The African country of Ethiopia enjoys the distinction of being the continent’s oldest independent country. The country could have also laid claim to the distinction of never being colonized if it wasn’t for Mussolini, who reigned over the country for a brief period of five years. Apart from being known for the above mentioned facts, Ethiopia is also known for its prolonged civil conflicts, droughts and famines. The country is also putting up with an issue in the form of a border war with neighboring Eritrea. Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in the continent of Africa. In terms of geographical area occupied (1,100,000 square kilometers), it is the tenth largest country in Africa. Ethiopia is surrounded by Sudan in the west, Somalia in the east, Kenya in the South and a hostile Eritrea in the north. The country, compared to its ‘peers’, is relatively old and can trace its roots back to the 10th century BC. It, in fact, is one of the oldest countries in the world. Read on to know more about this strong-willed African country, Ethiopia.

Interesting & Fun Facts About Ethiopia:
The country of Ethiopia is located west of Somalia, in Eastern Africa. The country, in size, is almost twice as big as the state of Texas.
Ethiopia experiences a tropical weather, with changes in weather depending on the topography of a particular location in the country.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is the official name of the country of Ethiopia. Addis Abba is the Capital of Ethiopia.
The official monetary unit of Ethiopia is known as the Birr. A single Birr is valued at a hundred cents.
Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali, and Amharic are the languages spoken all over Ethiopia.
Almost half of the Ethiopian population is believed to be Christian. Ethiopia was the first country to declare Christianity as its national religion and also the first country to mint coins with a Cross on them.
Ethiopia’s chief exports include sugarcane, beeswax, coffee, hides, and oilseeds.
After Christianity, the other major religion in Ethiopia is Islam. So that makes Christianity and Islam as the country’s two main religions.
Ethiopia is one of Africa’s faster growing non-oil economies and thrives on the success of its agriculture industry. The agriculture industry, however, is often dented by frequent droughts.
Meles Zenawi is the Prime Minister of Ethiopia. He owes his loyalties to the People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front and won the May 2010 elections to become the Prime Minister. This is Meles Zenawi’s fourth term in office.
Ethiopia, in the past, for many years was headed only by female rulers. A legend has it that even Alexander the Great stopped at the borders of Ethiopia because he did not want to risk being defeated by a woman.
Ethiopia has a unique way of counting the hours of the day, and even functions within the limits of a thirteen-month calendar.
The town of Dallol in Ethiopia has the world's highest average annual temperature of 34 °C.
The Mursi tribe, one of the fiercest tribes in Africa calls Ethiopia its home. The women of the tribe are famous for wearing lip plates. This was done to appear less attractive to slave traders, who were known to sell them in Western countries!


Read more: http://www.unp.me/f143/facts-about-ethiopia-95174/#ixzz1OySSvANc

Ethiopia is faced with extremely high poverty rates - almost half of the population live on less than 50 cents a day, and only 28% of rural households have access to clean water. Women in rural communities in Ethiopia are particularly disadvantaged. They suffer from few economic opportunities, low literacy levels and poor access to public services such as healthcare.
In Ethiopia 80% of the population derive their income from small scale agricultural and pastoral production. Drought and a lack of investment in training and equipment for farmers make it difficult to earn a living from agriculture.
Around 10 million people are at risk of starvation, however simple and practical support can transform the lives of poor farmers and herders.


http://www.hopeforchildrenus.org/wp/?page_id=4

Fast Facts About Ethiopia
Population: 80,713,000
Capital: Addis Ababa
Area: 437,600 square miles
Language: Amharic, Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga,
Somali, Arabic
Religion: Christian 60.8%, Muslim 32.8%,
traditional 4.6%, other 1.8%
Currency: Birr
Life Expectancy: 53
GNI per Capita: $280
Percentage of Population Living on Less than $1.25/day: 39
Literacy Percent: 50
Orphaned Children: 5,000,000
Physicians per 100, 000 people: 3

Sources:
CIA—The World Factbook
National Geographic Atlas of the World
WHO Human Resources for Health
UNICEF—State of the World’s Children, 2010




