All Clear and WE'RE GOING TO ETHIOPIA THIS FRIDAY!!!!

I'm so exited and I just can't hide it....I'm about to loose control and I think I like it...!!! Ok...That's enough flashback from the 80's...Our caseworker called yesterday morning and told us that the US embassy had "cleared" us...That was the magical word we had been waiting to hear....She said it would be very likely we would get the embassy appt. for the 18th....Praise God...Trevis was jumping around high 5ing the kids and I could barely hear her....I was trying to get details...Then, we called our travel agent and asked her to go ahead and book us. The rates were too good to risk waiting another day....It was going to save us approx. 400 dollars total from the rates last week. Praise God!! Our caseworker told us that would be ok....I felt relieved. So....we leave THIS FRIDAY!! Oh my goodness. I'm so excited!!

This morning, our caseworker confirmed we would be having the 18th embassy date, so we received the "all clear...you are free to travel about the country...." YEAH! There are many couples from our agency who will be in Addis next week for their 1st trip along with some friends we travelled with last time, so we will have a great time....

Also, our flight agent said that Ethiopian Airlines approved us for a hotel room Friday night (b/c the flight doesn't leave until Sat.) Hooray! That was included in the ticket.

So, now I'm zooming around the house, cleaning like a crazy person, and checking off my list...So many thoughts, so little time....

I did want to leave you with a list of donations that the transition home in Ethiopia could use....If you are local and would like to donate any of these items, shoot me an email.....at christiancrocketts AT gmail DOT com
Everything that is donated will be used there or given to other orphanages that our agency works with.

• Maximum strength Extra Virgin Olive Oil, moisturizing growth olive oil (10-20 bottles, used for the older kids here at HH or at other orphanages)
• Toys for 4-16 moth old kids….lots of them! Things that make noise and are engaging JUST NO HARMONICAS (this is Almaz’s quote)
• Bottles
• Body soaps for older kids
• Diapers (size 2-3)
• Rice cereals
• Towels
• Notebooks
• laptop computer, new or used
• Men shirts, long or shortsleeved
• Sunglasses for men and women, with UV, 7-10 pairs (the SM take the kids outside for sun and they could use them, I am sure)
• Adult-sized slippers (they wear them in the house, no shoes in the houses!)
• All sizes of scrubs for the SM
• Organic flaxseed, unground, they grind there and supplement for kids over 5 months in food
• Formula (all kinds). Soy formula is particularly challenging to get in Ethiopia.
• Older children shoes (all kinds are fine)
• Clothing for older children (elementary school age)

MEDS

• Hydrocortisone
• Permetrin
• Mupirocin
• Clotrimazol
• Ceftriaxone (250 mg)
• Miconazole (oral gel)
• Hyoscine (antispasmodic) 
• Sulbutamol (bronchodilator)
• Cannula
• Vitamin D Syrup
• Powdered Pedialyte (that can be used for all ages of children including infants)

With Much Love,