Here's Our Challenge...

We've had so many people ask, "How can we help the orphans of Ethiopia?" In response to this question, we've decided to start a fund campaign for Christian World Adoption's Acacia Village. Acacia Village is a planned orphanage which will house over 200 orphans. It will provide a safe haven for orphans while they wait to be united with adoptive families.(You can follow the link on our sidebar to find out more about Acacia Village). Individually our limited donations may not seem to make a difference, but corporately we CAN make a difference in the lives of homeless and hopeless children in Ethiopia. Our challenge to each of you is to creatively save $5 each week. Then on Fridays, drop by our blog and donate your $5 by hitting our Chip In button. Our goal is to raise $1,000 per week for one year. If 200 individuals will save and then donate $5 each Friday, corporately, we can raise $52,000.00 to donate to Acacia Village. Plesae consider being a part of our campaign. If you'd like to receive an e-mail reminder, each Friday, please e-mail us at hortonacaciavillage@yahoo.com, and we'll add you to our weekly e-mail loop.
Please take a moment to watch the 30 second video in our next post. The pictures of the children in the video are pictures that Phil took, while in Ethiopia, in January of this year.

Ethiopian Orphans - Who Will Help?

As many of you know, Phil had the privilege of traveling to Ethiopia in mid-January. He went to assist in filming and photographing the images of the country and to illuminate the incredible need for loving homes for the orphans of Ethiopia. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress..."James 1:27a This verse came to life as Phil saw the "distress" of so many in Ethiopia.


Christian World Adoption Ethiopia is an arm of Christian World Adoption and Christian World Foundation based in Hendersonville, NC. Not only are they committed to finding loving homes for the orphaned children of Ethiopia, they are also committed to providing humanitarian aid, love and nurture to the children and families still in Ethiopia.

Due to famine, diseases such as malaria and TB, and the HIV epidemic, countless children are left without a family to love and protect them.

Poverty is real and is beyond what we can fathom here in the U.S....

Many widows try to make ends meet as they work and try to care for their children. Without the love of Christ and the hope that He brings, hopelessness is inevitable.

Christian World Adoption and Christian World Foundation are the hands and feet of Christ in Ethiopia. They go in and rescue children who are homeless or who no longer can be cared for by their primary caregiver. They are brought to the orphanages in Awassa or Soddo where they are bathed, clothed and fed. Once their physical needs are met, the caregivers continue to show them the love of Christ. Legal paperwork is processed, and the children are ready for adoption.

Once a child's referral has been accepted by a U.S. family, the child is moved to CWA's orphanage in Addis Ababa (the capitol of Ethiopia) where he/she begins to learn English and waits to be united with his/her forever family. CWA hires the best nannies and offers them extensive training to ensure that each child has the love and nurture that is vital for their development.

Bob and Tomilee Harding, founders of CWA and CWF, and Stephne Bowers, one of CWA's point persons in Ethiopia, have sacrificed, both physically and financially, for the children of Ethiopia. But they can't do it alone! The Ethiopian government has offered land to be used to build an orphanage in Addis Ababa that would house over 200 orphans. This would allow children to be moved from the rural areas of Awasse and Soddo, more quickly, and would also facilitate more orphans being placed for adoption. This project would literally save lives!!

I've had several people ask, "What can we do to help? The need is so great, and we can't help them all." I, too, have felt the overwhelming burden to help the children; however, my desire to help has been coupled with discouragement over my perceived lack of ability and/or resources to make a "significant difference". Then the Holy Spirit reminds me,"We can't help them all, but we can help the one that God has placed before us at this time." That's all He requires. The Lord owns "the cattle on a thousand hills" Psalm 50:10. He doesn't need my resources, but He does want my obedience to "help" in His work.

Pray about how God would have you be involved in the care of orphans...is His call, to you, to adopt, to give financially and/or to pray faithfully? If you're interested in investing in this specific orphan care ministry, you'll find the link to Acacia Village on our blog. And if you have any questions about adoption and orphan care, in general, please feel free to contact us!!

May God find each one of us faithful as we answer His call to care for widows and orphans in their distress!

Celebrating Chinese New Year

On Sunday, in celebration of Chinese New Year, our girls wore their silk outfits to church. I just had to share the photo!!

Happy New Year...it's the Year of the Rat!!

Sarah Mei is 2 and a Surgical Update

Although January 25th was Sarah Mei's 2nd birthday, her celebration was slightly delayed due to Phil's trip to Ethiopia. On Saturday, after donning the requisite princess attire and reveling in the sound of her own clip-clopping dress-up shoes, Sarah Mei continued her birthday celebration by eating her chocolate cake and opening presents. Her favorite gift was her new Radio Flyer trike.

On a more sober note...we made a trip to MUSC, in Charleston, SC, last Thursday for a 3-D echo of Sarah Mei's heart. After an extended discussion among the 3-D echo physician, the surgeon and the pediatric cardiologist, a tentative surgery date has been set for June. An optimal surgical date is a date which allows for adequate healing of scar tissue from the 1st surgery but does not allow for more damage to the existing heart valve. Please pray that the heart valve will be able to be adequately repaired without the use of a metal heart valve. We rest in the fact that we serve a God that is in control of everything!!

