This was court day!
We got up really early, because we had to leave the guesthouse between 8 and 8:30am to be at the courthouse by 9am. All six couples ate breakfast and then piled into the van. When entering the courthouse, our bags were checked and we were frisked - a really interesting experience! Then, we walked up 3-4 flights of stairs and were taken to a large waiting room. There were adoptive families and birth families all waiting in the same room, but it was really silent, with little eye contact. Of course I had to go to the bathroom, and Senait led me down the hall to the restroom. It was NOT a fun experience. It was the tiniest one stall that I have ever seen in my life, with no toilet seat, no toilet paper, and a urine-covered floor. Ewww.
After waiting about an hour, we were called in with two other families. It was a long, narrow room with a desk and several chairs. The judge was a young woman wearing jeans and tennis shoes. We all took a seat, and were asked a series of Yes or No questions. We were done in 1-2 minutes. The judge told us that we did not have the approval letter that we needed from MOWA, and told us that our cases would be approved as soon as the opinion letter was received by the court. Then, we waited for the other three families to finish, and we left! It was quick and painless! Our van was not there to pick us up, so we walked down the street with Sisay and stopped at a coffee shop. There was outdoor seating available, so we all sat down and ordered drinks. Sisay told us then that the judge that we saw was not the normal judge who presides over adoption cases. He said that she was actually the assistant judge and that this was the first time that he has been in the courtroom with her presiding!
We went to lunch at Lucy Restaurant and then headed to Jemimah Guesthouse for our cultural training. There we learned a lot about where our son is from and about Ethiopian culture!
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