Feb 18, 2011
Leaving on a jet plane to go and get Faith!
Time for a celebration!! We are leaving tomorrow to go and get Faith. We got slipped into an open slot for February 23rd. We are so excited to go and bring our little one home! Keep us in your prayers for health and safe travels.
Feb 16, 2011
Paperwork at the Embassy!
We just found out that our paperwork is at hte US Embassy on Feb 9th!! Praise God! We are very excited. Hopefully this means that we will get an Embassy appointment soon and we can go and pick up Faith and bring her home!! Pray for a quick appt and no investigations!
Jan 24, 2011
Jan 21, 2011
Faith Announcement
Facade Quartet Pink Birth Announcement
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View the entire collection of cards.
Jan 17, 2011
Jan 14, 2011
Out 1st Trip to Addis Ababa
This is our first trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
January 7th – 15th
Day 1 and 2 – Travel
We flew for 30 hours and finally made it to Addis Ababa at 11:00 in the night on Saturday. We were greeted with the most wonderful people I have ever met. They were very gentle and very helpful. When we got to the hotel, it was the day after Christmas in their timing and they were still celebrating it with loud music and festive dancing. It was a warm welcoming. We slept in and rested the next day at the beautiful Hilton. We were awakened at 4:00 in the morning to chanting and trumpets being blown. Ethiopia is 70% Orthodox Christian and 30% Muslin. You can hear the chantings throughout the city several times a day. 4:00am was just too early.
Although the hotel was nice, the area looked like the rest of the city with shanty built homes. We then got up and ate lunch by the pool. We meet a wonderful woman named Faritusa. We asked her how to say Tarikua and she was amazed at our story of adopting. She gave me her cell phone and told me to call her if I needed anything. What friendly people. We ate some delicious chocolate crepes. YUM! There food is spicy like Thai food but very yummy. They serve a lot of lamb too. Coffee is a huge thing here with coffee ceremonies.
Day 3 – Sunday at the Hilton
After having lunch at the Hilton, we got a taxi and went to meet up with the rest of our group at the Yilma Hotel. Boy was the taxi ride interesting. The city is like NY with a ton of cars, ton of people walking in the street, with cattle and donkeys walking in the street, and with rickshaws and motor bikes zipping through. Lots of horns being blown. We made it to my surprise!!
We met up at the guesthouse with 2 other families. This is a small group of 3 which there are usually 16 families. What a blessing to Meet Erin and Chris who are adopting siblings 1 ½ and 3. Then there is Paula who is adopting her 2nd child from Ethiopia. She brought her 4 year old Martha who was from Ethiopia and her sister Kay. Such a joy to see how they grow. She was actually bringing Martha back to have a meeting with her father and her siblings. Such sweet reunions.
The guethouse was wonderful and the staff is so warm and gracious. We also have a view of the orphanage where Faith will be moved to after the court hearing. Then there is a lot of constructions going on. Mostly with concrete and the building process is slow but it is being done.
Day 4 – Monday – Trip to Hosanna
At the Mussie orphanage where we will meet Faith. It is a 3 ½ hour bus ride on a crazy rode with lots of animals and near deaths of some sort. We left at 6:00am to start our journey to meet our little one. Mark was so sentimental and brought out his red and white stripped baby shirt. He was ready to meet our new little one!! We drove through the hustling city for about an hour and then we got to the villages and farming lands. The farms were amazing and they were very neat and well kept. They each had at least one hut on the property and possibly 2 for storage. The people and children worked together. You would see a 5 year old herding bulls across the busy highway. There is a new saying go play on the highway. Then we would come upon a shanty town made from nothing but sheet metal and hundreds of people standing around. On the way, we saw the World Vision Orphanage where we sponsor a little Ethiopian girl named Martha. It was so cool to see the orphange in Bruee Village. I wish I could have gone to see Martha as well. There was some serious technology for satalitte service out in the middle of no where too.
Hosanna is south of Addis Ababa. We past the Rift Valley where the “Lucy” oldest human bones were found. Our next stop was the the Mussie Orphange. We all got there very anxious to meet our little ones. We waited about 15 minutes while they readied them. We were all put into a room the size of my bedroom with 8 adults and 4 children and 2 babies. It was a tight squeeze. We were not allowed to take pictures but they took them for us.
On the way to Hosanna, I couldn’t stop thinking about Faith and what her life would have been like if we didn’t adopt her. As I watched the farmers tend to their crops, I saw many children hanging out with their parents and some just with their siblings. It looked like a peaceful happy life yet I know that often times it is filled with hunger and illness and death. When we finally got to the orphanage, I was aching to hold my precious daughter. I saw her laying in her crib and went over to her. I feared that she would cry when I picked her up but she just looked up at me with her great big chocolate eyes and wriggled her hands and toes just begging for me to hold her. I picked her up and she just nestled right into my chest next to my heart. They we sat down and played with several toys. She cooed and smiled for us and then she finally giggled. What sounds of joy. She was mesmerized by Mark’s baby shirt. She had plenty of smiles for him too. Then after about an hour she fell asleep in my arms. What joy to just hold her tight and rock my sleeping baby. She looked so peaceful. Then it was time to go and I was hoping to see her bright eyes once more and it was if she heard me and opened her eyes and smiled. When I put her down she started to cry as I told her that I would be back and next time I would bring her home with me. As I left, I began to cry and then they ushered us into a quaint little room to have a coffee ceremony. They roast the coffee over a kettle of hot coals and then they serve us the coffee, nice and hot and very strong. They also served us popcorn too.
When we were leaving the Orphanage, there were several children standing around so I gave them some candy. Within a few seconds, there were over 30 children all asking for some candy. Some of the boys would chant give me a pocket full of money. Whenever a bus would drive by, the kids would all laugh and wave. You would have thought we were some pop stars. After we left the Orphanage, we went to the school that Children’s Home Society has started with funds from the adoption program. Right now it is a K-8 school with over 300 children enrolled. They are not all orphans. This serves the community. They teach them math and reading and English as well. When we got there, a soccer game was going on and Mark joined in to play with the kids. They loved it!! Mark loved it too. Then we went to the classrooms and the kids just all came out and started touching us and wanting to hold our hands and ask us our names and then they would laugh. They were so joyful and truly being blessed by the school.
Day 5 – Reviewing Intake Video
Today we went to see the intake video of Faith’s mother Etenesh. We got to see where Faith was born. It was a small mud hut a Teleke. It was so humbling to actually see Faith’s mom and to see the likeness between the two. There is no doubt about it that Faith is her child. Her mom looked very sad and depressed. It was a difficult video to watch. It is such a shame that someone else’s misfortune can bring so much happiness to another family. After the video we went back to the guest house and had lunch and a nap. We have the privilege of having our own personal guide who goes everywhere with us. His name is Ato Tesaro. He is a very strong Christian and it was a joy to get to know him.
When we were driving, we saw a goat market where you pick out a goat and they slaughter it right there for you. Now that is fresh meat.
Tonight we are going to a traditional Ethiopian festival at the Yod Abyssinia Restaurant. We will have traditional food as well as watch the traditional dancing. I can’t wait. There was a bridal party that came in. It was amazing to see this custom demonstrated in the Ethiopian Culture.
Before we ate, they brought a water basin over and washed our hands. It was very humbling. We ate Injera which is a tortilla like bread and a lot of spicy food with lentils in it. The meal was served with no utensils too. Mark and I ordered Beef and Lamb grilled over coals. It was very yummy but very spicy.
Day 6 – Court Day and Birth Family meeting, Candle Lighting Ceremony
We got up early for our pre-court meeting and during that meeting we were notified that the judge wanted to see us right then and there. We drove to the courthouse and walked right in all three families at once and sat down and answered 5 questions and we were done. We fly 60 hours for a 3 minute meeting. One of the families found out that they passed court during the court meeting and we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out about our court case. I truly believe that we will pass court!!
Then we went to the birth family meeting. This was such an incredible experience to meet Faith’s mom and then ask her questions as well as assure her of our love for her and Faith. We told her about our family and then we asked her what she wanted for Faith’s life. Her answer was amazing: to pray every day, to grow up to be kind, to be a good citizen, and to never forget her. We then asked her if she wanted to give Faith a message for when she grows up and she told her that she loves her and will never forget her. She has no family and she is not only her daughter but her sister as well. We were able to communicate to Etenesh – Faith’s mom that we were thankful to her for giving life toFaith and that she is strong to be here today. We also prayed that God would bless her and that she would always be in our hearts and that she is part of our family now. We embraced and she began to sob and hold me tight like a hurt little girl. Then I started sobbing with her as well. It was a very tender moment.
The next stage was that candle lighting ceremony. The birth families said a prayer and lit a candle and then handed it to us as a symbol of them entrusting their children to us. In return we said a prayer for them and thanked them for this gift and promised to love their children forever. It was hard to say goodbye knowing that it would be a long time before we see her again if we saw her at all. We did make a promise to keep in touch through annual update reports that she gets. Our agency also provides post-adoption services where they set up a meeting between the birth family and our family. If I could bring Etenesh home with Faith I would. She was a beautiful young girl full of joy despite all of her circumstances. It is amazing how strong someone can truly be and someone so young too.
Day 7 – Museum Tour and Shopping
Today we went to the National Museum and saw Lucy – the bones of a 3.3 million years ago Homo Sapien found in the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. Then we went shopping. I was able to buy 13 gifts for Faith, to give her one on her Adoption Day every year. It was interesting and fun. Then as we were coming home, Ato Tefera our tour guide got a phone call and let us know that Faith is officially ours. We passed court! It is final! We were so excited. Everyone on the bus started yelling with joy. Our sweet little Faith is now a Rodriguez! We were the 1st families to pass court in over 2 months due to the new paperwork rule. Praise God for Miracles!! We serve a might God. Then we called our family which it was 2:00 in the morning. They were a bit surprised by the call but very excited to get the news. We then ate a very traditional Ethiopian lunch with Injera and Shinto made with lentils, garlic, onion, and spices. YUMMY! We toasted with our new friends with some Orange Fanta.
Day 8 – Visiting Churches
This morning we took off and went to Mt. Entoto where there are several churches built on top of the mountain. First we went to St. Mary’s Cathedral. Where they were having a festival of Timkat which is a very special ceremony where they bring a replicated Ark of the Covenant out to the people and they have ceremony. There were hundreds of people there. It was an amazing experience. Then we went to a church that was dug into rock like a cave.
Day 9 & 10 – Travel Days – Home at last!
January 7th – 15th
Day 1 and 2 – Travel
We flew for 30 hours and finally made it to Addis Ababa at 11:00 in the night on Saturday. We were greeted with the most wonderful people I have ever met. They were very gentle and very helpful. When we got to the hotel, it was the day after Christmas in their timing and they were still celebrating it with loud music and festive dancing. It was a warm welcoming. We slept in and rested the next day at the beautiful Hilton. We were awakened at 4:00 in the morning to chanting and trumpets being blown. Ethiopia is 70% Orthodox Christian and 30% Muslin. You can hear the chantings throughout the city several times a day. 4:00am was just too early.
Although the hotel was nice, the area looked like the rest of the city with shanty built homes. We then got up and ate lunch by the pool. We meet a wonderful woman named Faritusa. We asked her how to say Tarikua and she was amazed at our story of adopting. She gave me her cell phone and told me to call her if I needed anything. What friendly people. We ate some delicious chocolate crepes. YUM! There food is spicy like Thai food but very yummy. They serve a lot of lamb too. Coffee is a huge thing here with coffee ceremonies.
Day 3 – Sunday at the Hilton
After having lunch at the Hilton, we got a taxi and went to meet up with the rest of our group at the Yilma Hotel. Boy was the taxi ride interesting. The city is like NY with a ton of cars, ton of people walking in the street, with cattle and donkeys walking in the street, and with rickshaws and motor bikes zipping through. Lots of horns being blown. We made it to my surprise!!
