or the clothes on her back.  We are required to supply the outfit, the diaper, the shoes, the blanket – anything she leaves the orphanage with must be supplied by us.  And it stands to reason; they need those items for the next baby who comes in.  However, if you purchase a new outfit and blanket and shoes, they will let you take what she’s wearing and exchange it.  Basically, we take the used items and they get the new items.  That’s a fair trade to me considering that these will be special mementoes for Kate to have as she grows older.

We quickly checked in to our Guest Home and even got our same room as last time, so everything is very, very familiar!  Also, our friends, Sam and Christina Skinner are here as well (they live in MN and are adopting virtual twins.  Their daughter, Hayley, is from the same region as Kate.  They have a lot of connection points in their little lives that we’ve enjoyed discovering.  We met them on our first trip here and have remained friends through the process of waiting for this return trip.  And the Lord saw fit to have us come back at the exact same time, so we are very grateful about that!).    

The orphanage was gracious enough to let us come back for a second visit (again, unscheduled, because apparently there is no one scheduling for us, so we’re just working directly with the orphanage and it’s working out quite well) this afternoon.  Kate had already had her afternoon nap so was ready for more playing and cuddling.  And we did just that….lots of it!  During this visit, the office administrator came to us and said there was a problem; she needed our help.  Apparently, the parents of the child of the baby that was mistakenly brought to us this morning were here and they didn’t think that was their baby either.  They thought that our Kate was their baby.  And that’s because, get ready for this, the nurse mistakenly introduced them to Kate as their baby on their last 2 visits (they are here for their first trip).  They spent several hours with Kate, took hundreds of pictures and videos and sent them back home to loved ones and everything.  Gasp!  So you can imagine their chagrin when they come for their third and final visit and the child brought to them is not the same one they had been visiting with.  Double gasp!  We immediately took Kate with us to speak to them, at the request of the orphanage.  I guess they wanted us to prove that she was really our baby.  Cringe and double cringe.    The mother was now holding their correct baby (has the same African name as Kate and they live in the same room), the one they had tried to give to us earlier.  She turned and could not look at us.  I spoke with the father who was visibly shaken and heartbroken and he told me their story.  It was very, very awkward and we kept running into them around the grounds for the next hour only to have them turn away from us, but mostly from Kate.  We felt so terrible for this family who fell in love with Kate only to find out she wasn’t their baby.  We are thankful that God had orchestrated our arrival for this exact day so that it was discovered before they left for home, but oh my…terrible, terrible. 

We do feel like we’re bonding with Kate quite well and she already seemed familiar with us on this second visit.  She preferred to come to me over one of the nannies, so that’s good progress!  Our final thoughts on leaving her were that she seems super healthy (a rattle is in her chest, but no coughing or other symptoms…we see our pediatrician on Monday!), happy, and well adjusted.  We’ll know better about her skin and any diaper rash, lice or scabies (fun!) when we get her back to the hotel with us.  She’s been growing at the right rates and looks well nourished (from all that we can tell).  She laughs, she cries, she giggles, she does all normal 1 year old stuff. 

All in all, we are so thankful and relaxed….it’s been great!  But we are exhausted.  I couldn’t keep my eyes open through the afternoon and even took a nap before we visited Kate for a second time (that says a lot if I actually take a nap).  Eric is taking a pre-dinner nap now.  We head with the Skinners, and her mom Beth, to a traditional Ethiopian restaurant called Yod Abbysina (the ancient name for Ethiopia).  More injeera (their crepe like bread served with every meal) and some cultural singing and dancing.  Luckily I wasn’t pulled up out of the audience this time!

We’re VERY excited to sleep in an actual bed tonight!  Tomorrow morning is CHECK OUT for ‘Lil Miss Kate.  A big change in her life is here and we’ll all feel that full on when we take her outside that famous blue Toukoul gate to the world beyond.

Happy Father's Day!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Well, this is certainly a Father’s Day to remember.  Since we’re en route to Addis Ababa today, our kids celebrated Eric yesterday morning.  It was lots of giggles and very loud whispering as we “surprised” daddy in bed with gifts and cards (and a subsequent trip to the Donut Store!).  He and I had already been up for hours getting packed for our trip, but he pretended to be asleep just like any great dad should.

