Kids

Today we had to get up on time because we were babysitting Heather and Dave’s kids, Faith and Thomas.  They are travelling outside the city to visit Bereket’s mother.  At 8am they came up to our suite.  Ibssa has had a really rough night.  His ear is still bothering him and it woke him up several times through the night.  I knew we had to take him back to the doctor.  After we finished with the morning chores and some playtime we decided to head to the clinic. 

They told us that we had an hour and a half wait.  Fair enough.  However, Ibssa was very tired and not himself.  There were tears and whining while we waited.  It was beginning to look like rain.  Faith and I decided we had better head out to get bread for lunch or otherwise we would be doing it in a downpour.  We thought we could pick some up at the stop and shop close by, but they didn’t have any so we had to take the longer walk to the bakery.  By the time we got back to the street with the clinic the boys were done and Paul had a prescription in his hand.  I went to fill it and low and behold it was the same antibiotic as the last time.  Good grief.  Paul didn’t know what he was on and I hadn’t brought his old medicine with us.  There are no Shopper’s Drug Marts here! 

We got back and I made lunch for the crew and then it was time for Ibssa to go to bed.  He really needed his nap today.  Rob stopped by to see how we made out.  Rob is a nurse so I told him Ibssa’s symptoms. A lot of pain but not drainage or fever.  He thought maybe it was just plugged with fluid or something.  Maybe he will need tubes.  If this is the case I don’t think antibiotics will do anything.  I think I will take him to a more English friendly doctor next week sometime.  It will be more money but it will be worth it.  I am starting to think that I may have problems with him on the plane if it is a plugged ear.  Lisa Silverthorne if you are out there somewhere can you give me some advice?

Faith and Thomas watched the Monsters Inc. movie while Ibssa napped.  After about an hour and a half Ibssa came walking into the living room a little dazed and sad.  I scooped him up and cuddled him with a blanket.  For once he wanted me and not Paul. LOL. I can’t believe Paul will be leaving on Thursday.  His time here has gone by so fast.  Our week is already filling up.  Monday we would like to take Ibssa swimming at the Sheraton, Tuesday is a day out with the girls for me, Wednesday we are planning a trip outside the city and bam it is Thursday already.  We still want to do the grocery run with all the money collected by our church family and friends.  I would really like to do this while Paul is here because I really just want to lay low while Paul is gone.  That would mean we would have to receive the money by wire either Monday or Tuesday.  If this can’t happen, I am sure I will figure something out.

Dave and Heather got back about 6:30.  We decided to go for pizza.  We went to a new place that kind of seemed like a lounge bar.  No one was there so they welcomed our order.  The food was good.  By the time we left it was dark.  I feel completely safe when you are traveling in a group.  The walk home was actually very enjoyable.  Tilahun called just as we were getting to the gate.  We had made plans to go to his church tomorrow.  But after speaking to him he advised us not to go anywhere tomorrow, to just stay put in our guesthouse because there are going to be political rallies about religious issues and it would not be safe for us to be out and about.  You don’t have to tell me twice.  Home it is!  We will just watch Joel Osteen online for our Holy feeding. 

Not much else to say for today.  Both of us are tired from our day of watching 3 children instead of one. 

Chow for now
Karen

Another Step Closer

Good day today. 

Today was the day to file for passports for the kids.  We received Ibssa’s Ethiopian birth certificate yesterday.  We were to check it to ensure all info was correct.  It was Ibssa Paul Gresty – has a nice ring to it.  Although his name will become Ibssa Jemal Gresty after we come back to Canada.  Their Ethiopian certificate must have the father’s name contained in the child’s name.

 We were all meeting downstairs to leave at 9:30.  Once we got together Rob mentioned that Ephram’s certificate showed that Rob was from a different country other than Canada – Ooops that’s a problem.  A couple phone calls later and all would be fixed up by the time we got to immigration.   We all left and met Grematchew at Immigration Office.  It didn’t seem to be a big deal as we were done in about an hour.  It did seem however that we were given expedited service.  We’re not sure if it was because we were being represented by Grematchew, or because we were adopting or maybe just because we were white.  After seeing the long lines it really didn’t seem fair to the rest of the people. 

The other 2 couples headed back to the guesthouse while Karen, Ibssa and I were going shopping.  We had setup Markos to pick us up at immigration.  The rain started once again but this time it came with hail.  Good thing we were in the car.  People were running like crazy.  I think it would really hurt if you were caught in that. 

