Another Amazing Day in ET!!

Hello from Ethiopia!!! Wow! Our days are so packed but I am going to try to fill you all in on everything. I am including pics from my trip but I have no idea what order they will end up in. Remember that these are my "trip" pics and there is no telling where any of the kids are from in any of the pics because we visit many places ;)

I have LOVED driving through the countryside. It is a whole other world. It is poverty stricken and you just see mud hut after mud hut surrounded by beautiful countryside and little children running free and barefoot all over the place.
I mentioned we made the long trip back with all of the children and I just tried to take in all of my surroundings as we drove. It was awesome!!

We went to several orphanages and the transition home yesterday. It was a full day. I just can't explain how cute and adorable all of these children are. They are soooo excited to see us and we just give them bid hugs and kisses. I can't explain Ethiopian children except that they are just grateful. There is such a humbleness about them that is astounding. Their spirits are unlike what we are used to in the States. When you have nothing, you are grateful for everything.

I got to love all kinds of children. Those in the transition home that are coming home to their families soon and those that are still waiting. I just love watching the kids faces as they open their presents that were sent from their new families that they haven't met yet. They know exactly who it is as they point and say "Mommy and Daddy" with they biggest smiles ever on their faces. They are counting down the days to meet all of their new families and they are doing it with joy.

The coolest thing happened yesterday!! I was talking to a sibling group about their new family. I was telling the older one about her mom since I am friends with her and she just lit up with joy. This girl is amazing and can speak English very well. She just had all this wonder in her eyes as she was asking me if I knew what her room looked like or what her brother and sister were like......and then it suddenly hit me!!! "Oh my gosh, I have my computer and my internet card in the car and it is 6:30 in the morn in America!" Could I actually pull this off?
So I ran to the car, grabbed everything and then frantically started trying to contact the family. I didn't have her # with me so I sent facebook messages and didn't hear back. So I resulted to calling my hubby, having him call them, wake them up, and tell them to get on skype NOW! The kids just waited anxiously staring at the screen, while I just kept telling them "They should hopefully be calling soon." 
Then the skype phone rang and I opened it up to their entire new family sitting right in front of them. They were sooo excited. The kids kept saying "Hi, Mommy. Hi, Daddy. I love you."  Then the family walked their lap top around their house showing them their rooms and the snow outside and told them they would be coming soon. Then the kids sang them a song and we had to hang up.  It might have been the sweetest thing I have ever seen. OH MY GOSH!! I can't stand it! Just life changing moments, one after another, going on all around me.

There is a new 10 yr old boy I met who is waiting. He has TB but has been treated for the past 3 or 4 months. He looks totally healthy and cute, and adorable, and precious, and someone needs to adopt him. He should be long done with his treatment by the time he would come home anyway. There is also the two sisters ages about 11 and 7 who I met on our last trip who are STILL waiting. I am determined to find them a home. They might just be the sweetest things EVER! There is also a special needs beautiful little girl around 2 or 3 who has been waiting for a while and I met her yesterday.  She needs a family who can invest the time to get her the help she needs. I felt so sorry for her. There is also a 5 r 6 yr old boy who we played with and is precious. We met him on our last trip as well. He has a brother as well about a younger than him.  Then don't forget about the special needs boy who traveled with us all day. I HAVE to find him a home. There were two three yr old girls who have been placed just since we have been here....YAY!! There is a young brother set, among other smaller children who will be referred out to the families on the wait list. There is the sibling group of 4 whom I met on the last trip who are STILL waiting.  I will see them on Sat and get more pics. They are sooooo beautiful and sweet. They just HAVE to find a home soon.

We are headed to Korah today. We are so excited. I hope to find my little guy I met on the last trip, whom we sponsored for school, but then his mom decided she didn't want him that far away. I hope to speak to the mom today (through a translator) and talk to her about the importance of this young boy to go to school. If she agrees then I hope to take him with us on Friday to Shashemene when we go. He is already registered and everything, and his little best buddy went on to school without him and he was left behind. So you all pray that his mom will agree to let him go get his education. All he talked about in July was wanting to go to school. It is heartbreaking that he is not there.

And also pray for my friend, Bisrat. His father died yesterday suddenly. He is a true angel to so many over here. He has a servants heart and is very special to us.

More to come from Ethiopia soon......