What adoption agency are you going through?
YWAM Ethiopia, who partners with Children's House International. Our home study agency is Adoption Advocates.
How long will it take until you have a child?
Good question! We are preparing ourselves for a long journey! The average international adoption takes about a year and a half. We've been told multiple times to avoid getting our hopes up about an expected timeline. You can check out how long things have taken here.
Boy or girl?
We did not specify a gender, but we have accepted a referral for a little BOY!
How old will your child be?
Our specifications allow us to leave the country with a 0-2 year old.
Do you get to pick your child out?
Not quite. We list certain specifications (like our age limit above), but we aren't given a catalog from which we can select a child. We will be matched with a child, and then we're given the option of saying yes or no.
Do you have to go pick up your child?
Yes. We will go over first to meet our child and go to court, and then we will go over a second time for our embassy date and to pick up our child and bring him or her home!
Why did you decide to adopt from Ethiopia?
Many reasons. In a nutshell, we visited Ethiopia and fell in love with the culture and people + We became aware of the huge need for orphan care in Ethiopia = God called us to adopt. You can follow our adoption story here. We are not adopting to "rescue" a child - yes, the state for orphans in Ethiopia is dire, but we are adopting out of obedience to God.
Why don't you just adopt from the U.S.? There's a need for adoption here, too.
That's a very good point, and something we have definitely grappled with. We are certainly not opposed to adopting from the U.S. - we may pursue that in the future! However, we do feel called by God to adopt from Ethiopia at this point in our lives.
Don't you think it's tacky to fundraise for an adoption?
No, I don't. If others think so, I'd rather come across as tacky than not adopt a child.
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If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!
Email us at parton [dot] rachel [at] gmail [dot] com.
