Day 3... 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1...Ethiopia (updated)

Each plane flight, I (later, we) would count down...

5 flights, 4 flights, 3 flights, 2 flights, 1 flight...

If you don't know me well, you might be surprised to hear

that I HATE TRAVELING...

I don't do well on car rides,

and I hate flying even more.

I just can't stand being trapped...

but the motivation of filling out this card was

strong enough to make me toughen it out...

 - - - - - -

The boys at the orphanage, my driver,

and Fekadu, (my translator)

all kept track of how many times

I cried during the week.

I'm not sure why this was such a big deal,

but when I was mentioning it in the car one night,

I was surprised to hear Fekadu and Kibret

chime in with... "Yes, you have cried 4 times!!!"

They don't know that every time the plane

would take off and land, I would cry...

knowing after months of praying,

God was bringing me one step closer to the boys of Kolfe.

And then, there was this sign in the Ethiopian airport...

don't even get me started about those tears.

After a quick shower at the guest house,

I surprised the boys (that was fun!)

with a call telling them

I would be there in just 4 hours,

after spending some time with

Cherrie and Emily at the mission house.

In an effort not to disappoint them

if plans changed, they knew I would get

 there on Wednesday, but I said

my first visit would be on Thursday.

 - - - - -

Turns out, everyone at the mission house could

read me pretty well, I was a little anxious,

knowing how close I was to seeing the boys...

After just a half hour, they sent me on my way, early...

"Just go!! Hug your boys!"

Update...
Emnatu's post from fb... while I was there.... LOVE IT...
"Wow today I meet with her in kolfe and when I saw her in front of us, I was can't believe. we were had a great day. She is so sweet and lovely mom. She have place in my heart and love her so much!!!!!!"
 - - - - - -
Unbelievable...

that's the only way to describe this joy.

So many hours have been poured into these boys' lives

through emails, chats, Skypes, letters, care packages...

and then to have the blessing of doing this.

 Wiping away their tears, and telling them tangibly

 that God has NOT forgotten them,

that He knows their every hurt.

They have felt spending their entire lives

in an orphanage, waiting, hoping, praying

for a day just like this, to know they belong

 that someone loves them and calls them "son".

I had worried (It's silly, I know.) how those first

few hugs would work.  With two boys

and a friend, who do you hug first?

The older one, the younger one??

Would the one not hugged first, feel left out?

 - - - - 

I have not asked, but the boys seem to

have taken care of all of that for me.

Emnatu came out of the dorm first, alone.

Then after some time, I saw Mezgebu walking

from the same direction.

Finally, a few moments later,

Gizachew, Emnatu's friend/roommate came.

 - - - - -

Again, if you aren't me,

it sounds crazy to stress over this....

but I am 99% sure the boys had discussed how this work.

That made me love them all the more...