 

 

 

 

 

Marcos took us to the perimeter of the city.  A lot of the thread for the scarves are made there.  There is also a lot of pottery shops.  He took us to a small one where everything is handmade.  It was good price so Karen stocked up.  As I’m not a shopper, I wouldn’t know what was a good price so I just tagged along.  The next stop was a small enterprise market.  This is a market that small entrepreneur can sell their wares at a fair price.  Again prices were cheap.  It’s nice to shop where there are not beggers at every turn. Markos seems to know where to go.  Karen purchased an outfit for Ibssa, a shawl and a purse.  Next stop – the holy market.  This is a market that happens for two weeks after the orthodox 16 day fast. This market is similar to what we would see at a home show and fair combined.  There were many buildings with separate booths of just about anything. Karen bought spices, tea, and a Tom and Jerry outfit for Ibssa.  We ended our shopping with the purchase of honey wine.  First we tasted the 3 varieties.  Non- alcoholic, medium alcohol, and strong.  We decided to purchase 2 medium wines and one non-alcoholic for the kids.  This is a traditional drink and it is really good.  How could it not be with honey in it!

We returned back to the guesthouse where we relaxed for about an hour before supper.  The group of us decided we would order out and get a smorgasbord of food from the Greek restaurant and share it all.

 Without a nap, Ibssa was out like a light by 7:30 so the day was done.

Chow for now

Paul

Technology Day

Well today was a real hodge podge of a day.  Our morning routine was pretty normal.  I have to say breakfast is so enjoyable.  Ibssa LOVES breakfast.  It is always a great start to our day.  We did the usual, my two boys played while mom cooked and cleaned.  We were waiting for Martha from Kids-Link to phone about our passports.  Nothing….surprise.  The troops volunteered me to call so I tried several times….the usual…network busy, phone busy, no answer.  Good grief!  Just as I went down to tell Heather I wasn’t having any luck the phone rang and it was Martha.  She said that we would have to wait until tomorrow and that we would have to meet Germatchew at the gates of Immigration at 10am.  We arranged a ride with the guesthouse driver Sinteyew so now it is a go.

Since we now had time on our hands Heather decided to take her boys to the doctor so Paul and Ibssa hung out with Dave.  I decided this would be my day to cook my chicken.  It’s hard to believe but beef is cheaper than chicken here…who knew.  I decided to boil my chicken and make soup with the leftover vegetable I had hanging around. By the time the meat was cooked we decided we would venture out with Dave, Heather and family for lunch.  We suggested Ibssa’s favourite spot…the one that served traditional food, and is very cheap.  This place is always busy, I guess it is the local joint.  Paul and I weren’t very hungry so we shared a clubhouse.  We thought we ordered the same thing for Ibssa that he had the last time but nope…surprise a different form of injera.  It just came with sauce.  Poor guy, oh well, he ate it anyway.  On our way back to the guest house we stopped and picked up a few groceries at a stop and shop and then went home. It was time for Ibssa’s nap.  I knew we were having company later, Tilahun, so I wanted Ibssa to be able to last.  He had no problem taking a nap.  Paul and I had some quiet time and just sat and talked and watched the rain come teaming down.  It was actually very peaceful.  It was at this point that we realized he only had one more week left in Ethiopia. L

Dave & Tilahun

Just as Ibssa woke up Getcho showed up with Tilahun.  I asked Getcho to join us but he had other things to do.  Tilahun and Paul started trying to download our music to Tilahun’s computer.  Rob and Candy stopped by with their computer too.  They wanted to figure out how to skype.  You should have seen our living room.  Talk about geek town…there were 3 computers, one tablet, and 4 phones.  Ibssa was in heaven.  Candy and I decided to take a walk to pick up some fruit and veggies.  Our timing really couldn’t have been worse.  When we were the farthest point away from the guesthouse it just started teaming down rain again.  We usually don’t get two bouts of this in a day. 

Ibssa & Bereket

 The second rain is usually mild.  Good thing we had our umbrellas, but we still go soaked.  When we returned the boys were still confused on how to get music from my iphone to the computer.  I didn’t even try to help, I just went off and continued adding to my soup.  They still had no luck with the wifi until Ibssa stepped in.  Yes, it took a 4 year old to show the men how to turn the wifi on on Tilahun’s computer.  That was the funniest part of our day!  Look out Jake, your brother is following in your footsteps!  We had to seek the help of the Reich’s downstairs because we were still not having much luck with the music. 

At this point my supper got put on hold while the minds were at work.  They finally accomplished their agenda and the music got downloaded.  We also downloaded a bunch of movies.  My soup turned to stew as it sat and soaked up all of the water.  That didn’t matter to my boys…they ate it and said it was yummy.  I also made a bread pudding for supper to.  I had the hardest time finding raisins until this afternoon. When I opened up the trail mix bag from Costco to serve as a snack and low and behold…RAISINS!  I managed to pick out half a cup, just enough for my recipe, and I made bread pudding.  According to the Canadians here it was awesome.  Maybe I am like mom in a lot of ways.  Making something out of nothing.  It was getting late and Tilahun said he needed to go.  What was I thinking, he is only 16 and it is dark.  I gave him money to take a cab home.  He is such a blessing to us.  Ibssa just loves him to pieces.  He invited Ibssa and I to celebrate the Ethiopian New Year on September 11.  We will certainly try to make it.  Rob came back up and Paul got skype working for him.  He was pretty happy.  This was his first connection with their family back home.

