The Start of Something New

As many of you know, Drew, Graham, & I have started the process of adopting a baby from Ethiopia. This decision is the result of a lot of prayer and conversations between Drew and I, something that we've both felt convicted about since before we started dating, and now seemed like the right time for our family. Graham turns one next month (crazy!) so we've been talking more and more about what the next step would be for us kids-wise. We started everything in November, and our paperwork will be sent over to Ethiopia in March. From there it's anyone's guess... could be 6 months, or 18. We just won't know until we get a phone call saying that they have our baby! We've asked for a child under the age of 2, and our caseworker will recommend that he/she is younger than Graham.

Why Ethiopia? There are some complex answers and some practical ones... I won't go in to all of them, but being exposed through various ways to the extreme poverty in Africa has made a huge impact on us. The vastness of what is going on there is incredible, and we've found it hard to ignore. So to say that we've felt "drawn" to that continent seems like an understatement.

I just finished reading "There is No Me Without You," by Melissa Faye Greene (if you're looking for an excellent read, I recommend it.) The book follows the story of an Ethiopian woman who opens her home to become a foster home and eventually an orphanage. The stories behind some of the children are heartbreaking and convicting. While we realize that adoption doesn't solve a country's problems, we know that we can impact this one little life.

And plus, we're always up for an adventure :)

So that's a brief background. Graham is currently eating day old cheerios off of the floor, so I should go.

We'll keep posting as we move ahead in this journey!