E-mail Update

"Today was another greatday in Addis...mid70's with sun all day. Today was shopping day at the market and it was quite an experience. Between the conversions of the US doallar to the Birr, the haggle with the store owners,and the beggers constantly following us from store to store and sending their kids to us with their hands out was interesting. The poverty is killing me around here... ... You can read and hear about what lifeis like in a city like this but until you actually see it, you have no idea. Even as bad as traffic is all the time, kids just run out and knock on the van windows when they see us and beg for money or food. It is dangerous... ... After the market,we went to an Italian rest...go figure, come to Ethiopia, go to an italian rest.. anyway. While we were out, we had to leave the kids at hannah's hope. It was the first "S" has been away from me since I got him. When we got there one of his special mother's swooped him from me and began kissing on him and laughing with him. Then they passed him around and I could see the true love these amazing women have for the kids. I played with all of the kids for about anhour and they just love it. They come and hug you and want to play and it just melts you to think that they don't have a forever home right now. Aaron and I are going to go back to HH tomorrow to spend more time with the kids.

tomorrow I finalize some more paperwork and tomorrow night is the Cultural Dinner. I get totake "S" with me for that so I am glad. He is asleep in the room rightnow with Uncle Aaron
and so far his sleeping habits have been good. I hope he is the same on the plane in a couple of nights. I am looking forward to going home soon. I miss you and I will see you soon..."