11 weeks in America

Eleven weeks now in America. Just a quick update to say all is well. She talks a LOT and is really learning English very well. Her little sassy personality comes out and it's very cute.

A recent beckoning to suppertime led her to exclaim, "But I need to watch Spongebob!"

She already rules the roost with her brothers and they are (mostly) at her beck and call.

FINAL POST

All is well. We arrived home safely (and landed 45 minutes earlier than expected). In and out of customs and baggage, to the truck and back in Paris by 4:15 p.m. Friday.

The flight was grueling. EM slept most of the way to Amsterdam, and then was awake for the layover and about 5 of the 10 hours back to the states. She would not sit in my lap (only Savannah's). She had to have her own seat due to her age, but refused to sit in it and pitched a fit about the seatbelt during takeoff and landing.

The precious, kinky-haired RUDE French lady sitting in front of us with the stereotypical airplane sleep mask over her eyes felt she had to tattle twice to the stewardess that EM was kicking her seat and crying too much. Hmm ... a 3-year-old cooped up in 15 square feet of space and you don't think she might not like the confinement? Go back to France and don't make me go all Texan on you.

Thanks for ALL your prayers.

We zipped up the 121 tollway and had to initiate EM to Taco Bell (soft taco was a hit).

EM took an immediate liking to her brothers. Played with them, hugged them, allowed them to hold her even. Loves her room and the great dollhouse and toys from Polly. She was initially happy and appeared to cognizantly connect the names of her brothers to their actual selves. Didn't hesitate to hug and get close to Grandma or Papaw, either (or Polly).

Absolutely horrified of the family dog. Screams like it's the end of the world.

She slept her whole first night in her own bed and sat with all the boys watching Saturday morning cartoons. Her first 4th of July parade was mostly uneventful (people don't put as much time & effort into the decorations of their parade floats anymore). Braum's for lunch with our friends, the Kyle family (loved Mary Kathryn!), and home for her nap.

The moodiness is like turning on and off a switch. She can go from instantly being happy and laughing to suddenly sour-puss, scowling and refusing to allow you near her. I could chalk it up to her being of the female persuasion, but that's not true of most of the women in my life. So ... ???

The adjustment period is in full swing. She will adjust - and so will we.

Again, thanks for your prayers, concern and attention to this adventure!

- Allan & Savannah

reflecting on this trip

Please pray for us ... as you read this, we are likely in transit back to the states and covet your prayers for our safe return. 20 hours on the plane with the little one will hopefully go smoothly.

I have now seen a place where, despite extreme poverty, there is incredible infrastructure progress. I have seen a place where people live in harmony with each other despite absolute chaos in traffic and a seemingly never-ending flow of folks walking only God knows where.

I have seen a place that is very proud of its history and its current role as the leader in African self-sovereignty (adopting only the western methods it wants, ruling itself the way it sees best).

I have seen a place where the people are simultaneously happy that you are adopting their orphans, but embarassed that, for now, they couldn't care for them themselves. I have seen a place where greetings come with smiles streaming from a well of thousands of years of inner morality.

I have seen a place where people exhude a joy that could only come from Christ.

There is a catchphrase slogan for an organization called Mocha Club which advocates for investment (financial, intellecutal and emotional) into this continent. "I need Africa more than Africa needs me." That about sums it up.

We are both itching to get home to our boys. It seems like we've been gone for a month. We'll be back in Texas Friday afternoon.

But we know the things we've seen on these streets, the care we've seen in the children's center, the people we've met who spend all of their time helping others - all of this will change us. It already has.

It is supposed to.

(final post from Africa)

farewell Wednesday

EM woke up happy Wednesday and we were beginning to think her overall attitude was too good to be true. Then, when Savannah took my Palm cellphone away from her, it all went south. We saw the "other side" of her which we knew was there.

I mean a crying fit and arching that back to no end. She'd push Savannah away, and Savannah would put her down on the couch, and she'd go into a worse conniption than before. So, Savannah sat next to her and she calmed down after about 15 minutes.

We knew it's not all roses, but once we get home she'll quickly find out that "no" means "no." In the care center, we learned that discipline is largely just letting them stew in their own juices when they get upset or allowing them to fight it out until a winner emerges in a battle of wits over a toy. Survival skills in the institutional environment come quickly. They even learn how to self-soothe.

Wednesday was "farewell" at the care center. We said our goodbyes to all the other little children we've gotten to know throughout the week. We had a special Ethiopian coffee ceremony. The nannies gave kisses and hugs to the departing children. It was very emotional.

(Once again, EM got dressed up in traditional garb.)

