We're Approved

We received approval from AWAA, American World Adoption Agency, our adoption agency. Now the paperchase and home study begin...

We are very excited about using AWAA. They are a Christian agency and their mission is as follows: AWAA is committed to helping America's families and the world's orphans experience the love of God in Jesus through the "Spirit of adoption." We are a Christ centered organization that values the right of every child to have a family and believes adoption is a God ordained way to build a family. America World is also devoted to actively supporting orphan awareness ministries and hopes to spread the Spirit of ad

I dare to believe that the luckless will get lucky someday in you.You won't let them down: orphans won't be orphans forever. Psalm 10:14 .

So true

Adoption is not about finding children for families, it's about finding families for children ~Joyce Maguire Pavao

Q&A

We've had lots of questions regarding our decision to adopt so we decided to post a little Q&A to help answer some of them.

WHY ADOPT?

We have always wanted a big family and felt a strong desire to adopt even before we married and had Liv and Syd. And now after being blessed with two amazing girls, we feel it is God's desire for us to take this leap of faith and adopt the next addition to our family.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows' in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name, welcomes Me." Matthew 18:5

WHY ETHIOPIA?

The number of orphans in Ethiopia is astounding. Plain and simple. Children (0-17 years) orphaned due to all causes, in 2005, is estimated at 4,800,000. Many other sites bring this current number closer to 6 million, which makes sense because this is only a 2005 estimate.

To break that down you would have to take all the kids under 18 in New York, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia - remove their parents and then you would have the number of children who are orphans in Ethiopia.

Tom and I both feel strongly that God has chosen Africa as the birthplace of our son. When we read the staggering stats about orphans there and look at pictures of these sweet, adorable children we feel a connection.


ON BECOMING A TRANSRACIAL FAMILY...

We believe all children are children of God and deserve to have a loving family no matter the color of their skin. The Lord views us equally, and as such we should view one another with love and affection in the same manner that He loves us. We are no different than the people of Africa other than we have been blessed tremendously by being born in the United States, we have unlimited access to food and healthcare, as well as numerous blessings we overlook in our daily lives. Our family will be enriched tremendously by the joy that this child will bring us. We look forward to the opportunity to further show all of our children that Christ's love for us is transcendent. While we understand that we will have many obstacles ahead, we believe that the Lord has equipped us to handle them.

"Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:39


HOW LONG IS THE PROCESS?

Our agency typically has a wait time of 5-7 months for infant boy referrals once the dossier is in Ethiopia. We are hoping to have our dossier complete by end of May and then officially be on the waiting list. Once we receive a referral it will be another 6 weeks or so till we travel to meet him.

HOW OLD WILL YOUR SON BE WHEN HE ARRIVES HOME?

We have requested an infant boy up to 10 months old.

WHAT ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH AFRICA?

The Children are tested for AIDS at the clinic recommend by the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia as they enter the orphange. They are tested again just before leaving Ethiopia. All children are tested for Hepatitis B, venereal disease, and screened for TB. He will be given routine medical exams and immunizations. We will also have our child checked out here in Beaufort as soon as we get back and he will be given all the necessary immunizations again.

We have been blessed with two healthy children. We pray our third will be equally as healthy but realize only the Lord knows our destiny. All we can do is pray and put our faith and trust in Him.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13