An Update from Addis Ababa!!

Hi!  This is Susan's friend, Martha.  Susan got a message to me this morning asking me to update her blog. What a privilege!  (Especially since I'm sure there are many - like me - who have been by here multiple times everyday holding their breath for some news from Susan and Jim.)

I'll share what I know.

Yesterday (Tuesday) was "Gotcha Day" - the day Jim and Susan not only met Mihret and Yoseph for the first time but also took custody of them.  Emails from Susan yesterday before meeting the children, revealed an overflowing heart of faith and hope, an awe of God's goodness and a stomach full of butterflies!  ;-)

Much later in the day - after they had put Yoseph and Mihret to bed - I heard from her again.  She was struggling to express her emotions in written words.  It's completely understandable as I can't imagine how you put into writing those emotions you experience when you see/meet your children for the first time.  I hope one day she'll try to do so for all of us here.  She said that both children were struggling some with the adjustment and that Mihret finally fell asleep as Susan whispered prayers to their Heavenly Father in her ear.

Today was their Embassy visit which I'm happy to report they cleared.  It was a long and tiring day for all 4 of them as it sounds like there wasn't much sleep for anyone last night.  It's night there now and I'm  praying that they are all resting peacefully.

This morning was the first time since arriving in Ethiopia that Susan and Jim were able to talk with their 4 children here in the states.  Apparently, they have tried before but the folks on the state side couldn't hear them.  They have been relying heavily on email and text to communicate with their 4 sweet children waiting at home for them and Susan's sister, the "wonder aunt", who is managing 6 children, 2 dogs, and 1 guinea pig, and a RAT single-handedly this week.

They are also experiencing a power outage today - the first since their arrival.  I'm told power outages there are quite common.  I don't know if we'll get any additional updates from them until the power is back on.

Edited 3/5 as I miscalculated exactly how many children and critters "wonder aunt" was managing this week!