Our Last Day In Ethiopia....

I figure I'll kind of work my way backwards here....I'm just up at 4 a.m. hoping to accomplish some Christmas wrapping and sorting, cleaning up my kitchen and a blog post: All things that went undone last night since I fell asleep FAST as I got my last baby doll to sleep!! So, I'm up now....and here goes:Our last day in ET was just as full as all the rest!! Each day was packed every minute with visiting different orphanages and loving on children from across the world that just long for a family!! Above....is my NEW NEPHEW!! He is beyond adorable...We visited his orphanage for a second time on our LAST day in ET!! This time was different from our first visit...The orphanage knew we were coming..and my nephew was waiting at the gate for me. He ran right to me and smiled that HUGE smile and immediately wanted me to pick him up!! All the other children gathered around us...anxious to see if I'd open up my magic bag again and pass out treats (like our previous visit). These children are desperate for a taste of sugar, for a simple granola bar or perhaps maybe a cherished match box car. They sat and waited patiently as I loved on my nephew and told him how nice he looked...I thanked the orphanage workers for cleaning him up and they smiled pridefully!!
It wasn't long before I looked down and saw a precious little 2 or 3 yr. old girl pulling at my leg too...I bent down to love on her too and she pushed her way onto my lap too...My nephew didn't like this very much and pushed back letting her know that "this one" was HIS!! She cried and whimpered and wouldn't let go...She took her tiny little hands and held on for dear life. My nephew yelled at her in "Amharic" but she didn't care...She took my face and turned it towards her (away from my nephew) and looked deep into my eyes as to say, "YOU MUST BE HER...I KNOW YOU'VE COME FOR ME...AND I'M NOT ABOUT TO LET GO!" She broke my heart.... I kissed her and loved on her and she just smiled and soaked it all in..... My nephew eventually gave up and allowed her ONE hip and he CLAIMED the other....I walked around the rest of the visit like that...with two precious tiny, needy, desperate little souls attached to my body....
My arms would eventually get so tired that I'd have to sit a minute...both of them NEVER let go....Another little 4 year old boy decided there must be enough of me to go around...so he too came up and started pushing his way into my lap....My first two loves didn't like this a bit and both yelled at him to get off....He clung to my leg (the only part open on my body at this time) and said THE words over and over again, "MOM" I looked at him and he'd just smile...and continue to say, "mom" over and over again while resting his head on my leg....I NOW had 3 little bodies attached to mine....At some point I had given my camera to a 12 yr. old girl to use..and I couldn't find either one of them...so I placed my nephew on the ground with a toy (he was happy for a second) and tried to place the 3 yr. old girl down too...but she wouldn't have it...She screamed and held on for dear life...So I took off upstairs to look for my camera with one on my hip, a 4 yr. old following behind me still calling me "mom" and my nephew happy with a toy...I only made it to the top of the stairs when I looked back to see the most desperate look of fear in my nephew's eyes as he ran to me and jumped back into my arms..(as if he ever allowed me to get too far away, i might forget about him)....

It was all almost too much for my heart to take...All i could do was visualize having to leave these little ones...My sister Kelly tried to help and take my nephew from me...but he cried and reached back for me....An older boy saw the bodies attached to mine...so he too tried to come over and take 3 yr. old girl from me...but she too screamed in terror and I quickly grabbed her back cause my heart couldn't take their cries.....

Finally a nanny came over, laughing at the attachment these three were forming on my body..and she asked something to my nephew in "Amharic" ..and he answered her back. I said, "What did you just say to him?" She said, " I asked him WHO do you THINK this is?" He answered, " THIS IS MY MOTHER!"

Yes, I nearly wanted to throw up!! It was at that moment you could feel their little bodies ACHE for a mother...someone to call their own...they trembled with fear that you'd set them down and MOVE ON!! God broke my heart at that moment...just like I asked of Him!!