Because of his big heart for his kids, Eric spent much of the day here at the Frankfurt airport (9 hour layover!) editing videos of Kate so that we could share them with you all.  Thank you, honey!  Of course, I’m still cropping and perfecting and organizing the photos, but he’s got 4 videos edited and ready for prime time.  The first three are mostly about Kate and our 3 visits with her.  The last is on our trip to Bahir Dar where she was found, and all that we discovered there.  We could not share these publicly until now, so enjoy our sweet girl!  She’s a precious bundle!

Ethiopia Travels - Trip #1

Dearly Departed

Saturday, June 18, 2011

My beloved Gram departed this life we know at 7:30 AM this morning.  She was 93 and lived a full, peaceful life.  Her last days were unpleasant for her and we are so thankful the worst part was short (hospice was engaged for about 30 hours).  I was able to break away on Wednesday for a 1-night trip to offer any support to my mom (she’s left behind as an only child) and to say goodbye to my Gram.  It was a sweet time that I will always cherish.

Gram was the last living grandparent for both Eric and me.  It’s amazing how much our own mortality hits us in the face when a loved one passes.  And amazing how much a new life invigorates us with hope.  Some call this the Circle of Life <cue Elton John and Walt Disney>.  We are grieving the loss of Gram and yet turn with joy to the thought of Kate.  We’re finally bringing her home!

We departed for Africa just 7 hours after Gram’s passing.  Within the past 2 days, we’ve had to shuffle around all our plans given that Gram was in her final hours.  My parents were no longer able to watch our kids while we traveled; they needed to stay by Gram’s side.  So my brother’s family, especially niece Kayla, stepped in to bridge the gap.  And I know our kids are having a blast!  We are so thankful for their generosity in many ways toward us.  And that they live in the next town over makes it even better!

This trip has already been a dream compared to the first one.  We’ve remarked at how much more relaxed this time around.  We know where we’re headed and have friends waiting for our arrival.  And given the week we’ve had, we really need about 40 hours to just do nothing.  It’s a good “in between” for us.  Leaving behind the mourning and moving toward the dancing!  Loss, and Gain.

A friend reminded me of a great praise song which comes from Job that has been rolling around in my spirit all week:

“You give & take away,

You give & take away,

My heart will choose to say,

...Lord, blessed be your Name!”"Lord, blessed be Your name!"

Rest in peace, Gram:  You are home

Sleep in peace, Kate:  You’re coming home

It's a DATE!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Good news!  Good news! 

We just got approved by the US State Department for our case and our Embassy appointment is confirmed for Wednesday, June 22^nd.  This is the absolute LAST STEP of this 18-month marathon we’ve been running.

We’ll be departing this Saturday, June 18^th and returning home on Saturday, June 25^th.  Last week was Kate’s 1^st birthday, so I’m very sad that she wasn’t home for that.  But am VERY excited to have her home before the 4^th of July.  When she lands on American soil in 2 weeks, she’ll be a US Citizen and we couldn’t be more proud!  She’s an orphan immigrating to the United States of America – how cool is that?!?  We bought her the Old Navy Flag T-shirt just like her big brothers and sister, so she’ll actually be able to wear it for the holiday!  Awesome!  More importantly, she is joining the covenant family of God and we are most thankful that He has blessed us with her.

My parents are graciously coming to stay with the kids while we travel and for a few weeks after while we get our sea legs.  My Gram is not doing well (last living grandparent for us both), so we have Uncle Kirk’s family ready to fill in the gap if my parents are called back home to Northwest Arkansas.  Five days after we return home with Kate, Eric will depart for a 10-day work trip.  He’ll be home for 2 weeks and then gone on a second 15-day trip.  We plan to have Aunt Heather and cousins stay with us to get me through that time period (y’all know I don’t cook, right?  Gulp!).  Needless to say, the next 2 months are going to be somewhat of a blur for me and I am SO grateful for the support we’re already receiving.  Everyone is coming together to help us make this happen!

Arriving back home at DFW will be the culmination of all of this for us.  Those double glass doors opening at Terminal D will truly feel like the finish line to a very long and grueling run (even though, ironically, we’ll just be starting out on all new adventures…more races to run!).  I’ve dreamt often of this moment and have cheered others on as they crossed a similar path.  My wish is that Kate will have a big crowd to welcome her (and us!) home.  When looking back on footage, I want her to tangibly see and hear and know how loved and wanted she is (she won’t know it at the time, but for later in life when all those questions come…).  We tried to schedule our return flight to land at a convenient time on Saturday afternoon so that many can come and wish her well.  Please come, if you are able, and if not, know that we will see you very soon with our new baby girl!

