Days 7 & 8

Day 7 started out with me getting sick and spending too much time in the bathroom.  I’ll leave it at that!  Our Embassy appointment was moved to the morning and we had to be there at 8:40 am.  I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  It wasn’t really what I had anticipated.  We went through all of the security measures and then stood as a group, as they called each family one by one upstairs.  They asked us a few questions and then gave us the stamp of approval.  Later that day her visa was delivered to us.  We also received her birth certificate, vaccination report and other important documents. We were told, in our referral, that her birthday was October 22, 2009, but the birth certificate says October 12.  It’s not a huge difference, but we will have to go with what is on her birth certificate.  Here is our princess holding her passport with each of us.  She doesn’t seem nearly as excited as we are!

Gladney staff takes families on a tour of the Church of the Holy Trinity.  Religion is extremely important here.  I stayed at the guest house, because I was feeling so terrible.  Michael went and took a lot of pictures and video and I will have to have him write a blog about it sometime.  Ethiopian Christians are fasting right now from all animal products.  They fast for 55 days and break the fast at about 2:00 am Easter morning.  We can hear them singing prayers from our bedroom window.  It is amazing.

Here are a few pictures from the church:

The Ethiopian Orthodox Pope was at the church when they visited:

The day ended with a trip to a traditional Ethiopian restaurant.  Thankfully, I was feeling better and was able to attend.  They served a wonderful meal and had traditional dancing and singing from different regions of Ethiopia.  It was amazing.  I cannot even begin to imagine how they move their bodies that quickly.  They spent about 30-45 minutes just on dances from Gonder, where Mekdes was born.  We videotaped the entire Gonder section and will put some of it up when we return.  It was so special to be able to get a glimpse of Gonder. 

We have really enjoyed our time here.  The people are so beautiful and kind.  It will be bittersweet to leave on Tuesday, knowing that we are taking our daughter away from the people and country of her birth.  She will naturally lose that part of her identity and that makes me sad.  She won’t know Ethiopian heritage like she would if she lived here.  We will do our best to teach her and we hope to bring her back someday, but that is not the same.   

 

Day 8

Well, I was really sick in the middle of the night and threw up.  We decided to chill at the guest house all day.  I was really thankful for all of the meds I brought.  I am feeling better now and I really hope I am back to normal tomorrow, because I don’t want to miss anything else. 

There were five Gladney families here this week and three of them departed tonight.  Two of those families were staying at the Bejoe Guest House with us, so we are now the only family.  It will sure be quiet.  Here is a picture of our house mates:

 Mike, Denise and Gatiso, Michael, myself and Mekdes, Robyn, Ryan and Madabo

More pictures of sweet Sophia Mekdes…

Can you get any cuter?!?!?!

Watching TV with Daddy (with the bib on, of course!)