 It was certainly a good day all around.  And now we know we have another techno wizard in the family.  LOL.  Tomorrow will be another busy day.  We are going for Ibssa’s passport and we also told Markos he could take us to another couple of his favourite spots that he brings tourists. 

Time to wind down and get ready for bed.

 

 

 

Chow for now

Karen

 

A Day without Karen

Well today was a good and bad day.  It started once again like every other day.  Ibssa up at 6:30 and then in our bed for playtime.  Karen said she had a headache so it was just going to be Ibssa and I for breakfast.  I got breakfast ready once I put peanut butter on toast, I cut it in quarters.  That is obviously not what Ibssa wanted.  He put a pout on right away.  It only lasted about 3 minutes as when I was going to pour his cereal, he decided he wanted to pour and everything was good again in Ibssa’s world.  He said grace and prayer for mom to feel better.  We puttered around for an hour and a half to give mom time.  It was time for showers so we quiet went and got all cleaned up.  Mom still wasn’t feeling well and said she had a migraine.  Karen never has had a migraine before so that is something new.  She did get sick a couple of times so maybe it was the flu. 

Well it was time to go outdoors so mom could get more sleep.  Rob offered some migraine medicine but Karen wanted to try to get rid of her headache without it.  We came in about 11:45 and mom was still in bed no better after taking Tylenol.  Dave mentioned the group was going to the Edna mall if we wanted to go and let Karen sleep.  It’s a large mall that has a kids play area in with a jungle gym, arcade games, carousel, bumper cars etc.  Since it looked like rain Ibssa and I would go.  We got ready to go and mom wanted to know what we were doing.  After she heard, she still didn’t want to get up – must be bad a mall and NO Karen?????

 We got to mall close to 1:00 and went inside.  Although we could see the play area we had difficulty finding the entrance.  Heather, Candy, Rob and most of kids took elevator up while Dave, Bereket , Ibssa and myself took the stairs.  First down (oops parking garage), then up to 3^rd floor.  Someone then told us main floor where we came in.  Back down again – at least we got exercise.  All the kids were excited as it was noisy, lights were flashing and kids all over the place.  We got tickets for all kids to start in playground.  It was like the McDonalds playland but larger. 

 The other 3 kids went in but Ibssa wasn’t too keen on it and then decided no.  We watched the carousel for a while and then he finally decided he could handle it.  Up on a horse he went but it was not so pleasant. The ride started but it seemed like the horse needed bearings.  Once the horse reached the top, it would clump and drop a bit.  One rotation is all that Ibssa could handle – he wanted off.  We put him down into a teacup which he could spin in circles - that was much better. 

The only other rides for his size were the rides that rock back and forth.  He loved them and rode them all. 

 We stopped for lunch and during grace, prayed for mom again.  Back for a little while longer to the play area.  When it was time to leave, Ibssa showed me again, that he was picking up on our actions.  When he wants something and can’t wait, we will usually say “wait a minute” and hold up one finger.  He was just sitting on a ride when everyone was ready to leave so I said “let’s go Ibssa”.  He chattered off something and held up one finger as to say “wait a minute” – he so cute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got back about 4:30 and Karen was still in bed but feeling better.  Ibssa and I just vegged out watching cartoons for the next hour when mom got up.  We have our official cartoon watching position. Ibssa didn’t get nap so it was a light supper, cuddle time with mom and then to bed at 7:30.  It was Karen’s turn to lay down with him, so she is as I write this.  It’s 8:15 and she hasn’t returned.  I thought Ibssa would go out fast so maybe Karen is out again.  Oh well, hopefully she’s back to 100% tomorrow.

We were tentative to get passports tomorrow but haven’t heard anything today.  We’ll have to call Martha first thing to see what the plan is.  After the passports (hopefully), we were booked to see Shelley Green’s boys so we could exchange music.

Well we’ll see what tomorrow brings and hopefully by the end, we’re one step closer to bringing Ibssa home.

