We are going to grow our family, yet again, through adoption. And this time, instead of domestic adoption, we will be heading to Ethiopia....located in Africa. We believe that God is leading us to adopt internationally. Although there is a need for adoptive parents throughout the U.S., the need for adoptive parents in other parts of the world (especially impoverished areas) is even greater.
This truly is a God-led decision and one that God willed us to do. The main obstacle to overcome will of course be the financing... international adoption is very expensive and we don't have the funds to do it on our own. But, we serve a big God who wants us to trust Him in this!!
We know God has a special place in his heart for orphans, and by being obedient to his calling we have faith that He will provide the resources necessary for us to adopt. God makes it known throughout the Bible that the care of orphans is extremely important to Him, and we believe that He is calling us to care for children who are uncared for or unwanted. We are reminded of His words in Mark chapter 9:
"Taking them in His arms he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me."
There are many reasons we decided on Africa, but essentially it comes down to God’s stirring in our heart, our desire to parent another African American child, and the sheer per capita numbers of orphans there. War, AIDS, malaria, cholera and famine have gradually turned Africa into a continent full of orphaned children and teenagers. There are 42 million orphans in Africa, one-quarter of whom have lost their parents to AIDS.
We are starting this process now not because we are expecting a child now but because we are expecting this journey to take 2-3 years. During this journey we will be continuing to pray that God will lead us in the direction we are supposed to go and that we will have open ears and hearts to listen and follow Him. We ask that you would begin praying for us as well, and partner with us as we begin this journey.
Sincerely,
Shanda and Nathan
