Ethiopia Adoption Blog

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BCS Ethiopia is hosting a volunteer in Ethiopia for the Summer.  You can follow Kate's journey at: http://katepadden.wordpress.com/

Five families are traveling to Ethiopia this week for Embassy appointments on June 23.  We pray for safe travels for these families and their children.  Four families have court dates for six children.  We also pray for the processing of these cases in the court.  Five families received referrals of six children of various ages this week!  The families waiting the longest are waiting since July 2008.  

One last thing for today, we've learned that the Ethiopia Court will be closed from August 7 until September 27.  Should you have questions or concerns, please let your worker know.  

Posted by Alison M. Adema At 12:00:00 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Three families are currently in Ethiopia for an Embassy appointment on June 9. Three more families received their notification to travel for an Embassy appointment on June 23. BCS families have also been blessed with court dates in June for 13 families and their 16 children!  

It's never too early to think about heritage or culture camps for your Ethiopian children.  Linked here are just three examples: http://www.eakc.blogspot.com/    and  http://africancradle.org/camp09.html   and   http://www.heritageandculturecamp.org/ .  Explore your local Ethiopian or Adoption communities for a heritage  or culture camp near you.

Posted by Alison M. Adema At 10:50:21 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The US State department posted the following Adoption Alert regarding the Ethiopia/Addis Courts:  http://adoption.state.gov/news/ethiopia%20alert.html

Agencies are continually monitoring this and will keep you informed of details as we learn them.  If you have specific questions, please contact your social worker.

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This past week two cases have come out of court approved, four families have returned home with five children, and six children were matched with five families!

Bethany has about 55 families with dossiers in Ethiopia.  Families with dossiers sent in late July 2008 are waiting the longest.  About one fourth of these families are open to or only wanting a sibling group, about one fourth of the families have a preference for a  female children as young as possible.  Other families who are waiting are open to either gender in various age ranges.

We are thankful for all of the families who are preparing their heart and home for their children for Ethiopia.

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Thank you go Bethany's China Team for sharing this post...

This year, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 10th... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHER'S AND ALL MOTHER'S-TO-BE!

..... although not officially on the calendar as a holiday, did you know the Saturday before Mother's Day is celebrated among the adoption community as "Birth-Mother's Day?"

A "BirthMother/First Mother" is the name given to a woman who conceives and biologically gives birth to a child who is relinquished or placed for adoption.

The adoption constellation involves many people (extended family, support, etc), but the triad consists of three points.  The three-points of the triad are: the child, the Adoptive Mother (or Adoptive Family) and the BirthMother (or BirthFamily), in no particular order.  Without one of these "points" the triad would not exist.  The relationship among the three sides is inter-related and inter-dependent.  All three sides of the triangle are of equal length.  All three should be celebrated equally!  Many Christians believe that as we are all God's adopted children, this adoption triad metaphor reflects the Trinity of our Father.

What are some ways that we as adoptive families can honor our child's BirthMother?  Internationally adopted children with little to no information about their BirthFamily oftentimes "fantasize" about where they come from and who their BirthFamily is.  In adoptive families that openly discuss the child's birth-country, BirthParents, and birth-culture, the children as adults report having a more positive self-esteem and self-worth.  Some parents encourage their children to write a letter to their BirthMom/BirthDad on these special days or even their own birthdays.  What is most important to remember is that each child has their own feelings about their BirthParents.  As Adoptive Parents, the best we can do is provide a safe and open place for discussion.

Different ways to "honor" or "celebrate" birthparents:
-Light a candle on special days.
-Say a prayer for them.
-Make a special page in the child's Lifebook to celebrate the BirthParent(s).
-Write a letter to your child's BirthParent(s) and put it aside to share with your child later.
-Write a letter/make a card jointly with your child for the BirthParent(s).
-Read age appropriate books together.
-Talk about what the BirthParents may look like.
-Celebrate unique talents that the child may have... and attribute them to the BirthParent(s).

Some adoptive families may not be comfortable talking about the child's BirthFamily or adoption.  Your child will perceive this level of being uncomfortable and may learn to be ashamed or fearful of the discussion.  In order to build a healthy relationship that is based on trust, it is important to be open with your child about their adoption.  If these discussions are open and supported from the beginning, your child will grow to learn that their adoption is celebrated, not hidden.  Your child will be proud to be adopted and will be able to honor their BirthParent's with Thanksgiving!

