After we got home I called Duni to check on Sam again and she said we could come and see him again. This was truly a God thing as I think we needed to get past our first meeting and begin to bond slowly. Looking back seeing him on three occasions before we took him back to the hotel allowed him to begin to trust us and made our time with him at the hotel a happy and peaceful experience. I so love how God orchestrates the littlest details!!So, after a quick freshening up (and a little Wii tennis) Dave and Christy graciously took us back to the transition home. It was so funny that we had another adventurous drive trying to find it again. There is no way I would ever be able to find anything in Ethiopia! My sense of direction is terrible and that is a must there!!When we got to the transition home this time, the guard hadn't gotten the message and didn't want to let us in. Thankfully Dave could speak with him in Amharic and it was soon figured out. I was really grateful that they are so careful about letting people into the compounds!!The first lady we met was such a sweet, sweet Nannie. They were all happy and helpful. This nannie had on nurses scrubs and I'm guessing had some medical education. She also spoke some English. She took us in his room, we took off our shoes at the door...a requirement, and he was playing happily with a toy in a bumbo seat. Christy sat in front of him and he looked content so she picked him up. I tried to stay out of sight for a little bit to see what would happen. He seemed calm with Christy so she handed him to me and lo and behold he got a good look at me and the screaming began. I wonder what the nurses were thinking. Now that he is home I know what a happy and content little boy he is ALL THE TIME so it must have been a shock for them to see him react to me this way again. They either realized that I scared him with my emotions and kisses the day before, or they were maybe thinking, oh, no we can't let this lady take our precious Sam. If they were thinking the latter they didn't let on! The sweet nurse told me to walk around with him. When I walked away from the room without my shoes she even took off her own shoes and gave them to me to wear. She said, "don't worry, walk around and he'll stop crying in 10 minutes." Well, about 10 minutes later I could see the worried looks on their faces that I was feeling in my heart. The sweet Nannie (I so wish I knew her name) told me to walk outside with him, so outside we went. I was feeling lots of emotions. Outside we walked and walked, the sweet guard tried to calm him by snapping and showing him his phone lighting up in the dark (sooo cute), I sang songs to him, I cried with him and my heart broke, but I knew that God had placed this beautiful baby boy in my life and the tears were from the amazing love that He gave me for Samuel Yacob. It was going to be okay.He continued crying for probably 20 minutes so I took him back inside hoping maybe the nannies could help me calm him. They first gave me a bottle to try and after that didn't work the nurse nannie took me into the room where they keep the sick babies (on IVs and Oxygen). She introduced me to one of Sam's nannies who was gently patting the back of one of the sick babies. She left Sam in my arms but tried to clap and snap to help him calm down. I asked her to show me how she calmed him so she showed me how she rocked him side to side and began shushing a sort of song/chant to him. I could tell she loved him alot. I copied her and he soon started to calm and put his head on my shoulder and tears began rolling down her cheeks. My heart broke for her heart. In that moment I could just feel the aches she must feel for the babies she loves and has to let go. What a ministry of selflessness!!! I too, of course, was crying and the sweet nurse nannie got a Kleenix and wiped away my tears! If we could just love others the way the Ethiopian people do, with no barriers of insecurity. It is truly amazing!I gave her a giant hug that I hope conveyed some measure of my gratefulness to her!Soon Christy came in to check on us and then Matt came in. I was worried the crying might start up again, but I hesitantly gave him to Matt. He was calm for a short while and then began crying again. All three nannies (Sam's nannie, the nurse nannie and one other nannie) all began singing and dancing for him and soon his crying turned into smiles and even a small giggle.We decided to leave quickly while he was happy and I gave lots more hugs and assurances that he would be loved!! This was truly one of the most amazingly real experiences of my life.
After our time at the transition home we decided we wanted to eat a traditional Ethiopian meal at a non-touristy restaurant. So Dave and Christy took us to Cafe D'Afrique. It was awesome!! We had some very fun conversations about "moving furniture" that are probably better left unblogged...LOL! But, by the look on one of the boy's faces (not sure if this is Travis or Isaac) it was funny!!!When we got home there was no Internet, after such an emotional evening I so wanted to hear how my kids were doing, but it was a good lesson in patience. I took a nice HOT SHOWER and collapsed in bed!!!
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