No news is not good news.

We still have not heard anything about if the appropriate paperwork has been produced so we can book our travel. We have been told that the paperwork (adoption decree, birth certificate, and passport) can take between 3 and 6 weeks to generate. We passed the three week marker last Thursday. So we are hoping that it will come soon.

HOPE AFTER PARENTS:

As many of you know, we have been supporting my sister in her endeavors with Hope After Parents (HAP) an organization she became involved with while living in Uganda. This organization tries to provide for the basic needs for orphans in a rural part of Bushenyi, Uganda. It was started by a handful of local Ugandan teachers who make very little money themselves, but have big hearts for the orphans of the area. The founder, Moses, was an orphan himself growing up. There are well over 200 orphans living in this small community, many are HIV + themselves, all are living in extreme poverty. Unfortunately, HAP had very few resources to help the children, which is where we came in.

Nina initially went to Uganda to do her research for her Masters Degree in education. She was doing participatory research teaching teachers how to use computers and other technology to augment their teaching. These schools, have dirt floors and very few resources so you can imagine, using computers and the internet is quantum leap for them and opens up a world of resources. Nina told me that the teachers started referring to the internet as "the world's library".

On the weekends Nina started helping Moses with the orphans (there are over 200 locally). She fell in love with the kids and plans to return as soon as she can. We began by just trying to provide the families of orphans with basics like a mattress, blanket and mosquito net (many were sleeping right on the ground and had nothing to cover them) but eventually the dream is to open a school specifically for the kids so that they can have a place not only to learn but somewhere to call home with loving adults to care for them. To that end, my family has pooled our resources and we have purchased a piece of land. The land is being cleared and when we have more money we will begin building a school. In the meantime, we have purchased treadle sewing machines and many of the orphans are learning to sew! The idea is not only to provide them with the book learning they need but also to endow them with skills that they can take to the market. Before Nina came along, Hope After Parents had little more than hope, now we are putting some real resources behind that hope and the children are beginning to dream of a future.

Have I piqued your interest? WE NEED YOU. Next Thursday (Feb 7) we are hosting an information night for our friends and family that might be interested in learning more about our project. We plan to spend the evening brainstorming ideas about the situation and how we can move forward. Nothing I have ever done is more important than this and I would like to extend the invitation to you.

Contact me for more information on the evening via the normal channels.

Let the Collecting Begin!

In both our previous house and our current house, there is a distinct lack of storage space... if I start mumbling any time soon about looking for housing, remind me not to buy another house that has no closets! Because we knew that the adoption process was going to take awhile, I did not really want to begin collecting orphanage donations right away. I put it off and put it off and now I am feeling panicky. So I am once again, asking for help. The items I would like to take are: 1) new children's clothes/shoes and 2) deflated soccer balls. I have a list of other acceptable items but these are the ones I would like to focus on. If you would like to contribute, I would be really really greatful as it is a way for me to give a tiny bit back to the country that is giving my family such a beautiful gift. Not to mention that it is a great way to help Ethiopian kids! Get in touch with me via the usual channels and I will make sure your items get to the right place in hopefully around a month... ok.... the panicky feeling is coming back.

Provincial Letter of No Objection

Yeah! Another step in the process came through for us today. Today we received our provincial letter of no objection. This is a letter issued by the province to the Canadian High Commision indicating that they have no objection to our adoption of Marie. The only thing we are still waiting on is the adoption decree, followed by a new birth certificate, followed by a passport. As soon as those are submitted to Nairobi, we can book our flights! Jeremy and I are still discussing whether or not we are going to take the extra time and go visit Durame (where Marie is from). We would want to do the trip before we take custody of Marie because it is a hard journey and would be stressful at the least with a baby.

Success In Court

We heard today that the court date was successful! That means the adoption decree should be handed down this week! We could be travelling in 4 to 6 weeks provided things in Nairobi are stable enough to get the paperwork through. Our daughter is officially ours! YEAH!!! Very exciting day for our little family!

