Saturday, August 18

After Casahun, our CWA driver helped us put in a claim for our luggage, we were greeted at the gate by Alex from the Addis B & B. He drove us to his guest house which was behind his mother's house. As soon as we started off the main road and onto a bumpy, muddy, dirt road I wondered where in the world we were going. I knew immediately that Sarah nor I would be walking anywhere.

http://www.addisbandb.com/ We stopped at a sheet metal/iron fence/gate and honked. The gate was opened by a man who is the guard for the B&B. We drive in and I just couldn't believe we were going to stay here for fifteen days. I had one of those, "What have I gotten myself into" moments.



We were warmly greeted by Alex's father and mother Yalemwork and Ato Belay Zegeye. Alex and Yalemwork went in with us to the house we were to stay at. We had reserved the house for two weeks at $65 a night plus $20 a week for a mobile phone for local calls only. I paid the money up front. (and lost about $950 when I left the next day-no refund). We were welcomed with a traditional coffee ceremony and popcorn.



Just as soon as that was done Casahun and Chaka (CWAE program director) arrived to take us to gather our girls. We were taken way across town to a neigborhood that looked equally as bad! The whole city was crazy. People and cars all interacting together. No one ever gets in a car wreck and that is a miracle.

Christian World Adoption Ethiopia Foster Home/Care Center

When we arrived the girls were sleeping. The nannies welcomed us and proceeded to wake the girls who weren't happy that their sleep was being interrupted just to be handed over to two white ladies they'd never seen before.



Anna Mihret in the crib/Adah Derartu in the chair

Mihret and Sarah

Nanny and Derartu


We were given instructions on their care and off we went. Casahun and Chaka stopped at Bambi's, a grocery store, so that we could buy formula, diapers, bottles, and a few other things.



We arrived back at the B&B and Yalemwork greeted us and the girls. Yalemwork agreed with me that Derartu seemed to have an ear infection and she took us to the dr. The dr prescribed an antibiotic for her and had us stop the medicine she was on unless she really needed it to help her breathe. So far she hasn't needed it. I'm wondering if there isn't mold or something at the care center that would make her wheezy. She doesn't seem to be so wheezy and rattley in the chest as she was.



We did well for the afternoon. Sarah retired for the night and then Yalemwork brought over some injera for my dinner and we ate together.