Our agency has been wonderful with keeping us up-to-date on the goings-on in Addis. We receive monthly newsletters and we are also part of a yahoo group for families who are adopting or who have adopted through AAI from Ethiopia. Though I have only posted on it once myself, updates are typically sent twice daily and I read them obsessively. It's been a tremendous support to know that families all over the country are paddling the same boat. AAI staff regularly post answers to questions that are posed by members, so my questions are often directly answered without me even having to ask them. I feel fortunate to be connected with such pro-active families (what an asset) and an agency that is tremendously conscious, down-to-earth and communicative. As far as the orphanage in Addis goes...we learned that AAI hired 22 additional staff to help care for all of the babies (feeding, changing, rocking, doing laundry and the like). Due to the recent surge of babies being cared for, AAI is now going through 6-8 cases of baby formula a week. Adoptive families have been taking suitcases full of formula to help offset the cost, especially given the formula shortage that Ethiopia has been experiencing. They have also hired an additional doctor and two nurses to care for the increasingly fragile babies that are coming into AAI's care and to help complete medical reports needed before referrals can be made. Additionally, we were happy to hear that a second judge was hired to (hopefully) get waiting babies moved through court with greater success.
Donovan and I feel assured that our baby is receiving abundant love and care. We have such appreciation for committed AAI staff and we feel like we are becoming part of a greater family. Thanks for your continued prayers for our baby and his/her first family, for the conditions in Ethiopia caused by the famine, for the staff in the orphanage doing the hands-on work and for the Ethiopian officials who are currently processing our baby's paperwork. It will soon be time...
