July 23

I feel like I was awake all night last night. I’m sure I must have dozed at some point but it didn’t seem like it. Denver was also quite restless and he sounds like he’s stuffed up in his nose. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was from the poor air quality here. The exhaust from the vehicles is horrible. When we go out for the day, I usually come back with a sore throat from breathing in so much dirty air. Plus I already find it harder to breathe here because of the altitude. The first few days here were horrible. My chest felt really heavy and at night I would wake up thinking I was having an anxiety attack (which wouldn’t have been surprising with everything going on!) It was always worse when I was lying down. Going up a few flights of stairs always caused me to be short of breath too – felt like I was really out of shape. Thankfully this is all from the altitude and nothing physically wrong with me. You do get used to it though and it gets better every day.

After breakfast a bunch of us went shopping with Solomon again. Some people had never been to the scarf place so we stopped there first. After that we went to a place to buy some coffee. It took forever because the owner of the store was being audited for his taxes. So we all had our purchased picked out but we had to stand in line until they were done. It was probably just us Canadians that were totally impatient – perhaps we can learn something from these laid back, relaxed Ethiopians. After that we stopped at a place to buy silver. I didn’t get anything there. Then it was time to get back to the Weygoss for some lunch.


At 2:00 Solomon picked J and I up to go to the German Embassy to get our transit visas. We got there at around 2:40 and had to wait for them to open at 3:00. They let us through the big grey gate and through security one at a time. Once through, J and I met in the waiting area. We didn’t know where to sit or what to do. I asked everyone else if we needed a number but they all said no. So we sat and waited. Then one of the officials had some paperwork in his hands and pointed at me and motioned for me to come over. J came with me and he had both of our transit visas ready to go. We had to sign a paper and he handed them over. We both automatically kissed the passports feeling relieved to finally have them in our hands and the man just laughed at us.

Then Solomon took us to do some more shopping. We went to Misrach Handicraft Training and Rehabilitation Centre. They have a shop there were you can buy items that are made by blind people. It was great and I got a whole bunch of note cards, puzzles, a leather hippo for Denver and a little change purse. The stuff was so nice. Then we did some more shopping for souvenirs. I got some African items to hang in our house and some other little things like a little drum for Denver. It was a lot of fun but I was very tired at the end of the day.

I had an interesting conversation with Solomon today. Last week I had asked him if there was a possibility for me to visit Denver’s orphanage. He asked me where he was from and I said Kingdom Vision International. He told me that was in Adama so we would arrange to go there one day. Well because we’ve been busy with paperwork and such, we haven’t gotten around to it. So yesterday I asked him if it was still a possibility – maybe for Friday. He said yes and we set it up to go. Then today he said something else came up for him to do and he wasn’t sure what to say to me. I said don’t worry about – just do what you have to do. So he arranged for the director of the orphanage to come and get me and take me there and back again. It’s an hour and a half drive one way. So I was kind of excited about going there and seeing where Denver spent the first month of his life.

Later in the day today, Solomon told me that I don’t have to go to Adama anymore because Denver’s birth mom is here in Addis. That actually didn’t surprise me because I know that Denver was born in Addis. I asked Solomon why she would have a baby in Addis and then bring him to an orphanage in Adama – 1 ½ hours away. He said, no, no, no – he was at the Kingdom Vision International Orphanage here in Addis. I had no idea there were two. So as it turns out, he is going to pick me up at 10:00 tomorrow morning and bring me to Denver’s orphanage. There’s also a possibility that I may meet his birth mother. Because of the circumstances I didn’t think this would be an option but apparently the orphanage director thinks he can get her to come. I’m feeling kind of nervous but I know that it will be good and a great opportunity to be able to share with Denver more about his life before joining the Carmody family.

I called Mike tonight to let him know about the birth mother and asked him if there was anything he wanted me to ask her. He said he couldn’t think of anything off the top of his head – I think he wasn’t expecting this (nor was I). We talked about it more and came up with some things we would like to ask. I’m hoping the conversation will flow fairly smoothly if I do end up meeting her.

This was the last time I talked to Mike before I'll see him at the Toronto Airport. Just before I hung up, I said, “See you soon!” That’s a great feeling.