Adventures with Mawerdi in Ethiopia

The best part of being in Ethiopia was that we got to experience this amazing culture with our daughter, as a family. We have had so many wonderful adventures with our daughter already! The time spent in Ethiopia over 8 weeks has been simply unforgettable, to watch her grow physically, emotionally and mentally. We have been so lucky to be able to experience this incredible country WITH our daughter. We can look back with fun memories and appreciation of those experiences. Here are some of the highlights of our trip in Ethiopia with our daughter, Mawerdi!

Entoto Mountain, her first outing and our outing as a family

Near the National History Museum

A lake in Debre Zeyit, a holy Oromo lake

Her first turtle ride with Baby supervising!

Another lake near Debre Zeyit

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Selassie's tomb

A drive to the north to the Portuguese Bridge

Dinner at Yod Abyssinia

Her first traditional dinner

Awash National Park

Beta Maryam Church, Tomb of Menelik

Enjoying the fountain at the Sheraton, she loves water!

“If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.”  ~ Vincent van Gogh

Thank you Mawerdi!

Dresses

Before we went to Ethiopia I had planned on getting several dresses for Mawerdi to wear over the years, it was a necessity! However once I got there I realized that I needed some dresses as well. Unfortunately the ones I found were way overpriced with "white tax" (baby's words)! When we first started looking at the dresses in the garment district we were told 800 bir for everything, when we returned to purchase them we were told they were now 2400 bir! So we decided to go to the Merkato to pick out our own fabric, and then we would take them to Baby's mother's tailor to get them custom made.

I couldn't believe that I was able to pick out my own fabrics and design my own dresses! It was very fun and exciting to see the finished product! This tailor was amazing and very talented!

Every couple of days we would check in with the tailor to see how everything was going, especially once we found out we had an embassy appointment. We didn't have much time to get all four dresses complete due to the late notice. You can see my blue dress hanging in the window while he is working on the other three. I had confidence that they would be done in time, and two hours before we were to be at the airport we stopped by again, they were complete and beautiful!

Here are the final products...The Ethiopian flag colored one is simply amazing and my favorite! This picture doesn't do it justice, he embroidered a cross down the entire dress as well as a Lion of Judah on the back.

Here are Mawerdi's dresses that I bought for her to wear over the years....

And here are Pete's shirts...because of course he has to have some traditional outfits as well!

I picked these up for myself at the post office district, pre-made before we went on this dress extravaganza, each dress is different and beautiful! I love the traditional dresses and can't wait to wear them to our Ethiopian holiday celebrations!

“You cannot tailor-make the situations in life, but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations”

 ~ Zig Ziglar 

Second Family

When you spend two months, almost everyday, with the same people you really get to know and understand them. We truly feel that these three incredible people not only made our stay in Ethiopia comfortable but treated us like family. We feel so honored to called them our friends...our family!

Baby, our driver and guide, was outstanding in every way...and not only because he also loved Bob Marley! He looked out for our safety, bargained with the locals to reduce the white tax that was always added in shopping, and respected us as adoptive parents. We had many wonderful discussions about Ethiopia, adoptions, and humanity. He even introduced us to his mother and family which gave us memories to last a lifetime. We really hope that he is able to make his dream of coming to the USA a reality.

Mawerdi and Baby were good friends, he will always be known as "Uncle Baby."

Hana, not only could she make amazing coffee and popcorn but she is truly a beautiful woman inside and out. She took us to her church for Good Friday to provide us an authentic Ethiopian Orthodox experience, taking time out of her day with family and friends. She has style and grace!

Mahalet always had a smile on her face and an upbeat tempo in her voice. So is always so kind and thoughtful! In the middle of the night Mawerdi was sick and she made sure that we got what we needed to get her to the doctor quickly and safely.

The Ethiopian people will always hold a special place in my heart, but these three will always hold a special place in our family. We feel honored to call them friends and wish them only the best in life.

“Sometimes the people whom we've know for only a short amount of time have a bigger impact on us than those we've known forever.” ~Unknown Author

53 days later...WELCOME HOME

Our hearts will always be in Ethiopia but if felt good to be home; to see the beautiful faces of our family, to smell the Oregon air, and to start the next step of our journey. Welcome to your new home Mawerdi!

“Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be...Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before.”

 ~ Erich Fromm 

Stop over...P.S. you are a US Citizen

After arriving in Washington DC early in the morning, we decided to spend the night and fly out to Oregon the next day. This would allow us time to rest a bit and to break up this 23 hour journey home (not including any layovers that we would have had if we went straight through..that would have made it a 35 hr journey)! So what a better way to celebrate Mawerdi becoming a US citizen and Mother's day than to take her to the Washington National Mall.

