Well we have been back for about 2 weeks....Praise God!! I will give a brief update since I'm not if I have the time or energy to go into it all.
It was a rough trip! Rome was great but expensive! we were there 3 days. We got to see the Vatican, B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!! And the Colossuem. I'll have pictures up later.
Ethiopia started out great, we got there on their New Year(2002). Wow! was that crazy! It was time to feast and there were goats everywhere, even some piles of skins on the side of the road with a man standing with a knife. Yikes... But the people are warm and friendly.
The Extremes are hard to get a handle on. I would see some people walking around in suits and dresses, others in regular clothes, and people in rags sitting by the road. everywhere you looked there was someone sleeping anywhere they could find, the medians in the roads, grasses areas, even just in the dirt. Under passes were like small communiites. There were people everywhere, walking, sitting or just standing.
The poverty is very real and extreme. It's hard to get past it or think of anything else. But the longer your there you begin to see that is was more of an issue for me than the Ethiopian people. We feel they are missing so much but are they really?(I'm not speaking of basic needs as food or clean water. All human should have that.) Everyone we talked to, who could speak English, ask how we liked Ethiopian culture, but never what's America like. Makes you think......
We got to worship in Ethiopia sunday, what an awesome experience. To realize your praying and worshiping around the world with another part of the Body of Christ was amazing. "T", who works for Awaa, played in the band and taught sunday school. He was Great, what a heart for the Lord. He learned all his English from cartoon network....lol...and he speaks perfect English. See cartoons are educational..lol..
Monday was the day!! We meet Mertalem(now Amira). It's hard to put into words the children, the transitional home and some of the conditions. Lets just say Amira had quite a few "issues". I will post more pictures as soon as I get them.
That night we had a traditional Ethiopian meal...YUM. Everyone seemed to like it. The food and entertainment was fabulous. They had dancers that seemed to peform stories as they danced. 2 hours later they were still going and they were fantastic.
It was quite a day!.......
Tuesday is when our troubles began, but it was also our "GOTCHA DAY", the day we got to get Amira and bring her back with us for good. Emotions were up, down and side ways.........What a whrilwind.........