God Bless

Chow

Paul

God is Good

Today once again started like any other, but we had to speed it up a bit because we knew we had to go to Abenezer this morning to meet with Ibssa’s mother.  I didn’t hear from Elizabeth, so I assumed they were not coming here.  When I tried her cell, I got no answer.  We are calling today’s blog God is good because everything just seemed to go so smoothly today.  I called Markos at 8:45 and asked if he could pick us up at 9:30.  If he couldn’t then I knew I still had time to arrange another driver.  He said his car was ready and that he would gladly pick us up.  We also had plans to do our tour of interesting shopping spots today.  Low and behold, he actually showed up at 9:30, he had to wait a couple of minutes for me for a change. LOL.  I make fun, but we love Markos to pieces.  He has a really kind heart. 

As we walked into the gates of Abenezer, the staff came rushing over to see Ibssa. They all seemed so genuinely happy to see him and they smothered him with kisses and hugs.  In no time at all Ibssa’s mother came down the side walk.  She had a huge smile on her face and hugged Ibssa for a long time.  That was so nice to see.  A short time later, Elizabeth came in with her driver.  Apparently she was coming to pick up Ibssa’s mother to bring her to our guesthouse.  That would have been good to know, but I really believe this is where God wanted Ibssa to be here today.  There were very few children around today….that seemed odd.  Elizabeth told me they had gone to the Edna mall today.  They have an indoor playground and all kinds of cool things for kids.  I was glad to hear that the children do get out from time to time.  The ones that were still there came to play with Ibssa.  He was thrilled to have some familiar faces to play with.  There was no signs of emotional confusion whatsoever.  I had Markos tell him that he was only visiting today and that we weren’t trying to give him back. LOL.  Ibssa’s mother seemed far more relaxed today.  She was beginning to see that we were really good people and that Ibssa was very happy with us.  Our translators …English to Amharic was Elizabeth and from Amharic to Oromo was the cook from the kitchen.  I was so glad it was a woman this time.  Woman will get all of the details.  We were able to find out that in fact Ibssa does have two siblings.  A sister who is 8 and a brother who is 6.  They have a different father, but they are siblings nonetheless.  She told us their names and said their grandmother was watching them while she traveled to Addis.  Wow!  Elizabeth immediately told her that, had she had known Ibssa had siblings, Abenezer would have sponsored them to go to school, and now they would start.  I immediately jumped in and said that our church would gladly sponsor Ibssa’s siblings to go to school.  I didn’t even think about it, it just jumped out of my mouth.  I guess I'll have to ask first.  If not Paul and I will sponsor them.  His mother was sooooo thankful.  You could see her wall coming down and she became much less guarded.  I asked her if she had married again and she laughed and said no no no! 

 

I told Elizabeth that I wanted to videotape or take pictures of the scarves being woven so the people that ordered them could see and get a good idea of what they had purchased.  She was more than accommodating.  Away we went.  I am certain no one will be disappointed with what they are purchasing.  I could see that they tried their best to accommodate the colours that I had requested. 

 

 She had me take pictures of the rest of the school.  She seemed so proud of what they were accomplishing and rightfully so.  At the end of our tour of the school she handed me the scarf that I saw on our very first day that I said I loved because it was red and white….Canada colours.  She said here, this is a gift for you.  Awwwwww. 
 

 

Before we knew it it was 11am and Markos was picking us up.  Elizabeth took Ibssa to see all of the staff one by one to say goodbye.  They truly love him.  Then it was time to say goodbye to Nurye, Ibssa’s mom, I finally learned how to spell her name.  I told Ibssa to go up to her and give her a hug and a kiss and he did!  Nurye started to cry.  It was such a warm moment and was worth all the effort even though Ibssa really didn’t know who she was.  Thank you Shelley for strongly suggesting that we do this.  I know now that this is a time for closure for his mother, and now her life will be better because her other two children will be going to school.  God is good!  Paul gave her a hug and thanked her for Ibssa.  When she held my hand and hugged me this time, I knew it was genuine and not just her being polite.  What a great feeling.

In case anyone is wondering why there are no pictures of Nurye (Ibssa's mother).  We feel it is to personal and important to share on a blog at this time.  We will share photos when appropriate.  

It was now time for part two of our day.  Markos had lined up many places for us to go to today.  I was hoping Ibssa would last because a nap in the afternoon seems to be an important part of his day.  The first stop was for us to trade in some money US to birr.  Now we were off to the scarf weavers.  I didn’t have the heart to tell Markos that I already had a pretty good supply.  This place was fantastic.  There was a whole room full of weaving machines.  Only a few were working because most had gone for lunch.  We videotaped them weaving.  Our church sewers will be delighted to watch this.  These scarves had way more detail than the other ones.  I purchased several scarves as gifts for me and my friends and family.  They are so beautiful. 

