Journey to save a life
POLSON — Traveling over 10,000 miles away from home, across oceans and foreign continents, Andy and Jenny Learns recently made a trip that would change their lives forever. A trip to save another life.
After years of deliberation and a long wait after applying for adoption, on March 13 the born-and-raised Montana couple ventured to Ethiopia to adopt a 14-month-old orphan boy named Abdurahman. The long 20-hour one-way flight was Andy’s first on an airplane, and the couple’s first abroad, touching down in Washington D.C. and Rome before landing in the country’s capital city of Addis Ababa.
The trip came more than a year after the Learns began the adoption process with Adoption Advocates International out of Port Angeles, Wash.
“It was intense, the paperwork and the waiting, waiting, waiting — but then you’re there and the culture shock of the trip hits you,” Jenny said. “It’s hard being in a place with so much pain all around you, and I feel like part of me is still grieving for Ethiopia.”
In a small orphanage in the city of more than 2 million people, the Learns met the newest addition to their family. The Learns new family member is one of an estimated 4.6 million orphans in the east African coastal country that borders the war-torn nation of Sudan.
“It’s a sad deal just going into the small orphanage that our son was in and seeing all the children’s beautiful faces,” Jenny said. “But at the same time you have hope because they are there now, and maybe some day will be adopted.”
Their baby boy, now named Anthony and nicknamed “Abdu,” was sick with Giardia — a treatable disease commonly contracted in third world countries from bacteria in drinking water as the lack of clean water in African nations is a monumental problem. The Learns were in Africa for a few days, but were able to get their Visas a day early and hopped a plane back to the United States ahead of schedule to get Anthony the much needed medical attention.
Back home, Anthony was treated and is now doing great, the Learns reported. Other concerns of AIDS have also been tested for in Anthony, coming up negative four times.
“He’s home now and doing just great,” Jenny added. “He’s a beautiful, healthy sweet baby boy.”
After returning from their shocking, whirlwind adventure, the Learns shared some thoughts on their culture shocked experience.
“You go there and see so many people who have so little, and return home where we have so very much,” Jenny explained.
“I loved the people there. They were amazing, hospitable people.”
Andy added in reflection, “The shear every day differences between their world and ours — people here have things really good.”
The Learns would like to thank Mission Valley Church of Christ for hosting a garage/yard sale fundraiser that paid for the entire Home Study portion of the adoption process and has enabled the family to not have to charge any of the incurred costs.
“Starting out we had no idea how we were going to pay for any of this,” Jenny said. “So soon after getting back, it’s hard to let it really dawn on yourself now what we’ve actually gone and done. God truly provided for all of us.”