Today was a great day. We woke up at our normal times, and carried on with our routines as we have been doing all along. We had made some arrangements to go for a walk with our friends (F,C&L), in the morning, but due to some circumstances beyond our control, it did not work to do that. Hilary and I made the decision to go shopping at a local shopping centre. We made all these plans, hoping that we would be able to receive that phone call saying that our Visa was in.
At 9:30, we put Eli down for his nap, and by 10:00, we were both thinking that we must not have gotten our visa because friends of ours, when they received their visa, had been told between 9:00 and 9:30. We were both discouraged, but prepared for another week here in Addis. We lay down with Eli, and were all dozing off at 10:30, when our phone rang, and it was Martha, informing us that our Visa had indeed come in. There was dancing, and quite a bit of joy in our place, as the final piece for us to take Eli home, was done.
We went and did our shopping, knowing that we were only going to be here for a little bit longer. I think we both probably bought a few more things than was necessary, but it was a joyful shopping trip. We went to Makush, and purchased some art work to decorate our house with, and came back to the guesthouse for lunch. We also made arrangements to actually go to the agency office to pick up our visa. We picked up the visa, and came back to the guesthouse to begin making the arrangements to travel home. Of course, we had to wait for BC to wake up so we could get a hold of our travel agent, but in the end, flights were booked by 9:15 PM.
It appears that we will be arriving home during the night on Thursday night / Friday morning. We will be flying from Ethiopia right to Toronto, and then hanging out there for a while, and then connecting and getting back to Winnipeg.
We would love for anyone who is interested to come and see us at the airport when we arrive home, before we go into a sort of lockdown. Please read a previous post where we explained what the process would be once we are home. If you do visit at the airport, please refrain from holding our dear son, Eli.
If you are interested in coming to the airport, please talk to either my parents or Hilary's parents, or send me an email (dueck21@gmail.com), for the exact arrival time, and the details.
WE ARE COMING HOME!!!
At 9:30, we put Eli down for his nap, and by 10:00, we were both thinking that we must not have gotten our visa because friends of ours, when they received their visa, had been told between 9:00 and 9:30. We were both discouraged, but prepared for another week here in Addis. We lay down with Eli, and were all dozing off at 10:30, when our phone rang, and it was Martha, informing us that our Visa had indeed come in. There was dancing, and quite a bit of joy in our place, as the final piece for us to take Eli home, was done.
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| Hilary celebrating!! |
It appears that we will be arriving home during the night on Thursday night / Friday morning. We will be flying from Ethiopia right to Toronto, and then hanging out there for a while, and then connecting and getting back to Winnipeg.
We would love for anyone who is interested to come and see us at the airport when we arrive home, before we go into a sort of lockdown. Please read a previous post where we explained what the process would be once we are home. If you do visit at the airport, please refrain from holding our dear son, Eli.
If you are interested in coming to the airport, please talk to either my parents or Hilary's parents, or send me an email (dueck21@gmail.com), for the exact arrival time, and the details.
WE ARE COMING HOME!!!
So glad for you! All the best from your old neighours,
ReplyDeleteVic and Frieda Loewen
How exciting! I'm so glad you are finally at this stage in the journey... Now real life begins!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great picture, Hilary! You look ready to conquer the WORLD!!! Can't wait to see all three of you!
ReplyDeleteTears are flowing here. Hilary, I love the photo of you!! I can sense your relief and excitement. So excited that you're coming home. This part of your journey ends and the next portion begins. Words cannot describe how excited I am to have you home and to meet Eli. It will take a HUGE amount of self control on my part to not want to pick him up and hug him but I promise that I will restrain myself and respect the boundaries! I'm glad you explained them earlier. I've had some time to let them sink in and I totally understand and support what you've outlined.
ReplyDeleteLove you guys so much!
Yay!!! Can't wait to see you guys!! Yes, that picture is wonderful Hilary!!! So great to see you excited again to return home with a bigger family!!! Fly safe and we'll be praying everything goes smooth:)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! You've made it. And what a journey God's bestowed upon your lives. And what a journey you are about to embark upon. Many prayers and blessings as you find your new norm, as a family of THREE AT HOME!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the visa! I knew they opened 'the pouch' on Mondays and was thinking of you yesterday. Enjoy the next few days in Addis, the end of this part of your journey. I look forward to following along as you continue on this amazing journey. Hope you have a great trip home.
ReplyDelete