Going to Awassa was my favorite part of the trip. It is considered to be a tourist location as people come to the lake area to watch for birds.  It is beautiful- with water, wildlife, and many flowers. It was very important  to go to document anything we could for Elliott. Our first stop was her first orphanage. We changed our shoes out and right there on the entrance bulletin board was a picture of her we had never seen.

Where she lived for a month and a half of her life.




The blanket they sun the babies on. Yes, they have baby sun time.

This home was much older than the other and there were more children.  Some of whom had families and others that were waiting up to 1 year for a family. I got to meet the children.

I got to hold, hug, kiss the children. It was very hard though to play with some of the older children that my never get a family.  I give a child a sucker and them to have never had one before and to have to explain that you have to unwrap it first.  To see a 18 month old that was smaller than Elliott.  To see several premature infants there. To hear their faint cries. To know that these children are orphans.

The 4 premature infants that would have been in the hospital in the US- where in normal beds. Now you see why they had a need for high calorie formula that we had brought from the US.  Remember those donations that I had a war with Air France about - it was for those babies- some no more than 3 lbs.

We got to learn more of Elliott’s story, see her records and see pictures of her we never knew existed.

We also learned this, the people there truly love the children, truly care for them and truly feel this is calling for them. We could not have hoped for a better place for her to have been. She was loved and taken care of.





The man holding Elliott is the director of the children's home.  He is a very special person.  We spent the next three days with him and he is truly not only living his passion, but doing work that many could not do.  He accepts the abandoned or relinquished children from the police or government officials- he takes them into this home- comforts them in their grief- he and his staff will the smallest of children- the malnorished, uncared for, deathly sick babies and children back to health and happiness. They give them a second chance.

I have always wondered what miracle might look like and as a scientist I have been skeptical at times- BUT after seeing the work that this man has done for just 1 child first hand- I now can say I have seen a miracle. He truly inspires me to do more.


We also delivered some of the donations we brought.  When they thanked us for all we had brought for the children, and I must say that giving is better than receiving.  I was moved by their gratitude for simple things we take for granted.





Then it was off to the hotel after a long and emotional day.  Our view from our first room. This was like a shanty town of small corrugated steel homes.


After dinner we went back to our room to deal with an issue. Traveling with me is NEVER event free. Upon arriving we discovered our shower was leaking all over the bathroom floor. Our social worker helped us with the translations and after what seemed like forever it was fixed and everyone left. Or so we thought.

While getting ready for bed we discovered they really fixed it by turning the water off. So we called the front desk and they sent someone up. Someone that did not speak any English which was very common there in Awassa.  After finally figuring out that the water was off, they turned it on and the leak began again.

So we switched rooms to a fancy room with a round bed and a balcony.  It was hot with no air conditioning and we had to sleep under the mosquito nets as the windows had to be open and the lights on the balcony attracted all kinds of mosquitoes.  Glad I was taking 2 types of medicine for Malaria....the leading cause of death in Ethiopia.