Less than 48 Hours!!

Hi everyone,

With a lot of help from previous traveling family photos and many different Ethiopians, we found both the orphanage the kids stayed at while they were here and the school the girls attended when they lived there.  All we could see of the orphanage was the outside gate (as we expected), but at least we saw it and we know how to find it again in the years to come. School was in session when we visited the school, so we were only able to see the outside common area.  It was a fairly large open space with a volleyball net, trees, and educational murals on the walls.  We met 2 teachers (including the English teacher) and a man who we believe was the director of the school.  After school, we saw many kids in uniforms (red shirts and navy pants or calf-length skirts) carrying silver cylinder-shaped lunchpails.  When they saw us, many were eager to practice their English with us.  :)

We are still in Nazret.  Yesterday, we actually went to Addis on a day trip to go shopping for souvenirs.  We think we're mostly done with shopping now, so that feels good.  Tomorrow (Thursday) morning, we will return to Addis Ababa to visit the Ethnographic Museum and to relax before our adoption week begins.

Usually, our agency's adoption week has a set schedule, but our week is different because a major Ethiopian holiday (Timkat) happens during it.  Timkat is commonly in the West as Epiphany. What we know will happen is this: 

• Thursday evening, we'll meet our agency at the airport as they pick up other travelers and head to the guesthouse.
• On Friday, we'll meet the kids briefly in the morning after an orientation, and then we'll see them again in the afternoon for a little while to observe their routines in the care centers.
• Over a few days, we will slowly transition from seeing the kids in the care center (where they are comfortable) to bringing them to the guest house (where we will be comfortable).
• Timkat is on Tuesday.  Usually the good-bye ceremony (where the kids say good-bye to each other and the nannies; after this, we take full custody of the kids) is on Tuesday, but because Timkat is on Tuesday that week, we are not sure if we will have the good-bye ceremony on Monday or Wednesday.
• On Wednesday, we will have our U.S. Embassy appointment to complete immigration paperwork for the children.
• Then, we spend time with the kids getting to know them for the next few days.
• On Saturday evening, we will head to the airport.
• We will be home on Sunday afternoon.

More to come on what to expect when we come home, but for now, just know that we will be hanging out at home for a while and limiting visitors until the kids are comfortable with their home and us.

WE MEET THE KIDS IN LESS THAN 48 HOURS! We'll do our best to write during adoption week, but from what we understand computer time may be difficult to come by.

Hope everything is well with all of you!  We hear you've been having quite the heat wave in the last couple days.

With love,
Sarah & Jeremy