Ethiopia: Day 1

We arrived in Ethiopia about 48 hours ago. After making our way through the chaos of the airport, including getting a visa, passing through immigration and customs, we made it to our guest house, courtesy of our hired driver who I was convinced was really one of the bad guys from the movie Taken and was merely driving us so he could find a deserted gravel road on which to secretly kill us.

As soon as we arrived at the guest house, we had just enough time to glance at our rooms before we were ushered back out to go meet our sons. (We had been told that wouldn’t happen until day 2 of our visit.) I was glad to be ambushed by the news because I didn’t have time to get nervous and lose a 3rd night of sleep in a row.

We were all a little timid as we began exchanging hugs and kisses. Tears streamed down my face until I realized a camera crew was catching all of my ugly crying face on video. We sat on a couch with them for some photos while I pulled out some items I brought for them. Books, a puzzle and a few matchbox vehicles. You know I don’t have boys at home because I ignorantly pulled out the books first, thinking they would entertain them.

We got to spend about 2 hours together, so we were able to follow them through a normal mid-morning day, including their lesson during which Garrison (the oldest) showed off his new tiny truck and gave everyone detailed instructions on all of its parts. After another play session between the four of us, we followed them to lunch of injera (kind of a soggy pita with a bean/corn mixture slopped on it). Their mealtime ritual is to pray in unison in English. Garrison volunteered to lead them on this day. There were probably 30 kids in a tiny room with windows all along one wall. Each sat at his/her place at the table or in the circle on the floor. No one squirmed to get up or fussed that the food wasn’t up to his/her liking. Awesome.

One of their customs is this coffee ceremony where they roast the beans on a flame that they start with basically just rocks and a fan. A woman generously performed this when we arrived…to which I declined thinking it was just regular coffee. Big mistake. She looked at me as if I had just shot her dog, so the photographer stepped in and said he’d love it and Keith took the other. I immediately regretted my decision because it was amazing coffee. Thick like espresso and almost naturally sweet.

We took them outside because they were being typical boys, throwing balls in the living room. Ivan (the little one) had thrown his into the ceremonial coffee station. Another father saved the day by giving me a bottle of bubbles, and the boys acted as if it was their first time to ever see them. It was so much fun! We have a lot of firsts to experience with them when we all get home. I can’t wait!!!