April 20 - part 2

We visited Genet (Oh I just love being able to type her name on here!!!!) for a couple of hours.  She was asleep & they wanted to wake her up.  This time I stood my ground and didn't let them wake her up.  We just stood there starring at her listening to her little snore (too cute by the way).  We were totally amazed & in awe that we are the parents of 5 children!  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would say that.
She spit up & coughed which woke her up.  She was a little confused & startled at first but warmed up to us fairly quickly.  We had a great visit.  We played with our friends, went outside for almost an hour, & then took a bottle.  Then it was time for a diaper change.  Ms. Carol - I now know!!!  Under her pants were 3 (yes counted them twice) cloth diapers trifolded into one of those nicer snap cloth diapers which was under a diaper cover.  I watched her put it all back on & counted again just to make sure I wasn't seeing things.  No wonder these kids take so long to sit up.  They just can't.

After that we came back for lunch to find that Miss Hannah Grace didn't wake up until 11:15. I guess she was tired. ;0)  We tried to check up on everyone at home - yes we were all praying for you guys during the storms too.  Facebook has been about the only thing we can do here.  I haven't even tried to check my emails.  Shocker I know.

This afternoon we (the other family & Fecado - will give COOL explanations about them soon) went up to Entoto Mountain.  We had gorgeous weather.  On our way we went to the National Museum.  Now, if you know me you know I've been excited about seeing Lucy - the oldest remains of a human.  God's sense of humor - LUCY is on tour in the USA.  Isn't that great?  I got so tickled at that.  But, I have some really good pics of her duplicate. ;0)

Then we started up the mountain.  We visited a ministry that the wives of the emperors/presidents from many countries have all began to go shopping.  It is a ministry where these women make scarves to earn a living.  We toured the shop & was amazed at how fast they work & how well they were done.  It takes 4 hours of work to make one scarf, so they make about 2 a day.  We bought several for gifts because we wanted to help these women & we knew the folks (you) at home would love them.  BUT, let me share with you why I love them. 
They are saving these women from some major work.  These women are being rescued from carrying trees down the mountain.  They walk up the mountain & yes, I mean a mountain.  A few times I didn't think our van was going to make it.  They then chop smaller trees, take some of the smaller branches off, & clear the leaves & remains off the ground.  They they bind them up into the largest bunch I"ve ever seen.  These things stick out about 3 feet on each side of the women.  They then tie these monsters onto their back & they walk them back down the mountain.  Some do it for money & some do it to provide firewood for their families (yes, it's their cold season)  I have pics but probably won't be able to get them attached tonight.  Yes, cried again.

Entoto is speechless.  It's so beautiful & gorgeous.  None of my words would ever do it justice.  I'll put up pics once home.  Seeing this beautiful work of our Lord was another blessing.  He really did create us an amazing planet to live on.

On the ride home we were humbled.  Andy & I noticed a man who if lived in the US would be taken care of by our system.  Even with all the flaws that our government has we at least don't see people lying on the sides of the road hurting the way you do here.  And yes, I've seen lots of people: blind people, disfigured bodied people, "untouchable" people, unwanted people....etc.  This one particular man was scooting on his bottom with one normal leg & one that looked like a bone for a child's arm.  I looked at Andy & told him I just couldn't look anymore.  This man in all of his apparent pain & misery was just a smiling away.  I am choking up just thinking about it.  We have tried to compare seeing a 3rd world country to what the boys will see when they visit Costa Rica.  We can imagine some of the things will be very similar.  And for that I know God is going to change my children just as He is changing me.  I will never be the same.  I have no more excuses.  I have seen the pain of this world, but yet THANKFULLY we serve a Righteous, Loving, Compassionate God who loves us all.  It's time for us as Christians to get off our comfy pews & get out into the world.  There is a huge need out there & we have the answer.

I could go on & on but everyone is in bed except me.  I will post more tomorrow if we have wifi at the new hotel.  We are traveling to Awassa tomorrow to see the area of Ethiopia that our daughter is from & meet her birth family.  And then we will return on Friday.

Prayer requests:  Continuing to stay healthy, traveling mercies tomorrow during our 3 hr drive, the birth family meeting, & the people of Ethiopia.

I can't wait to tell you more about this amazing trip, these amazing people, my amazing daughter, & our amazing connection with Compassion International.   Nighty night.