June 10, 2010 2:38PM

Well, what we were told was true. The second night is the worst. I’m not even sure what happened during the night here in room 221 at the SIM Guesthouse. All I know is that Lucy was wide-eyed and constantly nursing and dirtying her pants in our bed from 11-3 and then Josie was wide eyed and hungry and in our bed playing a game on my ipod from 3-6. Needless to say, Mama literally didn’t close her eyes. Papa didn’t much, but he did a little.

Good gracious, it was horrendous! If Lucy wasn’t crying, Josie was. If Josie wasn’t crying, Lucy was. If neither of those two were crying, I was. And if nobody was crying, Jeremiah was.

True story!

Somewhere around 5:30 or 6 Josie and I made our way down to a corner of the dining room to check emails and eat the remaining potato chips from our pb&j dinner our first night here. We then moseyed over to the playroom until breakfast at 7.

Jeremiah came down for breakfast and we decided to let Lucy keep sleeping…I’m really not too concerned with her “adjusting” to Ethiopian time. It isn’t too hard to nurse her through the night and let her sleep during the day…the main concern is getting big sister on board with the new time. I predict she will be on schedule around week five. We leave week six. That will be pleasant.

Anyway, an hour after breakfast we took our first taxi/bus ride! The other members of our team, Tommy & Mary and Shaun came as well. We were to meet Vic, our leader, at ETC for a tour, meetings with college staff, orientation for those teaching classes and our first true Ethiopian meal.

First taxi/mini bus ride

It actually takes two separate bus rides to get to the college from where we are staying now, so we found a taxi going our direction, piled in (Along with at least six others) and were on our way. We weaved in and out of traffic and arrived at our first stop “Mexico City” (I know right?) where we jumped out and quickly found our next taxi to take us to ETC.

I may or may not have held my breath the entire two taxi rides. All I know is that when we finally were on campus at ETC I could breath again. Ha

The campus and church (International Evangelical Church) is beautiful! The buildings are great, lots of exposed wood beams and the grounds are, true to form for an African establishment, so lush and colorful.

w/team in front of iec (church) & etc (college)

Josie so enjoyed the steps on campus and affectionately called the lawn areas “the courtyard”. She felt right at home on a college campus!

We got to see the classroom where Jeremiah will be teaching, as well as meet a few of his students – so fun! I know he is anxious to start the class – just a couple more days! It will really be a thrilling experience for him – we can’t believe he’s really getting to have this opportunity!

After our injera Ethiopian lunch with the Pastor of IEC (which Josie ate extremely well for it being the first time and her being exhausted! So proud of her bravery!), Mary and I took the girls and caught taxis/walked to the bus stops all on our own! Mary has navigated the taxis before, as she has been here since Saturday…evenso, we felt like two very brave and/or very stupid women.

There is no question, I DID hold my breath those entire taxi rides.

First Ethiopian meal at a restaurant

At one point when the money collector boy (always a younger boy calling out stops, hanging out the window of the bus and taking the money) took my two birr and commented (I’m assuming) that I owed him another birr because Josie was sitting in a seat, I thought about taking a breath to bargain with him and not give him the extra birr. They didn’t charge for Josie the three taxi rides before, so why start now? And if you’re charging for her then are you going to charge me for the baby on me that is also taking a seat? I decided against taking a breath, because holding my breath gives me more control, you see. And I reluctantly handed him another birr.

Did I mention 13.4 birr is equal to somewhere close to 1 US dollar? Yeah, nothing to lose control over, that’s for sure. Besides how am I to argue in English, over my baby’s head, with an Ethiopian boy speaking Amharic right in my face? Not worth it!

The girls and I are “home” now, and the afternoon showers have started. So glad we made it back before the rain hit. Jeremiah will not be so lucky. He and the other “teachers” on our team are still at ETC revising syllabi and prepping readers for the students…he will be soaked, I’m sure as you have to walk quite a ways between the taxi drop off and the taxi pick up. He will relish in the Ethiopian experience, though, I’m sure of it!

Hopefully we can now take short naps as to not interfere with what I hope and pray and hope and pray and hope and pray will be a peaceful, restful night.

(oh - speaking of the weather – it rains most every afternoon between 1 and 3 and lasts for 1-2 hours…yesterday it actually HAILED…lots and lots of hail. Today when I walked our stinky cloth diapers down to the laundry room/workers, there was a massive hill of hail outside the door. At first I thought maybe this was how they stored laundry detergent. Then I thought maybe it was salt. Upon closer examination, though, I saw that it was hail! A whole day later, still a mound of hail! Crazy!)