Why Ethiopia...

We realize that there are many people who will never understand why we have chosen to adopt a child from a foreign country. Many have commented that there are lots of American kids who need homes. 

Yes, we know. But we feel called to adopt from Ethiopia. We encourage people who have such a strong opinions about our adoption to keep their comments to themselves---or go adopt an American child if you feel that strongly about it. We believe that no child should grow up without a parents. We would love to see every orphan in a home. But if you aren't going to be a part of the solution yourself, then please don't critique our choice. 

We do realize that this is going to be a major undertaking. We are bringing home a 6 year old child who has lived in extreme poverty for her entire life. No water. No food. No parents. We understand that we will be dealing with some major trauma. There will be a language barrier. Cultural differences to overcome. And let's not forget the non-stop opinions that will be offered by on lookers. 

   But we believe that LOVE is a universal language. We speak LOVE. We believe that God cares for orphans and he commands us to care for them too. We have seen a need, and chosen to respond. Orphans are so easy to ignore when you don't know their names. 

We know alot of their names. We HAD to respond. 

If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
    does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
    Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? 

-- Proverbs 24:12

Here's what else we know......

Struggling to survive on an average annual income of $280, many families in Ethiopia lack access to nutritious food and clean water*

• 5 million children in Ethiopia are orphans or have lost one parent.

• More than half of Ethiopians lack access to clean drinking water.

• More than two in five children who start primary school in Ethiopia do not complete fifth grade.

• Approximately half of children under age 5 in Ethiopia suffer from stunting as a result of malnutrition.

• 1 in 5 girls in Ethiopia are married before the age of 15. Some as young as 7. Average age of husband, 25

• Leading cause of child death in Ethiopia--diarrhea due to poor sanitation.
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We cannot ignore these facts...or the children that we have met living in these conditions. We chose to make a difference for one child. 

Can you imagine if everyone else did too?