Why Ethiopia?

One in ten children die before their first birthday• One in six children die before their fifth birthday• 44% of the population of Ethiopia is under 15 years old• 60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted because of malnutrition• The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years• 1.5 million people are infected with AIDS (6th highest in the world)• 720,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS alone, and there are 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia.• Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa• In the 90s the population (3%) grew faster than food production (2.2%)• Drought struck the country from 2000-2002 (first year no crops, second year no seeds, third year no animals)• Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school. 88% will never attend secondary school.• Coffee prices (Ethiopia’s only major export) fell 40-60% from 1998-2002.• Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000.• In 1993, after 30 long years of war, Eritrea broke from Ethiopia and became an independent nation leaving Ethiopia landlocked without any major seafaring ports.

"So Any News On Your Adoption Yet?"

As many adoptive families can attest, this is a difficult question at this stage in the process and yet it is the question we hear most often right now. It's hard because we are in this "limbo place" right now. We don't have the referral with the specific information about our exact children yet. We have general details but nothing specific. We are hopeful that this information will come to us any day now. God is teaching us that faith is "evidence of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen" (Hebrews 11:1). What spurs us on right now is commitment to the concept of adoption and how central we believe it to be to God's heart. We are also motivated by how desperate the need is for children all over the world to find loving homes. We are just a small part of the equation but we feel an urgency to do our part. That is what drives us right now. But the waiting is hard. We are trying to keep as busy as we can. We are reading LOTS of books right now to try and prepare for this adventure. We're also trying to put the energy we would probably putting into picking out baby bedding into prayer - praying that God would make our home and our hearts ready for these little ones. Some of you have asked us what you can do right now to help us in this process. We would ask that you pray that God equips with everything we need to take on this challenging mission to which He has called us. This is a pretty scary project we are taking on! We would also ask that you pray that He uses this waiting season to prepare us for our children. Finally, please pray that our referral comes in God's timing. Specifically, we are asking God to bring our children home by Christmas. However, we are open to His working in this knowing that He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Gladney Is Making A Difference for Ethiopia's Children

Check out this video to learn more about what our adoption agency is doing to help the children of Ethiopia.

Check Out This Great Book!

This is a great book! Written by Dr. Matthew Sleeth, it examines how Christians can get involved with "stewardship care". Sleeth reminds us what really matters when we live in a world in need. It's really changed the way we think about the little things in our everyday lives.

Melissa Faye Greene on Adoption (and Coffee!)

Melissa Faye Greene, author of There Is No Me Without You (a must-read!), shares how adoption is only a small part of solving some of the many problems related to poverty and disease in Ethiopia. If you haven't read her book, check it out! It will open your eyes to the reality of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Ethiopia.

John Piper on Adoption

This video clip from Christian writer John Piper is so inspiring. He views the concept of adoption as central to God's design of the universe.

Adopt from Ethiopia

This video gives you a look at some of the many beautiful children in Ethiopia. This organization is just one of many that work to facilitate Ethiopian adoptions.