Why Ethiopia?

I feel the need to address the question of why Ethiopia, why not the US or some other country?  There are many reasons.  When we started looking into adoption one option was adopting from foster care.  This was not an option that I felt was good for me.  I've heard too many horror stories about parents coming back after years and putting families through litigation and that is not something I feel I am strong enough to handle.  I wouldn't want my child to ever have to go through that either.  I would also worry about how much abuse the children have seen and how that has affected them.  I know there are plenty of parents out their that God has blessed with the resiliance to adopt from foster but I am not one of them so US is off our list. 

I was blessed to have the opportunity to work for 3 years with a family with 3 boys from Guatemala so Guatemala was first on my list.  Those boys are beautiful, I know more about the culture and have even traveled very near Guatemala in the past.  Unfortunately Guatemala is currently closed to international adoption so another country is crossed off the list.  Like I said, I know much more about South America than Africa or Asia so we checked into other South American countries and they seemed to have crazy requirements.  Spending half a year in another country or waiting 5 years (17 months is way more than long enough!) wasn't really part of our plan so a whole continent checked off the list.

We have friends who have a beautiful daughter from China so we checked into that.  The wait is once again tremendously long and there are no sibling groups which is what we are wanting so no China.  Russian's children seem to experience problems a lot more frequently and the cost is more than we can afford, no Russia.

We don't really know anything about Africa.  I'm not sure how many countries I could list if you asked me and I am sure I couldn't have picked Ethiopia out on the map before doing my research.  We met the requirements for adopting from Ethiopia and this made me start researching it.  I read There is No   Me Without You by Melissa Faye Greene which is about the problems facing Ethiopia's children, it deals in a lot of facts as well as what one woman is doing to change the course of some children's lives.  I also read From Ashes to Africa  by Josh and Amy Bottomly.  This book is about what leads this couple to adopt and the process they went through to get their son.  If you are interested in adoption or the problems facing orphans in Ethiopia I highly recommend both books.  If you want to read From Ashes... ask me to borrow it, I'm good at sharing. 

SAD FACTS
Nearly half of the population of Ethiopia is under the age of 14, and less than 3% are over the age of 65. This means that the life expectancy is abyssmal.  94% of births do not have a skilled attendant present; 4% of women will die in childbirth. Although the infant mortality rate has improved over the past five years, it is still nearly 7%. Of the children who survive birth, another 4% will die before their 5th birthday (how terribly terribly sad is that thought).The overall mortality rate birth- 5 years old is 11%. Over 60% of the population do not have access to safe drinking water and 90% do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities. 2% of the population is infected with HIV. The doctor/population ratio is 1:42,000.   40% of children under 5 are moderately to severely underweight, and 50% are moderately to severely stunted. Only 45% of children attend primary school, and nearly 60% of the population is illiterate. The primary reason children do not attend school in rural areas is the children are needed for farmwork (48% boys, 16% girls) and housework (53% girls, 16% boys). Children 0- 3 are four times more likely to die within a year (before/after) of their mother’s death. 

These statistics are horrifying.  Ethiopians need help.  These children need us to step out of our comfort zones, to think thoughts we've never thought before, and to accept them into our families.  I have been touched by the need and also by the beautiful faces of children in Ethiopia.  I know that God has led us to this country to connect us with the children He has already chosen.  God is so good.  He knows what is best for us and although we might not see His plans in the beginning if we seek His will He will reward us.  Thank You God for your blessings and Your guidance.

Psalm 87:4 I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me—also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia. They have all become citizens of Jerusalem!

We are all God's children.

PS I stole all of my statistics from http://djgfamily.blogspot.com/2010/07/ethiopia-statistics-and-international.html another family waiting for a blessing from Ethiopia.