We got a copy of our home study this week, and apparently we sound good.

One of the fun things about the wired world we live in is that you can get a taste for travel without actually traveling. It’s only the slightest taste, but I’ve been enjoying pictures and videos from Ethiopia in anticipation of our trip.

• Video of Shaun Groves’ Compassion International trip
• Random person’s trip to the Middle East and Africa (second half of pictures is Ethiopia)
• Random person’s portraits from Ethiopia
• Random person’s pictures of Ethiopian people and locales.
• Random person’s more stereotypical/National Geographic style pics of Africa (i.e., elephants, giraffes, lip extending rings, naked villages, etc.)
• Or you can take a drive around Addis Ababa (if you don’t get car sick).

And that’s just scratching the surface.

In August 2007 Gene Mason and his wife brought 18-month-old Eden Hope home from Wuhan, China, to Birmingham, Ala. They adopted through Lifeline Children’s Services in Birmingham and the entire process took 22 months. Gene is 37 years old and works as a communications minister at The Church at Brook Hills and also runs Communicorps, a web site sharing communication tips and ideas for ministries and organizations (so, yes, another Church Marketing Sucks connection).

1. What motivated you to adopt?

We actually chose to adopt before we “officially tried” to have children. Our desire as a couple and as a family is to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), and for our family to be a picture of Christ to the world. Adoption is a wonderful picture of Christ, in that he has adopted us into his family–Hebrews says that we are no longer called slaves, but sons of God. So our adoption decision was first and foremost to glorify Christ.

Secondly, our travels internationally have given us a burden for the needs of the world. There are more than 20 million orphan children worldwide who have no mom or dad–orphans in the strictest sense of the word, and more than 200 million who live in poverty. Christ has commanded us to care for them. So to be able to start a family and have the blessing of children while at the same time submitting to Christ’s command and his heart for the world to us was a no-brainer.

Continue reading Adoption Interviews: Gene Mason →

Between our new banners that are popping up across the web, a new Facebook group (currently with 40 members!) and daily conversations, word is really spreading. Which is encouraging. We need as much encouragement and support as we can get.

Sometimes it feels kind of quiet out there in cyberland, so it’s been helpful to see people responding the past few days. Thanks.

Today is National Adoption Day. Go adopt somebody.

OK, it isn’t that simple. But you can do something today to help support adoption. You can show your support for our adoption and spread the word. We’ve created a nifty new header on our adoption page and some slick banners you can add to your site. Add them to your blog, your web site, your MySpace, whatever. The code is available on our adoption page so all you have to do is copy and paste.

We hope you’ll spread the word.

(Oh, and by “we created” I mean we begged and pleaded our good friends at Taylor Design Works to help us out and Mr. Taylor himself agreed. Because while I can talk a good talk, I can’t design my way out of a paper bag.)

Another movie about adoption for you: Bella. Or at least involving adoption. I’m not quite sure how it comes into play. But producer and star Eduardo Verastegui spoke at the White House today as the unofficial ambassador for adoption:

“Families have changed their lives forever after adopting a child. Because it’s not only that a family can give a child a home, but they themselves would have the gift of motherhood and fatherhood. So in adoption… everybody wins.”