Adrenaline and Exhaustion
This is how I feel today upon waking - well upon getting out of bed without sleeping. I am so excited to meet my sons and yet there is so much to do in preparation. I have prayed throughout each day for focus and a clear mind and God’s intervention of peace.
I am driving this morning with the kids to meet a sweet lady who has met and spent time with my sons twice now in Ethiopia. She is so kind and will be letting me us an Ethiopia cell phone and giving me back the digital photo frame that she showed Yakobe the video of us on. She also has some donations of jeans. I get to meet her Ethiopian boys too!
I am collecting suitcases - I think we’re all set - it’s just gathering them. Mark is picking up one big one after school. Another lady is bringing 2 to Thomas’s birthday party Friday. I am driving to Wixom tomorrow to get 3 more big ones. Mark’s parents have a couple, and another 2 I need to pick up from friends at some point.
I realize I have no long pants that are light. I will have to go to the resale shop and try to locate some. No shorts or capris in Ethiopia - not culturally acceptable. I am trying to perfect the list that I’ve compiled from others who have gone before - it’s about 4 pages long - 2 columns.
I am taking the kids to get their 2nd Hep A tomorrow…Katie isn’t thrilled to say the least. I also realized that the prescriptions that our doctor wrote for Scabies and Ringworm and the antibiotic and vitamins are lost in paperland here. I looked a bit but it’s overwhelming so I’ll just ask him to write them again tomorrow.
I still have paperwork to do. The I-184 and I-600 … no hurry on that I suppose… wonder if they have to be notarized - I don’t think so … I think I sign them in Ethiopia.
I ordered formula with people’s donated money - I have to figure out how to pack it in our 12 suitcases so we don’t go over the 50 lb. limit. We also want to bring a bunch of hand sanitizer.
Trying to figure out what I will eat in Ethiopia - with my stomach that doesn’t digest even American food well, I’m planning to bring instant rice packets, instant oatmeal packets, almonds, tuna, and some rice protein bars. Gotta get some kid-friendly snacks too. All I know is that everyone says Ethiopian kids like bananas…hmmmm.
Well, I have to have all 5 kids up, fed, dressed and in the van in one hour - and I want to stop and get a little gift for my sweet friend whom I’m meeting so I better go!
Please pray for a clear mind and peace…and joy too! This is exciting!
Marie