The book I Wish for You a Beautiful Life (Yeong & Yeong Book Company; ISBN 0-9638472-3-6) is a compilation of letters from Korean BirthMother's to their relinquished children.  Each letter is very unique and provides a glimpse of the different cultures and emotions that this choice has created, related to separation and detachment that a BirthMother may experience and/or express in writing.

As a Mother (whether through birth or adoption) of a child... whether your child is with you, with God, living in oveseas or yet to be born... Bethany Christian Services  wish you a warm and loving "Happy Mother's Day."  We also keep in prayer the BirthMother's that give Life to these precious children and love them enough to want for them, what they cannot provide.  These women too, should be celebrated, honored, and given Thanksgiving.  Their struggles and choices are immeasurable and we may never know them, but we do know them in our hearts.  We pray that they are safe, loved and at Peace.  

*In this Blog Post, we use the term "BirthMother" to refer to the woman who conceived and birthed the child whom was then adopted.  There are other terms such as: "First Mother" or "Biological Mother" or "Genetic Mother" to name a few.  The PC world of language and adoption is sensitive and we mean no offense to any particular term mentioned or not mentioned

Posted by Alison M. Adema At 12:13:44 PM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Four families are currently in Ethiopia waiting for their children's visa's to be issued.  We pray for continued safe travels for these families as they will soon be on their way home.  Two families have also come out of court approved.

Bethany Staff, along with staff from our partner organizations, will be attending a conference in Addis from May 4-6 put on by ANPPCAN - Association for Nation wide Action for Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect.  The focus is on early childhood development and education.  Themes of the conference include: Early Childhood Survival and Care, Early Childhood Educations, Early Childhood Protections, Child Rights & Development, and more.  A great opportunity to learn about how we can better protect children and keep their best interests in the forefront.

Posted by Alison M. Adema At 03:43:50 PM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Did you also know that this past weekend - April 25 - was World Malaria Day?  You can visit USAID to read more on World Malaria Day.  As noted on USAID.org under U.S. Malaria  Initiative Releases Third Annual Report: "Malaria is one of the major causes of illness and death among children in Africa and adversely affects productivity among all age groups. Malaria and poverty are closely linked. Economists estimate that malaria accounts for approximately 40 percent of public health expenditures in Africa and causes an annual loss of $12 billion, or 1.3 percent, of the continent's gross domestic product."  I did not even imagine the annual expense in regards to this disease!

You can also visit the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to learn more about Malaria.  

Posted by Alison M. Adema At 09:09:57 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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This week two families are in Ethiopia picking up their children, and three more families are preparing to leave for Ethiopia late next week.  Additionally, we have four more court dates scheduled in the month of April and we are praying for their approval and completion. Fasika (or Easter in Amharic) will be celebrated in Ethiopia on Sunday, as based on the Orthodox calendar.  You can click on the following link to Ethiopian Review  to read more about Easter in Ethiopia.

Posted by Alison M. Adema At 09:30:25 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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This week was an exciting week for families and staff! Bethany matched five children to their forever families!  What joy and blessings for these families and children.  

We have court dates for four families in April, and three families have already been assigned court dates in May.  We pray for God's hand in the court process so that children can join their families in His perfect time.  

Bethany's newest team member, Tendai, our International Services Manager for Africa,  will be traveling to Ethiopia, Zambia and South Africa over then next few weeks.  We pray for safety, health, and continued progress in our service to children and families within our African programs.

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There are approximately 143 million orphans in the world today.
Many children are older, or a sibling group. Some children have medical, physical or developmental challenges.
We aren't asking you to help 143 million orphans, but you can make a difference by being a Bethany Prayer Warrior.

Prayer Warriors will receive pictures and information of children waiting through Bethany.

We ask that you pray for the children.
Pray for families who are willing to accept the children with special needs into their hearts and homes.
Pray for those who will never be adopted. May someone come into their life and love and care for them.
 
Each of us is part of the Body of Christ. It is He in us that is more than able to make a difference.

If you want to be added to the Prayer Warrior group and receive emails about waiting children, please send an email to:
jvandyke@bethany.org

Posted by Alison M. Adema At 08:21:40 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)