It's our last day in Ethiopia - crazy if you consider we only spent 1 full day there! It felt like we were here much longer.
We tried again to get our bag at the airport - no luck. Then, we returned to the guesthouse to pack. We had made plans for Tsion and Wegi's aunt and sister to meet us for shopping. They were gracious in helping us find all of the things we wanted to bring back, and I'm sure at better rates than we would have gotten on our own (although Carlos is quite the negotiator).
They arrive on foot and we follow them out of the gates. To this point, we had not walked anywhere - it had all been by the van provided by our agency.
It just doesn't seem like the "I'm going to take a walk place!"
We walked to the main road and quickly realized we should have arranged for a taxi at the guesthouse. We walked and walked. The sites, smells and sounds were totally different "outside of the car." Carlos asked about a taxi and they explained that we had to be on the other side of the freeway. Now, I must say I've seen many near misses during our time in the city where people walk causually in front of the cars. It seems to work for them, but I am not convinced I have the skill (nor do they:))
So, we finally reach the "taxi" which is not what we were expecting....they told us to hop on the van/bus full of Ethiopians and we realize now we're really "among" them. We both were a little taken back especially as we rode on one after antoher. It seems we're pretty spoiled with the convenience of our own private car. Carlos suggested a smaller (private) taxi, but they felt it was too expensive. In hindsight, I think we were perceived as wealthy, but certainly $.62 for a cab ride was dirt cheap to us!
They took us to a large market which was a really cool experience.
They explained that we had to be careful with our bags, and Atkilt held my hand as we shopped. What an amazing memory! We also had a great lunch at a place called Lucy's - very nice. Then they invited us back to their house for coffee ceremony. 
It was pretty humbling...they walked us up a stone path to the very "shacks" we'd been seeing...to their village. I'm sure we made quite the scene - definitely the kids were curious about us. I was really surprised once inside. The small room was carpeted with couches and TV. It was nice.
They were very gracious. She served us water while she roasted the coffee right there in the living room
. We enjoyed popcorn and took pictures of their family 
. It was a very special moment for us.Outside the door, the kids kept running by and looking in. One girl caught our attention. A very dark skinned girl in a pink dress - she was beautiful and a huge big smile and so much life in her eyes. We learned that her mother died an that she was actually from the Congo. Carlos knew that they speak French there, so he started to speak with her. Her face lit up! He asked if we could take her picture and she agreed
. Oh, how I could see the potential in her if given the opportunity. Afterwards, we took a taxi back to the guesthouse to pack and prepare for our 11:30pm flight home.Standing in the airport, I had a range of emotions. Excitement to see Ean, confusion if there was a problem at court, wishing we didn't have to return but could bring Evy home with us now. So, the journey continues and we'll wait to see what God has for us next.
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