I have been hard at work on the mother of all Ethiopia packing lists. I thought I'd share it here in case others might find it helpful.

MARY’S PURSE Passports/tickets Water bottle/ sippy cup (fill after security checkpoint) Snacks in no-spill cups: Fruitio's, Cheerios,Goldfish Bib, wipes, tissues, hand sanitizer Notebook/ sheets of stickers Pipe cleaners/ beads (easy beading activity for small hands) Tiny story books Tiny dolls Benadryl strips Chapstick, Gum iPod Uno Sm. trash bags for keeping our area on the plane neat while waiting for flight attendant to collect trash. (Will also... more

I have a truly eclectic mix of links to share with you today, all having to do with Africa.

The first is an online game you can play to learn more about the geography of Africa. I am sad to admit that until about 5 years ago I thought Ethiopia was somewhere over on the western edge of Africa. How about you? Did you know where Ethiopia was before you became interested in adoption? This free geography game will set you - and your kids - straight in a fun and educational way.

Another fun way to learn a... more

Rebecca Haile’s Held at a Distance: My Rediscovery of Ethiopia is the first hand account of a woman’s journey back to Ethiopia as an adult after leaving at the age of eleven. Haile’s father, a leading academic in Addis Ababa, was shot while “resisting arrest” after a military coup in 1974, and escaped with his family to America where he settled in central Minnesota. Once grown and married, Rebecca felt compelled to visit Ethiopia again, and was able to visit relatives who still live there. One particularly memorable... more

We've gotten travel permission, and are delighted to be expecting to have our girls home with us by the middle of August. That knowledge has pushed me into high gear, thinking of all the things that need to be done within the next few weeks. I decided to share my to-do list with you, in case some of the items on my list might help other families with their own preparations.

PAPERWORK/LOGISTICS Arrange airfare Arrange lodging in Ethiopia Fill out I-864... more

Here are some news highlights from Ethiopia this week. I've included a summary of each piece. You can click on the title of each story to go read the full story. As always, links are only good for a few weeks, unless you subscribe to the news service.

~~~~~~~

Ethiopia: U.S. to Build Largest Embassy Structure in Addis

Adoptive families may soon have a more comfortable and accommodating U.S. embassy building to visit when they apply for their adopted children's visas in Addis. The United States government is planning... more

I was excited to hear about two families currently in Ethiopia who are blogging their trips. The Henn family is there adopting two little boys, and the Waal family is adopting a pair of girls. They arrived in Addis on the same flight, have already each picked up their children, and will be heading back home soon.

The Waal family has already shared lots of detail about their experience. They took a couple of fun pictures at the airport in Addis that brought back fond memories. I've mostly seen that airport at night, so it was different to see it in daylight.

An especially... more

Some people get through their whole time in Ethiopia without walking anywhere, preferring instead to take cabs wherever they go. I've really enjoyed the independence of doing at least some walking around Addis on my own, at least around the area of my hotel or guesthouse. But there are some things to watch out for.

WHO HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY?

First of all, it is up to the walker to avoid the cars, and not the other way around. Drivers prefer not to hit pedestrians, but driving is pretty crazy there, and given the choice between hitting a car and crowding someone walking alongside the road, most drivers will tend to veer towards the walkers.

The concept... more

Here are some news highlights from Ethiopia this week. I've included a summary of each piece. You can click on the title of each story to go read the full story. As always, links are only good for a few weeks, unless you subscribe to the news service.

~~~~~~~ Ethiopia: Red Cross Society to Build a 12-Storey Complex

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society is planning to spend over 73 million birr to build a multi-purpose 12- storey building in Addis Ababa. The red Cross has been in need of funding, and is hoping that renting... more

In honor of the 4th, I thought I'd share a little more perspective on poverty in America versus poverty elsewhere. Awhile back I read the interesting statistic that nine out of ten people in the world have never made a phone call in their lives. The phone is such a normal part of life in America that I could hardly imagine that so many people go through life without it. That statistic got me thinking and digging for more stats on life in our world.

According to a recent U.S. Census, forty-three percent of all families defined to be poor by the U.S. government own their own home. The average home owned by these families has three bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch... more

After reading some of my recent posts, a friend asked me why I am so passionate about helping in Africa. What about America, she asked? After all, there are plenty of needy people right here in the USA. She asked if it was because I thought people in the U.S. have it easier.

This is a question worth addressing. I do think that the people here in the US have it easier, in general. The vast majority of Americans have access to clean water and free public schooling-- even poor Americans. There are also massive public assistance programs available in the US that just aren't in place in 3rd world countries. People who live in America truly are blessed.

In America people... more