_._._._..Adopted In Christ.._._._.

We have now been here for over 5 weeks. We have lived in 3 different places and moved 4 different times. Each place has been unique in its own right. Our first and current guest house is what I would say is rather posh! The second and forth place we stayed in is homey and summer camp like (although still in the heart of Addis). The third place we stayed was comfortable and relaxing (to a certain extent, there was a 4 and 6 year old living in the house). But the one thing that ties all of these places together is the night time. Every night as we lay down to sleep with the lights off, we could be anywhere. The only thing that was certain each night is that the bed we lay in is not our own. And some nights that is very hard.

At the first place we were lulled to sleep by cows mooing and awaken by the loud speakers at the mosque. The bed was very hard, but overall the newness of being here and jetlag helped us to sleep fairly well.

At the second and fourth place we sung ourselves to sleep by singing along to the American music that was blasted every night from the bar adjacent. And we were awoken by the hustle and bustle of the people outside on one of the busiest streets in Addis. The bed was much more comfortable but the air always thick with smells and smog.

At the third place we stayed we would mark the time in the night with the sound of the 11:00pm Ethiopian Air departure to D.C. And we were awaken by a knock on the door with a four year old saying “Mike, Mandy are you awake?” The bed was nice but being able to stay with a family was even better. It felt a little bit more like home.

At the fifth place we stayed things changed! We no longer lay in bed at night being lulled by the uncertainty of our time here. Nor were we kept awake by the aching to have our son with us. But instead last night we experienced the most amazing sound we have heard since we arrived. A sound that we felt we would never hear! Yes, last night around midnight we were awaken by the sound of our son! He cooed to himself then rolled over and smiled at us. He is finally with us to stay! We brought him home yesterday afternoon!

We don’t know when we will be home! We don’t know when we will go to court! We don’t when we will receive B's passport! We don’t know when we will get a full night’s sleep again! But we do know that none of that matters anymore! We are complete now, our family is together forever!