Ethiopia Day 4

Thursday, 3 of the families took a 2 hour drive out to the orphanage where our children were relinquished. Our children did not come with us. It was nice to get out of Addis Ababa and see a little more of Ethiopia...it was a warm little orphanage with beautiful children and caregivers. One thing that struck me was how minimalist the place was...there were beds and hard floor...an area of the room had a mattress on the floor so the kids could watch cartoons on an old tv. Rochester Christian Church had sent us with a huge suitcase full of toys, shoes, and soccer balls. When the toys were distributed, they went crazy! Even the birth mothers and other adults were excited about getting a toy. I wondered if those children had ever owned a toy of their own...

When Selah's birth mother walked in, I recognized her right away - Selah looks just like her. I could tell she was crying before we even met...and as soon as I opened my mouth to tell her thank you, my own tears began. Though I'd love to share the amazing conversation we had and the things we learned, the story is not mine to tell. It's Selah's.

It's normal for people to want to know about her story - who her parents are/were, and why they couldn't care for her. But the details of her life in Ethiopia belong to her, and our hope is that family and friends will allow her to share that when the time is right. I will say that the meeting was difficult and also beautiful. Her first mother in Ethiopia is an amazing woman, who has made more difficult decisions than I can even imagine. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her and the gift she's given me.