Wofuchi

We met Ella Mesay's birth mother today. It was an incredibly emotional experience for all of us. We are so lucky to have met her- we were able to meet for well over an hour, and our translator was very sensitive and supportive of both parties.
Most of the information we gathered will remain private, because we see our responsiblity to Ella in the future- her birth and adoption stories are hers to share as she chooses. But we did gather some information we can share- Alamz told us that, for a variety of reasons, "Mesay" was not the name she gave her child. She named Ella Mesay "Wofuchi," which means "God's Soul" in Hadigyana. We're not sure how yet, but we'd like to incorporate such a meaningful name into Ella's.
It will be so important to Ella Mesay to have information about her birth mother as she grows up. We'll be keeping Almaz abreast of Ella's life and development. We plan to return to Ethiopia when Ella is older, and visiting Almaz will be key part of that trip. What this essentially is, is open international adoption. While it is not something I would have considered when I started the adoption process, in part because it hadn't occured to me as a possibility- but now we are so grateful to have met and made a family connection with this brave and dignified woman.