Interesting Facts about Ethiopia – Trivia on the Firsts and the Greatest

Ethiopia is a country that is truly fascinating. Facts about Ethiopia or just mere trivia on the country are a pleasure and sometimes even amazing to read about. Who knew?
- Ethiopia is the only African country with its own alphabet.
- Ethiopia is the only country in the world with 13 months.
- In Ethiopia time is counted on the opposite side of the clock: 6 o’clock is said to be 12 o’clock, and at 16:00 Ethiopians say it is ’10 o’clock’.
- Ethiopia is one of only two countries in the world that have never been occupied. (The other one is Russia, in case you are asked). It managed to stay free by defeating the Italians … twice!
- Although Ethiopia was the first African state to join the League of Nations, it soon became apparent that ‘collective security’ would not be given to an African nation even after atrocities of ethnic cleansing and mass murders were evident after Italy invaded – everyone turned a blind eye and a deaf ear.
- Ethiopia was the birthplace of Pan-Africanism. The belief that Africa should unite and be the master of its own destiny was hailed by Emperor Hailesellasie I. It eventually led to the birth of the African Union of today.
- The hydroelectric dam that was built on the Tekeze River and was inaugurated in November 2009 is Africa’s tallest arch dam standing at 188 meters. Gilgel Gibe IV a dam that will be operational sometime in 2012/13 will be the tallest dam on the continent at 200+ meters.
- Ethiopia and Ethiopians are mentioned in many ancient books. The Bible is one of them. Ethiopia or Ethiopians are mentioned around 40 times in it. It is one of the few countries that are mentioned in both the Bible and the Koran. It is a country where the indigenous people are Christians, Muslims and Jews live together. It was the first country where Muslim prayers were held out of Arabia. Incidentally the first Muslim calls to prayer were done by an Ethiopian. And the first mosque to be built outside of Arabia was the Al Nejashi mosque in northern Ethiopia. When Mohammed and his followers were persecuted, they found solace in Ethiopia.

An Image from the Garima Gospels
- The very first and oldest illustrated book on Christianity is found in Ethiopia. This is in the form of a gospel that was written in 494 AD, colors and bindings still intact and was discovered in a monastery – ‘The Garima Gospels’. Abba Garima was a monk that arrived in Ethiopia from Constantinople in the fifth century; legend has it that he copied it in one day.
- Ethiopia has a long history of war, in Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ in the Trojan War, Memnon was an Ethiopian king. Ethiopia and Ethiopians are also mentioned in his other book ‘Odyssey’. The ancient Greek love for the Ethiopians does not end there; another Ethiopian is in Greek astronomy too. According to legend, Cassiopeia was the queen and consort of King Cepheus in Ethiopia. And long story short, after her death, Cassiopeia was immortalized as a star by Poseidon.
- The name ‘Candace’ is actually the name given to the line of Ethiopian Queens that ruled in ancient times.
- Ethiopia and Ethiopians are usually mentioned with the words ‘athlete’ and ‘athletics’. The first African to win a gold medal in the Olympics was Abebe Bikila in the 1960 Summer Olympic in Rome; he wan the marathon with a record time of 2:15:16.2 – an even amazing thing was the fact that he ran the whole race barefooted. In the next Olympics held in Tokyo in 1964, Abebe Bikila won the marathon with a world record time of 2:12:11:2.4. Making him the first athlete, and as of yet the only African, in history to win the marathon twice in back to back Olympics. As of date, the marathon world record holder is another amazing Ethiopian athlete, Haile Gebreselasie. He holds the record at 2:03:59.
- Ethiopia is the home of mankind. While the most famous ancestors of mankind are Lucy and Selam, archeological digs have and will continue to show that it was the valleys of Ethiopia that man came out of.
- Ethiopia is the homeland of coffee; it was discovered by a shepherd named Kaldi who noticed his goats prancing about restlessly after eating the leaves of the coffee plant. It is thought the word coffee was borrowed from the southern Ethiopian lands of Kaffa.
- The Mountain Nyala and the Walia Ibex are the two most famous animals that are endemic to Ethiopia. The others are the Semien Red Fox, The Chelada Baboon, Menilik’s Bushback, Wattled Ibis, Blue-winged Goose, Harwood’s Francolin, Rouget’s Rail, Spot-breasted Lapwing, White-collared Pigeon, Yellow-fronted Parrot, Black-winged Lovebird and Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco. In January, 2011 a new member was added to the ‘Endemic Ethiopian’ list – The African Wolf.
- Addis Ababa is the highest city in Africa. And many tourists mistakenly think that just because it is in Africa it is a hot place to be. It is amusing to see their reactions to the cold when they get off the plane at Bole International Airport as they shiver in Bermuda shorts and Hawaii shirts. The city was founded by Emperor Menilik II on the Entoto Mountain.
- The Danakil Depression (also known as the Afar Depression or the Afar Triangle) found in North Eastern Ethiopia is the year-round hottest place anywhere on earth.
- Amazingly, Ethiopians have a very impressive history when it comes to flying. The first African woman to fly was Wro. Assegedech Assefa. There is an argument that if it had not been for the Italian invasion in 1936, Wro. Mulumebet Emeru would have been the first licensed African to fly, but that she is the first to fly – the jury is still out on that one. The only jet fighter air-to-air shoot down by a female pilot is credited to Ethiopian Air Force Captain Aster Tolossa, who shot down her Ukrainian trainer who was flying for the Eritreans.
- The first car to reach Ethiopia was Emperor Menilik’s car (plate number D3130), in 1907. He was the first African Emperor, if not plain African, to actually drive a car.