It was a beautiful day and the air was so fresh, it was a nice relief to our lungs. It felt good to be back in the United States. We enjoyed a walk around the grounds while Mawerdi enjoyed an early morning nap.

Remember how she love water fountains, well she was mesmerized by this one! Unfortunately we didn't get a picture that truly captured her excitement, where she was clapping and talking up a storm...we were too busy laughing with her and enjoying the moment.

“I do the very best I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to keep on doing so until the end”

 ~ Abraham Lincoln

“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”

 ~ Abraham Lincoln 

So this was Viv's first Mother's day, how did it feel? It has felt amazing to be her mother since the day we checked her out of the orphanage. She is the light of our lives, we feel so blessed to be her parents! And to be able to return to our country with our daughter on mother's day, well this was a perfect way to end this leg of the journey. With that being said, we know that there is another mother out there who is wondering where Mawerdi is today. We just hope that she feels in her heart that Mawerdi is taken care of and loved as much as humanly possible. We wish that we could tell her thank you, thank you for bringing this amazing child into the world and thank you for sacrificing so that she could be given the life that lies ahead of her.

Motherhood has a very humanizing effect. Everything gets reduced to essentials.” ~Meryl Streep

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

~ Steve Jobs

Flight Home

We were ready, 51 days after arriving in Ethiopia we were ready to head back home, to bring our daughter to her new home and family. Baby, his mother, and two other friends from the guest house all took us to the airport. It was a tough goodbye; lots of hugs, some tears and thank you's to these people who have taken such good care of us. We wish we had a picture of them all standing by the van waving until we entered the airport!

We have to be honest, we were a bit fearful of how the flight would be for our little girl. We worried about ear infections and decided to give her a bottle upon take off and landing, and honestly we worried about how small the bathrooms would be on the plane for changing all those diapers. Customs and security were long but we gave ourselves plenty of time. It felt surreal, like at any moment we would leave the airport to return to the guest house.

So how did she do, as always she was a champ! She slept only a few hours, but only cried for 15 mins on that entire flight. The rest we will leave to your imagination. We were lucky enough to get a bassinet which at least allowed her to stretch and play when she wasn't sleeping. No longer was it Ethiopia or Bust...but now USA or Bust!

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

 ~ Winston Churchill

Last day in Addis, Ethiopia

It was our last day in Ethiopia, we couldn't believe it! It was bittersweet for us, this trip has not only impacted our family with the addition of this amazing girl, but also our lives. We have met some wonderful people, experienced a completely different way of life, and attempted to absorb as much as possible about the Ethiopian culture.

One of the last things on our list was to visit Sabahar Silk Factory. It was interesting to see the silk worms, the women spinning the silk and the final product! There were so many amazing scarfs and even tablecloths, that if we wish we had more room (well any room) in our luggage for these incredible pieces!

One of the other things left on our list was a massage at the Boston Day Spa. For an incredibly cheap price you get an unbelievable 1 1/2 hour massage! Our favorite masseuse, Tigest, is simply amazing. She is short but very strong and we have grown to get to know each other over the last couple of months. She has an 8 month old boy so we had lots to talk about.

Since we had a 17 hr plane flight it only seemed appropriate to treat ourselves to one last massage.

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence”

 ~Aristotle 

Beta Maryam Church

Located in the city of Addis, next to the Prime Minister's Palace, is the Beta Maryam Church. It is hidden a bit, but after a nice hike up a long road you find this amazing church and final resting place of Emperor Menelik, his wife Empress Taitu, their daughter, as well as Selassie's daughter. This place is so hidden that many of the locals didn't know that it existed when we were trying to find directions. The church itself is beautiful, with the top shaped like a crown.

This woman traveled all the way from Jerusalem to see the tomb of Menelik. This priest was our guide and a wonderful one at that. As we approached the steps you could feel a certain peace throughout the church.

After the priest talked about the history of the church and the murals on the ceiling, including the story of the Queen of Sheba meeting Solomon in Jerusalem and Menelik defeating the Italians in the battle of Adwa, he rolled back the red carpet to expose the entry way to the crypt. 

The steps down led to a stunning room with the smell of frankincense filling the air. This room just felt old, old but regal. We were honored to be here!

Menelik's cross amongst his robes and crowns

Emperor Menelik, his wife Empress Taitu, and their daughter.

The library of crowns, bibles and other family artifacts

The majestic throwns

Truly an emperor of the people, such a vibrant and beautiful painting

The Lion of Judah

Another wonderful day in Addis; so much history and beauty which provides unforgettable experiences.

“There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands.”

 ~Plato