Why Africa?

Many people have asked, "Why Africa?" (Due to the sensitivity of the country where we are adopting, we can't talk about a specific place. Call me and I can give you more details!) In 1999, Keith went on a mission trip to this particular country and fell in love with the people. He was also disturbed by the number of street kids. He came home wanting to adopt. I was not ready to even discuss it! Fast forward nine years and two boys later! Some friends of ours are adopting from Africa and David is, as his wife Amy put it, relentless! He sent me email after email, picture after picture until I finally actually sat down and listened to God (not David!). One in ten children in this country are orphaned through either poverty or illness. We are not having any more children biologically because we would have twin boys and I would have to be put away! I have always been interested in teaching about and working for racial reconcilliation. I have also always had a place in my heart for Africa, don't really know why. Dakota (our youngest) has been asking when are we going to get a baby sister for over a year (all of his fiends have sisters and he doesn't understand why he can't have one!). He has been told over and over, we are not going to have one, our family has boys, etc. Well, needless to say, all of this came together for me and really opened up the idea of adoption. I always thought if I did adopt it would be domestic because there are so many kids here who need families and I never thought I could give a child from overseas things they needed such as their heritage/culture or trips back, etc. A friend of mine told me last summer (very sarcastically) when we were talking in general about adoption, "Those things are so much more important than having a family!" I wanted to punch him! He was right. When I mentioned to Dakota that we could get a little sister but she might look really different than he and Carter he wasn't so sure. When I told him that he could be a big brother to someone that didn't have any family , he was very excited and came home and told his brother and dad that we were going to be a family for a little girl who didn't have one! I thought if the four year old could get it then so could I! So after much prayer, lengthy conversations, and gathering information we began our journey to adopt! We are very excited and can't wait to bring home our little girl!