Bringing Etsegenet Home!

Well here we go again! Just 10 days until Ray makes the long trek back to Ethiopia to pick up our Beautiful Etsegenet. As we parted last week her tears were flowing as she clung to us. She kissed us and Baby Meseret goodbye and we promised her it would be just two weeks before she would come home forever. I did not think I would have to experience leaving another child in a foreign country again as I had to with our son Denis in Russia. It hurt just as badly this time. As we left it was bittersweet. I had my Meseret in my arms cooing while by Beautiful Etsegenet faded from sight as we drove away! Such agony. After we got home our Ethiopian coordinator wrote what happened with Etsegenet after we left the hotel:

Theresa,
Its 8:15pm here….i just dropped Etsegenet and Meti off at the TH. And ya'll probably haven't boarded the plane yet! Etsegenet cried for a long time…she wouldn't even talk to Meti. We went and got dessert…she didn't want ice cream but she ordered a piece of cake. But she didn't eat it. On the way back to the TH I called Furtuna…she was at a café that was on our way home. So we stopped, so that Furtuna could talk to her. It was only about 5 minutes, Furtuna came out to the car. Immediately after that Etsegenet was feeling better…we could tell because she started talking to Meti. Back at the TH she took her suitcase up to her room….I peeked in and all the kids were gathered around and she was showing them every item. Then I saw one of the kids go to the kitchen to get a serving tray….so I think they were breaking into the food. She gave Furtuna the whole bag of apples. I love that about their (Ethiopians) nature… they love to give whatever they have, whatever they receive.
She's gonna be okay.

My only comfort was that we did pass court and we have custody of Etsegenet. It takes about two weeks to get her paperwork in line. Well the paperwork is coming together and the tickets will be purchased today! We are so close to having this battle for our child be over. Rachel our coordinator in Ethiopia is fantastic! She cares for each case as if it is the only one on her plate. I don't know how she does it. We will keep you posted as the time gets closer. Continue to pray for protection over E as she waits for her Daddy to save her and that nothing hinders Ray's quick return to Ethiopia to bring our child home.