Children's books

	ISBN: 978-0152010744 The Story Tellers Beads From Publishers Weekly Set in the mid-1980s, a time when Ethiopia is hard-hit by drought and political strife, Kurtz's (Trouble) eye-opening novel charts the converging paths of two young natives fleeing from their country. Sahay, a Christian orphan, and Rahel, a blind Jewish girl, have been taught to be enemies, but discover they have much in common when they join a large group of refugees on their way to Sudan: both have suffered hunger and persecution, have been torn from their families and regret leaving their homeland. Through the girls' alternating points of view, Kurtz conveys how the fellow travelers' mutual mistrust of one another gradually grows into reliance upon each other for aid and consolation. When soldiers force Sahay's uncle and Rahel's brother to turn back, Sahay experiences her first pang of pity for the "blind Falasha" girl and offers to be her guide. In turn, Rahel soothes Sahay's lagging spirit with inspirational stories from the Old Testament. Besides presenting an historically accurate account of mass exodus from Ethiopia (additional information appears in an afterword), the story pays tribute to survivors who find the strength and courage to help others reach freedom. Ages 8-12. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	ISBN: 978-0736843546 Reading level: Ages 4-8
	0152000364 Faraway Home From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 3-Desta's grandmother is ill in faraway Ethiopia, and her father must return to his native land to help out. As he cuddles his daughter on his lap, he describes the place of his birth. The child pairs his experiences with hers and wonders whether the cowbells he remembers sound like the wind chime on their front porch. The man's love and yearning for home is obvious, and the little girl worries that he may never return to her. Finally reassured that he will come back, she asks him so many questions about his childhood home that when he sings in his native tongue, she begins to see "-a pink cloud of flamingos rippling up from a dark blue lake-." Lewis captures the lyricism and rich imagery of the text with his evocative, realistic watercolors. Soft browns, blues, greens, and pinks predominate in paintings that flow to the edge of pages for scenes set here, and fade off into white for those set in the Ethiopia of memory and longing. Text and illustrations combine to immerse readers in the sights and sounds of the African homeland, and the beautifully crafted whole gives fresh meaning to the terms "family," "separation," and "home."-Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	0152002197 Amazon.com This charming children's story is based on a story that author Jane Kurtz heard growing up in Ethiopia. In it, young Tekleh is always getting into trouble, letting the goats into the garden, kicking dust on the roasting coffee beans. So his father gives him a gift of a wooden board game, which he promises will keep Tekleh out of trouble. We follow Tekleh the next morning as he takes the family's two goats to graze, and has a series of adventures before he returns home, the same but different. Durga Berhnard's warm, earth-toned illustrations are the perfect companion to this book.
	174059133
	0192745352 When the World Began From School Library Journal Grade 4-6-Twenty pourquoi tales, myths, and extended jokes paint a picture of a vibrant culture, open to the world around it. The title story tells how people stole the gift of dominance from God's favorite creature, the buffalo, and is followed by selections that explain such things as how the tortoise got her shell, how one might best depose a tyrant, and how arrogance and pride are answered. Some stories are reminiscent of Aesop and some of Perrault. The fluid recountings read aloud or tell equally well. Folktale enthusiasts who prefer to read their stories will find the tales extended by the work of four artists. Deep-hued oil pastels and jewel-toned watercolors have a sense of volume and heft, while the realistic pen-and-ink vignettes that accompany some endings add reality and grounding. Other stories are illustrated with cut-paper cartoons, accentuating their humor. This well-rounded collection could be used with multicultural offerings like Virginia Hamilton's In the Beginning (Harcourt, 1988) or as a springboard for Ted Hughes's slightly more sophisticated and tongue-in-cheek Tales of the Early World (Farrar, 1991). A solid addition to most folktale collections. Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	0208024298 The Lion's Whiskers From School Library Journal Grade 4-7. The earlier title by the same name (Little, Brown, 1959; o.p.) had 31 stories divided by region and accompanied by background material on the culture of each place. The present edition culls 16 of the favorite stories from that book and provides striking woodcut illustrations, making the tales more accessible to younger audiences. Some of the stories have clear morals and give messages about love, honor, courage, and wisdom. Others, in the way of oral tradition, end abruptly with the storyteller asking listeners to provide their own conclusions or leave the ending open for an additional tale. The characters are people of various regions and faiths; animals such as lions, hyenas, baboons, and turtles; kings and commoners; and even a thumb-sized character who could be compared to the Western Thumbelina. The diversity of cultures in this nation is revealed by selections that come out of the Christian tradition and Old Testament stories told by the Jews who live there. Each story is framed by a short introduction to the teller and the circumstances in which it was heard, thus providing some understanding of the story tradition in Ethiopia and a connection to the previous tale. An introduction provides background to the book and an afterword updates it to show the historical changes in Ethiopia since the first book was published. A selection worth acquiring for folktale collections or to supplement African studies.?Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	0516236806
	0689803249 Pulling the Lion's Tail From School Library Journal Grade 2-4?A retelling of the Ethiopian folktale "The Lion's Whiskers." In the traditional story, a new stepmother learns to be patient in drawing her stepson into accepting her. Kurtz's version has a female child as the central character, emphasizing her persistent attempts to reach out to her father's new wife after her mother's death. The details of mourning and her daily life make the forlorn Almaz seem real, and the respectful warmth of her relationship with her wise grandfather is sensitively portrayed. The author's note may help American children to appreciate the stepmother, who appears to reject all of the girl's initiatives. Kurtz's language has a tender lyricism further emphasized by Cooper's oil paintings. A brown wash mutes the background colors, creating a timeless sense of story. At the same time, the illustrations, including the appearance of the child and the use of hot colors in the background, give a much less authentic sense of Ethiopia than E.B. Lewis's illustrations for Kurtz's Fire on the Mountain (S.&S., 1994). Pulling the Lion's Tale is a good story that may be especially helpful to American children in blended families. Like so many picture books with African settings, it is less than entirely successful in projecting ideas about Africa.?Loretta Kreider Andrews, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	068918963 Fire on the Mountain From Publishers Weekly Young Alamayu's bravery goes unrewarded by a selfish rich man until the boy's clever sister puts things to rights. "Exceptional watercolors of Ethiopian mountains and mountain people quicken Kurtz's revision of a well-known tale," said PW. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	0805036520
	0809167077 The Saint and His Lion We have this book and it is ok. The kids like it but it is not their favorite.
	0823418588
	0960567097 The Story of Coffee We have this one. It is really quite good. Written by a Canadian/Ethiopian whose relatives run an Ethiopian restaurant in Vancouver! Kids like it. The pictures are good and it has both English and Amharic.
	1577657578
	1877810940 The Perfect Orange From Publishers Weekly The author and illustrator of Nekane, the Lami?a & the Bear present the second volume in the Toucan Tales series of international folktales. Discovering a perfect orange in her Ethiopian mountain village, Tshai travels to the city to tender her prize to the great Nigus. When the girl passes the house of the Lord Hyena, the jeering animal scorns her silly gift. But the ruler himself is so moved that he tries to reward Tshai with riches. When she refuses, Nigus orders his Royal Chamberlain to follow her and give her a donkey whose saddle bags are filled with gold and jewels. The greedy hyena hastens to offer Nigus his bountiful lands and cattle. In return, the wise Nigus bestows on the crafty hyena "our most prized possession": one perfect orange. Li's watercolors contrast the cocoa-brown hues of the countryside and buildings with the stark white robes and brilliantly colored accessories of traditional Ethiopian dress; it's odd, however, that his Ethiopian characters have such pink skin. Araujo, who came across this tale while working in the Harare region of Ethiopia, spices up his retelling by incorporating Amharic words and phrases. Ages 3-12. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	9781424303
	B00002414D CD of kids music from Ethiopia
	A life like mine. 1405314605 We have this one and the kids love it. Not exclusively about Ethiopia, but it describes how children live around the world and the basic rights of the child. Put out by Unicef.