Saturday, June 25^th

Coming in from Frankfurt

DFW Airport:  Terminal D

Lufthansa #438

Lands at 2:35 PM (clearing customs and immigration and claiming bags will take AT LEAST ½ hour, if not closer to an hour)

The International Arrival area at Terminal D has some food carts/vendors, tables and chairs, bathrooms, vending machines and another large waiting area with lots of chairs.

We’ll finally be able to post pictures and video the day we pick her up and we’ll have this travel blog active and going as well (assuming the power stays on which is very iffy in the summer months in Ethiopia), if you care to follow along.

Thanks for all the love, support and prayers!

Eric & Laura

Keira

Carter

Connor

….and Kate!

Home Bound

{March 23, 2011}

We were all too happy to be heading home; the trip was about 2 days too long.  We could have easily gone home 2 days ago having already accomplished all of our goals and definitely ready to be home with the kids, but we couldn’t have anticipated how quickly we would have done so to have booked earlier flights accordingly.

Landing in Frankfurt at 5:00 AM was like waking up in a dream.  The airport lights sparkled and the air smelled clean. Advertisements displayed expensive watches, fancily dressed couples kissing outside a French café, an expansive waterfront hotel with a yacht parked outside.  Signs were clear, even if in German, but there were signs!  All was glittzy and clean, orderly, purposeful.  There was soap in the public bathroom.  Soap!  Yes!

We wondered if they had a Starbuck’s.  They did.  Yes!  We were back in the West.  Back in the 1^st World.  I wondered what Bizzy would think and all the friends we had made in Africa whom we have exchanged email addresses and Facebook friend requests with.  Yes, Facebook is big in Ethiopia!  They all seem to want to come to America.  When asked, that is their country of choice to travel to.  But I think they truly have no idea how different their world is from ours.  It is vastly different.  And for the most part, they don’t know it.

On one of our walks in Bahir Dar, passing beggars and infirmed, homeless, toothless, broken people, Eric and I were reflecting on this and our adoption of Kate - and how God has adopted us.  For those He has chosen from the beginning of time, He plucked us out of darkness and into His glorious light.  We didn’t know the squalor of sin and filth we lived in.  We couldn’t even see it.  It was normal.  It was just how things were, how you did things, how you thought, how you behaved.  It’s what everyone around you did.  Until we were brought into the light, we didn’t know it was there.  We couldn’t see it; it was unreachable, unattainable except for a Sponsor, a Benefactor, an Advocate, the Savior to come to us…and get us out of there.  And compared to heaven, the 1^st World is nothing! 

What a forever homecoming we have to look forward to, after this short 80-year life, for those of us who believe.  For now, I will enjoy being in this temporary Texas-based home, and be thankful for where God has placed us in time and space.  He has put us in a position to help, to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.  And with God’s help, we will.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Pioneers

{March 22, 2011}

I want to especially thank our friends, Anton & Christie Bucher (she designed this blog, by the way), who pioneered the way for us into international adoption, and to Ethiopia specifically.  You allowed us to walk with you and discover the joys and pitfalls of your own journey to get Quint (and later your daughter from China, Keira Joy).  You gave us courage to do this wild thing.  Thank you for your advice, your love and your sweet friendship.

We head home today and have about 24 hours of travel ahead of us.   We can’t WAIT to see Keira, Carter and Connor and to hear their voices.  It’s been 10 long days.  We’re thankful to my parents who sacrificed most of their Spring Break to care for them and to my brother and his family (and mostly Kayla) who sacrificed all of their Spring Break to take care of them.  Thank you for your support so that we could do this for Kate.

Really, I can’t wait to show pictures and videos of our sweet girl to all of you since we are unable to post her images online for now.  Thanks for all your love and prayers and encouragement.  While I wrote this really as a history for Kate, we trust that the details of our journey will encourage, enlighten, or embolden each of you as you determine how your family will practice “pure and undefiled” religion, which is to “visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”  James 1:27

Taxi Ride

{March 22, 2011}

The taxis in Bahir Dar were different than in Addis.  In Addis they are blue vans that get piled up with people.  An 8-passenger van could easily have 20 people in it.  When you get a taxi, it isn’t your private ride until you get to your destination like we are used to in the states.  The driver will pick up and drop off many others, taking lots of detours, before you get to your stop.

