The Story of Us: June already?

Why We Adopted From Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, approximately 1 in 10 children die in infancy, and nearly double that number die by their 5th birthday, due to infections, tetanus, and diarrhea. Ethiopia is considered the 3rd worst place in the world to be born, better only than Burkina Faso and Djibouti. Of the children who survive, many will lose their mother in childbirth and many more will lose one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.

As more and more parents die, the capacity of extended family members to take care of orphans shrinks. Ethiopia has reached the breaking point where orphaned children are now forced into the streets, into difficult working conditions and/or into heading their households.

In 2001, 13.2% of the population (3.8 million children) were orphaned. In comparison, the 1994 genocide in Rwanda resulted in 500,000 orphans and the 2004 Tsunami in Southeast Asia resulted in 10,000 orphans.

(courtesy of www.ethiopianrelief.org)

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

June already?

I have been really bad about posting lately! In two weeks we are headed back to the states via France and England, and there is so much to do before we leave…birthday parties, kids club, Bible studies, Taco Thursdays, car repairs, hair cuts, packing, the list goes on and on. I am a little too in love the post-it note function on my desktop…my screen is now completely covered in to-do lists!

Here are some pictures from the month of May. We sent out a newsletter a couple of weeks ago. If you didn't get it, sign up on the right-hand side of this page for future updates!
Liam at soccer practice (he is in the orange sweatshirt)