Ethiopia itinerary

We are very close to packed, and beyond ready to go! 

 

Here is our itinerary for next week, as we know it.  Please pray for us, especially Monday.

 

Saturday – eat our last American breakfast at Cracker BarrelJ

Leave Indy at 2:47pm and arrive at DC 4:30pm

Leave DC at 8:30pm with six other families in our travel group for a 15 hour flight

 

Sunday -Our plane refuels in Rome, but we do not get off the plane.

We arrive in Ethiopia at 7:30pm their time (they are 7 hours ahead of us).

We will be picked up by AGCI staff and taken to the hotel.

 

Monday – Early breakfast in the hotel

9:00am we will do paperwork with Almaz, the director of Hannah's Hope.

After that we will walk to Hannah's Hope and meet Eli!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

My mind has really been wondering about this time.  Some babies react as if they've known their parents forever, others cry.  Some are asleep so you get to just watch them a bit.  Often all the babies are outside and kids are playing in the yard.  No matter what Eli's reaction, we only get to a first meeting once, so I want to remember everything about it.  I very clearly remember to moments after Samuel and Cora were born, and they both cried!  There is nothing like holding your child for this first time. 

 

Monday afternoon our whole travel group will travel together to the US Embassy to get visa's for our kids.  After this, Eli will stay with us.

 

Tuesday – Families are usually taken to a shopping market to get keepsakes for the family.

 

Wednesday – Some families will have birth family meetings, we will not.  That night we will all most likely go to a nice cultural dinner.

 

Thursday – We leave Ethiopia at 10:15pm their time.

 

Friday – We arrive back at DC at 7:15am EST, and then arrive at Indy at 2:16pm to have our three children together forever.

 

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we can use our free time to play at Hannah's Hope, hang out at the hotel, and soak up as much of Ethiopia as possible.  The hotel has a good restaurant.  We are asked to be rather low profile, as there are some ET people opposed to adoption.  Josh hopes for some opportunities to sight see a bit.  I will be content to give Eli all my attention.

 

This is all subject to change.  I may be able to post to the blog while there, but not likely.  I want to write a lot about it though once we get home.  I am taking my adoption journal, which I started in January of 2008.  Our camera holds over 600 pictures, so we hope to capture as much of Ethiopia as possible to show Eli.

 

Thanks for the prayers…and yes the Girl Scout cookies are gone!