I became a mother in Ethiopia, Africa. There was no pushing and panting that led to a climax of delivery. There was no hospital or full round tummy or maternity clothes. There was no ultrasound or hearing a heartbeat for the first time.
My motherhood journey began two years before I ever set my eyes on a little child sleeping in a tiny metal crib. It began with an conviction, then prayer, and paperwork. It continued with waiting and trips to Chicago and fingerprinting. We had days full of wondering and nights we stayed up asking questions that we may never have an answer for entirely. The time passed slowly and in this time many of my friends became pregnant, carried their sweet babies and delivered them into this world. Jason and I would go and visit with them, we would rejoice in the new life, and we would return home to wait more, to continue on with our journey.
I knew that somewhere in Ethiopia a story was taking place. In this story would be loss and tragedy and sickness and hurt. I knew that a day would pass by in which a child would be somehow and someway become without a family. I would sit on my front porch and sob. I would pray a covering over each day asking God to be in the unfolding story, to protect this child. What would I be doing the day that my child is abandoned? I wanted the answer to that question to be ‘praying for him’. And, so I did.
After we received our referral call our social worker sent me an email that had two pictures of Mussie attached. I opened them, my heart beating faster than it ever has before. I sat there in silence looking at his face, his eyes, his cheeks. I can not tell you what it feels like to receive an email, which normally delivers such ordinary news, and have it display the face of a child you have longed for. My child.
I remembering clearly thinking in my head, “You made it baby boy. Whatever happened to you, however horrible and hard, you made it.”
We printed off his pictures and would sleep with them next to our bed. At night we would cry together and talk to his little face. “We are coming for you!”, we would proclaim. Weeks later I boarded a flight that would take me on the first leg of my journey to Ethiopia. It was all a blur. The night I landed in Ethiopia the sounds of the Mosques and animals filled my head. I slurrped down some tea and a roll and crawled into bed. I was just moments, just a ten minute walk, from my son who had previously been across the world from me. I wondered if he knew at all down in the deep parts of his tiny spirit that his life was about to change, that he would once again have a family?
He was asleep when I arrived at the orphanage. I did not want to wake him. I waited and waited, just watching him. The years of waiting overtook me and I scooped him up into my arms, pulled him close to me, and when he began to whimper my voice comforted him. Imprinted in my memory, treasured, is that moment when he curiously glanced over my face as I said to him, “I am your Mommy….”.
I had a son. He had a mommy. Jason, thousands of miles away, was a father. Through soft singing, kisses, lots of hugs and holding him close trust was born. Each day that I returned for him, that we built memories, that my hands fed him that trust grew into reliance and affection and eventually the deep bond between a child and a parent. I will never forget the day that I walked into Layla House and the look on his face spoke that he knew I was coming for him, that to me he was the world, he was chosen, spoken for, cherished.
There was a time that he would not sleep unless we were touching. First, he had to be on my chest, tightly wrapped in the covers with me. In time he would sleep laying beside me as long as my arm was around him. More time passed and he would sleep holding my hand tightly. One night he clung to my hair and slept above my head on the pillow. Now we give hugs and kisses and smiles and songs to one another. He sleeps confidently in his own bed and wakes up cheerful, not afraid or alone or uncertain.

I have never once, not even for a moment, mourned that I was not able to give birth to him. God delivered him right into our arms, there is nothing more powerful than this.
I have mourned, at times, for what took place in his life before we became us. Today, especially, as he is sleeping happily in his bed with Grover snuggled next to him, thoughts of his birth family are in my heart. I want them to know that he is happy, safe, and adored. I want them to know that he is intelligent and compassionate and funny…that he loves to run around naked…that he pulls the cats tail…that he can count to ten. I want them to know that he snores at night when he sleeps and that he wakes up talking about Elmo and cars and Daddy. I want them to know that he loves to garden and watch airplanes fly by and he run in open spaces. I want them to know that at night as we prepare for rest we pray for them. I want them to know that pieces of them live on in his face, his eyes, and his features and this makes us proud and so eternally grateful for their lives.

Motherhood is the absolute hardest thing I have ever done. But, being Mussie’s mother is the best part of being me. He is my treasure and I truly am boastfully proud that he is ours and we are his.
Happy Mothers Day, me. The journey, the waiting, the travel, the adventure made me the momma of a precious child who’s kisses and giggles and boo-boo’s and love is mine each and every day. What a special celebration today that my husband and son gave to me. My heart is overjoyed.

