WHY ADOPT? and WHY CHINA? Boy did we know we were going to get lots of questions! we have 2 healthy, happy Boys, an easy life...why take on more? Last month, we slowly started letting our close friends and family in on our news, and to our delight, they were all so supportive. Around Christmas time of last year, the desire to add to our family really began weighing heavily on my heart. we talked about it and knew instantly that it was more than just the desire to have another child. In church, we would watch videos from the latest Missions trip, and I would sit in the pew and bawl my eyes out, looking at these sweet children, with no parents. We instantly knew the desire to add to our family was part of a bigger plan-to bring a child into our home who had no family of their own. Most of you know how desperately I have always wanted a daughter of our own; and so began the intense research of countries for adoption. After lots of reading and phone calls, we knew that China would be the country where we would find our Daughter. With China's "One Child Rule", parents are only able to keep one child. Boys are preferred because they are quickly put back into the work force. The future for girls is not so bright. While it is illegal to have a child and keep another, it is also illegeal to abandon a child. So what are these poor families left to do. These Chinese Mothers often get a bad rap for abandoning their children, but the exact opposite is true. They risk everything to make sure that their child is left in a safe, noticable place (often times a Hospital, school parking lot, Government building)ensuring that when they are found, they will be taken care of. The children are often placed in an orphanage or foster home. I won"t lie, the pictures of orphanage life are not so gleaming. It is sad, but the nannies who work there, take excellent care of these babies (LOTS of them!!) and give them the best care that they can. Already along our journey, we have learned so much about the Chinese culture and realize more than ever, that we were meant to bring one of these orphans HOME.