"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Ethiopia..."

So, before we left my mother-in-law came up with the great idea of keeping a list of all of the funny & random things we experience and any neat things we can be thankful for. So, I've been attempting to make said list. Here are a few funny things and some pretty neat ways God has shown Himself on our trip so far. ENJOY!

1. We are rock stars – we boarded and de-boarded the planes in Germany via those super cool outdoor stairs.

2. Germans eat weird stuff for breakfast (sorry to my German friends).

3. We heard a lot of “Auf weidersein” on the flights and it made us think of that Mary Tyler Moore episode….(look it up)

4. Met a lady in the airport bathroom (if you can call it that) that works for the Clinton Foundation. I think Hillary is here in Africa now.

5. So thankful English is a second language here…although we have learned some Amharic and like to trot it out with the locals. They always smile and laugh. ☺

6. So much for getting our visas beforehand to avoid the long line of people getting it at the airport. Guess which line was longer?

7. Some foreigners do not understand the meaning of “single file line.” It creates havoc in airport customs lines. Pretty sure the customs officers do not want you approaching their desks in a horde.

8. Getting out of the airport in Ethiopia was CRAZY. I mean CRAZY. I have stories.

9. Finally got to our hotel….the bed was so close we could smell it (not really smell it, but you get the idea)….almost finished checking in…..and then…..they guy’s stapler ran out of staples. Really?

10. It literally took 2 hours to get a hold of our adoption agency here on Tuesday morning. *Note: Ethiopia does not have Call Waiting. ** Also: They are not in as big of a hurry as you are. *** So, how did we get in touch with them, you ask? I called the American Embassy Consulate, of course! We got the job DONE, American style! Driver called us and arrived in 10 minutes. BAM.

11. We LOVE our driver, Ermias (pronounced like "air-ah-may-is" Jeremiah in English, but we call him by his real name). He picked us up and immediately made us feel comfortable, BUT…a few funny things happened. A) He needed fuel so here’s what happens…you pull up near the “gas station” and honk. They signal you if they have gas. This one did not. He says, “No worries.” B) About 3 minutes after that we’re driving up a hill and the car quits working. Yeah, we looked like idiots on the side of the road. People kept walking by, shaking their heads…it was funny. Ermias called a friend who met us and leant him his car. (the people here are really nice). So, it ended up fine, but it was an interesting first morning here, for sure. ☺

Ben and Abby