National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month. Tomorrow we are going to a conference that our adoption ministry is hosting for over 300 participants. It should be fun and informative! I wanted to use this post and more throughout this month to showcase some areas of great need for orphans throughout the world. Ethiopia has been on our heart for months now. There are over 12 million children orphaned in Africa because of the AIDS epidemic. The picture below is borrowed from one of many blogs I read of a family who has brought one of these sweet children home. It is referenced on my list to the right.
The image below is from the website http://www.thereisnomewithoutyou.com/ It is by Melissa Faye Green who wrote a book about her visits to orphanages in Addis Ababa and her adoption of children from Ethiopia. The book is amazing and her website is chock full of wonderful information for anyone interested in international adoption as well as joining in the efforts to bring aide to African orphans.

Here is a book that Ms. Greene recommends. Also is a quote below from her website on her thoughts about this book.

"It’s not as peppy or upbeat as many guides to international adoption; there are no cherubs, hearts, or rainbows in the illustrations as you’ll see on many adoption websites. This book does not pretend that your child is floating on a sun-kissed cloud amongst the angels while waiting for you to complete your homestudy; it’s not a guide for Dummies or for Idiots, and it doesn’t promise a baby in your arms by Christmas. BUT it will arm you with something more powerful than hearts, rainbows, promises, and heart-melting photographs: facts. There are facts here about neglect; there are facts here about sexual abuse occurring in orphanages; there are facts here about tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD.) This is not bedtime reading. But it’s essential reading. It may scare you away from inter-country adoption permanently. But if you are still standing when you’ve finished this book, you’ll be stronger."

Billy and I strongly believe in God's love for orphans. Many, many times we are told by people that they always wanted to adopt or do want to adopt in their lifetime. Well, clearly not everyone does. And this is okay. But we feel strongly that ALL people should take a part in orphan care. The Gladney Center for Adoption has a section in their Ethiopian tab that talks about the needs that their orphanage in Ethiopia has. They also have a registry for giving purposes set up at Target. You can read about those needs here: http://www.adoptionsbygladney.com/html/services/human_ethiopia.html

We can't all bring an orphan home and give them a family. But each one of us can make a difference in the life of an orphan. Consider this holiday season in giving in a way that will make life a little easier for one of these children that God so deeply cares for. Or consider giving to an adoption fund that will help families bring their child home. These aren't just "those" children over "there". They are our children. The whole worlds. Melissa Faye Greene says on her website "who will raise 12 million children? Who will buy 12 million children backpacks for school?" We can. We all can. And we should.