Rock the Boat: Day 5

Sunrise in Ethiopia

We headed out from the Jemimah at at 5:30 on Saturday morning. We traveled six hours south to meet with Eyob's Abat. Ethiopia is a beautiful country. The drive was gorgeous, but also heart wrenching. Almost every person we saw was carrying a yellow water jug. People were filling them up at dirty rivers, with muddy water beside the road, and at wells, which were far between. We were already aware of the water situation because it factored into why Eyob is now with our son. We do not share his story with people. It's his to tell. But, I will say that it has given me a passion for clean water. Justin has always shared this, but now my dad and Cade are also on fire for it.

Women and children getting water

So, we drove for hours and then stopped at the medical center that Holt is funding. There's an existing clinic on site and we were able to look around. I, of course, wanted to see the labor and delivery area. When I did, my heart sank. I am a doula and an advocate for homebirth. My last daughter was born in a pool in our bedroom. Amazing! But, I'm also grateful for the medical technology that's available to us when it's truly needed. This is what women in that region get when they're in trouble and need medical intervention:


L&D Room

More pics at Shinshicho:

Construction in Progress

The On Site Lab

My Dad talking to the doctor

A sick child in the waiting area

From there, we piled back in the van and drove an hour or two more to Durame. We had lunch at a place that I don't think saw a whole lot of faces our color. I met a really nice guy in the bathroom [yep, unisex bathroom] who wanted to know where I was from and all about my trip. He said I could contact him at any time during our time in Ethiopia if I needed anything and he would come to me. :)

I hardly ate any lunch. I was sick about the meeting with Eyob's Abat and spent the time going over the questions I had for him. After awhile, we headed off to our destination - the care center in Durame. Eyob was there for a short while, before he was transferred to Addis Ababa for his little surgery. During the drive, Cade started feeling nauseated from his lunch. We're not sure what it was that he ate, but we think it was goat meat. So, he stayed outside the gate with my dad, retching in the bushes while I went in for the little mini orientation. They soon joined me and we went into the meeting.

Meeting Eyob's Abat was an emotional experience that I still haven't recovered from. Again, we are not sharing details from this part of our trip. I can say that he's an amazing, Godly man and we are forever joined by the son we share.

Cade and his new friend

Cade's friend giving him a mango as a gift

From there, we went to the orphanage to love on babies! There were 50 little babies and many, many nannies. It's a cheerful, clean place and we enjoyed our time there. An older boy, probably about five or six years old, befriended Cade and dragged him all over the place showing him around. Cade loved it. I was dying to hold every single one of the babies, but only held a few. It made me happy to know that almost all of them were already matched with families.

Children outside the orphanage

Finally, we got in the van one more time for the two hour drive to Awassa. Oh my goodness, that drive! I was so sick the whole time. The road was bad and I think the emotion of the day was overwhelming me. It was such relief to arrive at our hotel, which was very nice. I immediately collapsed on the bed and slept until Cade woke me up for dinner. I still couldn't eat, but my dad and Cade did.