Home Day 15! Ten thoughts...

OK, so you might have noticed that it has taken me a very long time to begin to write my thoughts about our journey. (I will follow up with more detailed information later.) The main reasons are twof0ld. First, that it takes time to think about what has happened and second that I have the equivalence of a 6mo to two year old daughter adding joy and mayhem to my home. :)

Ten overall thoughts:

10.) Ethiopia is beautiful, in all the browns, the flowers in surprising places, in their people, in their mountains and music. Unless your place is right next to a very loud bar and they play until 4am very loudly... However, we didn't get bothered by the dogs and call to prayer in the morning. Probably because we were sensitized by the band... Cindy thought it might have been the same song over and over.... I am glad I don't know that much about music :P

9.) Ethiopia has some tall mountains, so don't stay on the forth floor (five flights of stairs) unless you want a lot of exercise. And yet the people don't seem to get out of breath or tired from walking for miles carrying so many things. They work so hard there.

8.) Ethiopia might be easier to get around without the electricity. With electricity only every other day, the people have learned to avoid traffic accidents and other problems by making up rules. Biggest and fastest goes first. If the traffic is blocked just get ready to wait. The most amazing thing to me was walking the streets at night (with Kent) when the power was off, and everyone was out, hundreds of people walking on either side of the road and shops were open with their generator powered single light fixture. No one seemed afraid of crime and none seemed to happen. I don't think Cary, IL would look like that.

7.) Ethiopia has mosquitoes even in the mountains, though "they" say that malaria is not a concern in the mountains where Addis is... We saw them!!

6.) Riding in buses is over rated, especially hours of riding, but it sure beats cramming 25 people into a minivan taxi!! Kent, Caleb and I were on a walk one evening and we saw that many people jump into a waiting taxi, they were climbing over each other to get in... hmmmm, I will take the bus ride. :)

5.) Ethiopia's children are all so beautiful, but my daughter is incredibly beautiful. There are so many kids there who need homes, most aren't even in orphanages. For every orphan that leaves an orphanage, there is room for another child to get food and an education... 4.3 million orphans in Ethiopia... minus one :).

4.) The team we went with to Ethiopia was incredible, their hearts for their children and for God were such a blessing. Thanks especially to the Sweenys and their constant friendship and the great advice from the Footes, she was right!! Anna Mhiret is so close to us now.

3.) If I could put time in a bottle... ok, cheesy songline, but I do wish that I could slow down these days. They fly by so fast. Our time in Ethiopia was surprising in how it was spent, but in hindsight, was clearly guided by God. A lot of it was spent in our bus :).

2.) Ti and David and Robel were such heros driving us everywhere and guiding us through all the paperwork...

1.) Don't sit at a diner on the top of a 5 story mall and need a copy of paperwork for a consulate appointment... it is just easier to print it before you leave, even if you have to travel to Kinkos to get it done. :)