Day 1 Ethiopia - Orphanage

The day began with tossing and turning, counting the hours until the sun would rise. We sat on the balcony in the cold Ethiopian morning air listening to the chanting of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

My shower experience in the guesthouse was more like an aerobics workout as I jumped in when the water felt half way warm, and then jumped out when the water became either freezing cold or scalding hot. Mind you this wasn't so horrible as it was only a trickle of water. I might have been severely injured had the water actually been coming out of the shower with any amount of pressure.

Breakfast at the guesthouse consisted of some bread, marmalade and this awesome carrot mango juice. I drank all the juice as Jeff was afraid to. I get a phone call from the owner of the guesthouse at 8:15 that we are supposed to be at the Hilton to go over paperwork with Tefera at 8:45. She has called for a driver for us. Alazar arrives around 8:30 and we embark on a drive that would scare the crap out of Nascar drivers. There are no lines on the street, no stop lights or stop signs for that matter. People drive as fast as they can, honking their horns at every moving object and drive until someone runs them off the road or causes them to stop. I'm not even sure there is a right side of the road to drive on; you just go until you see someone coming straight for you. So you pretty much run balls to the wall until you run into a goat, a car or a person.

So anyway, we get to the Hilton (late) and go over paperwork on the coffee table in the lobby of the Hilton. So it is finally decided that all is well in the land of homeland security and American Embassy stuff and we head off to the orphanage. Looking back, I can't even tell you what I was thinking, feeling at that moment. We drove down roads that weren't even roads. Rocks lay piled high in the middle of the road requiring our driver to change course frequently. I look at every compound wondering if this is it. We see horses drawn carriages pulled by malnourished, beaten horses with saddles ripping their flesh across their chests.

I feel nauseated.

Finally, we arrive at the orphanage. Tall, metal walls surround the house. The horn beeps and someone comes to open the gate. As we pull into the drive, I am searching for faces, looking for the ones I know. Before I can even get out of the car, Felimon opens the front door, hugs Jeff, kisses him on the cheek and says "Hi Dad." About that time, Merkeb is climbing into the backseat saying "Mama, mama." I burst into tears and got out of the car to hug and kiss them. Suddenly we are overcome by all of the children hugging and kissing us. I think the first thing Jeff said to the kids was "That's your mom, she cries a lot." Quite a nice beginning don't you think?