Happy Mothers Day also to a woman somewhere in Ethiopia. Thank you. If ever those words held true gratitude and emotion they do now. Thank you. Thank you.

I received an email this morning from my friend Lisa. In her email she asked me to do all that I could to encourage people to pray today. Lisa has every reason to ask this. She is one of the 2000 families in limbo while her heart waits in Guatemala to come home. Lisa, like the other 2000, was grandfathered into the old system and is awaiting news that their case has been released.
I called Lisa. She has recently returned from her third trip to Guatemala where she visits with her child and takes every opportunity to love on the other children. “What would you ask people to pray for today specifically?”, I asked her.
Just like a mother who has a full heart and mind she began spitting out thoughts and heartache and hopes a mile a minute.

For Lisa and the other 2000 families, for the birth families in Guatemala, and for the hundreds of thousands of children in Guatemala I ask you to stop now and join us in a day of prayer.

We pray for the children, who have no part in corruption, who are innocent and deserve only to be united with their forever families. We pray that they will be protected and that their bodies and spirits will be kept safe and nurtured as they wait. We pray that God would send his angles to watch over them. We pray that they would know that they are indeed cherished and loved.

We pray for the birth mothers and fathers of the children of Guatemala. For those that surrendered their rights, out of love for their child, and now may find themselves at risk we ask that God would watch over them, that they would find arms to embrace them, and forgiveness from their families and communities.

We pray for those women and men who have been deeply wounded by the corruption that has taken place, for those that may have lost children unfairly or through coercion. We ask that God would sustain them and comfort them. We pray that they would be reunited with their children and that this type of activity would cease to exist.

We pray for the 2000 families who are waiting eagerly for their children to come home. Lord, they have rooms prepared and their hearts are open and vulnerable with love for your children in Guatemala. As they continue to be “in process” we ask that you give them great confidence that their children will come home and the process will indeed end.

Lord you are greater than nations, you are more powerful than governments. The orphans of the world are cherished by you. Lord we ask that you would intervene on behalf of the orphans of Guatemala, for those that have been matched with families and those that have been left behind. Lord you have placed officials in governments for a reason. We pray that their hearts would be softened to the plight of the children in Guatemala and that they would actively work to do what is best for the children.

God, you who deliver us from bondage, you who delivers nations out of slavery, we ask that you deliver the children of Guatemala into the loving arms of their families.

Please take a moment today and participate in praying for the people of Guatemala, for the birth and adoptive families, and for the children. May they not be delayed anymore, may they not be forgotten.

At this time the government of Vietnam has chosen to not renew their adoption agreement with the United States. The agreement, which is set to expire on September 1, 2008, was being renewed between the two governments in hopes of keeping the adoption doors open between the two countries. The United States has asked the Vietnam
government to set up regulations to stop pervasive corruption in the adoption field and to make sure that adoptions are in the best interest of the children and families. At this time Vietnam has refused to comply and will be shutting down forty-two U.S. adoption agencies within their country.
Vietnam has agreed to process all adoption applications submitted before July 1, 2008 if a child match has been made. But, The State Department has issued several warnings about adopting from Vietnam at this time and is highly encouraging American families to not adopt from Vietnam until further notice.
Please read the United States issues Adoption Warning published April 25, 2008 and the Summaries of Irregularities in Adoption in Vietnam. Both of these may be found through the Department of State website on Intercountry Adoption.

The Ethio-American Kids Community has just opened registration for their annual Ethiopian Culture Camp. The camp is open to families that have adopted children from Ethiopia, Africa or those that have a connection to Ethiopia and desire to share in the celebration and learning.
There are several options for lodging and meals, including a traditional Ethiopian dinner!
The event will take place at Wesley Woods Camp in beautiful southern Wisconsin from August 1st-3rd. For more information about the Ethiopian Culture Camp, registration, and the EAKC visit the Ethio-American Kids Community website.

