Well, it has been about a week since our BIG news spread to everyone. We have had a lot of questions which is good because that means people are interested in our adoption journey and hopefully the more people know about the process, the more they will want to support us along the way! Here are the most frequently asked questions...with our best answers!
1. What age will the child be when you bring him/her home?
We chose the age range of 2-24 months old.
2. Did you ask for a boy or girl?
We did not specify the sex of the child. We would love to have another boy or girl.
3. When will you bring your child home?
The adoption process from start to finish is estimated to take between 9-18 months. We are hoping and praying to bring our little child home from Ethiopia by the end of 2011!
4. How much will this adoption cost?
It is estimated to cost about $28,000-$33,000 from start to finish.
5. Why did you pick Ethiopia?
We both had a heart for the people in Africa. There are millions of people in Africa that are literally "dying by the minute" from diseases such as malaria, HIV, and AIDS. Lots of countries in Africa do not have clean running water, food, and shelter. AWAA, our adoption agency, adopts children out of Ethiopia and Rwanda. After a lot of prayer and discussion, Todd and I chose to adopt from Ethiopia. There are at least 3.4 million orphans in Ethiopia right now so the need is endless there.
6. Will your child have HIV or AIDS?
While it is possible to adopt a child with HIV/AIDS, each child is tested and screened with the same medical testing that we have in the United States. A family will not unknowingly adopt a child with HIV or AIDS. Every family requests what medical or special needs they are open to and willing to accept and then they are referred a child from our adoption agency based on their request. We did not request a child that has special needs or major medical needs.
7. What have your families said about you adopting internationally?
We have spoken to some of our family members in person and have sent the majority of them our support letter. Overall, they have not responded with an abundance of excitement but some have been supportive, some have had questions, and some have not spoken to us yet. Todd and I both understand that for some of our friends and family it may take months for them to process and understand why we are adopting. It took us months of praying and processing the idea of adoption for us to decide to do it so we don't expect everyone to jump for joy the first time we tell them our news. For some of our family members, it may even take them seeing our child for the first time to be supportive of our decision. Overall, we love our family members and friends and would LOVE for all of them to support us on our adoption journey but we understand if they choose not to do so. We didn't decide to adopt based on anyone else's thoughts or decisions. We trust that God is going to use our adoption to soften people's hearts and see Christ's love through our words and actions. We believe God will provide the family members and friends that we need to help carry us through this journey!
8. Are you worried about adopting a "black" child? Do you realize how hard it is going to raise that child?
This is the most frequently asked question and we have tried to answer it as best as we can right now. Of course, when we chose Ethiopia, we knew that we were going to bring home a "black" child. We both believe that Jesus loves ALL of the children of the WORLD and the color of the child's skin DOES NOT MATTER to him or us. A "black" child deserves to be loved and provided for as much as a white child. God calls us to love, serve, and help others no matter what their skin color is or what economic class they are from. We know that there will be MANY challenges a long this journey but we are confident that God will provide the strength, wisdom, and guidance needed for each day, month, and year ahead. We see this adoption as an opportunity to break racial barriers and model for our children, friends, and family members how to love another person unconditionally and without prejudices against them. We will be the first to admit that we don't have all of the answers right now but that is ok. We are focusing on one day at a time and we will conquer each hurdle as it comes. At the end of the day, LOVE ALWAYS WINS!
"Red and yellow, BLACK and WHITE, they are precious in HIS sight...Jesus LOVES the little children of the WORLD."
Be encouraged and know that you are loved, supported and prayed for during this journey. The unpopular road isn't easy, but God calls us to be a peculiar people molded into His image not that of the world. Not only are you modeling the example of unconditional love for mankind to your children, you are also modeling love and obedience to your Heavenly Father. This is the most important lesson they will ever learn!
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