This list will be added on as information is available. Ethiopia is a country with over 3,000 years of history. Any suggestions or additions are very welcome.



http://localtimes.info/Africa/Ethiopia/Addis%20Ababa/widget/

Ethiopia Trip 2011/Fundraising, prepping and vaccines

The anniversary of my first mission trip is almost here. Because I saved many posts in drafts and never got around to sharing, this whole week will be used to share every day that I was in Ethiopia on the same coinciding date. Brittany and I spent days and months fundraising, praying, seeking the Lord. At times, I wondered if this was truly God's will. At those times He'd give confirmations along the way, a note of encouragement, a verse or a donation. I couldn't believe everything was falling into place. What amazed me the most is those that provided to get me there. Surprisingly, it seems those with the least amount of money gave the most to help me help orphans, my dream. I couldn't believe the Lord was finally granting the desires of this mamas heart. I always thought I'd have to wait until old age to reach this life goal. That He would give me favor and answer so obviously was surprising for me! It was truly miraculous. There were times I worried, wondered and agonized over if all the money would come in. I'd pray pray pray and at the deadline of each necessary step the funding would come in at the last moment. Here we are on 7/12/11. At 6:14 pm we received confirmation that ALL the funding came in and I was set to LEAVE! JOY from Set apart for Him paid the balance off. You have no IDEA how big the Happy Dance was that we did! We jumped we hollered, we PRAISED the Lord!

Most people were really supportive. A very few people commented negatively. The bible is pretty clear on the responsibility of a Christian. James 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world." It doesn't say wait until your children are older and out of the house. It doesn't say once you are retired or empty nesters. It says PURE RELIGION INVOLVES ORPHAN CARE! If you claim to be Christian, than you need to be helping the orphan and the poor. My leaving for 10 days wasn't me abandoning my children or forsaking my responsibilities at home. I have homeschooled my children since 3,these children have had no other caregiver their entire lives. I've only ever left them at the birth of a sibling. I've been a homemaker for over a decade now. The thing that irks me, those that commented do nothing, and I do mean nothing for orphans or the poor. Nor did donate even a pair of underwear, socks, coloring book or so much as a toothbrush, malaria net, or formula for children who have NOTHING. Funny how you can have encouragement of many, and it only takes a few negative comments to cause doubt. They did occasionally grip my heart with fear and doubt from the evil one. At one time I felt unworthy of His blessing. I worried if the plane would crash or a terrorist attack. At one point I wanted to leave a post saying if the Lord took me and you donated please don't feel bad, it's just the Lord's will. I also wanted to complete a small book of everything I've ever wanted to share with my children written down "in case." Finally the Lord told me to take every thought captive and that His plans for me were good. I resolved to not deal with fear mongers and nay sayers or give them anymore brainspace. Thankfully when I felt unsure or worried my husband would pray for me encourage me, tell me how blessed it would be and how excited he and the children were for me. My husband is amazing. If he would have showed even the slightest doubt I would have been to fearful to go. Instead he spurred me on. Love him. So many milestones were FANTASTIC, like getting my 1st passport. Here I am getting a couple vaccines. Here the kids are filming me get my vaccines!

