My Trip to Ethiopia, Day 7

Friday, October 3, 2014

*I cannot post many of today's details online, due to really difficult things we witnessed and confidentiality reasons. So I'll just post a million pictures instead. Some of you adoptive families know just how hard things are in Ethiopia right now, and I must say I am so thankful for AGCI, who works tirelessly to make a difference for the children here.

I slept well during the night, got ready, and met the others for breakfast. Last summer, my favorite breakfast dish was fetira with eggs and honey, but so far it has not been available on this trip. Today was no exception. After we ate, we walked the mile and a half to Foten. It was good to see the town on foot and get to experience more of it instead of hurrying off in a bajaj.

When we arrived at Foten, we found that the construction project had not been completed as specified, so we could not begin our work for the day. So Kerri and I went with Haile into town to buy other supplies. On the way to the market, we stopped down by the river to deliver a photo book from an adoptive family to their boys' birth mother. We hugged her, and I showed her pictures of my boys. She remembered them and knows their birth family, too.

It was very interesting to watch the people in the shopping district. We went to the paint/hardware store and bought bright pink, cream, and bright blue paint, rollers, brushes, and nails. We were charged the ferengi price, of course. Back at Foten, our goal was to paint the chip board walls of the bedrooms, but the walls kept flaking off. We discovered that we needed to put a form of plaster on them first, which we didn't have. So Kerri and I made lemonade out of lemons and started painting murals to brighten up the space for the kiddos who will be living here in the future. Kiersten joined us after her meeting.

Some of the village children showed up to watch us.

Kerri has a moment with our beloved chip board.

We went back to the Baro at about 2:00 for lunch, and they actually had fish for the first time all week! Yum! Afterward, we drove to Brother's and Sister's Care Center, the first orphanage that Jalen and Jordan lived at. We loved on the kiddos and took turns holding all of the teeny, tiny babies. It broke my heart to see so many orphans, and hoped we were making a small difference in the lives of the least of these, whom God holds so close to His heart.

The new kitchen and lavatory at BSCC, which our friends from Texas completed this summer:

We replaced the flooring in this room last year, and it has held up really well:

I gave Yilma all of the packages that adoptive parents had sent with me and showed him photos of the twins. They were all so excited to see the pictures, and Yilma told me that Jalen used to climb the tree below (when he was only 2!). Then he used to call Jordan to come and see what he had accomplished. Yilma said that my boys will never be forgotten. It was so neat to learn more little bits of their past. It was also surreal to see all of the kids sleeping and playing and realizing that used to be our boys. I got really emotional when it was time to leave and say goodbye to the kids. I hope they all find families to love and care for them and teach them about Jesus.

Back at the Baro, I journaled and read until it was time for dinner. Kerri and I met in the restaurant, and Mathewos and Kiersten joined us later after a meeting.

Some of the monkeys I saw at the hotel: