Here are some details of the trip- too many to record in one post so I’ll do a little at a time. I wanted to record all the details I could remember before they fade but it might be more than you want to know….
Day 1-2
We left ABQ airport around noon and flew to Houston. In Houston we purchased an infant ticket for the return flight (this will be significant later), and received vouchers for our overnight stay in Dubai. We boarded the plane at 6:30. Right before stepping into the plane the kind people of Houston International Airport wanted to save us the hassle of lifting two of our three carry-ons into the overhead bins and checked them instead. Supposedly there is a rule on Emirates Airlines that says carry on luggage can’t exceed 15 lbs (although I saw several people with bags that looked quite a bit heavier on board, I’m over it, can you tell?). They assured us the bags, which contained my things and the girl’s things, would meet us at our final destination.
We flew 15 hours to Dubai- arriving sometime Saturday night and spent the night there before heading on to Addis Ababa the next day.
We arrived in the Ethiopian capital Sunday the 6th, grabbed the six donation tubs and Jay’s bag and filled out some paperwork on our missing luggage, then found Johannes (who is Almaz’s brother and the driver for Hannah’s Hope). He took us to the hotel which seemed about 15 minutes from the airport but may have been longer since I was very distracted by all the initial sights and sounds of Addis Ababa:
First off, I was unprepared for how green everything was- I pictured it much more brown and dusty. We were there towards the end of the rainy season so that had some to do with it I’m sure. It is also very mountainous. I think they said the altitude was 8,000 + ft. Even for us mile high people, that is some legitimate elevation.
Also, what stood out to me during the ride through the streets of Addis is the number of people everywhere. There were sidewalks in some parts but not nearly enough to hold the masses- men, women and children spilled out onto the roads, the medians and right in the middle of traffic. I loved watching people, wondering where they were going or even if they had a destination. Something I knew already but was again amazed by is the beauty of the Ethiopian people. I scanned the faces wondering if any of them resembled Havi as children.
Finally, the most painfully obvious feature of the city is the extreme poverty. It was impossible to escape or ignore. It wasn’t in pockets of the city, but was everywhere…. I wondered who among the multitudes had eaten that day, who had a place to lay their head that night. Jay heard 60% unemployment from one of our drivers which I don’t think I could’ve pictured until now. There are no government programs, no soup kitchens, no homeless shelters. If you don’t have money to buy food and you can’t convince someone to share theirs with you, you don’t eat. America knows nothing of this level of need. I know nothing of this level of need. I pray “give me this day my daily bread” without a second thought about what it might be like to not have food every day.
We arrived at the hotel, which, like most buildings in Addis, had brick walls up on all four sides and a gate. Our hotel was great but nothing like you would ever see in the States. There were an odd assortment of chandeliers in the lobby and a couple of leather couches in front of the desk. Nearby, in the same room, six or so tables were set up for guests with an adjoining kitchen where most of our meals would come from. Ten AGCI families were there that week and as far as I could tell, we were the only guests in the hotel. The staff worked tirelessly to make sure everything was clean and comfortable.
We went up one flight to room 101, our home for the next 5 days. There was a king size bed and a little basket next to it. Our room overlooked the city street and the courtyard in front of the hotel. The room had high ceilings, a small table and chairs, a little tv (which only aired BBC news), and a few pieces of glass furniture. Our bathroom had the most amazing “shower” I have ever seen and, in its prime, must have been worth the rent all by itself. After unpacking… which didn’t take very long, we took a four hour nap which felt amazingly good. It was so surreal to feel like we were at the end of our journey, we had made it to Ethiopia, our daughter was a couple hundred yards away and we would meet her the very next day….

Johannes (left side) at the airport

our hotel

view from room 101
Here are some recent pictures….

first solids

trying to sit up