Then off we went to celebrate the boys birthday a day early.

HELP! Deadline approaching/MUST WATCH VIDEO!!

If you want to grow in your walk with the Lord, please watch this video. It is the best eye opening 7 minute video I've seen. It.will.change.your.life! I promise. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWHJ6-YhSYQ
Depraved Indifference

Dear Friends,
Thank you to the many who have generously donated toward my fundraising goal! I am in the final stretch of fundraising and need to hit my goal by July 5th. (3 days) I have an urgent prayer request. My heart has been moved, my spirit has been stirred. I have recently been diagnosed with a very serious very chronic disorder. It's called O.O. D. ( Obsessive Orphan Disorder) Sufferers of O.O.D. typically suffer loss of sleep thinking about the153 million children without parents, lack of appetite thinking about the many children that wondering where next meal will come from, and heart issues when feeling led to do something about it! There are several courses of treatment for O.O.D. 1) Is to go personally and "Visit orphans" ( James 1:27) This temporarily alleviates the Symptoms. The only real cure for O.O.D sufferers is adoption. I've dreamed of going to Africa to assist orphans since I was a little girl in fostercare. I've been given the opportunity to go w/ Ordinary Hero to ETHIOPIA in 2 weeks! (TWO SHORT WEEKS!!) It seems totally illogical and even CRAZY given our present circumstance. I am stepping out in faith that God will provide every single penny needed to go! I am ALMOST FULLY FUNDED! I need just a bit more. Brittany Buttram and I need about $1500 between the two of us! The TICKETS have been purchased. If we don't come up with the remainder needed by July 5th, ( 3 days) Brittany and I don't travel! Please help us help ORPHANS and donate today!!! THANK YOU, Alida w5
To donate visit https://www.visitingorphans.org/donations/donate.aspx It will ask "Would you like to designate this donation to a specific team member?" PLEASE REMEMBER to click "YES" and type in "ALIDA RODRIGUEZ" then shoot me an email letting me know you did! Many thanks for your prayers and support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

We also appreciate supplies for the children such as;
*warm clothing,
*light weight jackets,
*toothbrushes/toothpaste,
*tylenol,
*diaper cream,
*formula,
*close toed shoes,
*clothing for children ages 10-15. (older kids can sometimes be forgotten)

I need help getting to Africa

Hi,
Alida here. Growing up in foster care was far from easy. Not having parents (for various reasons) and making my own way without support was extremely difficult. For years I carried around an orphan spirit of rejection, abandonment and hurt. I suffered many hardships and lacked purpose. I'm blessed because even through all that, friends became family and someone always took me in! A persistent Aunt always called to check on me. As broken as the foster care system was, they made sure I had food clothing shelter, medical care, and an education. Youth services like shelters gave me the tools to help me survive to adulthood. I now have an incredible family. :-)

Sadly life is so incredibly bleak and hopeless for millions of orphans worldwide. In Ethiopia in particular, there is no "foster care system," no food, medical or educational programs available. Many have to resort to terribly degrading inhumane ways to support themselves to survive often begging, digging through trash or prostituting themselves in order to survive.

Picture your child, sibling, grandchild niece/nephew alone, cold malnourished, hungry, frightened and not receiving medical care or education. Picture this child completely and utterly alone. Can you imagine an orphaned 5 year old caring for siblings. I heard about a 12 year old girl that cried herself to sleep nightly as each day she had to decide which of her hungry crying siblings would eat that day. I can't imagine that. I can't imagine my little ones fending for themselves HERE let alone in the dusty streets of Africa. If it were your child or someone you love, wouldn't you want people and organizations to help?

Hi friends, I am so grateful for all of the opportunities I've been given. It's always been my dream to work with abandoned or orphaned children. This July I plan on going to Ethiopia with a WONDERFUL group called Visiting Orphans and Ordinary Heros. We'll visit widows, orphans, outcasts, those infected with HIV living on the streets and at the Korah dump in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. We'll establish goals for working with the people there and access how we can help them long term. To get there I need your help and FAST! The deadline is approaching and V. O. needs $1100 to purchase my ticket to travel by May 31st. I have I also need an additional $1300( that isn't due until July) ( Total trip is $3100, I've raised $1000) Anything over that amount will help an amazing young lady Brittany Buttram get to Ethiopia with me. She'll be the next generation of youth caring for orphans. She needs the same amount. ($3100)
IF YOU'VE ALREADY DONATED.. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Did I mention that this is TAX deductible? Would you happen to know of anyone or businesses that could sponsor me? PLEASE email me if you do. It would make a great write off and is for a great cause. Every little bit helps! Thank you being a part of my support team. I can be reached at CauseOfTheOrphan@gmail.com call or text me: (714) 335-0434. PLEASE HELP ME HELP ORPHANS visit https://www.visitingorphans.org/donations/donate.aspx It will ask "Would you like to designate this donation to a specific team member?" PLEASE REMEMBER to click "YES" and type in "ALIDA RODRIGUEZ". Then shoot me an email letting me know you’ve done so. To follow my journey visit http://thecauseoftheorphan.blogspot.com/

Here's a clip that speaks about some of the work we'll do there among the Ethiopians. I love how Samuel says in 3:48 "They think the children and people here are cursed and unimportant, But we ARE important!"
http://www.youtube.com/user/Session7Media#p/u/5/f4pgQvgdNqs

____ I will call Visiting Orphans and make a payment by phone at (866) 683-7554
____ I will donate to Visiting Orphans on your behalf online https://www.visitingorphans.org/donations/donate.aspx
(remember to specify this is for Alida Rodriguez thank you)


What does it take to help orphans? Any amount helps me get to $3100!
If 620 people/businesses/organizations donated $5.00 = $3100!
If 310 people/businesses/orgs donated $10.00= $3100!
If 155 people/businesses/orgs donated $20.00= $3100!
If 103 people/businesses/orgs donated $30.00= $3100!
If 62 people/businesses/orgs donated $50.00= $3100!
If 31 people/businesses/orgs donated $100.00=$3100!
If 15 people/businesses/orgs donated $200.00=$3100
If 10 people/businesses/orgs donated $300.00=$3100
If 6 people/businesses/orgs donated $500.00=$3100
If 3 people/businesses/orgs donated $1000.00=$3100
If 2 people/businesses/orgs donated $1550.00=$3100
You get the Picture!
Thank you for any donation of ANY amount! Bless you. Alida w5

Village of Korah

Here is a clip that speaks about some of the work we will do there among the Ethiopians. It's about the Village of Korah, the leper colony & Korah dump. It's dwelling place of widows, orphans, lepers and other societal outcasts. Many lives were changed just from some that came on a mission trip similar to the one I hope to go on . Many lives have been transformed with sponsors, schooling and uniforms, medical care etc. Let's bring the Hope of Jesus to those that feel unimportant and forgotten. I love how Samuel says in 3:48 "They think the children and people here are cursed and unimportant, But we ARE important!" http://www.youtube.com/user/Session7Media#p/u/5/f4pgQvgdNqs Thank you for watching. Please pray I'll raise all the needed funds by May 31st! Be Blessed! Alida w5

Date has been changed!