The next stop was to the traditional market.  There was just so much I was overwhelmed.  It takes a lot to overwhelm me when it comes to shopping, but I just didn’t really know what I wanted.  Markos brought me to a stand that sold bedding and tablecloths.  They were all so beautiful and well made.  I ended up purchasing a tablecloth with 12 napkins for 400 birr ($20).  I knew I would kick myself later if I didn’t splurge.  I also bought a purse….surprise.  For those who know me well, it is a weakness of mine.  However, I did buy it as a gift.  I also bought a Ethiopian coloured scarf like thing for Paul to wear when we do talks out our journey.  It was 2pm and Ibssa was starting to fade.  I told Markos, Ibssa needed something to nibble on so we stopped at a bakery and grabbed him a muffin.  Away we went again. 

 This time he brought us to the place where people with HIV are employed to design and make jewellery.  They make it from coffee beans and scrap metal.  A lot of the scrap metal comes from old bullet casings that farmers find and have donated.  The casings were from years ago when Ethiopia experienced more troubled times.  The items here seemed a little more expensive than elsewhere but were very well made.  I had to keep reminding myself that his was more of a donation. 

 

 

 

 

They were also learning to make baskets but they were not for sale yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The next stop was to the store where all of the items made were from blind people.  I couldn’t believe how well crafted these items were.  Any everything was very inexpensive.  We bought a couple of wooden toys for Ibssa and a backpack for him to put them in.  He is so proud of his little backpack.  This is definitely a place where I will be coming back to before I leave. 

By this point we were pretty beat so we told Markos to take us home.  Ibssa fell asleep in the car.  We were just about home when I remembered I wanted to purchase a chicken.  There was no where within walking distance to do this.  I said if there is a store close by I would like to go.  He said sure, and half an hour of driving later we arrived at the grocery store.  I came out with 4 bags full of groceries and Paul just laughed at me.  I thought you were just getting chicken. LOL. 

We got back to the guest house and Rob and Candy invited us for dinner.  That was awesome because I no longer had the energy to cook.  Ibssa was so cute.  He put his toys into his backpack and headed on over to Candy’s suite.  His English is starting to pop up here and there.  He actually walked into the kitchen and called Candy by her name with no coaxing. I am sure we are not going to have a problem teaching him English.  He is already starting to pick it up so fast.  Love him to pieces!  We ended the evening by all go to Dave and Heather’s place for some play time for the kids.  What a blessing it is all being under one roof.  We share everything from pots to make spaghetti in to the crazy Ethiopian spices that we all started to pick up.  The other two moms went to the meat guy where I had gone the other day.  I guess they saw that Paul and I didn’t drop dead so it must be okay.  What a difference in culture that is….buying your meat from a guy on the street in one of those little huts.  Who knew we would be this brave…but the meat is absolutely delicious. 

Well I think I have bored you far too much, so I think I will sign off now.  I just wanted to say that God blessed us in every part of our day today.  We must have some real prayer warriors out there praying their hearts out for us.  Thank you so much for that.  We are living proof that praying really works.

God Bless, and chow for now

Karen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Communication Issues

Well, after a restless night before, I think I had the best night sleep since we got here.  I don’t think I woke up more than once.  I think Karen’s prayers were answered as I don’t remember hearing the dog barking at all.  The morning routine always seems to be the same now.  Ibssa woke up at usual 6:30 and climbed into bed with us for another half hour of in bed but just for playtime.

Breakfast was the same routine also.  Ibssa had his cereal Honeynut Cheerios, peanut butter toast and juice.  It always seems to take an hour to eat as he eats a lot and wants to ham it up a bit while he eats. 

Showering, brushing teeth and getting dressed seems to take almost an hour because again he can find play in everything.  One of the things he likes doing is wetting his hair and brushing it, just like dad.  Too bad his hair is too short but it is funny.  The other day he got the razor and put on his cheek (just like dad).  By the time I got to him he already had a little scratch.  It has been quite a while since we kid proofed everything.  I’m sure when he get back to Canada, it will be a whole new experience.   

We were supposed to get picked up at 10:00 to have a tour of the city with Marcos.  By 10:30 we thought we would give him a call and sure enough it sounded like he forgot and said ten minutes he would be here.  After another hour and a half and a couple of calls, we postponed our trip until tomorrow.  He was working on his car and was having issue after issue.  It was probably best that we give him the time.

As Karen mentioned in a previous blog, the orphanage was supposed to set up a meeting with Ibssa’s birth mother and Karen.  Karen emailed the orphanage director but there was no reply so we assumed it wasn’t happening.  Well as with a lot of things here communication is difficult.  The orphanage called at about 12:15 to say Ibssa’s birth mother is at the orphanage waiting.  So we arranged a ride for Karen and Ibssa and I stayed behind.  I fed Ibssa lunch and then set him down for a nap.

Karen will write this part as I wasn’t there.

