Welcomed-Baby Style

It’s been less than two weeks since our arrival here. Our neighbors gave us a day before we were welcomed, Ethiopian baby style.

Day two began a parade of invites and visitors. In Ethiopian culture, the first 10 days of baby’s birth, mother stays in bed with baby (she is actually watched by other women to make sure she doesn’t overdo it) while her family prepares food and coffee around the clock to greet the visitors, in order to celebrate the baby. 

Since we have had two babies and no one has had a chance to celebrate them, we were honored by warm hugs, cheek kisses and gifts of boiled potatoes, glass-bottled soda, round bread loaves, spicy stews, precious sugar rations, sour injera and more steaming coffee than we can drink. It’s been busy and such a joy as almost each day since we’ve been back has seen more visitors. 

And these two babies God has gifted us in the past year, they are loved and we proclaim the miracle of them both at every turn. Tiger’s name in Amharic is Ta-mare and literally translates as “Miracle”. Miss T’s Amharic name is Tesfa and its literal translation is “hope”. 

Tiger is fed by everyone as he cruises around the room and Miss T is passed around as long as she can handle. I couldn’t quite narrow down the pictures any further. 

Our neighbors are great and we are so thankful for this welcome. 

Prayer Point: We met a sweet new baby on her 17th day of life born with some problems with her feet and one of her hands. She is the sweetest little baby and her mom couldn’t be more in love with her baby or more concerned about her. Thanks to the many children our teammates have helped to get medical help and the relationship SIM has with the CURE Hospital in Addis Ababa, an appointment has been arranged for the mother, father and baby to go to Addis for an initial assessment next Friday. Please pray for this family as it will be their first time in a city and they hope their baby will grow and be able to walk. My baby hormones are apparently still in full force as I can’t stop gushing over this sweet little girl and get so distracted by her when she’s in the room. :)  Her grandmother sat on our couch and despaired how difficult it will be to care for a child here with physical handicaps and asked, “What hope will she have?” Pray with us that surgery can be done and most importantly, the family (and little girl) can find true hope in our Savior.