The orphanage where Elsie was brought up a lot of conversation about adoption. The orphanage was overcrowded. The room with babies had probably 20 to 30 babies in one small room. Some of the babies were outgrowing their beds. There was very little tummy time or playtime on a floor because there wasn't enough room. Bottles were propped up on blankets and put in a babies mouth that way rather than taking the baby out to feed him or her. A lot of babies were laying in spit up. Many babies were crying and there was no one to come and pick them up. There were 3 or 4 women who were trying to take care of all these babies. There was always more babies that needed to eat or needed their diaper changed than there were people working there.

I'm not saying this to say anything bad about the orphanage workers. The people there loved these babies and were sweet to them. Many of the nuns found these babies abandoned somewhere and brought them back to the orphanage to care for them. They had nursed many of these babies back to health. We realized that had it not been for these nuns and Ethiopian workers rescuing these babies, many of them would not be alive. They also take them in when people leave babies at the gate of the orphanage. They provide them with all their basic needs to survive. Some of the babies had TB or Malaria and they were caring for these babies who needed more attention and trying to care for the healthy babies as well. But because there are so many of these babies and children compared to workers, there is not time left over for much individual love and attention that they desire. One of the nuns told me she had been working there for 30 years and she loved what she got to do. She started talking about how precious all these babies were and it was a joy for her to care for God's children. So I don't want to give the impression that these children are neglected in unhealthy ways. They aren't. There are just not enough of those workers' hands compared to the overwhelming large number of children and babies that are in need of a place to live and food to eat.

Many of these children at this orphanage are able to be adopted. I looked at all of those babies in that room and thought about how much they would thrive in a family. They need a place to be able to crawl around. They need a place where they can have some tummy time or sit up. They need someone to hold them and love on them daily. They need more than just basic needs met. They are so cute and we all wanted so badly for them to have a forever family to be a part of. I spent a lot of time that night praying that God would stir up the need for adoption in people's hearts. Then I started seeing him do that in team members. I heard a girl on my team that night talking to her husband about adding two more children to their family of 6. I found out later that at least two more people on the team would be adopting. He stirred up adoption in all of us because we saw the great need. And then we read scripture and see that the bible is really a story about people in need of a Savior who, by His grace, were adopted into His family and loved and cared for and provided for in ways they had never imagined.

"You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba Father!". The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,.." Romans 8:15-17