Hearts 'a bursting.

Selam -

Addis Ababa is mind-boggling – on any given road one will see beggars, goats, donkeys, people hauling goods, raw meat hanging to dry, produce stands, make-shift homes of rubble, kids, barefoot playing soccer with bound up tape and paper as the ball, people selling everything from gum to jewelry. Next to a crippled beggar you’ll see someone who looks like they just walked out from a very chic night club. The sights, sounds and smells of Addis are hard to describe - so varied, colorful, shocking and intense. Hiding behind the high walls with razor wire perched on them, warning the outsiders to stay out, are homes that look like a suburban home you’d see in an average US neighborhood. Right next to that, you’ll see a woman with babies living on the street.

I think the best way to describe this trip is “contradictory”. The children begging are heartbreaking, and the sick and maimed people and animals are hard to see. So there’s a great feeling of sadness at the same time a great feeling of happiness for our reason to be here. We are constantly reminded of our extreme privilege. I had some culture shock the first few days, but now feel comfortable and even affectionate towards this remarkable city. (Except for the pollution.)

We had our second visit with BBS. They brought him into the room and we had the most amazing two hours, we will never forget it. We played with him, carried him around, talked to him and looked at each other with amazement, each moment our love for this little baby growing. We fed him a bottle, during which he would reach up and touch Terry’s face, or grab on to my hair. When he had a full belly, we were able to rock him to sleep. And I held my sleeping baby for the first time ever. I think both of our hearts swelled to bursting.

The orphanage doesn’t take visitors on the weekend so we won’t see him again until Monday – and that cannot come soon enough. Monday is also the day we go to court to hopefully get custody of BBS. If that goes well, it’s a matter of US investigations and more paperwork chasing and hopefully returning in 6 weeks to bring this sweet boy home.

Tuesday we head up to Northern Ethiopia in hopes of documenting the area BBS was born, and the first care center he was taken to. And then Friday night late we fly back home.

That’s all for now, we’re exhausted, have been going every second. It has been the most mind-blowing trip of a lifetime, for sure. 

The picture is taken on the hour's drive to the care center, which takes us out Addis into areas a bit more rural.