We are here!

We made it to Mekele this morning! We have had an amazing day, one that could never fully be put into words. We met Littler A last night in Addis Ababa. He was brought there for his blood draw this morning. Thank you for your prayers. His blood was drawn out of his arm on the first try! We had a fun time spending a little time with him last night. He's a little bigger and heavier than we expected. I think he's been eating well since coming into IAG's care.

When we arrived at the care center this morning in Mekele, the gate was opened and Little W was standing just inside with a bouquet of flowers in each hand. I scooped her right up! :-) We were able to spend most of the day at the care center. We participated in a coffee ceremony, saw a "fashion show", and spent lots of time playing with the kids. A couple of the older ones speak a little English, so it was great to have their help. We saw lots of smiles from Little W and Littler A as well as all of the other children. Little W spent most of the day in either my arms or Matt's. When we left this evening, she cried. I can't imagine how difficult it is going to be when we leave for several months and can't just say, "See you tomorrow." We are just in awe of what we saw and experienced today. We can't wait to share more with you when time permits!

Tomorrow we'll spend more time at the care center and maybe doing some touring around the area. Now, we must return to our hotel (a 19th century castle!) and get some rest.