We're Failing Them

My heart is so heavy lately. God has been putting a burden on my heart for all the mothers in the world that are without their children. There are so many mothers in Africa (as well as other continents and countries) that are not only without their children, their children are an ocean away. That's wrong. Wrong.

I am still learning a lot about Ethiopia, and about adoption myself, but what some people don't realize is that many orphans in the world still have one (or two) living parent(s). There are various reasons these parents choose to give their children up, but in many cases the reason is poverty and disease.

Parents, can you imagine? Can you imagine being so sick and/or poor that your only hope for a future for your child is for them to be adopted by strangers... foreigners, and taken across an ocean never to be seen again? Usually never to even be heard from again? I can't! It kills me to try to imagine that.

Or, think back to being a child. Picture your parents. Can you imagine your parent(s) being sick... lacking money so severely that they have to give up custody of you? You have to leave your parents, go to a strange country (and a totally new culture), with people you've never met (that probably look very different from you)...

This is a tragedy!

It's wonderful that there are those willing to step up and adopt some of these children. But wouldn't it be even more wonderful if there were enough of us willing to step up and care for these mothers and fathers so these children would never become orphans? Is that really an intangible goal?

These children are being orphaned by diseases that people don't die from here in America, as well as diseases that people can live a long, normal life with here in America. And the only solution we have to offer is to swoop in and take their children away to live in America? I'm having such a hard time stomaching this.

James 1:27 commands us to care for the orphans AND the widows. We as Christians have just as much of a responsibility to the widows as we do to the orphans. Aren't we failing the widows?

Of course, this is not the situation for all orphans.

I know I'm not the only adopting/adoptive parent whose heart is breaking over this. Talk to me about this people. It's tearing me up. What can we do? What is already being done?

I'm still learning about all this. Perhaps I am being naive? I would love to hear people's thoughts. Please!

Progress Update

We're still chugging along on our dossier and home study.

- Our I-600A Form has been sent off and received by U.S. Immigration. We are waiting to be assigned a fingerprinting appointment.

- We have gathered most of the documents for our dossier and home study that had to be sent away for, or picked up:

-We have our birth certificates and marriage license.

-We have our bank letter.

-We have our local police clearance letter (we're waiting to receive our clearance letter from Illinois where we used to live).

-We just picked up our doctor letter and forms today.

-We have Isaac's medical form.

-We have a vaccination certificate for our kitty cat.

-We are waiting to receive our referral letters from friends (and one family member). Those should be ready by the end of the month.

-David owns his own business, so he has to get a letter from our accountant to serve as his "employment letter." He's supposed to be calling about that today! I need to go remind him about that.

The remaining documents needed are copies of things we have around the house, and then forms we have to fill out and letters we have to write. Those won't be easy, but at least they don't require us running around to get them.

We should be able to start on our home study interviews soon!

Our goal is to have our home study and dossier complete by year's end!

Autumn Goodness

Right now feels like a very stressful phase of our adoption. We're working to complete our dossier and home study while also working to raise the money to be able to submit the dossier. My heart is breaking a little because it seems likely that we will have to sit on our dossier for a little while waiting for the necessary funds to come in. But it's all in God's timing and He can work any kind of miracle He so chooses.

Things are a little stressful in David's professional life right now too. A business owner/freelancer is a kind of life that requires constant faith, and the ups and downs are exhausting, to be honest. Especially in a tough economy. It has taught us a lot about God and ourselves over the years...

With all the stress in life right now, it was wonderful to get away to visit family in the Chicago area a couple weekends ago. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time. And then Halloween was a fun time with friends as well! Wanted to share some photos with everybody...

Scary Stuff

I'm always filled with some level of fear over our adoption - a healthy level of fear though usually. Lately though, I've been more scared than usual. I have fears concerning our finances both during the adoption process and then once our new children are home. I'm fearful over how our family dynamic will change, both within our immediate family and then with extended family. I'm fearful of all the potential issues that our new children will be dealing with, and how capable we'll be of helping them deal with those. I'm fearful of the switch from one child to three. I'm fearful of being so overwhelmed that motherhood will lose much of it's joy. I'm even fearful that this adoption won't be what's best for our new children.

... I'm fearful God will call us to adopt again after all this.

I know some of that probably sounds crazy, but it's what I've been feeling. Maybe it's the Halloween season here that's got me especially spooked, but I sure would appreciate your prayers.

Do Your Shopping Here!