Price of Flights

Anyone out there traveling in the next little while? I was just wondering if anyone knows or has researched how much flights to Addis cost this time of year... I am anticipating that we will travel in early to mid march. I have done a little bit of preliminary research and it looks to be between 1500 and 3000 per person... Has anyone successfully traveled for adoption on aeroplan points? Our second hearing is scheduled for Thursday (Wednesday night local time). Hopefully, this time everything goes well and it will not have to be postponed or rescheduled or require a second one... I'll post as soon as I know :-)

New Pictures and an Update

We got new photos of the baby! Apparently she is doing very well. She now weight 9.4 kg, so she is growing well. She has grown some hair too! Apparently she is a happy little soul and is very easy going according to the report. Give me a shout and you can come over and see the pics!

Adoption Seminar

Jeremy and I attended an all day adoption seminar at choices yesterday to satisfy a fairly new provincial requirement. It was nice to connect with some other adoptive families. Most families were at the beginning of their process. It was amazing to me how many other families are now adopting from Ethiopia. When we went to Choices originally to inquire about adopting in Africa, they had never done it before. Yesterday, over half the families in attendance were adopting from Ethiopia. This is good news for us, as our daughter will have other adoptees to connect with locally who are also from Ethiopia. While we did not get to spend a much needed day renovating, it was good to have a refresher on much of the earlier reading and education we had done... now back to renovating!

Court Date Rescheduled

Our court date was rescheduled. It will now take place on the tenth of January. Needless to say we are disappointed. No reason was given for the rescheduling. This pushes the first possible travel date out of February and into March. If a decision is handed down on the tenth, the earliest possible travel date is March 6th. More likely, it will be later. We are also very concerned about the situation in Kenya. As the civil unrest continues and essential services are shut down there is a distinct possibility that things at the embassy will slow down or even shut down completely. If this is the case, we are not sure what will happen with our immigration process, but it can only mean further delay. Please pray for the situation in Kenya, not just because it has an effect on our adoption, but also because of the millions of people there that deserve better. Pray that civil war will be avoided and peace can be re-stored.

On Pins and Needles

Apparently the phone call has been made this morning. When I called CAFAC this morning (15 minutes ago), they were on the phone call to Addis. I should hear any time now!

AHHH Still Nothing

Another day and still no news. Its now past evening in Ethiopia and CAFAC could not get through. I am assuming that there will be nothing now until at least tomorrow. I'm going a little crazy waiting to hear as it has been 11 days...

Bill C-14

Bill C-14 came into effect late this Dec. Basically, the idea is to treat children adopted to Canadian parents the same as Canadian children born overseas. In other words, instead of going through the immigration process, these children would be eligible for Canadian citizenship right away. This sounds great in theory, but I was concerned because we are already half way through the old process and did not want to have to file a whole new set of paperwork. I called CAFAC today to try to get some clarification on what the process will be... it turns out that applying for Canadian citizenship in a foreign jurisdiction is an onerous process. With the current process we expect to travel 4-6 months after acceptance of our child proposal, if we used the new system it could take a year! I'll stick with the old system thanks. It means that we will have to apply for citizenship here in Canada, but while we wait, our daughter is here with us. Marie will travel to Canada on an Ethiopian passport and we will be required to get a German visa on the way. These are hassles, but nothing compared to having to wait another 6 months or more. Yup... the old system works for me. Even for new families, not already in the immigration queue, CAFAC is advising that they use the old system. The only value that I can see in Bill C-14 is for ex pats. It means that they will not have to come to Canada and wait here for citizenship for their adopted children. I am just greatful we are not being forced into the new system. BTW. Still no news regarding the court date, as CAFAC was unable to get a line through to the Ethiopian office. We are hoping to hear tomorrow :-( Happy New Year.