What a long and emotional day today was. Let me start from the end, and then I’ll tell it in order (it’s less painful that way). We just heard that our waiver is finally, DONE. It was done on Friday. (We know this thanks to our Senator’s office, who got Immigration in Washington DC involved…). There was no outgoing mail on Friday, so it went out first thing Monday morning. We’re hoping and praying that it arrives in the morning, so we can make the flight tomorrow evening.

If we miss tomorrow night’s flight, we can fork out $1500 to upgrade to business class for the Friday flight. I am not waiting any longer than I have to to go home, so if that it our only option, that is what we’ll do. So while it would feel a lot better to know that the waiver was here, it feels much better to know that it is done and on it’s way, and not on the desk of an immigration officer with a chip on her shoulder.

So, we are going home. Hopefully tomorrow, but if not, very soon.

Now we can rewind. I woke up feeling hopeful, and packed. By noon, no news, hopes back down. Our agency rep here called the Embassy, and they had an update showing our waiver as “pending”. We assumed that meant it was still on the desk in Kenya, and I really got depressed. I started worrying about how long this really could drag out... I started panicking about being in a position of having to go home without Belane…I was a wreck.

I went down to the Ethiopian Airlines desk (again…they hate me….) and the guy made me a reservation on tomorrow night’s flight, Friday’s flight and Sunday’s flight. Then he told me to come back when I knew when we were going home.

After all the time in the airlines office (they hate me and they are slow), Belane only had a short nap before we headed out for her farewell party at AHOPE.

It was a beautiful, emotional and amazing experience. You could tell that it was not something they did very often, and that made it a lot more special to everyone. Sidisse, the awesome director of AHOPE, probably took 200 photos. It was a farewell for Belane, and for her five year-old buddy, who is going home to DEAR friend of ours in the morning, Yonas.

When we first arrived, Belane clung to me fiercely and would not so much as look at any of the nannies, not even her two favorites. She started to cry when they pushed the issue, and I worried about how the rest of the night was going to go. I let her just sit on my lap, and eventually she felt comfortable enough to get up and go play with friends (keeping a very close eye on me).

The kids got traditional outfits to put on, and Belane had me, a nanny and 12 of her closest friends helping her get ready. There’s nothing like a new dress to put Belane in a good mood.

The kids were seated on one side of the room, and then there was a row of nannies, me, Yonas, Belane and me, in a row facing the children. Straw (or grass? Or wheat??) was thrown on the floor, and then coffee beans were roasted for the coffee ceremony. The ceremony/party/proceedings were officially started by Yonas, who chose a child to lead the prayer. It was translated for me, and hearing this little 4 year old boy pray for his friends and their new lives in America and for all of the children left behind, was very heart breaking. The nannies all started to cry beside me, and it was very emotional.

Then they had Yonas choose a song to lead the children (Yonas is a champion singer…he leads the kids super well!!!!) Well, he chose a song called “God Changed My Life, God Changed My Story”, and I can honestly say anyone who wasn’t crying before this point, was bawling by the end. Even the men. It was amazing beyond words.

A few songs later and another prayer and blessing, and it was time for the coffee to be given out, along with oodles of treats for the kids.

Everyone socialized and then it was time for the goodbyes. Sidisse took pictures of Yonas and Belane with every nanny and worker, some with me, some without me…tons of pictures. She promised to burn them to a CD for me. I will definitely post some here if I get them.

I hugged all of the nannies and we were all just bawling. I thanked them, they thanked me…we all cried. Some of the kids cried… How do you handle being thanked for loving a child that you are being blessed with?

AHOPE is a beautiful place…the walls are marked up and the floors are worn and some of the children may have bumps and sores, but it is a beautiful place. Sidisse and the nannies and the workers love these children so very much…the children are the most beautiful and sweet children you could meet. It is amazing to think that a few years ago, the nannies were just trying to keep the children as comfortable as possible and give them as good of a life as they could, while they died as orphans. And now, these children are thriving and can live long lives and can be adopted into forever families. Yes, it is a beautiful place. It is a place of love and hope.

With such a short nap and such a busy and emotional day, poor Belane wrapped her arms around my neck and sobbed when we got in the cab. She would try to cheer up and play, and then go back to crying. I think she really “got it” that we were saying good bye to everyone… and I know she picked up on all the emotions I was having and that all of the people at AHOPE were having.

We had a good dinner and lots of snuggling and she was her sweet and happy self again at bedtime…the sweet and happy little girl who grabs my face and kisses me on the lips and says, “I luff you.”

She will always know of the people at AHOPE and how much they loved her…and all of the other children at AHOPE who loved her.

I looked at those kids, who hugged Belane and kissed Belane and clapped for Yonas and gave me big hugs…I looked at them and I did feel awful that they had to watch Belane and Yonas leave while they waited indefinitely. And yet I also pray that somehow seeing Belane and Yonas leave, and seeing Belane with her new mom, gave some of them hope that someday it will be their turn. I have hope for them.