Why Ethiopia?

We often get asked why we chose to adopt from Ethiopia. It's usually just a question of curiosity and sometimes I think people expect us to have a life changing answer but the truth is it wasn't a very hard or thought out decision for us to make. The decision that took the longest for us was to adopt in the first place and then in about one weeks time we decided Ethiopia. The first decision we made was to rescue some orphans, the second decision was international vs. domestic, and the third was what country.

There are two things that really motivate much of mine and Tony's lives. Those two things are the gospel (good news of Christ) and people hearing the gospel. Our lives have been changed from hearing and are motivated by this as well. This is one reason why we have a heart for the world. I've often talked to Tony about moving overseas and even tried to talk him into moving to Peru for a little while. But I know God has us where we are for a reason and I'm content with that. However, if we can't move to another country then maybe we can bring a little part of another country into our home! This was one of the main reasons why we chose international adoption. I know there is a need in the U.S. and hopefully one day we will be able to adopt locally as well. But there is also an overwhelming need in Ethiopia and Africa in general. Check out The Facts page.

Some other things that affected our decision were the price, timeline, and requirements needed to adopt. These are all things to consider when choosing international adoption. Ethiopia was "cheaper", much faster, and we met all of the age and married requirements. We also know several families that have adopted from Ethiopia who can help us through the process and be friends with our kids one day!