EM had one final lunch with her little friends and a nap while we parents went shopping (this time she didn't cry - she must've known we'd come back, because we've come back every day this week).

Our guides took us to a cool little shop with all sorts of handmade stuff and then we went to a leprosy and TB rehabilitation hospital where we met afflicted people who hand-embroider and hand-weave really amazing products. Some of the people had no fingers due to the leprosy.

We picked EM up from the care center and returned tonight to the hotel. Dinner in the downstairs restaurant and back up for our LAST NIGHT here.

We fly out 2:25 p.m. Texas time Thursday (10:25 p.m. our time - it will be a long day in the hotel and packing). Once again, a short stop in Khartoum, Sudan, then to Amsterdam for a 3-hour layover. We're scheduled to land in Dallas at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

Here's a video of EM from Tues night:

visa granted, off to the hotel

Tuesday was the big day: the visa interview at the U.S. embassy. Routine matter of importance, but crucial to EM entering the states with us.

All the families in travel with us spent the morning at a supermarket buying items for the various children to eat for the next couple of days while they're officially in our care. Then, we went to the care center and played with all the children.

About 1:00, we went to the embassy and the Holt staff here were really incredible - they expedited what was supposed to take 3 or more hours down to about an hour through their advocacy and excellent attention to detail.

Savannah dressed EM in a traditional outfit we picked up at the mercado Monday. Savannah said she was very excited as she was getting dressed, especially about the sparkly black shoes (uh-oh). When she came down the stairs in front of all the parents, she was strutting and looking at everyone for approval and applause. She got it - we have a potential attention grabber on our hands here!

After the visa interview, the whole group went to a great pizzeria. Then, back to the hotel for our first night with her all to ourselves.

The videos below show you 1) EM dancing and laughing at the hotel to the toy CD player we brought her, 2) saying all her brothers' names while looking at their photos, and 3) singing at the pizzeria. Except for a 20 minute nap in the mini-bus on the way to the embassy, she has not stopped laughing, staring in wonder, getting herself tickled with things she says (which we have no idea about), and dancing around. She's had her bath and Savannah has gone to another family's room for some little-black-girl haircare. Very cute.

Wednesday is the "farewell" visit to the care center where all the nannies say their goodbyes - and we say goodbye to all the other little precious gifts from God that we've gotten to play with this week. It will likely not be easy.

Monday: the Mercado and Traditional dinner/dancing

In addition to spending time with EM at the care center Monday (see post below), we also were thrown in head first (with a guide, thank the Lord) to the largest market/mercado in all of Africa.

250,000 stalls - we went to only 5 or so (on a schedule). Within in any given block, there were easily 300-400 people.

Picked up some traditional Ethiopian clothing, dresses and shawls for EM and Savannah, plus some fresh roasted coffee that is supposedly out of this world (I don't drink coffee, but Polly - Sav says you're in for a treat).

While we were told by a number of people already that there is very little crime in Addis Ababa, our guide saw me trying to discretely count out some birr (money) and pushed me into a stall. "Not count money outside," he said.


Little kids ran up to us saying, "Money, money." I took their photos and gave them each 1 birr (about 10 cents in USD). They'd return a few minutes later with some more new little faces (hard to resist).

We were the only white people I saw anywhere and attracted an audience wherever we stopped, especially when negotiating coffee prices.





More photos of the market/mercado show various sights.






















For Monday night, the Holt International staff in Ethiopia treated us to a really incredible cultural display of traditional tribal dancing, music and food.

Held at the Crown Hotel in Addis, the dances represented just a handful of the 80 or so unique tribes in Ethiopia.

You must watch the video below to get a feel for it all.

Tuesday: our visa hearing at the American embassy. Then, we keep EM with us at our hotel for the duration of the trip (save for a Wed afternoon visit to the leprosy hospital).

Just 3 more nights on the horn of Africa. Then it's back to Texas. From a food standpoint, I can tell you it can't come soon enough. I'm dying for a real cheeseburger and fries.

more playtime and getting to know you

Monday afternoon we spent more time at the care center with all the children and EM was happy to see Savannah again. I at least got a couple of kisses on the cheek and she likes to run and hide and have me say, "Where's (EM)?" and then laugh hysterically when she reappears.

She's also a little drama queen. She coughed a little and I then mimicked her. So she fake coughed and I mimicked her again. She laughed.

She also got very jealous when another little girl came and sat in Savannah's lap. EM came over and pushed the little girl out of Mommy's lap and then sat down in it herself with a rather smug look on her face.

Here are a couple of videos from Monday.