July 22, 2011
Dear Family and Friends,
Over the past year, we have been praying about expanding our family. We planned on having another biological child next spring. However, after praying we realized that God has different plans for us. Through prayer, our eyes were opened and our hearts broken for orphans. We began to feel God lead us toward adopting a child from Ethiopia. We are currently in the process of adopting a baby boy from Ethiopia through an agency called Children’s House International. The adoption process will take about 12 months to 24 months.
We have been asked, “Why aren’t you having your own child?” Our answer is simple—God wants our second child to be adopted into our family. We have been praying about adoption and we know it's what God wants us to do. We love our daughter so incredibly much and we want another child to feel this kind of love. God calls us to care for the orphans, and we want to do His will. We have a heart for Africa because we love the people and the culture. Yet we know many of the children are suffering.
For us, adopting is not the normal thing to do...but it's the right thing. We know there are millions of orphans in Africa, and we want to make that number one less. There will be one less child to die of starvation, one less child to grow up feeling abandoned, one less child to grow up without a Mommy and a Daddy, one less child to grow up without knowing how much they are loved, and one less child to think, "When is my family coming to get me? When is it my turn?" God has put it on our hearts to adopt, and we are following His call.
There are two ways you can support us on our journey. The first is to pray. We won’t be able to go through this journey without our community of friends and family praying on our behalf. The second way you can help us is through financial support. Our adoption will cost around $30,000. We don’t have this kind of money. However, we’re confident that because God has called us to this, He will provide. Our expenses include everything from document preparation and translation, agency fees, travel expenses, government fees, medical fees, and orphanage fees. Through the help of family, friends, and grants, we are hoping to change the life of one baby boy. This is a little boy who would otherwise spend his life in an orphanage without ever knowing the love of a family.
We would like to invite you and your family to partner with us financially to help bring our baby home. We know that not everyone is called to adopt a child, but we hope you will join us on our adoption journey to rescue an orphan and make an eternal impact on this child’s life. James 1:27 states, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted from the world.”
Love,
Jeremiah and Kortny
Facts About Ethiopia:
• One in six children die before their fifth birthday
• There are 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia; 720,000 children in the country have been orphaned by AIDS alone
• 44% of the population of Ethiopia is younger than 15
• 60% of children in Ethiopia are developmentally stunted because of malnutrition
• The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years
• 1.5 million Ethiopians are infected with AIDS (6th highest in the world)
• Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa
• Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school; 88% will never attend secondary school
How YOU can help our family through the adoption process:
• Prayer—specifically pray for our son, who may already be born or in his birthmother’s womb, and our family as we continue our adoption journey
• Words of encouragement and support
• Financial support—you can mail a check to us or click on the “Donate” button (Visa, MasterCard, or PayPal) on our website. Unfortunately, your gift will not be tax-deductible because the IRS does not allow charitable deductions for gifts to individuals.
We would love to talk with you about any questions you have. Please feel free to e-mail us (jcox77@gmail.com or kortnycox@gmail.com) or visit our website at journeytofour.com
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Yes…I want to financially and prayerfully support you on your journey to adopt a baby from Ethiopia (If you are sending a check, please fill out the form below and include it with the check.)
Name: ______________
Email:_______________
Address: ________________________
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Amount:______________
