We have some news...

No, I am not pregnant. There are some who have been expecting that announcement for quite some time and I just wanted to clear that up right away. We are happy to announce, however, that we have begun the process of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia! Applications and initial fees went out in the mail today and we will hopefully have our home study underway in the very near future. It will likely take at least four months for the home study to be completed and we will be compiling as much of our dossier paperwork as we can in the meantime.
Adoption is something that we have thought about, though never very seriously. Recently, though, both John and I have come to realize that this is something we believe God wants us to do and now is the time for us to do it. It will be many months before we are able to bring our daughter (wow - is it weird to say that?!) home. We have much to do in the meantime! You may ask, "Why Ethiopia?" The answer is, "Why not Ethiopia?" There are more than 4.5 million orphans in Ethiopia alone, and by 2010, an estimated 53 million orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa. It also doesn't hurt that my friend, Jenny, brought home a sweet girl and boy from Ethiopia just over three weeks ago. Through her experience, our eyes have really been opened to the huge need for homes for these children.
Our boys are very excited about adding a new sibling to our family. It comes at an interesting time, as well, since Isaac will be starting Kindergarten this fall. I'll be honest and tell you that I have been looking forward to a little time to myself when I get home from work in the afternoon and before the boys get home from school. When I stop and think about the fact that I have a warm bed to sleep in at night, food to eat, a roof over my head, and all my needs met, I can't just sit back and do nothing. At first I thought we could make a difference by sponsoring a child. We did and still felt a need to do more. Then I thought that perhaps we could give money to help support orphans in Africa and that would be enough. That, too, is a valid contribution. It became very clear rather quickly, though, that we needed to do more still. For us, that means welcoming a child who has no one into our hearts and into our home. I cannot tell you how exciting the prospect of having a daughter is - dresses, tights, and hairbows, oh my! With three older brothers, the chances are good that she might be a tomboy, but I will certainly try to encourage dollies and dresses.
We know it will not be easy. Neither is pregnancy! Or raising biological children! The process of just getting a referral (a child selected for us) is rather daunting and then there is the whole going over to Ethiopia to pick up our baby girl. Our original plan was for John and his Mom to go because I don't fly. As I've considered it further and heard from others regarding their experiences, I'm going to try to just get over my fear (likely with the help of a little medication...) If you feel so inclined, will you pray for our family as we pursue adoption? We would be so grateful!
:) Jen