Tales from the road

Continuing posting the emails sent out during our trip:
Fair warning #1: Long update ahead but the gist of it is that all is well.

Fair warning #2: Chuck wrote the first half (up to arrival at the Guest House) and Carrie wrote the second half, so the use of the pronouns gets a little confusing.

On to the update:

Our travels thus far have been thankfully uneventful. Given the concern that arose regarding our paperwork, the remainder of our journey to Addis has been smooth sailing.

Our trip to Dubai was long (16hours), but being overnight was very helpful. Mihret and Carrie both slept for some time, while Chuck fed his typical insomnia with all of the channels of entertainment that Emirates Airlines offers. We also brought along our laptop, so that Mihret could enjoy Jay Jay the plane and Bob the Builder when she was done watching Terminator Salvation.

Arriving in Dubai, it was a short and easy transition to our hotel. When we were here in 2007, the airport was undergoing renovations and was hosting an international show for all the major airplane producers (Boeing, Airbus, etc). On that occasion, our lodging was a good distance from the airport; great enough that we missed our flight the next morning due to being stuck in a traffic jam getting to DBX. This time, we were placed (as part of our airfare Emirates often requires an overnight stay but will provide the hotel accommodations) much closer to the airport- we probably could have walked if we needed to. Our hotel issue was mostly due to our body clocks being 12 hours off and due to Mihret getting the sleep she needed on the plane; we got to our hotel at 9:30 ish, and she was not at all tired. As such, Carrie didn’t get much rest; in fact, the two of them went to a very early breakfast at 2:30 in the morning. Chuck, on the other hand was sleeping well until a problem occurred with the room’s electrical system and the staff decided it would be a good idea to test all of the lights to ensure they were working properly.

We were urged from our room at 5:30 by the Adhan, the morning call to prayer. By this time, we were all well awake, and Carrie and Mihret headed downstairs to their second breakfast. When we boarded the shuttle at 6:15, off in the distance we could see the towering lights of the Burj Khalafi, the world’s tallest building. As you know, this was one of the things that Chuck was most excited about.

Dubai Airport is incredibly spacious, incredibly clean, and really efficient. Their vendors were also really impressive, if you’re into that kind of things- as a major financial center for one of the richest cities in the world, we probably shouldn’t have been surprised to find Chanel, Dior, Rolex and other major retailers with shops right next to the UAE versions of Orange Julius and Cinnebon. Imagine Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, only with jumbo jets; Dubai has been a market and place for trading for millennia, the airport reflected that.

It was also one of the most diverse experiences I’ve been a part of- Just sitting and listening, I counted at least 15 different languages. Really impressive, and reminded me a lot of the narrative from the second chapter of Acts.

When we finally arrived in Addis, the fun began. Carrie and I have traveled extensively enough to know the “situation” at most airports, but didn’t have our radar on this time. As we cleared customs, we encountered a member of the airport baggage claim staff who asked us “Guest house?” Assuming that he was a part of the AAI team, and thankful to be met at the airport, we nodded and he began to help us claim our baggage. While it was very helpful, we soon realized that his entrepreneurial spirit was motivating him more than his desire to help us connect with AAI. By the time it was all competed, we had tipped his manager and paid he and a colleague about three times the amount that baggage porters usually receive. Hustlin’ pays the bills, I guess.

The other major snag that we encountered was clearing customs. We were again bringing donations for the orphanages, which this time included a flat panel monitor for the main administration team. This was provided to us by another Los Angeles area parent, and we had packed it with the rest of our belongings. At customs, we were asked to take it out and were told we needed to pay import tax on it. The fact that it was a) used, b) not ours and c) being donated to an orphanage didn’t really matter. Chuck’s passport was being held until the matter was rectified. While we were dealing with this, I couldn’t help but notice that another passenger was dealing with the same issues; this time for a very dated and very used box of cell phones. He had a lot more energy than we did, and was very adamant that he wasn’t paying tax and that they could keep the phones. The “Boss” said that this wasn’t his call, and that they would also impound all of the rest of his belongings as well. The man seemed OK with that, and was still in “dialogue” when we left. This was one of the moments that it was good to have our newfound baggage handler friend with us- he worked through the crowds to get our process expedited (lines and “taking turns” are often optional, it’s better to be direct), and miraculously got our “tax” cut by a third. If any of you are being audited, I would be glad to connect you with his services.

