Ethiopia Campaign

Today I'm posting a link to a petition put out by JCICS to help spread the word about the current situation in ET adoptions, etc...

I'm asking you to prayerfully consider signing it!!!

http://betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/emergency-campaign-for-ethiopia/

Meetings are taking place this week, so we should know more soon about what this all means. Meanwhile, tomorrow will be a day of prayer and fasting for ALL countries involved in international adoption...for God's mercy and continued grace and hand of protection over the children and families of each country, as well as the adoptive families...among other requests. So hop on over to http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com tomorrow to add your prayer request!!:)

We ask that you continue to pray for our family. We still need to add some income, and we are currently researching other adoption options, should things remain unstable in Ethiopia. We're praying for clarity and discernment, for wisdom and total surrender to wherever He leads!!

Dear Anonymous.....

I will respectfully try and clarify my position about adopting from Ethiopia.

I will in no way stop praying for the orphans there..for their right to a family. Yes, I want the corruption to stop!!!! Yes, I want the children to be protected!!! Yes, I want the families to stay together when that is possible and is their desire!!! I am NOT against better accountability, high standards of practice, etc. in the adoption process in ET....in case I gave that impression:). I don't NEED a baby so badly, and QUICKLY, that I would throw all ethics and morals out the window just to adopt him/her!!!

And maybe this is God's way of protecting the children, who are NOT true orphans, from trafficking.....maybe....not sure I can go that far yet. And I would not say adopting them(orphans) and giving them a family is "exploiting" them.

I do think that God is NOT pleased with those who lie and steal children from their families, and then place them for adoption...that IS a tactic of the enemy.

Ethiopia has a lot of work to do to protect it's children from such practices.

So, is a slow-down good? Yes...a SLOW-DOWN would probably be beneficial in order to weed out the corrupt agencies/orphanages, etc.... But, in my opinion, with 5 MILLION orphans there...even if they find every child that is NOT a true orphan and returned them to their families..they probably still wouldn't make a dent in that number. So, what's to become of the "true" orphans???? They languish and die in the streets, because of POVERTY, MALNUTRITION, and DISEASE!!! They can't defend themselves or help themselves and at this time, Ethiopia is unable to help them either...so my prayer will continue to be that those who ARE adoptable, will still be allowed to be adopted internationally WHILE they weed out the corruption...

So, is it a good idea for a family to start an adoption from ET right now...even if this latest hoopla(posted by an anti-adoption news group) passes???

I don't know...ask me in a week or so;)! I would definitely be super diligent in requesting proof of abandonment/relinquishment from our agency, that's for sure! And I would trust my GOD to choose a child for us that is truly in need of a family and hasn't been stolen,etc...

But, I just don't know......we will go where there is a need..and right now, Africa is on my heart!!! If God shuts the door to Ethiopia, then we'll pray about our next step(okay, already started this part;)).

And again, I ask for your prayers for the children, the government, and the families of Ethiopia. And for those who are already in the process of adopting...that they will be protected from being issued referrals that come from shady practices...that the government will act with wisdom and integrity for all the children waiting....

Ethiopia Adoption

WOW! This day has really SUCKED! Sorry...but it has....we've been going over agencies, etc...getting ready to make a decision..and then we hear this:

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/-Ethiopia-to-Cut-Foreign-Adoptions-by-Up-to-90-Percent-117411843.html

Basically saying that adoptions are going to be cut by 90% in Ethiopia..as corruption is taken care of, etc...blah, blah, blah....

We don't know what to do...so we wait...pleading with the Lord to NOT allow this to happen...for ALL 4.3 MILLION orphans waiting for families!!!

YES! Corruption in adoption should be taken care of, but PLEASE LORD...just keep UNICEF out of it!!! UNICEF, the devil's sidekick!!! I smell another Haiti!!!

So...do we jump into the unknown....?????

Please pray for Ethiopia!!! So many children are waiting, and so many families WANT to go.....the enemy is once again mighty...BUT GOD! BUT GOD! BUT GOD!!!!!!!

Honestly, I don't know what this means for the process, other than it will be extremely SLOW now....

We need your prayers, but most of all, those 5 million children need your prayers! Just like Guatemala, Nepal, Haiti....and the list goes on....the enemy DOES NOT WANT children in families!! It's that simple!!!

Lord Jesus, PLEASE intervene in a mighty way!!! They need you!!! So many families already in process(thousands), need YOU! We need you to be victorious over the enemy...TODAY!

In the name of Jesus, AMEN!

More things that make me go hmmmm....

I have to say, after watching other families bring home their children, and describe their children's behavior....I'm very confused about our daughter...and disturbed.

I've mentioned before about how "good" she is....but honestly, it's a little disturbing.

So today, I heard her call herself "Ava" for the upteenth time....and it just hit me...is this more than a language issue? Does she even know who she is? Really? She always does exactly what I say....she NEVER throws a fit....she doesn't hit, bite, scream, or act aggressive....okay, this is probably a GOOD thing, but...

She sits on the potty as long as I'll leave her there without even asking to get up, or telling me she's "done". And honestly, there have been a couple of times I forgot to go get her...and there she sat...just waiting...

She doesn't fight me when I take her food away when lunch is over...she just accepts it...I could tell her "No lunch today Ava", and I think she would just accept it and go on with her day.

I can say my other kiddos came out KNOWING exactly who they were and what they wanted, and they wanted it NOOOOWWWW! She just waits for me to tell her what to do, or not to do....

Yes, she plays well with the other kids...but she also can be found just wandering with a toy cup in her hand...not really playing at all.

I've always wondered if she was coddled a lot at the orphanage, because she demanded her way....but she is NOT a demanding child...AT.ALL!

Some days I WANT her to demand SOMETHING...ANYTHING!! I want her to assert herself a little bit.... I want to see the real Ava!!! She is so conditioned to follow an adult..she really doesn't know how to express what SHE wants or needs..she's like a puppet in many ways....sad:(.

I have no idea what all this means, other than I have a child who lived in an orphanage for 3 years...but I can't wait to see MORE of the "real" Ava:)! I can't wait to hear her say, "Aw Mom! I don't WANT to stop playing!", "I'm NOT finished with my food yet!", I want to see who God created her to be....and not what an orphanage conditioned her to be...I'm really done with that!

Blabbering over:)!

Blogging for Orphans Day!

Here's the latest from Lifesong!

OCA Mission Moments from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

They sat in the studio with an expectant glow as they spoke about their children they had yet to meet, but who they claimed as their very own... 

Josh: "As unbelievers, we are aliens.  We are strangers.  We are separated from God.  But God has come in and adopted us, through Christ, to be in His family."

Jenn: "And we're just so thrilled that our family can be a picture of that to the world!  And just like we would never question our true son-ship to God the Father, it's been an encouragement to us to think about, we really don't have to question whether these kids are our true children... cause they are!"

When Josh and Jenn Philpot felt God's nudging toward adoption they weren't sure where they would get the money.  They received a matching grant through the Orphan Care Alliance (OCA), turning the $6,000 they had raised into $10,000, and making it possible for them to bring home not just one child but two!

OCA is a multi-church alliance in the Louisville/Southern Indiana area.  Adoption funding is just one part of their ministry.  Their many outreaches include recruiting and training foster parents, mentoring local foster children, assistance for local churches in launching orphan ministries, international orphan care, and more!  They are also a part of Lifesong's Outside the Walls Network, which connects churches to serve orphans more powerfully together than they could on their own.