How do orphans happen?
Many of you know that my husband and I adopted our 8 year old daughter from Ethiopia. We have a good friend (also named Heidi) who is a film maker and photographer. Heidi has a deep love for the people of Ethiopia, and if you read her blog, I think you’ll understand why. 
She is in the process of making a film about a boy from Southern Ethiopia. I want to post her film for you to see.
I shouldn’t need a reason to have a heart for the orphans… God is clear in His word about how He wants us to care for orphans and widows in their distress. But why isn’t it easy in our modern culture to remember what life is like for millions of orphans and widows in the world? When I’m angry because I have to wait in line at the bank, someone else’s mother or child is dying. Sobering.
When I traveled to bring our daughter home, I was shocked at the intense poverty in the city of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. I’ve traveled to other countries before, but this poverty was beyond my ability to comprehend. I spent much of my trip in tears, my heart breaking, especially for the children I saw begging in the streets, or the very small children I saw playing naked in the median of the busy roadways… and at the same time falling in love with this beautiful culture and wonderful people.
My daughter comes from a small town, Wolaytta, which is located in Southern Ethiopia in the Sodo area. I didn’t get to travel to her town, but I’ve seen footage of her home and life before she came to live with us. She has amazingly adapted well over the past 18 months, and is well on her way to becoming completely “Americanized.” That is sad at times, but she will not forget her homeland, and she talks about getting an education here that will help her to go back to Ethiopia and help her friends and family.
Heidi has also put together some pictures from Children’s Heaven organization. The founder is a personal friend of hers. I’ll leave you with how this one person is making a difference. You can learn more about her here.
