After some initial delays at the Indianapolis airport we were finally on our way. We landed in Chicago in time to catch our Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany at 3:40PM. We even sat next to a real live German rocket scientist... who had some pretty good halitosis going on. We were trying to eat as many fruits and veggies in the airport and on the plane as we could since eating them raw was not advised in ET. I was able to read the entire Ethiopia travel book I had purchased the day before (thank you Becky B for suggesting this) and learned a lot more about this wonderful country.
We arrived in Frankfurt and I took about a one hour nap and waited on our new friends, the Reeves, to arrive. Before we left for our trip we knew we were going to be travelling with the Reeves and then meeting up with another family, the Kings, later on. We were excited about this and were anxious to meet them in person as we had been emailing and phoning some prior to the trip. It didn't take long to recognize the Reeves and we got started on our friendship right away. We learned they are produce farmers, okra being their number one vegetable grown. The most amazing part was hearing the reason they were adopting and the story behind God revealing to them which child was to be theirs. It was almost the same story as ours! It was similar to the story of how God woke T up in the middle of the night with the feeling that something was happening with our child in ET. It turns out that was our little B's birthday!
We arrived at the Bole airport in Addis, Ababa, the Ethiopian capital around 8:50 Saturday night. I thought I had prepared myself with lots of reading prior to the trip and during the trip for what we might experience in this developing country. T had been to India several times and even an extended stay, but this would be my first experience in a land so foreign. We landed without a problem and stood in line to obtain our Visas and had no difficulties. We went through security and had our bags checked. The baby formula that we were bringing for the orphanage really confused the airport security staff, but reading the word "orphanage" on the letter that was attached to it appeared to help them. But, the umbrellas we were bringing along for the nannies of B's orphanage was what baffled them the most. After about 10 minutes of looking at them and asking me things in Amharic and me answering in English, they were ready to put them away and then they began laughing to themselves. I was annoyed by this and it just hit me the wrong way. I was thinking, "Here we are, trying to do something good for the people of YOUR country and you just laugh at us". I was also thinking, "What are YOU doing to help?"
Then we exited the airport with our driver from the Addis Guest House. A woman with a small baby began to beg for money. The baby was crying and I had immediately shut down. Our adoption agency partner had advised us not to give money to people begging and had several reasons for this. I had read in the Ethiopian travel book that giving money to people begging only caused them to keep up this lifestyle and not look for jobs and it would encourage children to quit school. But, here was a woman with a baby and the baby was crying. Something about it ripped my heart in pieces. While we travelled the 5 minutes to the guest house I saw the many people and children getting ready for the night on the streets. There were families and men and women and children all putting what blankets they had over themselves on the sides of the road. I saw children, not much older than O walking alone in the dark. It was a cold night, about 59 degrees and colder as the night continued. Nothing I read had prepared me for this scene. I don't think I spoke much during that ride and even when we arrived at the guest house. S prayed for me as she thought I was still upset over the umbrella situation, but I was comforted by the prayer all the same. After she prayed I realized that I was feeling sorry for myself and those people on the streets, but hadn't taken this to the Lord and felt terrible for forgetting about His sovereignty.
By the time we got to our room I was in a full blown freak out. The site of the room was no help. This guest house was suggested to us by different people I trusted and was considered as one of the nicer places to stay.
I was thinking, "This is nice? What have I gotten myself into?!?!?!?" T was not thrown at all. He even agreed that this was a nicer place to stay. I don't know you even might think the same thing. I did not grow up privileged by any means, but I do have issues with hotels and spaces where I'm expected to sleep and bathe. The sheets on the bed were paper thin. I could see the mattress underneath. And then... I had a complete and utter breakdown. I threw a 36 year old tantrum, saying things like, "There's no way I'm going to sleep in that bed!" And, "Let's go get B right now and get out of here!" I cried and cried. I was cold and there was no heater. It started to rain and all I could think about were those people on the streets. The walls were paper thin and I could hear everything. And I missed my kids at home. I knew that I was being a major B and I was ashamed of myself, but I also knew that I needed to get this out so I could process it all and move on. I knew God was not pleased with me, but I also knew He was going to love me through it and get me on the other side of it. T gave me his jacket to wear to bed and I felt a little more protected from whatever was lying beneath me. Then I slept... maybe a couple hours.
This is the end of travel days 1 and 2.
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