Why Mandy and I Are Adopting from Africa

Part of my purpose in blogging is to write on matters pertaining to culture, spirituality and social justice. In regards to the last, I have to admit that God has really been stirring in my heart the need to be socially aware of the injustices that take place in our world. From slavery and prejudice to the sexual slave epidemic in Thailand and Vietnam, God has shown me that he detests injustices. In 2006, I took a group of high school students to Africa, and to make a long story short, God ruined my life (for the better). I thought that this would be another missions trip with a group of students but it turned out to be an experience that would rock my world. Upon my return from West Africa, I began to think about the impoverished people in our world on a daily basis. Every time I would pick up a knife and fork to eat, I would think about those who had nothing to eat. Every morning when I would get dressed, I would think about the people that I had seen who had nothing and lived on less than a $1.00 a day. It was during this time that God was calling Mandy and I to re-evaluate how we were living...and the question resonated inside me: Was their more of "us" that we could give over to "Him"?

I knew that God was calling me to do something tangible to help solve the myriad of problems that plague the great continent of Africa. Mandy and I were already sponsoring a child with Compassion International, but we felt that He was calling us to do more. We started to talk about the idea of adopting a child from Africa. The more we dreamed and talked about this idea, the more excited we became. We talked about it frequently, prayed about it and then decided to pursue an adoption from Africa.

We both were settled on Africa and we both wanted a little boy. We then pursued a variety of organizations that would help us achieve our dream of an international adoption. We were led to a great organization that only adopts orphans, America World (www.awaa.org). So, in December of 2007 we applied to adopt a little child from Ethiopia. We were then accepted into this program and are now at the stage where we're waiting for our "referral" (when we'll receive biological and a brief medical history of our child).

The more we move ahead in this process, the more we feel close to the heart of God and His mission for our lives. Since we embarked on this journey of adopting an orphan from Ethiopia, God has taught us so much as to how He views the underprivileged, specifically the orphans in our world. Our world is filled with orphans, and Ethiopia itself has hundreds of thousands of orphans. These children have been orphaned due to the parents being unable to feed their children, or the parents have died due to AIDS. I learned that God hates suffering, and wants for His followers to be agents of change and hope to these orphans.

As I read Isaiah 1:16-17 and then James 1:27 (and numerous other passages), I was reminded that true Christianity is when we care for the lonely, the widow, and the orphan. God is serious about the orphan dilemma and the more I read Scripture and see the heart of God, the more I realize how adopting an orphan fit into God's master plan for our lives. We now see that our purpose in adopting an oprhan is to ultimately come close to the heart of God (who aches for the lonely and abandoned).

In less than three months (fingers crossed), Mandy and I will board a plane and go pick up our new baby boy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. When we finally look into his eyes, the care and love that we've been given by our Lord Jesus will be given to this precious life. Isn't this what Christianity is all about...passing it on? Allowing the love of Jesus to become such a pivitol part of our lives that it starts to spread and move into the lives of other people.

Mandy and I have been called to adopt. This may or may not be your calling...but I assure you, you do have a calling. God wants you to remember His irrisistable love and bring that love into the lives of those around you. Yes, he wants you to enter the lives of other people in Jesus name. It's His mission for your life. How's that for purpose?

Go Live Life Large!!!