In most of the pictures we received of Joshua while we waited to meet him, he had a very dirty shirt. We also received a couple pictures of him shoveling food into his mouth with his fingers with utter joy (and creating quite a mess). Chad had jokingly asked me how we would ever teach him to eat with a fork. Well, after watching mama, Krissy, and Grandma eat with their forks twice - Gebeyehu insisted on a fork of his own.
He was an instant success! In fact once he tried a fork he was hooked on clean fingers. He insisted we wipe his face and fingers each time there was the tiniest speck of food on them. We went through almost a whole pack of wipes in a week to keep this clean customer happy!The morning of our Embassy appointment started smoothly. We were all dressed and ready to go by 8:30. We had never had Gebeyehu up early so I had been a little worried. But he was happily playing when Mitin arrived.
Mitin had noticed the day before that one of the forms I had brought with for Embassy was outdated. She quickly reassured me that she would fill out the new one, but Chad would need to have the last page of the form signed and notarized on his end and then scan and email it to her. I saw that I had received a carbon copy of his email, so I was resting easy. As we piled into the car, Mitin asked if I had been able to print the form because she had not received it. UGH!!! Panic started there! We asked the staff at the Yebsabi if we could log into my email on their computer and after a few glitches - have I mentioned the internet is JUST NOT the same in Ethiopia - we finally got the form printed. It was a very stressful start to the day.
While Mitin and I were stressing out at the computer, Gebeyehu was chilling in Eyob's car. He would frequently yell, "Hey Mama!" and giggle when I would reply.After a very long drive, Eyob dropped us all off at the Embassy. We got to the first security check point and realize my mom and Krissy had no ID. So Mitin called Eyob back and he returned them to the Guest House. Gebeyehu and I followed Mitin through the second security check point where his bag had to be scanned. We then followed Mitin through one building across a courtyard and into a very full second building. With a nod, Mitin instructed me to wait in a tiny play area with Gebeyehu. The play area was surrounded with people waiting in chairs or standing in almost every available space. I was the only obvious American in the room. I had no idea what would happen next.
I sat down with Joshua and he happily began to eat his weight in Cheerios while I scoped out the room. Periodically a name would be called over a very scratchy loud speaker. Sometimes I could kind of understand what was said, other times I had no idea. I waited praying that if/when my name was called I would be able to understand what was said. After about 45 minutes of waiting, a very clean American voice called "D family window 5 please." As I thanked God that I had heard this voice clearly, I wondered where window 5 was.
I stood up and put Gebeyehu on my hip. We wiggled through a bunch of people and guessed that window 5 was up the stairs. About half way up the steps, Mitin appeared. She walked me to the window. At the window an American man asked me to swear everything I said and presented was true. He then asked some questions about our adoption process, explained that Ethiopia does not allow dual citizenship so when Joshua hit US soil he would be ONLY and American, and reminded me that Ethiopia would not be willing to reverse this adoption decision. He stamped a few things, teased Gebeyehu about his picture on his passport (he is crying), and wished us congratulations. Whew! That was over - I thought.
We walk away from the window and Mitin points us back downstairs while she disappears once again. As soon as we sit down, Gebeyehu asks to go potty. I had no idea where the potty was, if I could leave the room, or who to ask. Gebeyehu insisted he NEEDED to shinty so I finally ask in my best Amharic where the bathroom is. A kind gentleman whom I assume was Ethiopian pointed out the building to the right. So off we go. We eventually find a guard who points us to the shinty. Joshua takes care of business and we return once again to wait for Mitin.
Once we returned to "our spot" Mitin was back within minutes ready to escort us back to the Yebsabi.
It was an experience I am very thankful to have in the past! I have to thank you because I could feel your prayers that day. Only by the grace and peace of God could I have been totally calm through all that. The blanket of prayers you provided truly kept me calm and able to (almost) enjoy the experience. OK so I did not enjoy it, but I was able to walk through the process filled with HIS peace instead of panic, anger, or fear.
Gebeyehu and I returned to the guest house and the girl at the desk gave him a big kiss and congratulated him on having an American visa. Have I mentioned I enjoyed the Yebsabi?
Here you have us - mama and Joshua Gebeyehu - we survived our Embassy appointment!
He's coming to America!
(Just noticed some of the dates are wrong on our pictures, must be because of the time change?)