We met up at the guesthouse with 2 other families. This is a small group of 3 which there are usually 16 families. What a blessing to Meet Erin and Chris who are adopting siblings 1 ½ and 3. Then there is Paula who is adopting her 2nd child from Ethiopia. She brought her 4 year old Martha who was from Ethiopia and her sister Kay. Such a joy to see how they grow. She was actually bringing Martha back to have a meeting with her father and her siblings. Such sweet reunions.
The guethouse was wonderful and the staff is so warm and gracious. We also have a view of the orphanage where Faith will be moved to after the court hearing. Then there is a lot of constructions going on. Mostly with concrete and the building process is slow but it is being done.
Day 4 – Monday – Trip to Hosanna
At the Mussie orphanage where we will meet Faith. It is a 3 ½ hour bus ride on a crazy rode with lots of animals and near deaths of some sort. We left at 6:00am to start our journey to meet our little one. Mark was so sentimental and brought out his red and white stripped baby shirt. He was ready to meet our new little one!! We drove through the hustling city for about an hour and then we got to the villages and farming lands. The farms were amazing and they were very neat and well kept. They each had at least one hut on the property and possibly 2 for storage. The people and children worked together. You would see a 5 year old herding bulls across the busy highway. There is a new saying go play on the highway. Then we would come upon a shanty town made from nothing but sheet metal and hundreds of people standing around. On the way, we saw the World Vision Orphanage where we sponsor a little Ethiopian girl named Martha. It was so cool to see the orphange in Bruee Village. I wish I could have gone to see Martha as well. There was some serious technology for satalitte service out in the middle of no where too.
Hosanna is south of Addis Ababa. We past the Rift Valley where the “Lucy” oldest human bones were found. Our next stop was the the Mussie Orphange. We all got there very anxious to meet our little ones. We waited about 15 minutes while they readied them. We were all put into a room the size of my bedroom with 8 adults and 4 children and 2 babies. It was a tight squeeze. We were not allowed to take pictures but they took them for us.
On the way to Hosanna, I couldn’t stop thinking about Faith and what her life would have been like if we didn’t adopt her. As I watched the farmers tend to their crops, I saw many children hanging out with their parents and some just with their siblings. It looked like a peaceful happy life yet I know that often times it is filled with hunger and illness and death. When we finally got to the orphanage, I was aching to hold my precious daughter. I saw her laying in her crib and went over to her. I feared that she would cry when I picked her up but she just looked up at me with her great big chocolate eyes and wriggled her hands and toes just begging for me to hold her. I picked her up and she just nestled right into my chest next to my heart. They we sat down and played with several toys. She cooed and smiled for us and then she finally giggled. What sounds of joy. She was mesmerized by Mark’s baby shirt. She had plenty of smiles for him too. Then after about an hour she fell asleep in my arms. What joy to just hold her tight and rock my sleeping baby. She looked so peaceful. Then it was time to go and I was hoping to see her bright eyes once more and it was if she heard me and opened her eyes and smiled. When I put her down she started to cry as I told her that I would be back and next time I would bring her home with me. As I left, I began to cry and then they ushered us into a quaint little room to have a coffee ceremony. They roast the coffee over a kettle of hot coals and then they serve us the coffee, nice and hot and very strong. They also served us popcorn too.
When we were leaving the Orphanage, there were several children standing around so I gave them some candy. Within a few seconds, there were over 30 children all asking for some candy. Some of the boys would chant give me a pocket full of money. Whenever a bus would drive by, the kids would all laugh and wave. You would have thought we were some pop stars. After we left the Orphanage, we went to the school that Children’s Home Society has started with funds from the adoption program. Right now it is a K-8 school with over 300 children enrolled. They are not all orphans. This serves the community. They teach them math and reading and English as well. When we got there, a soccer game was going on and Mark joined in to play with the kids. They loved it!! Mark loved it too. Then we went to the classrooms and the kids just all came out and started touching us and wanting to hold our hands and ask us our names and then they would laugh. They were so joyful and truly being blessed by the school.
