Sunday, March 19 - Monday, March 20, 2023
This morning, we ate our last breakfast with the other SIM guests. Since we were leaving, we gave all the rest of our snacks to Ron, who would be staying another week. Then, we got ready for church. Hiwet sent a message that she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be able to attend church, but Tarikua was on her way. Muna, another friend of mine who used to live at the same girls' orphanage, also planned to meet us at church. Mathewos, Helen, and Rebecca planned to come, too, and take us all out for a farewell lunch afterward. Streets in Addis close down on Sunday morning so that people can train and play soccer, so Tarikua was late meeting us at the guest house. The others went on ahead to church, while I stayed back to wait on her.
After church, Mathewos treated us all to lunch at Antica, and Hiwet was feeling well enough to join us.
Hiwet, Tarikua, and Muna:
We went back to the guest house for the afternoon. Darci made bars, Hiwet braided Shana's hair, we packed our luggage, and the girls showed me how to play a new card game.
Tarikua was amazed by this electric hand mixer:
Then it was time for the girls to go back to their orphanages. I don't think I've ever been hugged so tightly in my life, over and over again. There were quite a few tears all around, and then they were gone. We loaded up in the van, and Gecho took us to Frehiwot's house for dinner. It was good to spend time with Frehiwot and her son, Mihiret. I am so impressed with how kind and mature he is at 18 years old. He would love to come to a university in the U.S. to major in aerospace engineering. Frehiwot cooked us a traditional Ethiopian meal, and then we visited for awhile before it was time to pack up and head to the airport.
Back at the guest house, we loaded the luggage onto the top of the van, had a prayer together, and hugged Darci and Tensaye goodbye.
After stopping halfway home in Frankfurt again, we continued on to Chicago. America, here we come!
After landing in Chicago around noon on Monday, we went through customs, collected our luggage, and then waited about an hour for the shuttle back to the hotel where our van was parked. We stopped at Chick-Fil-A, grabbed a late lunch, and then drove home, exhausted. I got to see Chris for a couple hours before I fell asleep, and he was gone again in the morning on another business trip. Such is our very busy life right now, but God will get us through it. He always does.
Ethiopia, you were good to us! Until next time...
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