Seven

I can’t believe it – seven months have already passed since we landed on the wait list.  We still don’t have any idea when we might receive our referral, but trust me, you will know when that day finally arrives!!  We received more news that the wait to bring our daughter home will most likely greatly increase in the months to come, but we’ll have to just wait and see.  It’s been a tough few weeks, but we’re trying our best to keep our heads up.  Hopefully we’ll hear more news from our agency next week.

The Idea Camp Orphan Conference that we went to last weekend was amazing.  We were so fortunate to have two days to spend with hundreds of other people who share the passion for caring for orphans.  There were so many incredible organizations and experts that we were able to learn from & families that we had the privilege of meeting.  The weekend was intense, but left us full of ideas and hope.  International adoption is a wonderful thing (when done ethically), but we know it’s not the ultimate solution to ending the world wide orphan crisis.  Ideally, there would be preventative solutions including proper medical care, jobs for sustainable family income, adoption through extended family, and involving the indigenous church.  It’s really exciting to see so many organizations working to implement solutions like these.   If you haven’t already, please check out the James Initiative’s facebook page.  The James Initiative is in the groundwork stages, but already at work making a difference in orphan’s lives.  We will be posting more about Ben & Zach’s recent trip to Ethiopia & pictures soon.   Please email or post a message if you would like to be involved in any way.  We could use your talents, skills or support!