  I got to the orphanage and was ushered into the familiar room where they bring visitors.  There were two women in the room.  I knew immediately which one was Ibssa’s mother because Ibssa looks just like her.  She was almost a head shorter than me and very petite.  She went to shake my hand but I immediately grabbed her for a full out hug. 

 While waiting for an interpreter, I gave her the bundle of pictures that I had accumulated before coming to Africa.  I also gave her a picture of Paul and I.  She slowly went through them and I could see her starting to tear up.  She kept a few and then handed the pile back to me.  I kept gesturing that I wanted her to have all of them but she didn’t understand. 

 Finally a young man that I hadn’t seen before came in to be our interpreter.  He spoke Amharic to the other lady, who turned out to be the nurse at the orphanage in Harar where Ibssa’s mother lives.  They quickly determined that she spoke Oromo and not Amharic so we had to search out someone else to interpret.  This was quickly becoming very complicated…..and still no sign of Elizabeth, the director.  They finally brought in the man who manned the front gate, but he didn’t speak English.  So, I had to tell the first young man what I wanted to say, he told the gate man, and he told Ibssa’s mother….good grief. 

I was very gung ho in letting them know how much we already loved Ibssa and what a gift he is to us.  I went on to say how happy and friendly he is.  Her response was thank you…and then “are we finished”.  Oh man, I was quickly realizing that my vision of our first meeting being a lovely conversation between two loving mothers quickly loosing air like a deflating balloon.  I asked about family…there are none.  She did ask that I get the care that Ibssa needed for his favoured left side.  I told her that I have a daughter who is a physiotherapist and that he will definitely get the help he needs.  She seemed satisfied and then once again said, “are we finished”?  I asked if I could take her picture to show Ibssa when he was older.  I was told not right now, we had to go through Elizabeth.  I guess our conversation was over.  The young man said I needed to speak with Elizabeth before I left.  I knew I had to pay for these arrangements.  So, they left me alone with Ibssa’s mother.  It felt very awkward.  Being who I am when I am stressed food came to my mind so I routed through my bag and found a couple of granola bars and offered them to these women.  They both took them……and we waited some more. 

During this time the children whom we had grown to be friends with kept popping their heads in and out of the room.  In particular it was the group of young girls that were friends with Claire’s daughter.  They were full of smiles.  What beautiful children they all are.  Finally Elizabeth showed up.  She seemed more concerned about Ibssa than our motherly visit.  She thought Ibssa may have some issues since he had been in the orphanage for so long.  I said no, he was very happy and doesn’t seem to miss the orphanage at all.  She told me that his mom was expecting to see Ibssa.  No one told me…..oh wait, maybe in that difficult to understand phone call earlier they may have said that, but I barely got the just of that call…all I knew was I had to go to the orphanage.  Elsa told me I had until tomorrow afternoon to bring Ibssa there, but in the same breath, she was saying it may confuse Ibssa to bring him there….good grief.  She finally decided it would be better if the mother came to the guest house….but again, we would need an interpreter or two to communicate.  I said we could stop by in the morning.  She said she would call and let me know if she could get a driver.  As of now still no call….I guess we are going in the morning. 

 Communication is the toughest issue here in Ethiopia.  People say they understand, but they really don’t.  It gets frustrating.  I will definitely have more patience for people I meet in Canada that don’t speak any English.  Oh well, now that you have heard my rant, back to Paul.

We all received a call late this afternoon, Thursday will be the tentative day that we should be able to apply for children’s passports.  One step closer to coming home.  If all goes well and the timing is similar to past couple’s experiences, everyone could be travelling home in about 3 weeks or so.  There will be more praying for that.

Karen made shepherd’s pie (with her fresh meat from yesterday’s trip) for supper with bruschetta – very tasty.  Ibssa had eaten about ½ hour earlier and was extremely excited to know he could have leftover injera again.  As a sad note, that is all for the injera.  We’ll have to work on getting more.  We invited Candy and Rob for supper as now they are here as well.  They had been at Afroland but once they seen our place, they decided to move.  Now there are 3 Canadian couples here and we total 11.  We may have to put up a Canadian flag up but it might get confused for the Canadian embassy.

The four of us had tea and a little social time while Ibssa played until about 7:30.  It was time to get Ibssa settled down for the night.

