I'm back....I survived!

The week is over and I survived. All went very well with the hunters and we finished up with harvest. (HAPPY DANCE!) It feels great to be at this end of the week. I am going out to supper tomorrow night with some friends to relax a bit......a much needed break.

Here's a picture of our hunters at mealtime. My groceries are quite depleted around here. I am always amazed at how much food several men can consume. They were very appreciative of everything and we always enjoy their visits. They went home with two deer and a lot of fun memories. We can't wait to have them back again next year.

Well, I told you last week that I had some adoption news to share, I'm sorry I kept you waiting. To make a really long story short, we have decided to switch countries. After a lot of set backs with China and so many unknowns, with the waiting time extended to 3-5 years, we decided to pray about it and felt led to look into other countries. We feel really good about choosing Ethiopia. We were brought to tears when reading about the conditions people live in there. We have all heard about starving children in Ethiopia, but to read the statistics was literally sickening. Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with a per capita income of only $110 per year. Four million children are orphaned, nearly 1 million die of AIDS. One in 4 women die in pregnancy or birth. Only 6% of births are attended by a skilled health professional. Only 18% of children reach grade 5. It is obvious there is a TREMENDOUS need for families to adopt these babies that may never see their 5th birthday if they aren't taken out of this type of environment. We didn't have to contemplate this decision for very long....we know there is a little girl there that NEEDS us to survive. We have a great peace about this decision and if all goes well, we will have her in our arms by this time next year!