For Mezgeb, etc.

Jen and John are almost finished with the adoption of their new beautiful daughter, Mezgeb.  After a long painful year-long process, they met her in Ethiopia in October for the first time and should be able to go back to bring her home in two or three months after the U.S. courts have given their okay.  Mezgeb is 7, and will join five other sisters, from 6 to 19.  Evelyn is almost her same age, and already considers her her twin, so there will be two sets of twins in the Babcock family! This is for Mezgeb.  It has a backing but no batting, so is technically a bedspread.  You can't see well, but there are bears marching in all directions.  I'm trying to show here that I left the center bear open so it is a (very small) pocket.  It is in the colors of her new country.

 One morning when I was walking up to the office, I heard a small high voice say, "Bonjour, Madame!"  I looked around and saw this little girl on her father's shoulders,  coming down the hill.  It happened a few more times.  Then I realized that if I leave home around 8:15,  I always meet them.  Last time, we all stopped.  I asked her name; it's Fity Rose.  She gave me a small piece of her half-eaten pretzel which I was honored to receive!

 I'm not sure what kind of vine this is, but it's quite festive.

This square-foot garden, a project of the church Food Initiative, is thriving now that the rains have started.

                                                 Four missionaries before church.

                                                          With other church members.

 Sr. Florine with her grandson Tooj Laurent and granddaughter Angetina.

Tooj is very handsome.  He's the one that closed the back of my watch with its new battery, after no one with sophisticated tools had been able to do it,  by clamping down on it with his teeth. When I arrived, he had been inactive in the church for many years, but is now back participating, and just got a calling.

In the foreground you can see very steep steps going down to this neighborhood.  Steps like this are everywhere in this city built on hills.  Most people walk a lot and their legs are strong!

                                    I wouldn't like to fall out of the back of this shop...

This apartment building near our office keeps getting higher.  I wonder how many floors it will end up with, and how much of our vast city view it will block.