In Bahir Dar the taxis were three wheeled scooters with a canopy and  bench in the back.  Often when getting a cab, there would already be passengers inside so we would have to squeeze ourselves in.  Of course, we are like twice the size of most Ethiopians being the “fat Americans” that we are.  This would usually get a knowing laugh from locals when we admitted to this.  It was the elephant in the room, quite literally, and usually broke the ice.  The camera would help, too.  Eric would often take their picture and then show it to them which most people really enjoyed.

On one such trip, a taxi we hailed was pretty full.  I was squeezed in the back with two other adults and someone was up front sharing space with the driver…remember this is a scooter, not a car.  So there was no room left for Eric.  He literally had to hang out sideways, with his head and most of his body on the outside.  We’re sure he made the local papers as the scene was quite comical.  He, with a silly grin on his face, hair blowing in the wind, catching bugs in his teeth, with the scooter practically leaning on one wheel as we put-putted down the road.

The Rest of Her Story

{March 21, 2011}

We don’t know what happened in Kate’s specific case and won’t ever know.  But we gathered many bits to try to piece together the most likely scenario of her early beginnings:

Most likely an impoverished and young pregnant woman who lived in an outlying village and could remain anonymous walked a long way to get to the hospital in Bahir Dar.  Entrance to the hospital is anonymous, but it is not free.  Delivering a baby costs about 30Birr, which is no small price for the penniless ( = about $20.00 USD).  Mothers typically stay 3 days before they are checked out, which is why they deemed Kate to be 3 days old when she was found.  I never could gather if Kate was clothed or wrapped in a blanket, but I imagine she was bundled in hospital gear which gave them another clue on her age.

As with so many others just like her, this mother left the hospital, deposited her baby on the ground, yards from the entrance to the hospital and slipped away into anonymity, without looking back, but forever changed.  No paperwork is done and no records are kept at the hospital so it is impossible to match a mother to a found child.  Abandoning a baby is a serious crime in Ethiopia and carries a penalty of 10 years in prison.  Even if she could muster the courage, no mother would ever dare come forward.  Her rights to that baby are vanquished in that solitary action.

Mothers typically abandon out of desperation.  Impoverished or sick, they have no means to care for this child.  And with all the sacrificial love they can muster, they give their child to someone else, so that they might live.  It’s reminiscent of Jochebed sending her son, Moses, down the Nile in the hopes that he might escape the sure death he would face if he were to stay in their home.  Kate’s birth mother made a similar sacrifice of energy, potential outcast or prison, and of that precious Birr to see that Kate was delivered safely in a hospital and had the best chance of being found on that street corner, by the rock pile, outside the shop. 

It is not clear to us if she was found by someone who called the police, or if she was found by the police.  But either way, a policeman gathered her up from that roadside spot, assigned her name, determined her age of 3 days old and filled out his paperwork, taking her immediately to the SOS EE Orphanage on the next block.  She was taken in by Nebretu and his staff, cared for, tested for HIV and other diseases and catalogued with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (this agency is similar to our CPS and oversees adoptions in Ethiopia).  After 2 months, she became eligible for adoption (legally they must make a 2-month cursory attempt to find any family member willing to take in an abandoned child) and was shortly thereafter transported to Addis.  When they make a transfer, they take several babies at a time, sometimes up to 10.  Nebretu rents a large van and does the driving.  Each baby has a nanny to hold them on their lap as they make the 10 hour drive to Addis Ababa (there is no such thing as car seats there).  Kate made this trek last September.  We were matched with her in November (we were actually matched when she arrived in Addis in September, but a paperwork glitch made this unknown to us until after Thanksgiving).  Our longing for her to be with us has grown each day, but exponentially so now that we’ve met her and held her and kissed her.

We hope that our return trip will be no later than June, but have no control over the dates.  It’s now in the hands of MOWA, our attorney on the ground in Addis, and the US State Department.  She’ll turn 1 on June 9^th and I’m hopeful that we’ll get to celebrate her first birthday with all of us together!