WE MEET :)

wow, what a day.  It started for us with a breakfast at 5:45.  At 6:30 our land rover arrived with a driver and our social worker.  Another couple who is adopting a little boy from the same orphanage just arrived late last night and had to be awoken to join us.  We left at 6:45 am for our 5 hour trip to the orphange.  Oh my goodness, there are not words to describe the adventure, the sights, the wonder of it all.  Ethiopia is beautiful...driving on the roads in Ethiopia is an amazing adventure.  It's all a "negotiation" process as our one driver told us last night.  You go at great speeds, honk as a warning to the swarms of people, slower trucks, herding animals and plow right through.  It was exciting as I was confident in our drivers ability, but it does make one giddy as riding on a crazy roller coaster.  The people, sooo many ; the donkeys, wildebeasts, dogs, sheep, carts being pulled by people or animals and little blue scooter cars.  Just amazing.  After one bathroom stop we arrived at the orphanage.  The 25 kids there come out with kisses and greetings and excitment.  They know we have stuff and love each moment as the toys come out, the bubbles are blown and the balls are tossed around.  They bring out our little sweetie (as she was getting all primmed up to meet us) and we watch and take her in.  She starts playing and we are all having a wonderful time.  I showed the nannies how the music works and they play some songs having the kids sing and clap along and act out one of them in game form (kind of like the farmer in the dell).  Just precious.  We get to watch them eat lunch and then play a bit more before we go.  Keda sat on my lap for awhile playing with my purse and pens.  She liked her picture I had hanging on my purse so much i took it off for her to keep and told her special nanny to let her play with it, but when she is transfered to the transition home to keep it for herself as a rememberance.  Her special nanny and I share more than one special embrace through the connection we have with this one special little girl.  I am so grateful for all she has done over the last 10 months for her.  It is going to be tough for both her and Keda.  Pray for them please.  Our ride back was just as exciting and our driver even had us stop at his house to meet his wife and children and enjoy a few minutes of ethiopian coffee.  Very hospitable and kind.  What a treat.  We made it back to our guest house at 6pm, ate our pizza dinner with strawberry banana smoothie and are now ready for a good nights sleep.  Appreciate the prayers :)  Sure hope we can find a local church to worship in tomorrow morning.  Blessings to all!  Darlene :)