(Watch the blog...we'll be updating with more photos from Ethiopia. Phil came home with almost 400 pictures of the most beautiful country and people you can imagine. )

Acacia Village Ground Breaking

This is a picture of an Acacia tree in Ethiopia. Christian World Adoption/Foundation's new orphanage complex is named Acacia Village. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Acacia tree offers shelter and protection and this is the goal of the new CWA complex.
Phil and Ken were honored to attend the Ground Breaking for Acacia Village.
This is a picture of Bob & Tomilee Harding, founders of Christian World Adoption and Christian World Foundation, at the groundbreaking ceremony. They have put so much of themselves into making this dream, the Acacia Village, a reality. They are truly selfless and have a passion for the children in Ethiopia. Phil says, "We truly can see God is working through CWA in Ethiopia!"

There were 65 children at the groundbreaking. They were all wearing flowing streamers and hats which said, Welcome to CWAE (Christian World Adoption Ethiopia.)

All of the children present at the groundbreaking are orphans. CWA has been caring for these children in temporary housing while beginning the Acacia Village. Praise God that all of these children are placed with families! After waiting for the required court dates and paperwork, their parents can fly to Addis Ababa to pick them up.

Phil says, "The people are more content and friendly here than in any other country I have ever been to... despite the fact that it is the poorest country in many ways." Phil has been blessed to travel internationally, serving on missions trips to Australia, Mexico, and Peru. He's also been to China for the adoption of one of our daughters. He has enjoyed all of these countries but is struck by the sweet spirits of the Ethiopian nationals. The expression on this little girl's face seems to embody that spirit of contentment.

Phil and Ken (a friend of ours and cinematographer) landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, on Saturday morning (Ethiopia time...8 hours ahead of us). They connected with Bob and Tomilee Harding, who had flown down a few days earlier, and had "planning" meetings for the events of the upcoming 7 days. They were in the capitol city, today, for the groundbreaking and on Monday they will visit one of the children's homes. On Tuesday they will travel to Awassa (a small village) and Soddo....about a 7 hour car trip from the capitol. They will have the privilege of meeting orphans waiting to be matched with loving families as well as meet some nationals and hear their stories.

Now for some fun details of their day...Today, after the groundbreaking, the Hardings, Ken and Phil were invited to attend a dinner at the Ethiopian Presidential Palace. Phil says, "It was quite an experience seeing the culture of the Ethiopian people around their President. We were able to greet him from about 10 feet away. He had about 10 men around his table that would make any NFL line look small."....he goes on to say, "one thing they served we did not try...large pieces of raw beef. They hung the halves of the cow right on the porch area and you could walk up and point to the piece you wanted." Phil enjoyed the dinner, getting to spend time with the guests, and of course he was honored to be invited to attend!!

After returning to their hotel, Ken and Phil were riding the elevator when Haile Gebre Selassie joined them. According to one article, Haile is "regarded universally as the greatest distance runner of all times." ..."As a child, Haile, ran 10 kilometers a day each way to go and come back from school. At age 16, without any formal training, he entered the Addis Ababa marathon and finished in 2:42." Amazing!! Haile has gone on to compete and medal in 3 Olympic games and has broken many standing long distance records. I've included a photo, from the internet, of Haile in one of his races. The photo next to it is of Haile and Phil at the hotel. Phil said, "standing next to him helps me understand why I am not a distance runner:)." Please continue to pray for the Hardings, Ken and Phil as they travel in Ethiopia.

Surgery Again!

LET IT SNOW!! The girls enjoyed our 1st snow of the season. And Sarah Mei loved sledding!!

After the snow melted, we had an appointment with Sarah Mei's pediatric cardiologist. He gave us the news that Sarah Mei will need another open heart surgery. Her heart still has moderate to severe regurgitation which is causing the left side of her heart to enlarge. At this point it is double the size of her right chambers (they should be equal in size.) We will be making the trip to MUSC, in Charleston, shortly after Phil's return from Ethiopia. MUSC has a 3-D echo machine which employs state of the art technology. The surgeon will use these images to "plot a course" for the next surgery. Please pray with us that Sarah Mei's valve will be able to be repaired. If it is inoperable, the surgeon will be forced to replace the valve with a metal heart valve. This option is a last resort as a metal valve, at this age, causes many health related complications.

We praise God that we live in a place and era where we have access to such amazing medical technology. We're reminded how blessed we are, as we think about parents and children in underdeveloped countries, that don't have medical options at their fingertips. Phil will witness this first hand as he will land in Ethiopia tomorrow morning.

Sarah Mei continues to keep us all laughing with her infectious grin and her sunny personality. Her heart condition is causing no noticeable ill effects other than slight fatigue. Here she is helping Torie bake a cake.

While in China, Torie and I purchased Chinese traditional outfits for Sarah Mei and AnnaGrace. The girls enjoyed wearing them during the Christmas season.

