Questions and Answers....

My husband and I read the Bible. We believe what the scriptures say. However, there are some scriptures that pierce us to the innermost core. Several of those pertain to God's heart for the fatherless. My husband and I can no longer ignore these scriptures, or the urgent and pressing need to do what our Father has called all of us to do....take care of the orphans and widows in their distress.

Many people have asked us why we have chosen to adopt. I have to shrug off some of the nasty comments or puzzling looks that I get from people who truly don't understand the heart of God.

Today, I felt like I needed to address and answer some of these questions. If you would like to ask more questions that I have not mentioned in this post, please feel free to leave me a comment below.

Question: Why are you adopting?
Answer: Why NOT?!?! There are roughly 143 million orphans living in the world today. It is hard to grasp such large numbers, so picture being on a very long road trip. If you had these orphans hold hands in a line, you would see over 1,700 orphans per mile. If you were to follow that line of orphans holding hands, driving 60 mph, you could drive 24 hours a day seeing 1,700 orphans every mile, hour after hour, day after day without stopping for over two months, and you would still see orphans holding hands. Get the picture?

Question: Can you still have children of your own?
Answer: First of all, any child that we adopt WOULD be our "OWN" child. Doesn't that count as having your "own" child?? And yes, we are still able to have our "own" children. As far as we know, we are still very fertile. However, there is a burning conviction in me to make these orphans a priority. My womb is no longer tugging at me...but rather my heart.

Question: Are you adopting domestically or internationally?
Answer: Internationally. Although there are countless foster children who need loving homes in the United States, we feel that we want to start with those who are suffering from EXTREME poverty and starvation. We are open to the possibility of adopting domestically someday, but we are starting with international.

Question: What country are you adopting from, and why?
Answer: Ethiopia. There are several countries in need of children to be adopted, but unfortunately, not every country is open for adoption. We have chosen Ethiopia as a STARTING point. Yes, this is just the beginning. We do plan to adopt more orphans someday. Alot of things can change and our prayer is that someday more countries will be open for adoption. As of right now, we don't know when or where our next adoption will be.

Question: If you are adopting from Ethiopia, are you concerned about bringing a child of a different race in to your home?
Answer: No, we are not concerened, but rather "aware". Our daugther Madelyn has thus far never noticed a difference in race...nor will we point it out either. We have educated ourselves on the potential issues that may arise. However, this will never prevent us from adopting a child who desperately needs and deserves justice. Regardless of how God has created us, we will ALL suffer from some form of persecution.

Question: Adoption is expensive. How much does it cost? How can you afford it?
Answer: Yes, adoption is indeed expensive, but well worth it. The cost to adopt from Ethiopia is roughly $25,000. As of this very moment, we are taking this one step at a time. There are grants available that we will apply for. But there are no guarantees that they will be awarded to us. There are also fundraising ideas. We are praying for ideas that God may give us in order to raise money. And last but certainly not least, there is our income. God has greatly blessed my husband with a terrific job. Although Alex is self-employed, God has never left us in need. So with all of that being said, we will continue to pray for God to provide.

I hope that I have answered some of your questions and revealed a little more of our hearts towards adoption. Once again, feel free to comment with any questions you may have and I will do my best to answer them.

Stayed tuned for tomorrow's post....

Love, Holly