My Mom is The Best

It was a very restless night for Paul and I.  It wasn’t the far off music from the local bars, it was a barking dog.  It literally barked all night.  I usually have a high tolerance for pets having two crazy dogs of our own, but this dog was relentless.  Thank goodness it didn’t really affect Ibssa.  One good thing about him is that he sleeps soundly, I think I could run a vacuum in his room and he still wouldn’t wake up. LOL. Ibssa woke up at 6:30 as usual.  Paul and I bought another half hour of in bed time while he played with my iphone.  Today he found the flashlight.  There is something you want in your eyes first thing in the morning.  It sure didn’t take Paul long to start playing tent with the covers and showing him how it lights up in the dark.  Good grief….It’s like having two children to take care of all of the time.  LOL.  I wouldn’t have it any other way J

At breakfast Ibssa wanted to have cornflakes like his dad, except there were hardly any left.  Today was the day we introduced him to Honeynut Cherrios.  Yummy.  He has already made sure we know that that is what he wants for breakfast tomorrow. 

Routine chores have now turned into a game at every corner.  Just showering and getting dressed has turned into a one hour playtime.  Again, my older child is the route of this.  Ibssa will be lost when he has to leave to go back to work.  Mom isn’t nearly as much fun….but she is definitely a better cuddler!

Tilahum and Ibssa

Today we got to go to church.  I had called Getcho and asked if he could bring Tilahun, Ibssa’s new Ethiopian brother.  Tilahun instantly recognized our friend’s new son Bereket.  Tilahun used to teach and English class 3 times a week at KVI orphanage.  What a small world this really is.  Tilahun is a connection from Shelly Green in Woodstock.  Ibssa is in love with him.   

Getcho picked us up as well as our other Canadian friends and brought us to the International Evangelical Church.  Getcho thought we would be more comfortable having the service in English.  There were quite a few people there….a lot of adoptive families.  It was a typical service.  The worship music wasn’t anything I was expecting.  Having previously been to Africa I know they take worship to a whole other level.  This was very low key, powerful, but low key.  The Pastor was from Memphis Tennessee.  His message was on restoration and how as Christians we need to help restore people who have been distracted by the devil. 

 It was a really good message….he had tears and everything…very Southern U.S.  He showed a video of an American Olympic athlete running his big race in 1992 (Barcelona) and just before finishing, his hamstring broke.  The racer got up and was trying to finish but with great difficulty.  The racer’s father pummeled himself out of the stands, over the barriers and through security to reach his son.  His father assisted him to the finish line so he could finish his race that he had worked years for.  I don’t know if this was a light bulb for everyone but it was for me.  “Fathers” seems to be the theme that is revealing itself to us while we are in Ethiopia.  At this point I was beginning to connect the dots that God was placing in front of us.  This is a journey for Paul’s mission for the Lord.  He was deeply moved the other day by the Man up video.  The just of that movie was that Fathers from around the world need to Man up and take responsibility for children with no Fathers.  This goes beyond our adoption…this is stepping out and making a difference for those who are the fatherless.  It is so exciting for me to watch God mapping out a future for Paul.  I am not sure what exactly it is yet…but I know it is coming.  Please pray for revelation and a means to make this happen.  I asked Tilahun what he thought of the service…he just smiled.  I told him that I want to go to his church next Sunday. 

   (Proof, Karen can be an hour early for church)

 

 

We then went out for lunch and then headed back to the guesthouse.  On our way I was showing Tilahun some of the music on my iphone.  We were comparing worship music.  It didn’t take Ibssa long to figure out that this was something he had not yet uncovered on my phone.  He was thrilled that all of this music was coming out of my phone.  When we arrived he started to dance around carrying my phone.  He was quite upset that I wanted him to go to bed.  All that he could think about was my phone.  Needless to say, no nap happened today which I guess was okay because it was already 3pm and he did have a nap in church…this would mean an early bed time J

I decided I would make an Ethiopian beef dish.  A Karen creation.  I kind of followed a recipe.  It was basically stewed meat with Ethiopian spices.  It actually seemed pretty close to the real thing.  When Ibssa saw what I was making and I told him that this was for him, he smiled from ear to ear and was very excited.  We did some more skyping with my family today.  What a gift skype is.  I know it will be a daily event once Paul goes home.  After dinner it was time for jammie’s.  I got no rebellion on this matter.  Ibssa wanted me to cuddle on the couch and play one more ABC game on the tablet before bed.  What a perfect way to end the night.  Tomorrow will be a busy day for us.  We are touring the city with Markos who has some sights he wants us to see.  It is the end of a big fasting season for them so there will be a lot going on.  We should also be getting the birth certificate soon.  Please pray for this step.  We can’t move forward without it.  I can already see that I will be here longer than I had originally planned L  Oh well, I will be with the most beautiful little boy in the world (Jake, you are my most beautiful big boy!).

Time to sign off.  We are both weary from our sleepless night.  It’s raining…..maybe the dog will be inside tonight.

