DEACON FOR LIFE

Were there to be no support in the whole history of ethical and moral thought, were there no acknowledged confirmation from medical science, were the history of legal opinion to the contrary, we would still have to conclude on the basis of God's Holy Word that the unborn child is a person in the sight of God. He is protected by the sanctity of life graciously given to each individual by the Creator, Who alone places His image upon man and grants them any right to life which they have.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Adoption Slowdown

Adoption Slowdown in Ethiopia Mobilizes All God's Children International

PORTLAND, Ore., March 9, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- The recent plan by the Ethiopian government to slow international adoption by 90% has triggered a call to action by All God's Children International (AGCI), the Portland based non-profit adoption and orphan care agency. Working with the Joint Council on International Children's Services, AGCI is encouraging everyone who cares about the welfare of children to sign the online petition.

"Only 4,000 of the 5 million Ethiopian orphans are adopted worldwide each year, and with this delay many of these children will spend an extra 5 to 7 years living in institutions," reports Hollen Frazier, AGCI's Executive Director. "Our prayer is that through an outpouring of support for these children, this proposed change will be reversed. It only takes a minute to sign the online petition to offer your signature of hope for these voiceless orphans."

AGCI is seeking community support in three ways:

Sign The Petition: A link to the online petition can be found atwww.AllGodsChildren.org
Share: Spread the word to family members, adoptive parents, classmates, and everyone you know! Post, forward and share via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Include it in your email blasts, church bulletin, and announce it at community events.
Have you adopted from Ethiopia? Send up to 3 photos and 50 words or less with what you would like the Ethiopian Ministry of Woman's Affairs to know about your child to advocate@jointcouncil.org by Sunday, March 13th.

The orphan crisis continues to grow, with current estimates putting the number at over 150 million orphans in the world today. In Ethiopia last year, while 2,500 lives were being touched through adoption to the United States, an additional 1.2 million vulnerable children and individuals received assistance from these adoption service providers.

Interview Opportunities: Hollen Frazier and other international adoption professionals from AGCI are available for interviews. Families who have adopted from Ethiopia can also provide the adoptive family perspective.

About All God's Children International: Founded in 1991, All God's Children International passionately serves the world's forgotten children by offering hope through the life-changing ministries of adoption, orphan care and missions. Each year, AGCI unites nearly 200 orphans from around the world with their forever families across the United States. Additionally, AGCI provides orphan care for those left behind, family preservation projects, and short-term mission trips to help provide the shelter, care, and love that every child deserves.