We're Going!!!!!!!

Its official, we found out this morning that our paperwork has arrived in Addis Ababa (the capitol of Ethiopia.) We are schedule to fly out on Saturday the 28th at 12:50pm from Atlanta. I think our plan now is to drive down the night before and stay in a hotel. We should be arriving in Ethiopia about 8:30pm local time which for us is about 12:30pm. we're busy trying to pack and get everything ready. Who knew how much a baby could require in luggage! I may have said this before but our 17lb little baby girl has 37 lbs of luggage! I swear I haven't overpacked for her either, although, I was really tempted to bring some "cute as can be" dresses along. Several other families working with Children's Hope are fighting the same battle with red tape that we have. Please pray for them. One family in particular seems to be a couple of weeks away from traveling and their little girl is waiting for them.

We are staying at the Ethiopian Guest House while we're there. I just found out that Pansy and Mom are supposed to sleep downstairs. I'm not sure how that's gonna work out but I'm sure it will be an adventure.

We land on Sunday evening as stated above. At around 9am the next mornng, which will be about 1am here, a driver is supposed to pick us up and take us to the House of Hope to finally meet Addie. The CHI staff has told us that Addie may be a little disconcerted by us (the strangers.) They warned us that the staff at the House of Hope may recommend that we leave her with them for a night or two while she adjusts. Please pray that she will grow very comfortable with us and she will be ready to come with us the first day.

I guess I should update you on the information we recieved from the director of the Orphanage, Gebe. He and his wife have taken care of Addie since she was two months old. It broke my heart to find out that she was found along the side of the road. Gebe, however, explained that this was really an act of mercy. She was placed in a heavily traveled area. He believes that Addie's birth mother could no longer take care of her and wanted a better life for her. Gebe went into detail about the devestating poverty in the Tigrai region (where Addie was found.) This area is at the very nothern corner of Ethiopia and has been engaged in a long running border dispute with a country called Eritea. The Tigrai region is not a particularly safe area because of this. Hearing all of this, I think Ben and I both were overcome with the very concept of the journey this little girl has already taken. I do believe it is in God's plan that she would wind up in Sevier County Tennessee!

I can't wait to hold my little girl! For now though, I've got to get back to packing!