We have been so far behind with our podcasting. Today, I am pleased to announce that finally a long awaited podcast is published! Thommie and Miki Hicks are adopting a little girl from Ethiopia, Africa. Like most adoptive families they were wondering how in the world they were going to afford this adoption. Through prayer and a car ride home one day Thommie found an answer. He wrote and produced a beautiful adoption song that is a blessing for anyone touched by adoption, particularly if you are in the midst of the waiting.
Enjoy the podcast and please visit the Adoption Song website to listen and purchase the song for your family!

www.adoptionsong.com

As Thomas Hicks and his family began the adoption process for a little girl in Ethiopia he prayed asking God for help affording the adoption costs. God answered in the front seat of his car during an everyday drive. From this moment an adoption song was written and produced that has people talking! Listen to the Hicks Family share about their adoption fundraiser and the adoption song that will bless your heart. Be sure to visit their adoption song site: www.adoptionsong.com

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What do global warming and adoption have in common?

One of the heartbreaking memories I have from adopting our two sons from Vietnam was the memory of many little faces in the orphanage. How I wished that I could take them all home. What could I do for them?

In a very different scene, I am sitting in my living room with some friends talking about global warming. I heard of the possibility of extreme weather patterns like drought and flooding. The developed world has resources to cope with severe weather. The developing world, however, does not.

A drought could mean no harvest. Poverty is aggravated. Parents are faced with the heart-wrenching situation of being unable to feed their children. Other children may loose their parents to a flood. An unstable environment would result in more orphans.

How can we make a difference in these children’s lives? We could adopt a child. Or maybe ten children. But we can’t adopt them all. What about the rest of the children that remain in difficult circumstances?

I did some research and learned that the consumption of fossil fuels results in the production of carbon dioxide, CO2. These CO2 emissions lead to an increased green house effect. As sunlight warms the earth, the increased levels of CO2 increase the amount of heat that is retained in the earth’s atmosphere.

Fossil fuel consumption occurs not only when we drive our cars but also when we consume energy in the form of electricity and natural gas. These energy forms heat our homes and hot water and run our lights, refrigerators and ovens.

I came across a practical book entitled, You Can Prevent Global Warming (and save money), 51 Easy Ways. I was drawn to the book because it helps me to actually DO something about global warming instead of just being aware of it. As an added incentive, the book claims that I can save around $2000 annually if I implement their suggestions!

I started by transitioning our home to compact fluorescent light bulbs. The first bulb did not get great reviews by my family. But we have found that the soft white compact fluorescent light bulbs produce light similar to the traditional incandescent light bulbs but at about 25% of the energy consumption!

At work, I volunteered to lead our cardboard recycling program. Recycling consumes less energy than producing products from raw material. Less energy consumption means less global warming.

I’ve also attempted to change my driving habits. My children wanted to see Charlotte’s Web at the movie theater. I planned ahead and packed a lunch that we ate at the church after Sunday school and then we went straight to the theater instead of driving back home for lunch.

This weekend, I’m planning to insulate the hot water pipes in the basement to reduce the energy it takes to heat our water.

As with many things in life, global warming is not a black and white issue as one friend shared with me. Some claim that parts of the scientific community who dissent from the politically correct opinions are being silenced.

The fervency with which some speak of global warming may lead us to believe it is THE issue that faces the global community. However, the Copenhagen Consensus , a conference of experts that prioritizes the world’s biggest challenges, ranked climate change 27th while ranking communicable diseases first and sanitation and water second.

Realizing that there are different views on global warming took some of my initial enthusiasm away. But there does seem to be a growing consensus that humans are causing global warming. And I hope and pray that what I do here will somehow keep the our planet healthy and fruitful and to help other countries to put food on the table, especially the table at the orphanage. I remember the words of Jesus, “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

I’ll be thinking about that the next time I turn off the lights.

Written by: Phil Wong, husband of our frequent contributor, Kristin Wong. To learn more about the Wong family and thier adoption ministry visit their website Adoption-by-Grace.

The Department of State issued this announcement today:

On April 1, 2008, the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Convention) enters into force for the United States. As of this date, the provisions of the Convention will govern both immigrating (incoming) and emigrating (outgoing) intercountry adoptions between the United States and other Convention countries.

Implementing the Convention and the IAA has led to many changes in the U.S. intercountry adoption process. Some of these key changes are:

1. Federal accreditation, through accrediting entities designated by the Department, of adoption service providers who provide certain key adoption services in connection with Convention adoption cases.

