Ethiopia Arrival

On August 17 at 6:30pm we left Toronto for Addis Ababa Ethiopia. The total trip took more than 30 hrs. before our arrival at the school where we will be located for this first year.
After an eight hour stopover in London, we continued our journey and arrived in Addis Ababa at 1:30 in the morning local time. Clearance through customs and immigration was uneventful except Rachel wasn't listed on our entry permit (although it was listed on our copy). After some delay they decided to keep her passport and give a ticket for her to go to the immigration office to obtain a valid entry visa.
Eventually we cleared the airport and were taken by waiting van to the school.

We were taken to a spacious 3 bedroom apartment that will be our home for the next year. We were both delighted and surprised to find that from our residence we have a phone and Internet access (although slow).

It looks like both Sarah and Rachel will be able to go to school this year, although they had to make an exception for Rachel as she isn't old enough for their kindergarten.
We had our first taste of authentic Ethiopian food last night. Sue and I are accustomed to it, however it will take some getting used to for the girls.
Although it has been nearly 40 years since I lived in Ethiopia, with the exception of structural changes, things look pretty much the same. Sarah and Rachel are pleased to see donkeys and sheep walking down the middle of the road. There is still a great deal of poverty and suffering for the average person. The needs can be overwhelming. The girls seem to be adjusting well inspite of the huge changes and have already made some friends.
We are quite impressed with the facilities at the School. It has a good computer setup as well as excellent gym.
We haven't met with the Central Office of SIM yet to discuss the development of the Bahir Dar program that will target ministry with street kids, orphans and women at risk. We are already making plans, however for a trip up to the area around Christmas time.