Day 5 – Reviewing Intake Video
Today we went to see the intake video of Faith’s mother Etenesh. We got to see where Faith was born. It was a small mud hut a Teleke. It was so humbling to actually see Faith’s mom and to see the likeness between the two. There is no doubt about it that Faith is her child. Her mom looked very sad and depressed. It was a difficult video to watch. It is such a shame that someone else’s misfortune can bring so much happiness to another family. After the video we went back to the guest house and had lunch and a nap. We have the privilege of having our own personal guide who goes everywhere with us. His name is Ato Tesaro. He is a very strong Christian and it was a joy to get to know him.
When we were driving, we saw a goat market where you pick out a goat and they slaughter it right there for you. Now that is fresh meat.
Tonight we are going to a traditional Ethiopian festival at the Yod Abyssinia Restaurant. We will have traditional food as well as watch the traditional dancing. I can’t wait. There was a bridal party that came in. It was amazing to see this custom demonstrated in the Ethiopian Culture.
Before we ate, they brought a water basin over and washed our hands. It was very humbling. We ate Injera which is a tortilla like bread and a lot of spicy food with lentils in it. The meal was served with no utensils too. Mark and I ordered Beef and Lamb grilled over coals. It was very yummy but very spicy.
Day 6 – Court Day and Birth Family meeting, Candle Lighting Ceremony
We got up early for our pre-court meeting and during that meeting we were notified that the judge wanted to see us right then and there. We drove to the courthouse and walked right in all three families at once and sat down and answered 5 questions and we were done. We fly 60 hours for a 3 minute meeting. One of the families found out that they passed court during the court meeting and we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out about our court case. I truly believe that we will pass court!!
Then we went to the birth family meeting. This was such an incredible experience to meet Faith’s mom and then ask her questions as well as assure her of our love for her and Faith. We told her about our family and then we asked her what she wanted for Faith’s life. Her answer was amazing: to pray every day, to grow up to be kind, to be a good citizen, and to never forget her. We then asked her if she wanted to give Faith a message for when she grows up and she told her that she loves her and will never forget her. She has no family and she is not only her daughter but her sister as well. We were able to communicate to Etenesh – Faith’s mom that we were thankful to her for giving life toFaith and that she is strong to be here today. We also prayed that God would bless her and that she would always be in our hearts and that she is part of our family now. We embraced and she began to sob and hold me tight like a hurt little girl. Then I started sobbing with her as well. It was a very tender moment.
The next stage was that candle lighting ceremony. The birth families said a prayer and lit a candle and then handed it to us as a symbol of them entrusting their children to us. In return we said a prayer for them and thanked them for this gift and promised to love their children forever. It was hard to say goodbye knowing that it would be a long time before we see her again if we saw her at all. We did make a promise to keep in touch through annual update reports that she gets. Our agency also provides post-adoption services where they set up a meeting between the birth family and our family. If I could bring Etenesh home with Faith I would. She was a beautiful young girl full of joy despite all of her circumstances. It is amazing how strong someone can truly be and someone so young too.
Day 7 – Museum Tour and Shopping
Today we went to the National Museum and saw Lucy – the bones of a 3.3 million years ago Homo Sapien found in the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. Then we went shopping. I was able to buy 13 gifts for Faith, to give her one on her Adoption Day every year. It was interesting and fun. Then as we were coming home, Ato Tefera our tour guide got a phone call and let us know that Faith is officially ours. We passed court! It is final! We were so excited. Everyone on the bus started yelling with joy. Our sweet little Faith is now a Rodriguez! We were the 1st families to pass court in over 2 months due to the new paperwork rule. Praise God for Miracles!! We serve a might God. Then we called our family which it was 2:00 in the morning. They were a bit surprised by the call but very excited to get the news. We then ate a very traditional Ethiopian lunch with Injera and Shinto made with lentils, garlic, onion, and spices. YUMMY! We toasted with our new friends with some Orange Fanta.
Day 8 – Visiting Churches
This morning we took off and went to Mt. Entoto where there are several churches built on top of the mountain. First we went to St. Mary’s Cathedral. Where they were having a festival of Timkat which is a very special ceremony where they bring a replicated Ark of the Covenant out to the people and they have ceremony. There were hundreds of people there. It was an amazing experience. Then we went to a church that was dug into rock like a cave.
Day 9 & 10 – Travel Days – Home at last!
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