2. The replacement of the Department of Homeland Security petition forms I-600A and I-600 for orphans with new forms I-800A and I-800 for “Convention adoptees.”

3. New documents will be issued by consular officers overseas in Convention cases stating that the requirements of the Convention and the IAA have been met for an adoption or custody declaration completed overseas. These are the Hague Adoption Certificate (HAC) or Hague Custody Certificate (HCC), which will accompany the IH-3 or IH-4 immigrant visa.

4. For the outgoing adoption or custody declaration completed in the United States, the Department will issue the HAC or Hague Custody Declaration (HCD) stating that the requirements of the Convention and the IAA have been met.

5. The creation of the Adoption Tracking Service (ATS) through which the Department will track both incoming and outgoing cases. For the first time, it will be possible to track the cases of American children who are adopted by citizens of other (Hague) countries. Previously there was no federal role in these cases, and no system for collecting information from the various states about the numbers and destinations of American children adopted abroad.

6. The creation of a Hague Complaint Registry to track public complaints related to intercountry adoptions.

For more information on the Convention’s implementation in the United States, please visit the “Intercountry Adoption” section of their website.

Orphan and Adoption Advocacy Group Calls On Churches, Organizations And Individuals Across The Globe To Attend Summit IV;

Hosted by Calvary Chapel in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, May 1-3, 2008

Nashville, TN (March 13, 2008) The Christian Alliance for Orphans, consisting of adoption placement agencies, orphan care organizations and church leaders whose collective aim is to inform, educate and engage God’s people to love and care for the world’s 143 million orphans, will hold its fourth annual Summit from May 1 through 3rd at Calvary Chapel in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

This annual gathering presents an opportunity for believers to unite their voices in speaking up for those who have no voice, and their passions in motivating other believers to ask God how they might engage in the lives of orphans around the world. Churches as well as other interested individuals are encouraged to attend. Main session speakers at Summit IV include: Jedd Medefind, Special Assistant to President George W. Bush & Deputy Director of the White House Faith-Based Initiative; John Fuller, of “Focus on the Family” Radio and VP of their Audio & New Media Division; Kay Warren, author and wife of Pastor Rick Warren, and Executive Director of Saddleback’s HIV Initiative; Pastor Bob Coy, Sr. of host church Calvary Chapel, Ft. Lauderdale; Howard Dayton, co-founder of Crown Financial Ministries; and Dennis Rainey, best-selling author, president and co-founder of Family Life and host of “Family Life Today” radio program. Entertainment and worship will be provided by recording artist and adoptive dad of two children from China, Geoff Moore and World Help’s Children of the World Choir.

As in previous summits, Summit IV will offer breakout sessions in which attendees can learn from church orphan ministry leaders and advocacy organizations from across the globe. Sessions are designed to educate attendees on how to start or improve adoption, foster care, and/or orphan care ministries within their churches, as well as how to enhance the practices of the orphan care professional.

Members of the Alliance must meet specific doctrinal, financial, and program standards in order to be part of the Alliance’s agency referral list. These standards give churches added assurance of the foundational beliefs and integrity of agencies with which they are looking to partner in serving orphans.

The unified effort of The Christian Alliance for Orphans reaches the broader Christian community with the needs of orphans, and presents opportunities for adoption, foster care, and orphan ministry worldwide. The Alliance’s vision is simple — that every orphan may experience and know the love of Jesus Christ. Together, the Alliance believes Jesus’ followers can and must be His hands and feet in reaching the orphan for His glory.

Cost is only $89 per person if you register by April 11th.
Registration after April 11th and through May 1st is $125 per person.

For more information about the Christian Alliance for Orphans and registration, please visit their website at www.christianalliancefororphans.org.

It has come to our attention today that our password-protected feature is not working correctly. This feature is to provide children extra privacy on the Internet for a variety of reasons. To use this feature you simply have to be a basic user. It is not necessary for basic users to upgrade to a premium membership in order to request and receive a password. We apologize for the error and for the extra step that this will cause over the course of the next few days. If you would like more information about a child that is password protected please contact the listing agency. The agency information is located on the photolisting. We are working on this error and will have it fixed shortly so that the password will immediately be sent to your registered email address as intended. Thank you for your understanding!