We Embrace The Call

Why adopt?
Why Ethiopia?

...to look after orphans and widows in their distress -James 1:27 

Did you know there are an estimated 147 million orphans in the world? Roughly 5 million of them are in Ethiopia.  We have embraced the call, and for us, that means adoption.

For Kyle and I the dream to adopt began in separate places.  I don't know if either of us can articulate the moment we knew we wanted to adopt but I do know that we both had a heart for adoption before the two of us became one.  Fast forward to January of 2010 and that dream came very much alive in this Mama's heart.  A few weeks later we found out we were pregnant with our third child and adoption was put on hold.  It didn't take long after Azariah's birth until I felt ready to begin and I began praying in earnest that God would align mine and Kyle's hearts.  I began researching adoption agencies and programs. What an overwhelming task.  It wasn't long and God answered our prayer and we were both ready to move forward with our plans to adopt.

My heart for the children of Africa first surfaced when Kyle and I were dating.  I attended an event where Tony Campolo (www.tonycampolo.org/compassion.php) spoke about his work with Compassion International. After he shared I searched the tables of little faces of children in need and landed on Muithi, a little girl that lives in Kenya that I have been sponsoring ever since. When we began looking at programs and trying to figure out which country we would like to adopt from it wasn't that big of a surprise that Ethiopia topped the list.
So here we are.  Awaiting a match with a little girl from Ethiopia.  We have requested a child between the ages of 0-24 months.  It will be a long wait....hoping to be matched by October of 2013...long wait.  The Ethiopian government is making changes and restructuring in order to protect the children in the process of adoption.  This is a good thing, and we are thankful, and yet it is hard to wait.  Philippians 4:19... And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  In this journey we accept God's provision and timing. We trust Him not only to prepare us, but to protect her.  There is much to prepare for.  Our little one will have lost all she has known.   We don't know the circumstances from which she will come but we do know that it will be a painful loss no matter what those circumstances are. She will be black in a house full of blue eyed and blond people...in a community that is approximately 82% percent white.  She will be over 7,000 miles away from home. And it will be hard.  Lord, help us. We know He will.