This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Jodie, the winner of the free item from Erin’s shop.
Well, Erin along with her husband and two children.
Erin is a friend from my high school years (yes, even we homeschoolers have friends in high school!) and she and her husband are in the process of adopting a baby girl from the Congo (you can read more about it on her blog).
Erin and her husband aren’t adopting because they can’t have biological children…they’re adopting because they have a heart for children.
Here’s what she says:
For quite a while, I have felt drawn to adopt. While my heart has been there in the past two years, Chris’ heart has been drawn towards adoption as well. Stephen Curtis Chapman’s website Show Hope shares all the statistics and identifies the tremendous need for adoption.
One statistic that really stood out to us is: “If only 7% of the 2 billion Christians in the world would show hope to a single orphan, looking after the child in their distress, there would effectively be no more orphans. We can each do something.”
Though you and I might not be called to adopt, we can help the 7% who ARE called to adopt, and that’s why I’m writing this post today.
As you know, adoption is very expensive, and Erin is using her creative talents to help raise some funds. She buys shirts from thrift stores, dyes them, and stamps them with hand-carved lino stamps.
The profits from the sale of these shirts goes towards their adoption expenses.
Erin sent me a couple of shirts so that we could try them out, and my girls just love them.
Zoe ‘s super excited about having a bicycle shirt since she loves her bike so much, and Lisey feels sure her shirt is the most comfy shirt in the world.
I think it’s really awesome that Erin is upcycling by breathing new life into discarded shirts (as you know, making old clothes new is a passion of mine!)
If you’d like to help Erin and her family bring a little girl home, you can buy one of these shirts from her etsy shop, Dandelion Dreams.
There are a couple of other ways you can support their adoption efforts as well, and more details of those are on Erin’s blog.
Today, Erin wants to give away one item from her shop to one of you for free! To enter, just leave a comment on this post, and in 24 hours, I’ll randomly choose a winner.
Christal
Tuesday 13th of September 2011
Not that I don't admire her for adopting, I really do, by why not adopt someone from the U.S.?
erin
Tuesday 13th of September 2011
Hi Christal, The main reason we are adopting from the DRC is that its really where our hearts were led to *as a couple*. My husband has some background studies in Africa. We both believe that any child without a loving family is tragic, foreign or domestic. There is a lot of violence of women in the DRC (I think its competing for #2 after Afghanistan) and prostitution at a young age, which is one factor in choosing. However I know there are children treated violently here in the US. We are certainly not discounting their pain and do pray for them along with the other millions of children over the world hurting and lonely. The DRC simply is where our family has been led for our child. Thanks for asking. :-)
Kristen
Tuesday 13th of September 2011
I think it's great to adopt orphans here in the U.S., but I also think international adoption is important. We shouldn't ignore hurting people just because they haven't happened to be born in our own country.
Crystal C
Tuesday 13th of September 2011
I Love Erin's shirts!! I bought 2 for my girls, I would love one for me too! So excited for their adoption journey and bringing their little girl home!
Dani
Monday 12th of September 2011
Erin is actually the one I found your site through. Thank you so much for spreading the word about her and her family.
Rafael
Monday 12th of September 2011
I stumbled on your page earlier today and this post struck a particular chord as I was adopted from Bogota, Colombia in 1989 by a family in West Virginia. My adoptive parents and all the opportunities they've given me by including me in their family have been the greatest gift I could have ever hoped for and I'm so blessed that they were able to adopt me. I hope very strongly that your friends are able to have great success in their adoption pursuits and that their current children are loving, patient and caring towards their new brother or sister.
Salutations,
Rafael from Charleston, West Virgina
Kris
Monday 12th of September 2011
As an adoptive mom (domestically), I have a heart for other families who adopt. Adoption is truly a calling. Thank you for supporting your friend.