Hey Friends!
Today, September 3rd, Addie turns five months
old. I have a beautiful niece who is
about six months old, and as I watch her, I can’t help but wonder if Addie is
meeting any of the “milestones” she is.
Is she sitting up? Is she
babbling? Is she eating solid
foods? Is she teething? Part of me is sad as I ask these questions,
and part of me is super excited, because with each passing day, I am a little
bit closer to finding out the answers and kissing those sweet cheeks.
In the past two weeks or so, there has been a question
others have asked us- some out of
curiosity, and some out of indignation-
“Why are you adopting from Ethiopia and not the U.S.?” So, here we go….
Why Ethiopia?
Is it because Billy and I really wanted to do the cool Hollywood
thing and adopt from Africa? Um,
no. The Lord has given me many godly
examples of men and women to encourage me and show me tangibly how Christ
loves, and Angelina Jolie and Madonna are not some of them. All I’ll say about that.
Is it because we are completely unpatriotic and ungrateful
for the USA? Absolutely not. We are beyond thankful to live in this great
nation, and we have deep gratitude to those who have sacrificed to maintain our
freedoms.
Is it because we are super patriotic and think that a child
has to live in the USA to lead a happy life?
Nope. We are well aware of the
fact that our world is full of beautiful, rich cultures. We cannot wait to go to Ethiopia and spend a
good bit of our time there experiencing the culture. Addie will be an American citizen, but we
have every intention of teaching her about the country from which she
came.
Is it because there is no need here in the USA? There are over 400,000 kids in foster care
here. Does that sound like no need to
you? I have a sister-in-law, whom I love
dearly, that was adopted domestically and I am so thankful that she has found
her forever family in our
family. We attend a church where Billy
and I work with countless “at-risk” kids, and our heart breaks for the
realities that many of them face. There
is tremendous need here for adoptive and foster parents in the USA.
Is it because it is an easier process to adopt internationally than domestically? Ha. Adoption isn't easy. Period. Next month will mark two years in this process. Not easy. God doesn't call us to easy, though...
Is it because Ethiopia is a third world country where there
are an estimated 5 million+ orphans? Is
it because the leading cause of death in children under five is diarrheal
disease? Is it because over 10% of
children die before they turn five? Is
it because the gross national income per capita is less than $900? Is it because while we have an epidemic of
obesity occurring here, 33% of kids under 5 in Ethiopia suffer from being
underweight? Is it because 74% of women
aged 15-49 have had genital mutilation/cutting?
Is it because 77% of females age 15-19 think a husband is justified in
hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances? Is it because HIV, malaria, and other diseases
are rampant? No. While these statistics break my heart and
make me sick to my stomach, these are not the reasons we are adopting from
Ethiopia.
So, if not these reasons, why? Pretty simple, actually- The Lord called us to
do so. We prayed about it and felt the
Holy Spirit was leading us to Ethiopia.
If you’re not a follower of Christ, I know this answer will not satisfy
you, and that’s okay. I’m not doing this
to please you, but to please Him. He
commanded. We’re obeying. There was a point several months ago when things got pretty rocky in Ethiopia, and we were told that adoptions were going to be slowing dramatically. I was scared and slowed down my efforts to collect paper work and such. However, the Lord urged us to press on, and we are so glad we heeded His direction.
I am so thankful that we serve a God who knows us intimately
and who has a specific plan for each of our lives. He does not leave us on our own roaming
through life, but has graciously given us the Holy Spirit to guide us. I am particularly thankful for that guidance
now that I have seen the face of my sweet baby girl. I know she is mine. I love her as much as I loved my Payton when I
knew she was growing in my womb. She is
Adelaide Mihret Baker forever (or at least until she possibly gets married some
day…) J
Adopting one child is not going to solve the many issues
that face Ethiopia today. It is however,
going to change everything for one little girl named Addie. She will have a family to teach her and care
for her and protect her and love her forever. She will have a family to celebrate her
life and accomplishments and a family to cry with when life is tough. And we will have the blessing of being her
parents, of watching her grow and learn, of seeing how the Lord works in her
life, of experiencing the pleasure that her presence brings.
Hello Again!