Calling Ethiopia

We called home yesterday to check on Mesalech and the boys... our hearts sank when we learned that Mesalech had been in the hospital recently but was back home and feeling better. Praise God! It was so much fun to listen to the phone call - we put the phone on "speaker" so that Joseph could help Jacob (who has forgotten how to speak Amharic and Wolaytina). My favorite part of the phone call was when Mesalech burst out laughing... I picture her as serious (for no good reason) and it has made me smile since the call to imagine her being funny. We talked for about an hour and it was great. One of the funny things that happened was when we asked if she got the pictures we sent. She quickly said told us she had and then asked what had happened to all of Jacob and Marti's teeth to make them all fall out. She said that she couldn't sleep for 2 nights and has been praying ever since about their teeth. She was sure that when we were flying from Ethiopia to America that Jacob had fallen down on the plane and his teeth had fallen out! :) We assured her it was just a shadow on Jacob's picture and that Marti's teeth were being straightened not taken out! The other funny thing was when Joseph told everyone that in Kennewick it was -18C and they laughed like it was a joke! You could just hear the disbelief in everyone's voice as Joseph described the snow that is near record levels here in Kennewick. Right now in Ethiopia it is very hot and near drought conditions...





The kids had a great talk and for the first time did not experience any really hard times right after. We will expect some tears or sadness over the next few days but for now we are thankful for a good talk and that Mesalech is well!





Please keep Mesalech, Beniam (3 years old) and Ashenafi (5) in your prayers. These are very hard times in Ethiopia right now and we pray that "our family" has enough to eat. We recently sent money to buy groceries and a few Christmas presents for the boys. When the group went to take it to Mesalech she was in the hospital so it was given to a "not so nice lady" who took 3/4 of the money for herself and gave Mesalech the rest... we are so frustrated about this and are looking for another way to support Mesalech and the boys without causing an uproar in the adoption community.