Giveaways, for a good cause

Check out this blog for some great necklaces that support a family's adoption from Ethiopia.



Tracy at JunkePosse is having a giveaway for Artists for Hope bracelets made in Haiti.

Summer is here!

Haiti

The media coverage of Haiti has slowed down, but children and families there are still greatly in need:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wirestory?id=10600403&page=1

Please, let us not forget the people of Haiti and let us show our care through prayers and action.

Because Every Mother Matters

As we celebrate Mother's Day this weekend, I've been reflecting on how thankful I am to be a mother. Being a mother is probably the hardest thing I have ever done, but it is also one of the most rewarding. I am so thankful for the two little boys in my life who call me "mama."

I've also been thinking about Belachew and Hudson's birthmothers. The women who carried them in their womb and gave them life. I am forever thankful for these women. In honor of them this Mother's Day, we have made a donation to Because Every Mother Matters.

Because Every Mother Matters is working to build a maternity clinic in Ethiopia. In East Africa, 1 in 11 women die to childbirth related causes. Women dying in childbirth means more orphans. I think a big part of being involved in orphan care is helping figure out how to prevent orphans in the first place and keep families together. As Steffany, the founder of Because Every Mother Matters said "Every mother matters....because every child deserves a mother. "

You can make a donation to Because Every Mother Matters here.

World AIDS Orphans Day

Today, May 7, is World AIDS Orphans Day. More than 15 million children have been orphaned by AIDS, and less than 10% of the children receive any external support.








If you are looking for a way to make a difference in the life of a child affected by AIDS, AHOPE is an amazing organization caring for AIDS orphans in Ethiopia. You can find out more about AHOPE and ways to support their mission here.

Here is a great post written by an adoptive mother and advocate of adopting HIV+ children.

Baptism

Hudson and Belachew were baptized this weekend. We were told that Belachew was baptized as an infant in Ethiopia, according to the tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (male infants are baptized at 40 days, females at 80 days). So for Belachew, our church recognized his baptism and we took vows, as parents and as a congregation. Hudson was baptized with water and the same vows were taken by us as his parents and by our congregation.

Paul was able to perform the baptism and it was full of emotion. We were reminded of the great responsibility and privilege we have of raising these boys. As Paul shared about the boys' names and their meanings, we were reminded of the birthfamilies who gave our boys life. We are so thankful for the great gift of these boys, but also know that this behind this gift there is loss and sadness. We were also reminded of our great love for our boys and the joys and struggles of their journey to become a part of our family, and that God's love for them is even greater and He has gone even farther to bring them into His eternal family.

We were blessed to have family come in from out of town to share this special day with us.