Hello Precious friends,
First I wanted to THANK Those of you that have donated to Visiting Orphans on my behalf! I and my team certainly appreciate your gift! Thank you for helping us help orphans!

Friends, I need your help! Many of you are aware I was previously scheduled to go to Ethiopia in April with Project Hopeful. PH has received much needed publicity as an organization with many magazine artilces, TV & radio interviews that they wanted to use those opportunities to raise awareness on how we can help HIV orphans. The trip has been postponed. I am going with another beloved group "Ordinary Hero" hosted by Visiting Orphans in JULY!!! (God willing) It is my hope that the Lord will use this trip to bless orphans and widows and to advocate for those who without a voice. I pray that my heart will become broken with that which breaks His heart. I hope to share in the fellowship of his suffering and bring hope and joy and the power of His resurrection to those in need.

After much prayer I am stepping out in faith for provision for this trip. I have less than 1 week to raise $1600 needed for the flight ( May 31st) and after that I'll need to raise $1500 more. We hope to also bless the orphanage with an item such as a stove, water purification system or playground.

Please pray for me and my team. Pray that we would be fruitful and productive during our time there. Please also consider donating to help me get there! May 31st is the deadline! The GREAT news is that IT'S TAX DEDUCTIBLE!! Would you happen to know of any organization or businesses that could sponsor me? PLEASE email me if you do. It would make a great write off and is for a great cause. Every little bit helps! Any money raised over this amount goes blesses ORPHANS with items like either a new stove, water purification, or playground.

To donate visit https://www.visitingorphans.org/donations/donate.aspx It will ask "Would you like to designate this donation to a specific team member?" PLEASE REMEMBER to click "YES" and type in "ALIDA RODRIGUEZ". PLEASE, HELP ME HELP ORPHANS, and get a tax break to boot. :-) If you have any items you wish to get rid of, I'd gladly pick them up to help raise the funds needed to travel. Thank you so much for your help and your prayers! Alida w5
Feel free to share this post!

What does it take to help orphans? Any amount helps me get to $3100!
If 620 people donated $5.00 = $3100!
If 310 people donated $10.00 = $3100!
If 155 people donated $20.00 = $3100!
If 103 people donated $30.00 = $3100!
If 62 people donated $50.00 = $3100!
If 31 people donated $100 = $3100! You get the Picture! Thank you for any donation of ANY amount! Bless you. Alida w5

So, we had our utrasound..

Well we had our first appt with my midwife yesterday. We were all so curious to see if there was 1 baby or two. My kids have been praying for TRIPLETS! They have friends that are triplets and REALLY want to experience life with 3 baby siblings. Aren't they sweet?

Interestingly enough even our ultrasound tech is in the process of adopting..
From China and Ethiopia of all places! We both shared our passion for Ethiopia and how we both hope to adopt from there. I've met tons of people in person that want to adopt, none from Ethiopia. They must all live in some OTHER part of the country ;-)

Well to our surprise there is only ONE little bundle one the screen! Yet another "Singleton" for us! I asked the Ultrasound tech to make SURE they weren't more. This is the ONLY pregnancy with symptoms similar to my twins. I have been vomiting almost daily since I returned from our ladies homeschool retreat! In fact each time I'm in the car I remind myself or the kids to make sure there is a disposable cup in the car. Nothing worse than being on the freeway and scrambling for SOMETHING TO GET SICK in. Ick! I can't believe I am THIS SICK with ONE baby.

One surprising result of the ultrasound was that I am almost 16 weeks along instead of 11. This is VERY surprising for us as I has a very heavy 7-8 day long period while being pregnant! Weird. So we'll have a June, possibly May baby! So... I guess we are finally breaking out of the July Baby mold. Funny thing, though I'm not intuitive at all... I had a dream before I went in for the Ultrasound where I felt the baby kick and in my dream someone told me that the reason I felt the baby move is because I was further along than what I thought.

