Hi everyone

Sorry to all of you who checked this blog and found the same old posts. I have found a corner in the Ethiopian guest house that seems to pick up a little signal. Things are going well. Alex and I made it safely after lots 'o time in the DC airport and then fifteen hours to Addis. Alex spent his time at the DC airport talking me into buying him Hot Chocalates from Starbucks-he was successful on three different occassions. It would have never happened except for the fact that they gave him the kiddie price and I am always a sucker when it comes to value. I am sorry-I will start writing about stuff that really matters. Neither Alex or I slept a wink last night so I am a bit punchy. When we started watching Free Willy 2 for the second time I knew it was going to be a long night. I you haven't seen it, Willy does escape unharmed. I was also giving Alex six digit addition and subtraction problems around 5:00 in the morning.

We picked up Rute (Emmy) today at the orphanage and she is just a doll. I got to meet all of her friends at the orphanage and Alex had fun playing camera man with the kids. It was a pretty moving experience. There was a bunch of toddlers and than one fourteen year old girl who is being adopted by a family in our group. She seems like the coolest teenager you would ever want to meet. I am thrilled for her and the family. The family is from LA, California. Emmy had a brief breakdown when we got back to the guest house when it finally hit her that she was matched with the two whitest people in Addis Ababa. I received some nice help in getting her calmed down from one of the girls that works at the guest house-bananas did the trick. She has been fine ever since as long as I give her what she wants-funny how that works. I am going to let Jan take care of the discipline when we get back :) Alex and Emmy are both crashed right now.

Ethiopia is a wild place (not necessarily in a bad sense) I don't even know where to start. Just so different. Alex has not said a whole lot about what he has seen, but I can see those wheels turning. People have been so nice and gracious, especially our host Ababe. He is an amazing man. Here is this well groomed, well educated, hard working, articulate man (speaks three languages) who if was in the states would be an executive somewhere. I complimented him on his adidas tennis shoes, he humbly told me that he bought them at a second hand store and scrubs them every morning before he goes to work. His son wears two sizes larger than this shoes but sometimes asks his dad if he can wear the coveted adidas to school. I felt silly thinking about how many pairs of shoes I own and have thrown away over thre years. His reward may not be on this earth, but I bet God has a special place for him in heaven some day. He just pours himself into people.

Hope all of you are well. Thaks for taking the time to read this. We are in good hands here. Happy Birthday Mom! I love you.

Love,
Brian