 

Hugs and Blessings,

Karen

Lazy Saturday

A rather uneventful day or we are getting used to the people or culture.  Breakfast was straight forward.  I got out Corn Flakes, oatmeal and eggs and asked Ibssa what he wanted.  He decided and pointed to all of them.  After more discussion, Corn Flakes it was of course with Nutella toast until I give Ibssa a bite of my toast with peanut butter.  Now I have Nutella toast and he is eating mine.  He’s lucky he’s so small and cute because I don’t give up peanut butter easily.

We had our normal playtime outside with the addition of a large punching balloon ball.  He liked tha he could hit it high in the air without difficulty.  Everyone was outside playing which was different as he would have to share.  At one point he tripped and had a sad look on his face.  At the orphanage the mamas would usually run off and make a big fuss by sucking him up.  This usually was the trigger to start crying.  Well we sure have changed that.  As he wasn’t really hurt, I laughed at him and said “Get up silly”.  His sad face quickly turned into a smile and a laugh as he re-enacted the trip.  The more you laugh, the more he’ll laugh.

The Reichs and Grestys all decided to go up to the grocery store to get some supplies.  Now that the Reichs are here with their adopted son, we had a posse of eight.  I’m not sure but I think, we stick out still.  Everytime we go out we all feel more and more comfortable in our surroundings especially in our own neighbourhood.  I think the locals are used to seeing us so now they just accept us.  People normally say hi, but we still get some looks.  Yesterday I had a guy speaking to me in Amharic. He seemed to have an issue why I had this little boy with me.  I think he was asking “Why did I have this boy” or “where was I taking him”.  I kept assuring him that he was my son but he was not understanding my very good English.  A couple of women were walking by and said something to him which helped him understand, whether he was OK with it or not I will never know. The women smiled, said hello to Ibssa and carried on along their way.  There is one security guard along the way that always says “Hi” to us.  Ibssa and I stopped today and said Hi and shook his hand and he replied “Thanks”.  Maybe we are becoming the locals?

Another rain shower as we walked so we stopped for lunch at Kaldi’s (Starbuck’s knockoff).  Ibssa had fries, samosa and a pepsi and I had a chesseburger.  I think it was the best meat I’ve had since we got here.  Ibssa decided that he wanted several bites of my chesseburger so I let him try “real” hamburger. 

The rain had stopped by the time we finished lunch so the boys and kids all headed back while the ladies continued on to the meat market.  This was an experience that you will never see in Canada.  Karen had had a discussion with Lee, guesthouse manager, on how to purchase meat.  It certainly isn’t packaged nicely in an aisle of a grocery store.  They do have strict regulations on meat quality.  The meat is killed and sold the same day.  Lee assured her that these roadside shacks with beef carcasses hanging down are of the best quality.  It has way more flavour than anything you would buy in a grocery store.  So, Karen stepped up to the vendor and ordered 2kg of beef and they grinded half of it into hamburger for her.  It cost about $10 which is great in Canadian prices, but she was pretty sure the woman ahead of her got it for half of that price.  Oh well, we are considered wealthy by Ethiopian means so I guess we can afford to pay top dollar for supplies.  Heather wasn’t as brave as my wife.  She wants to see how our health is after we have consumed this new version of street meat before she will serve it to her kids.  Karen cooked up the hamburger with onions, peppers, and garlic and she said it was the nicest hamburger she has seen in a long time.  Very little grease and very tasty.

When we got home we headed upstairs and Ibssa had a nap.  It was Karen’s turn to lay with him.  It was warm outside and the sun was shining.  This was a good opportunity to sit on our balcony with a beer – Ahhhh, Saturday afternoon, sun shining, a beer – What could be better?  I suppose watching a Steeler game – Oh Well can’t have everything.

We Skyped Karen’s sister and she was able to meet Ibssa.  He had just woken up while they were talking.  Just like with Grandma he was a little shy but started hamming it up when he got a hold of the balloons.

After we were done talking to Marg, we called the kids.  Kate is visiting Jake out in Halifax for a couple of days.  We weren’t able to get the video working so we could only talk to them.  We got Ibssa to sheepishly say “Hi Kate” and then “Chow” when we were done.  I always find it special when one of my children visits the other one without Mom & Dad.  We are proud of our young adults.

Ibssa was happy to see that he was getting leftover Injera for supper and even better luck that there is still one more meal to come from it.  Dad was happy also as I got leftover chili.  A win-win for both of us.

A little more playtime and Ibssa headed to bed at 8:30.  That’s pretty late for him.  Hopefully that means we get to sleep in past 6:30 especially on a Sunday.

We’re off to church tomorrow for the first time here in Ethiopia – should be interesting.  We’ll pray for the first time parents Candy and Rob.  We just heard tonight that Candy is now down with the stomach flu.  Good luck Candy – Hopefully you’ll feel well soon

Well, chow for now

Paul