One by one families were called into the next room, and within a minute or so they would exit. We kept wondering what they do in there that takes such a short period of time. Slowly the room cleared out until we were some of the last people waiting. Then we heard our agency's name called. All three of us couples, along with our agency's representative, Haile, entered into the next room. The judge sat behind a desk on one end of the room, and we all sat in chairs along the opposite wall. She first asked which family was adopting each child, and then began by asking a few questions.
"Do you all have children of your own?"
"Yes", we replied in unison.
"Have you told your children about the adoption of these children?"
"Yes."
"Are you going to teach your adopted children about their culture?"
"Yes."
"Do you understand that this cannot be reversed?"
"Yes."
"Okay, that is all I wanted to know. They are yours."
Apparently our MOWA letter had arrived a couple of weeks prior to our trip. We looked at each other in shock as they opened the door for us to leave. I think all of us were crying as we made our way down the stairs and back out to the van. They're really ours now? These boys...they are our children... for real. It was the same feeling as when Kinsey and Keira were placed in our arms for the first time. What a wonderful feeling!
We all ate a quick lunch before heading to the care center to see OUR kids! I watched as Surafel kicked a soccer ball, and Esrael chased him around with a ball of his own. These boys have no idea what just happened, but it's going to change everything for them.
We decided to take the boys to go get ice-cream to celebrate a successful court day. Up until this point we hadn't seen anything that looked like a regular grocery store, but our driver, Yitbarek, was able to find us a nearby supermarket. Now, supermarket in Ethiopia actually means a small store that is about five or six aisles wide, but still it was the most modern store we had seen yet. When we walked in we were shocked and excited to see a few car baskets at the front. The boys climbed inside excitedly and started pretending to drive. They were having a blast, and it was so awesome to see them really enjoying themselves.
The store had a small soft serve ice-cream machine, and when I handed Surafel a cup of it as he sat happily in his car basket, he looked up at me and slowly said, "Thank... you." I bent down and kissed his cheek, and clapped for him for speaking in English. He looked so proud as I kept telling him "Good job! What a smart boy!". I think this is going to be one of my favorite memories for years to come.
When we climbed back in the van, Stephen sat in the front holding a large box filled with little cups of ice-cream for the rest of the kids at the care center. I was a little worried as I sat in between Surafel and Esrael that Surafel might get upset because he always sat in Stephen's lap. But he sat happily next to me as he ate his ice-cream, glancing up from time to time with a big smile on his face. He kept taking a bite and then would slide a little closer to me, then a little more until he just climbed into my lap. I held him tightly as I thought about how within just a few short days this little guy has really let his guard down with us despite his past trauma. I can't wait for the day that we get to bring them home, and they get to experience life in a loving family every single day.
When we arrived back at the care center everyone hopped out and started handing out ice-cream to the other children. Surafel proudly gave some to each of his friends. Esrael insisted on staying in the van though. I'm telling you, he is crazy about cars! We sat in the front seat with our driver as he let Esrael hold onto the steering wheel. I kept trying to feed him some of the ice-cream, but he would just shake his head and kept pulling on the steering wheel. Then Yitbarek offered him a bite of his, and he took it. He laughed and said in broken English, "It's because... he loves...me." I laughed too and said, "Yes, he does. And he loves your car too!". He thought that was hilarious. I'm so thankful that Yitbarek is so loving and playful with our boys. He acts more like an uncle with them. The boys see him weekly since he is the official driver for our agency, and Esrael especially is very close to him.
We were sad to say good-bye again. This time Esrael wouldn't let go of me, and Surafel clung to Stephen too. Their nanny came and pulled them away so that we could leave. It was awful to leave like that. I am really thankful for their nanny, though, because she is incredibly kind and loving with them. You can tell that they love her, and she is always showering them with affection. Earlier that day, she came up while I was holding Esrael and squeezed his chubby cheeks and kissed them. Then she said in English, "I love you!". Esrael made a face back at her and they started sticking their tongues out at each other playfully. I'm thankful for this woman, and that she is truly caring for our boys!
We've still got a ways to go before our boys come home. It's usually 6-8 weeks before the embassy date is set which is when we come back to Ethiopia and all of the formal paperwork is finally finished processing. In the grand scheme of things, 6-8 weeks isn't a long time, but when I think about each individual day that our boys have to wait in the care center without us, it seems like forever. We rest in the sovereignty of God, knowing that He is faithful not only to provide for all of our needs, but also for our sons. Jude Surafel and Liam Esrael.
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