over 8,000 people will receive access to safe drinking water for the first time – thanks to you

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Thanks to everyone reading, this is the message I am able to deliver to you: By the end of this week, Argisa, Ethiopia will have clean water! Most of you know that you all raised, over the course of one week, the money we needed for our first phase of the Ethiopia project. That, in and of itself, was a miracle. Jack, from Waves for Water, boarded a plan on December 12, and I have just been informed he has landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Jack will be bringing 80 Sawyer filters to the … [Read more...]

The Rose That Grew From Concrete

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Waterlink Africa: Water Changes Everything

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Did you know? $1 can give clean water to one person for over a decade. Why is water life-altering? Unsterile water is the number two killer amongst children. Around the world, fetching water is a woman’s task. Thus, one of the most crucial health issues for women in Africa is the clean water shortage. 1 in 5 children worldwide dies of a water-related disease. Water is a women’s issue. In order to get access to clean water, women and girls must carry up to 50lbs of water every day … [Read more...]

Christmas Stocking Project: Use Your Stockings for Good

stocking market clean water projects

Did you know? $1 can give clean water to one person for over a decade. During the holiday season, there’s a lot of tradition in exchanging presents. We want to embrace our traditions and also be able to give back. Here’s our idea: instead of stocking stuffers, let’s put every dollar that would go towards those small gifts towards clean water for our friends in Africa. $10 that would have been spent on stocking stuffers could give life-altering water to ten people. Why is water … [Read more...]

Ethics (or lack thereof) in Ethiopian Adoptions

Anna and her mother, Sept 2008

Earlier this year I attended an adoption-centered Christian women's retreat. One evening at dinner, some of my table-mates asked me my thoughts about ethics in Ethiopian adoptions. I gave a guarded response, knowing that many of these women were in process to adopt. Ultimately, I shared that I personally would not adopt a young, healthy child from Ethiopia at this time because of my concerns over the pervasive corruption in the system. I also shared some guidelines that I felt could help insure … [Read more...]

Human Judgement

I believe there is a basic kind of judgement that allows humans to assess every aspect of life. We are kept safe (either ourselves or by others) with this kind of "assessment judgement". This kind of judgement allows you to make choices for your own life and family, form healthy opinions, and take action in dangerous situations. Then there is the kind of judgement I find to be toxic to humanity. This is the type of judgement where humans give value to other human beings based on an action or … [Read more...]

I Think Your Kid is Gay

"I think your kid is gay." Those are the words coming from "friends" that have noticed Samuel's attraction to sparkly and beautiful things. They were meant as a joke, but there is some truth in that. And it got me wondering- is it possible to know at this age? I am going to say yes and no. can you know a child's sexuality? I have two problems with people saying these types of things: 1. By questioning a child's sexual orientation we are essentially sexualizing them. Disturbing, … [Read more...]

The Book That Changed the Way I Parent.

  I accidentally bought Too Small To Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most by Dr. Wess Stafford while we were in the adoption process. I started reading it thinking it was about international adoption, and quickly became bored when I found out it wasn't. Aram was around a year old, and the book wasn't really triggering any kind of useful tools or inspiration at the time. I decided to pick it up again one night after Samuel came home.I was instantly hooked. I can't believe … [Read more...]

Daryl Davis

In light of our strange park experience yesterday, I thought I'd post about a man that has been inspirational to me. I remember first learning about Daryl Davis when I was an Anthropology major in 2005. I first thought it might be a PR ploy for the KKK (just like violent biker gangs put together toy drives and other charitable out-of-character work,)  and Mr. Davis was just an unsuspecting victim. The more I learned about Daryl Davis the more I realized the KKK actually wants people to … [Read more...]

Ethiopian Orthodox Church

My friend, Ti Ti, invited our family to an Ethiopian church last Sunday. Here is a picture of us before we went (clearly we had no idea what to wear so we wore a little of everything): The church was everything I wished more non-denominational "white" churches would be like. Instead of emphasizing the individual's need to hear the message ("I must put my child into the free childcare so I can hear this message") it is more about the community of the church. Children are allowed in … [Read more...]