Check the blog, daily, as Phil plans to update it with images and impressions of the people and country of Ethiopia. Pray for his safety and for God's direction as Phil prays about God's leading, for our family, in helping the orphans of this world. "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 by the world." James 1:27

The Hunt for the Perfect Christmas Tree & ETHIOPIA

One of our long-standing family traditions is cutting down a fresh Christmas tree each year. Here the girls are searching for the "perfect" tree...

When we finally found our tree, each girl had an opportunity to try their hand at the saw. Sarah Mei thought the entire tradition was a blast!

Her favorite part was taking the last sip of Torie's specialty coffee

The crew proudly displays the tree "bagged" in the back of the truck. Now it's time for the trek home and the lights...

Now if you're wondering what cutting a tree and Ethiopia have in common....the Acacia tree. The Acacia tree is a tree in Ethiopia which offers shelter and protection from the elements. Like the Acacia tree, Christian World Adoption and Christian World Foundation, (sister organizations) are offering protection and shelter to many of Ethiopia's orphans. Phil and I have been praying about ways to champion the cause of the 143 million orphans in the world, and recently Phil was given an opportunity to make a difference in Ethiopia. Phil and a professional photographer, Ken, along with the founder and co-founder of Christian World Adoption and Christian World Foundation, Bob and Tomilee Harding, will be traveling to Ethiopia in mid-January. CWA (the adoption agency we used for both of our adoptions) in conjunction with CWF have been given an opportunity to build an orphanage and medical center 20 minutes outside the Ethiopian capitol city of Addis Ababa. CWF has the land but now must raise $3 million dollars to proceed with the building of the facility. While fundraising is in progress, CWA is caring for literally hundreds of Ethiopian orphans ready for adoption. They have several temporary rental homes where the children are being housed. Phil and Ken's "mission" is to travel to Addis Ababa and to a town 7 hours south of the capitol city. They will be shooting footage for a promotional DVD to be used for project fundraising. They will also be shooting footage and taking photographs of the waiting children in hopes of using the material to help place them in loving homes here in the United States. We are so excited about this open door and ask for prayers for safety and health for the traveling crew and, most importantly, for many homes to be found for the sweet waiting children of Ethiopia.

(If you'd like more information on Christian World Adoption's waiting children or the Acacia tree project, you can visit the website http://www.cwa.org/ and click on the right Acacia tree button.)

October Update

It's been six weeks since Sarah Mei's surgery and life is getting back to normal (whatever that is??) Her recovery has been amazing despite several setbacks (a cold, turning into a respiratory infection, a visit to the ER, steroids (boy do those make a girl moody!!!), antibiotics and breathing treatments...phew.) However, Thursday was the follow-up appointment to the cardiologist, and we got the "all clear" to take her out in public...yippee! Her cardiac regurgitation is still moderate, so we'll visit the cardiologist again in 4 months. A 2nd surgery is a possibility but it could be in months, years or never. We're so thankful that we serve a God who knows every hair on our head and is in charge of it all!! We find great peace in this and know Sarah Mei is firmly in His hand. We are continually reminded of the verse He gave to us when we 1st began the adoption process for our little Hunan doll..."You hem (her) in-behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon (her)." Ps. 139:5 The Psalmist goes on to say, in the next verse, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." Ps. 139:6. This is definitely how Phil and I feel as we watch God's hand of protection and provision in Sarah Mei's life.
Last week Phil's school had a week off, for their traditional fall break. We capitalized on this time and went to the beach. We decided, "how many germs could Sarah Mei be exposed to in the wide open sand??" It was a great time of fun, laughter and relaxation. My parents were able to travel with us which was an extra special bonus! The following pictures are a "snapshot" of our trip. Enjoy and praise God for His beautiful creation.

Sarah Mei...5 weeks after open heart surgery!

This is the child who screamed at bath time when we 1st brought her home. I think she's getting used to the water!

Michaela plays with Sarah Mei in the surf.

AnnaGrace beginning a sand castle creation.

Sarah Mei even had to have her "blankie" (yes, we know it's a washcloth but somehow saying where's your "washcloth" just sounds strange??) on the beach.

Sarah Mei, asleep in Elaine's arms, after a full morning of playing in the sand and surf.

Torie knows how to enjoy an afternoon...floating down the Lazy River and reading a good book.

Torie introduces Sarah Mei to the joys of whipped creme on top of your hot chocolate. What are big sisters for but to teach you the finer things in life!

We continue our annual tradition of playing putt-putt golf on the day we leave the beach. This was the fanciest course we've been to...complete with an indoor fountain.

Elaine and Torie try not to look too triumphant as they put an end to Phil's long winning streak. Elaine won in 2006 and Torie was the victor this year. (Phil had been the victor in all previous years.) Now the women have to prepare for 2008 and defend their title!

This was the 1st year AnnaGrace was old enough to "really" play with us. She even got a "hole in one." You go girl!

Sarah Mei is sure she'll be ready for competition next year.

2007 at the beach.

(Thanks Bryant's for this great beach photo idea. It will be our new beach photo tradition.)


"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it." Psalm 24:1