Finally, we had all of our bags (two suitcases and four bags of items for people in Addis) loaded into the van and began our journey to the guest house. The trip was much faster this time; the road construction that we had witnessed on our last visit (a combined effort of the Ethiopian and Chinese governments) was complete and made travel much smoother. After arriving at the spacious guest house, we took a quick nap before our ride would come get us and take us to meet our new daughter. A word about naps- If you’re exhausted, they really don’t help all that much. Mihret is a typical two-something; hates to go to sleep, hates to wake up. But eventually, bleary eyed and somewhat put together, we got into our vehicle and headed to the orphanage.

We may have a problem with Mihret when we get home. She is getting a kick out of sitting in a car “like Mama” (seatbelt), and may not be all that excited to resume her status as car-seat occupant upon return to LA.

Gail, the Director of Adoption Advocates International in Ethiopia, brought us to the orphanage where Zinash was and we waited for her to come out of the house. We could see lots of little faces peering out of windows, whispering to each other and giggling. There was also a small crowd of children gathering outside the door of the house. Finally, one of the house mothers emerged from the crowd of children with our daughter. She was smaller than I (Carrie) thought she would be but absolutely adorable. She was shy but came right to us and let us hug her. Her face showed a variety of emotions in a short time – scared, excited, sad, happy. We can only imagine what was going through her head. Seriously – we can only imagine because her ability to communicate in English is very limited. She knows more English than we know Amharic, but still not enough to communicate easily.

She was very, very quiet on the rest of our first day together. When she spoke, it was usually one or two words spoken in a whisper. She smiled a lot but also looked nervous. I was nervous too. Here was a fully formed human being who was both a stranger and our daughter. How could we make her feel comfortable and safe with us?

Gail suggested that a good way to break the ice would be to show her the new things we brought for her. She got a big smile at this suggestion, so we proceeded to unpack our bags to try to find the things we brought for her. This was easier said than done because I spread out everyone’s belongings among the six pieces of luggage we brought just in case some of the bags didn’t make it. When we traveled to Ethiopia to bring home Mihret, two of our pieces of luggage arrived with us; two arrived several days later. Unfortunately, most of the things we packed for me and Mihret were in one of the bags that was delayed. I determined that we would do what we could to prevent that from happening again. Of course, since I had gone to all of the work of spreading out our belongings between our suitcases and the boxes of donations, everything arrived at once. (Not complaining!) So anyway, Zinash helped me unpack all of our bags and reorganize our things. It really was a good ice breaker, but it still felt awkward.

We barely made it to 7 pm before our eyes were shutting on their own, and Zinash was surprisingly ready to go to bed then too. It was kind of a fitful night for everyone, but in spite of the tossing and turning and frequent wakings, we got some much needed rest.

During our second day with Zinash, we got to know her better and found out that she is playful, slightly mischievous (especially when playing with Daddy), and loves to laugh. We played a version of hopscotch in the morning and then Zinash and Mihret chased each other around the Guest House grounds laughing, giggling, and shrieking with delight. We discovered that Zinash likes puzzles, games, coloring, jumping rope, blowing bubbles, watching movies, and eating hamburgers. She seems to like us too, which is a relief to all of us!

Day three has felt more comfortable. We are getting to know each other and are enjoying the time we are spending together. Mihret adores her big sister and wants Zinash to do everything with her, and Zinash seems to be having fun playing with Mihret. Today they discovered that they could hide in a large basket and pop out and surprise me when I was coming down the stairs. I have a feeling that they are just beginning to discover the silly and mischievous adventures they can get into together.

The rest of our week in Ethiopia is looking like it will be full of activity. Tomorrow we are planning to visit Layla House, the orphanage where Mihret lived before we brought her home. We’re looking forward to seeing the ladies who cared for Mihret. Wednesday is our US Embassy appointment. We would appreciate your continued prayers that the correction to our visa approval for Zinash makes it to the US Embassy in Ethiopia by the time we have our appointment on Wednesday. Thursday will be the day of Zinash’s goodbye party at her orphanage, AHOPE. We are praying that the goodbye party will be meaningful for Zinash and that she will feel loved and supported as she moves on to a new life with us in America. It will undoubtedly be sad for her to say goodbye to those who have loved and cared for her for the last six years. Please pray that God would comfort her and her friends and caregivers at AHOPE. Pray also that we will know how best to support her in the midst of the tremendous changes ahead.

Thank you for all of your encouragement, prayers, and support as we add to our family!