I expected to be a couple days off but not a whole month! The other thing is, usually by now my morning sickness is long gone. I would be shocked if this continues the whole pregnancy. Well, could happen, this baby is just DIFFERENT! ;-) Anyhoo, We had hoped /prayed for twins again.. but we are so thrilled that we'll have our sweet little "Singleton" maybe that's what we'll name him? haha! and it is sweeter still that we'll get to hold this baby way sooner than planned! Thanks for sharing our joy! Alida w4

Beginning stages of our Adoption/first support meeting

This is from february 23rd.

The Lord is getting ready to do A NEW thing. I am so excited. I signed up for this So Cal Haitian group that focused on Haiti and African adopted kids. I was invited to attend a function with people form neighboring churches in Orange county that had either already adopted, or were in the process of adopting. It was WONDERFUL! Can I share what I saw... I walked in and saw children from all ethnicities that had been placed in loving homes! This must be what heaven looks like. MANY joyful happy kids form all the colors of God's magnificent Earth! There was a gorgeous little Indian looking girl, I just missed meeting the Ethiopian child. Plenty of black children, Caucasian and mixed. It was so neat! I feel in LOVE with a beautiful little brown skinned curly headed girl that was just gorgeous. Her sweet German father told me that she was a safe haven baby Safe Haven ( http://www.babysafe.ca.gov/ ) I rejoiced to see this beautiful child alive and thriving. Her mother chose LIFE for her. In this day and age of convenience and moral relativism a mother thought it wise to give her child a future PRAISE GOD! She seemed to like me and I asked if her if I could take her home, she said yes! hehehe I reminded myself not to covet and that she already HAD a loving home.

I got to meet two families that are adopting from Haiti that I clicked with. One gal, Angela http://www.makefunofyourday.blogspot.com/ already has three children and wasn't even looking to adopt when God called her to it. God told her to adopt this little girl that has some medical issues. He later told her to ask about her siblings, that the orphanage didn't even know about. Later the birth mother gave birth to another child, a little boy. Some friends that visited the orphanage mentioned that they saw the birth mother of her adopted kids and that she had a baby, and asked if she was interested. She called the orphanage to ask about the baby. the pastor asked her "how did you find to about the baby? " He told her that the birth mother had come to him asking if Angela would be willing to adopt the baby as she is already adopting the siblings. the director said that the didn't want to ask her or she might feel pressured to take that child as well. Instead he told her that he would PRAY that if it was God's will for the baby boy to be adopted by that family, that SOME ONE OTHER THAN HIM would tell them about the baby! AND GOD DID IT! ( isn't He good like that!)

Finally a friend mentioned to Angela about three teens that were about to become too old to be adopted into a loving home and if she would pray for them. She said she would ONLY pray for them as she wasn't looking to adopt a teen. As she prayed for the three teens God spoke to her heart that one of them was her son! She obeyed and went and visited all the children and love EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM! Isn't God good. We both cried at her telling of the story!

The other family http://www.bringingkeananhome.blogspot.com/ I met adopted a cute little African American boy a little younger than my boys. She has a little toddler girl (bio) and is adopting another toddler named Keenan from Haiti. Her hubby spoke passionately that if the adoption was going to take 18 months (as that seems to be how long adoptions are taking for Haiti these days if not LONGER) that he'd move the whole family there and live in Haiti because THAT IS HIS SON! Wow. I was totally inspired!!!! What a sweet wonderful family. Kristen is so sweet, she drives her son all the way across the OC to put him in choir at a black church, so that he'll see people who look like him! AWESOME! They encouraged us as we are in the VERY BEGINNING stages in our adoption journey. I can't wait to see what the Lord will do. I have the feeling it is the beginning of a GREAT thing, a NEW thing. I can't wait to see how the Lord would redeem all that has happened for His WONDERFUL GLORY! Lord have your way! Amen! Alida w4
Thus says the Lord Who made a way through the sea, A path through the mighty waters. Remember not the former things, Neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing, Even now it is springing to light. Do you not perceive it? A way will I make in the wilderness And rivers in the desert! Isaiah 43:16-19.