Tsion from Ethiopia

When Tomilee Harding asked me if I would like to write about our adoption experience for families interested in Ethiopia, I thought “when will I have time to write the 1000 pages of what I feel with a new two year old clutching my legs all day?” So, I’m scaling back, and just writing four pages. She’s asleep, by the way.

Six years ago, we adopted a child through CWA from China. Her name is Sarah Cha Ze and she is an absolute joy. You might not have heard me say that the first month she was home, however. Though I loved her, the adjustment to a three year old by a type-A-workaholic was not a serene experience. We made it, and now you just can’t believe how well we all work as a family. So, for six years, I had no desire to change anything.

But, my husband started saying things like, “don’t you miss the times when she was so small and we taught her things…?” I would reply, “yea, like, ‘PLEASE go to the bathroom BEFORE this happens!’”

My resistance didn’t hold out long.

We had lived in the Dominican Republic, and done work in Haiti and in other poor countries, so we knew we wanted to adopt from a country that truly did not have a safety net in place for desperate children. And, we liked the idea of shaking up (and forever changing) our extended family by adopting children from different cultures. We enjoyed answering people’s questions about Sarah’s heritage, and adopting a child of still another culture would add good spice to those conversations. If our lives are to be a testimony, why not make them testimonies of love for people of ALL cultures and colors?

Ethiopia just fit. I remembered hearing about the famines in Ethiopia as a child and how those news reports impacted me. What I didn’t understand at first, but have been thrilled to discover, is the absolutely amazing Biblical history of this land. I won’t ruin it for you, because the research is half the fun, but you are in for a treat as you learn about this country. Is the Ark of the Covenant really there? I believe it probably is, but you will have to decide for yourself.

So, we went for it. And here are some highlights of our story. The little girl’s name was Tsion. We are calling her the English equivalent, Zion. As with many of the children in Africa, her age was not known at first. We thought she was three, but she is two. Very two. “No, no, no!” came out of her mouth—in English—within the first 24 hours we were together.

We got the call, unexpectedly, on a day I was working on a film shoot and I couldn’t talk to CWA. UGH! David called and found out there was a little girl that could be the next member of our family. We were emailed a photo and some medical info. Like we had with Sarah, we decided to say yes. We did spend five minutes in deep consideration, so it certainly was not an impetuous decision.

I went into overdrive, completing what had taken weeks in our last adoption in two days.

Soon, paradoxically not soon enough for our waiting hearts, but too soon to get the house cleaned and baby proofed, the time came to travel.

Ethiopia’s weather is perfect. We were not there in the short rainy season, so I can’t speak for that, but it is not called the country of 13 months of sunshine for nothing. Addis Ababa, the capital, is as high as Denver, but without the cold. Breathtaking views and blue, blue sky greet you all over the place.

The people are like the weather, comfortable and warm. They are generous and helpful and I never felt scared anywhere in the country. The food is interesting and tasty, and there are great Italian dishes if you are not comfortable with the local cuisine.

And, there is so much to see. One of the world’s biggest outdoor markets boasts hand made scarves and cotton clothing that is every bit as beautiful as what comes out of India. Silver craftsmanship is superb. Everything is hand made at costs that really are too low.

If you venture out of the city, you see well-engineered round huts made of materials found in the region. You will also see something that drives the people of the country—wells. Water is a precious commodity, and people walk for HOURS for a small container of it and some sips for their animals. Like many places in the world, sufficient water is for the rich. Erosion also strikes you. Just beside a road are what I came to call “another mini grand canyon,” where the winter (our summer) rains slice through the land. Just contemplating the water situation makes the sheer number of the orphans here make sense. Add onto that high rates of malaria and AIDS, and I could easily see that our adoption of Tsion was, poignantly, a drop in the bucket. But, it was a start. With every conversation about her birth country, and as we teach her to love the land of her birth, we show her and others what reality is in a developing land. And, hopefully, we encourage others to reach out. Perhaps one day Zion or her sister will go back and support work that helps to educate the people of Ethiopia, and work that encourages renewal of their faith in God.

We have been back home for a bit over two weeks now and Zion seems to be doing really well. She has become pretty outgoing and very “talkative”. I don’t know how much of what she is saying consists of actual words in Amharic (her native tongue) but she normally has sounds coming out of her mouth at most waking moments. We do recognize some repeated phrases that must be words just from the context-like “emma” when she wants something that she sees. She will repeat words that we say and she is starting to recognize some English words when we say them (mommy, no, nose).

She really likes music and bobs her head when she hears it. And her other love seems to be water--anything to do with water. She likes to drink it (“wa”) and loves to play in it, with it, throw it, sit in it, etc. She will go move the small stool in the bathroom to the front of the sink or try to open the shower doors anytime she is in the bathroom. She seems to be eating well. I do believe that we have Jack Spratt and his wife for kids. Sarah of course loves sausage with a side of bacon for a meal. Zion throws the pepperoni to the dog and licks the sauce off of her pizza before eating the crust. Rice, bread, baked potatoes; bread, pretzels, bread, and bread are among her favorites (did I mention bread?). She has become more adventurous in trying things. She will taste most anything and then make an awful face like we just poisoned her. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t like it-she just makes the face and then decides if it is good or not. She will go to her high chair and try to get in when she is hungry which is much easier than trying to understand her “words”.

She seems to be sleeping well although she never actually wants to go to bed. We skipped her nap one day thinking maybe she would be tired that night but it didn’t really help-she was just unhappy most of the afternoon. She throws a fit for about 5 minutes when we lay her down and then she lays and plays with her foot or what ever she can find for about an hour before falling asleep. She usually sleeps through the night with out any problem.

She definitely seems to be more confident about where she is. She doesn’t mind going to other rooms by herself or walking with us (instead of being carried). She is much less clingy with me and happier being on her own for a while just playing each day. At first she had to be held or next to someone constantly of she would be unhappy. Now she will play across the room or in her high chair by herself for a while. She seems intrigued by television, but not consumed or mesmerized by it (like Sarah was). She will watch it for a couple minutes and then go on. It does not really seem to matter much what is on. Barney and NBA basketball—equal ratings.

On the negative side of things, Zion went to the doctor and has (as expected) at least several different kinds of parasites. She took some medicine for the first type of some small kind and they all starting coming out in some un-worldly foulness that would make Steven King terrified. More medicine for more kinds is up next I guess. The second unfortunate has been lice, just recently discovered. The good news for Zion was that she got to play in the water while the lice shampoo set in her hair.

Sarah has been a very helpful big sister and has been very patient with Zion and our decreased attention to her. I am happy that Zion is not as clingy as she was the first 10 days and that she can be left with my husband without suffering an emotional emergency.

I think I’m ready for number three. Perhaps he is in South America? But, I have a feeling it may be Ethiopia again. I just cannot get that country out of my soul.

Heidi Mehltretter