We have several ways you can help out our fundraising efforts AND get some awesome stuff for yourself... or for someone else. Perhaps for Christmas? Shop Away! Simply email me at watsonadoption@gmail.com and let me know what you want!!

HANDMADE AFRICA T-SHIRTS!! $20 for adult size. $16 for a children's size. You can choose your color (we can do most any color) and fit: standard or fitted (for women). Available with or without the heart shape in the center of the design.

HANDMADE EMBROIDERED BRACELETS!! $15 each. Notice the Africa Charms on them! They come in a large variety of colors and designs, as well as with either gold or silver charms and clasps. If you have a specific color and such in mind, just ask me about it. We're making more every week!

HANDMADE TREASURE POCKETS! $20 each. Available in all kinds of colors and designs. Perfect for stashing your checkbook, money, credit cards, make-up, glasses, jewelry, medicines, etc.

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HANDMADE WREATHS!! $20 each. Made from rolled scrapbook paper. You can specify your color or theme! You can also add a phrase you would like to be scrolled across the center of the wreath (no additional charge).

ORGANIC FAIR TRADE COFFEE! Just click HERE and load up your cart with yumminess!

LITERACY LAUNCHPAD TEES! $20 Click here to buy one! Make a fashion statement while spreading the message of reading!

How Life Has Been Changing For Us

Adoption will change your life, no doubt about it. David and I just never expected that adoption would be changing our lives so dramatically already, When we're still so far (it feels) from actually bringing our children home.

But over the last 6 months or so, as we have been preparing for, and then beginning our adoption, our family's life has already been changed in profound ways. We have been learning more and more about poverty and injustices around the world through our own research, through info from other bloggers, through new friends, through conferences, through our agency, etc. It's on our minds and in our hearts constantly, and that has been changing the way we see and feel everything else in our world.

For one thing, we're realizing more and more how unnecessary and unimportant all our stuff is. I would say David and I have always been fairly materialistic people. We have always cared about the cars we drive, the house we live in, the clothes we wear, the T.V. we watch, etc. But all that seems to be fading in importance more and more with every passing day. It's nearly impossible to learn of the poverty and suffering going on around the globe and then not feel sick when you sit down to pay your fat cable bill and realize how much money you spend each month to watch junk! I believe it was Russell Moore at the T4A conference that said, "Who cares about cable when there are orphans?"

Cable is just one example, there's lots of stuff in our family's life in need of simplifying... in need of sacrifice. It's tough though when we live in a culture that tells us to indulge... that we deserve it! This entitlement mindset is so much the case in our culture that most luxuries (like nice vacations, cable TV, flat screens, closets full of shoes) aren't even considered indulgences, they've simply become the status quo. God is having to work overtime, trying to teach David and me (two very status quo people) what it really means to love.

So adoption has been changing our life by teaching us to be less materialistic. I have to admit though, the current economy is teaching us that as well. Which brings me to the next way God has been changing our life through this adoption; we are learning to trust more and more in God's provision! When you hear and see all the incredible stories of the miracles of God's provision for so many adopting families, how can you NOT trust? There's a special peace that comes with obedience, with trying to follow God's Will, with living for something or someone other than yourselves: you can count on God taking care of the details. He promises that.

Money is the easiest thing to worry about. Especially when you're a self-employed couple in the midst of a bad economy and an expensive international adoption (Us!). David and I have a LONG history of worrying about money. Even when times were really good, and it was just the two of us we had to take care of we worried. Now that money is WAY tighter though and we have an additional mouth to feed (Isaac), with two more on the way, we are actually beginning to worry much, much less and to trust much, much, more. Somehow, it's not as difficult as it used to be.

Lastly (at least for now), adoption is teaching us to be more generous. Again, notice I said "teaching." This is happening through our eyes being opened to SO MUCH need, through being inspired by the giving spirit of others, and through the generosity we're receiving ourselves. We've been so moved by how much people have already gone out of their way to help us with our adoption. And much of the generosity we've received has been from friends and family (and even strangers) not necessarily giving out of their wealth, but instead, often giving out of their own very real need. It's been humbling to say the least.

Our prayer is that God continues changing us, teaching us, stretching us, growing us. We are so far from what He intends for us to be. All of our ever growing knowledge doesn't always lead to action. But we're trying!

Someone's Getting A New Quilt!

Thank you everybody for donating toward our quilt fundraiser! We made about $400! So awesome!

The winner was chosen today!

Gotta love this freeze frame of me, huh?