I thought then to pull out my sister Kelly's international phone and call my sister back home...It was the middle of the night..but I knew she wouldn't care... And, there for the first time..she heard his little tiny voice as I told him to say "HI" in the phone...Then "goodbye' and "i love you" !! As you can imagine...she was a puddle of a mess... but hearing his voice, i promise, is a gift from God!! Such an amazing little guy!!

I made my way to an orphanage worker and asked WHO the little 4 yr. old guy was still holding on to my leg calling me "mom"....I asked, "does he have a family..a home? He's adorable...surely someone has "picked" him to be their son!" Then I heard the words that I KNEW was WHY he still was waiting: "Siblings". He was the baby of a sibling group of 4. I asked him to show me his brothers and sister..and a gorgeous, smiling 9 yr. old boy made his way over to us...laughing at his baby brother's attachment to my leg. He stuck his hand out and shook mine and said, 'nice to meet you'!! I asked him HOW he knew English..and he said he'd picked it up somewhere along the way...He was gorgeous...He pointed out his 12 yr. old sister which i quickly realized was the girl running around with my camera taking pictures. He then introduced me to his 7 yr. old brother, who was all smiles and sweet and cute as can be. I told him he had a nice looking family and he said, "Oh, NO..I don't have a family...they are gone now!" I just lowered my head wanting to crawl under a rock for using the word "family" with this child. I quickly came back with "well, your sister and brothers are adorable" and he smiled and thanked me. I then asked him, " Well, do you want a family?" He said, "Oh, yes, VERY MUCH!" I then told him, " I will go back and tell America about you and your siblings" He smiled and said he'd very much like that. I said, " I will tell everyone I know HOW cute, smart and kind you 4 are!" He smiled and thanked me....I said the words, " I won't forget about you!"
Our time was drawing to an end at this orphanage...My sister had the idea of passing out crackers to the children...and my three quickly got down and stood in line for their turn at a cracker. 4 yr. old boy moved on to kissing my sister's hand over and over again...3 yr. old girl, i found out, had a family that would be coming soon for her..Praise God...I looked at her as she ate her cracker and told her "your mommy will be here soon" And, my nephew...well I took his face and kissed it..and said, "my sister will be here soon for you...you will go home soon...i promise" He looked at me with fear in his eyes..and I just had to walk away....I didn't look back...He didn't chase after me...just sat quietly watching me leave...eating his cracker!!

I got to the gate and was about to walk out the door when I felt a tap on my arm..I turned around..and there was 9 yr. old brother from sibling set with his arm stretched out for a "good bye" hand shake....I took his hand and he said, "God Bless you!" I nearly wanted to cry right there....I said again, "I'll try to help find you and your siblings a family" He smiled and said again" God bless you!!" I turned and left...and there went his hope, his chance right out the door!!
(above, my 4 yr. old friend saying good bye to Lauren)

*And, we were gone...heading hours out of the city to our next orphanage....but i prayed right there and then for that sibling group of 4. I know there MUST be another "Tracy Mihnovich" in this world that will adopt 4 at a time. All 4 children were well behaved, sweet, kind, thoughtful and smart. They are all considered healthy and on target for their age. I KNOW in my heart that we can find them a home...God doesn't intend for them to age out of an orphanage some day....and to have to hit the streets like millions of others... to have to fight for food and have their little bodies sold.... God plans for them to have a family...for their eyes to light up when someone enters those gates and says, "I am your mother...it is YOUR turn" They will then leave and feel the comfort of "family" for the first time in a LONG time...They will finally have enough to eat...clothes to wear and a warm bed at night to sleep in....all things we take for granted here in America...but yet..they have NONE of this now!!

Please pass this along all you want....I'm praying for these 4...they all 4 stole my heart....Please Lord, let this fall into the right hands...into the right computer screen...let someone's heart break for these children just like YOURS does...just like MINE has!! To pursue or get more info...please email Sue at sue@celebratechildren.org

Happy Tuesday to you all, kj