365 days of learning to open my eyes.

Picture by Esther Havens of Haiti orphans seeing a tray of food coming down the hall. 

Today last year, Scott and I submitted our application to adopt from Ethiopia to our dynamite adoption agency Gladney. What a journey! I was giddy with excitement when I pushed that "sent" button that emailed the adoption application.  We were finally on our way to becoming parents, and to bringing home children that needed a family. What a thrill to do what Scott and I had imagined doing 3 years ago when we were still dating. That first month I had problems sleeping because I kept wondering what they looked like at 2 am. Were they born yet? Was their family going through something heartbreaking? 

Now that we're on the wait list, those 1st-month questions have come back. I'm antsy to see the faces of our children, to get that call that say's we've been matched with our children. But I wouldn't wish away the 365 days of our journey.

It continues to open my eyes. Like Bono reminded me this week, God is always with the vulnerable, and with the poor. And I'm starting to see it. 

Last year, the main reason I wanted to adopt was because I wanted it.  But the journey continues to change me. This journey has had so many of God's fingerprints all over it that it's been overwhelming. I am not just reading a verse that says God cares about orphans, I am seeing through our story, our friends story, my job at Glimmer, and all those people popping into my life along this path that God is moving to change people's hearts to help the over 140 million orphans in the world.  Moving people to act. 

People like Esther Havens -- a talented photographer who is using brilliant photos to spread the word and tell the stories of some of the most vulnerable of children. Check out her fabulous photos in a recent exhibit called "telling stories that change stories." You can purchase a print.  Here is one of my favorites photos and stories about a young man named David who was forced to be a child solider when he was young, and has found forgiveness and peace from God. 


I continue to run into people like Esther that are living a crazy life to help these children. And it's inspiring. And addicting.

Its been a wild, crazy, frustrating ride to get my heart, and feet to go to a place where God has been all along. I started on this journey thinking I was the one doing it. And I'm coming to see that God is the Great Mover. And the Father to all these fatherless little ones. Instead of the being the one that saves a child through adoption, I'm beginning to see how adopting a child may in the end save me instead. 

 “if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in the darkness and your gloom will become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places” Isaiah 58:9-11

Why Ethiopia?

Saw this video posted on Emily's adoption blog. It made me cry. The video is circulating many adoption blogs -- it's from a family who wanted to tell friends why they chose to adopt from Ethiopia.

Makes me love my job at Glimmer even more.

Visiting Orphans in Their Distress -- Zeway, Ethiopia

Watch this moving video and check out my sister Heather's trip to Zeway, Ethiopia to visit the orphans that her group -- Hope in Zeway -- provide food, clothing, shelter and a social worker for. These children don't have parents, but often take care of their siblings. A number of the children her group visited last month are about to loose a parent, and become orphans.

I love the quote that inspires my sister's group: 

"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 Wisdom of Mother Teresa on Orphans

I read this quote on my friend Michelle's adoption blog: “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted,”  Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  The quote reminded me how much wisdom Mother Teresa passed on to the next generation -- especially concerning orphans and poverty. Anyone know of a good biography?


Mother Teresa wrote her birthday as August 27 because it was the day of her baptism.  It's coming up in a few weeks. What better way to celebrate her life, than by reading about it! 


Michelle's family is currently in Kiev adopting a 16-year old girl named Maria.  They're been spending the last week with other teens living in Maria's orphanage.  

A Glimmer of Hope -- A Game Changing Strategy

Have you noticed the growing number of creative non-profits changing the face of how we go about helping the poor? As a generation X-er, I am thrilled! In the 80s, we saw western money dumped on Africa and not doing much good, because it slapped band-aides on the deeper problems. I'm ecstatic to see creative thinkers like Philip and Donna Berber think outside the box. The Berbers founded A Glimmer of Hope, and they're showing us a peek into how a game changing strategy can change lives in Ethiopia for the long haul.

Three weeks ago, I started a new job at Glimmer because of its strategy, it's powerhouse team and its work to lift women and children in Ethiopia out of poverty. As a soon-to-be adoptive mom with a child from Ethiopia -- you can see the attraction. With any non-profit, I want to see where my money goes, and with A Glimmer of Hope that's the best surprise! 100% goes to the project!  The Berbers cover 100% of the non-profit's overhead expenses, so that donors money goes directly to building school rooms, health clinics, water wells and providing micro-finance loans in rural Ethiopia.

Plus, their projects "partner" with the local leaders in rural Ethiopian villages, instead of telling them what to do.  Glimmer's long-term goal to fight poverty in Ethiopia means maintaining the dignity of the people and it's a game changer for the quality of life of women and children.  For example, this year Glimmer will provide clean water to thousands by building 900 water wells in rural Ethiopia. Dirty water is the number one killer of children in the world -- about four million children under five die from just one water-borne disease.  In 2009, Barron's listed Glimmer founders as the 6th most effective givers in the nation, (The Best 25 Givers, Nov.30, 2009).  For adoptive families and donors interested in changes lives in Ethiopia, the Glimmer strategy makes sense when you're looking for the biggest bang for your buck.

Similarly, the ABBA Fund strategy empowers adoptive families to adopt by providing 0% interest loans to adoptive families.  International adoption is expensive, but ABBA's interest-free loans is opening opportunities for all of us. These kinds of inventive funding tools and long term strategies are changing the face of the donor world, and I expect will take off like wild fire.   

While the poor may always be with us, I hope we'll continue to learn to love them better by treating them like people made in the image of God, instead of the faceless masses.  Let hope grow.  Let us love better.    

Want to Run a Half or Full Marathon!? Choose the CHOSEN Marathon

Hey Runners, WannaBe Runners & Friends of Runners! Scott and I are forming a Holder Team to run in the New Braunfels' Chosen: Marathon for Adoption on October 23, 2010. All proceeds of the marathon will benefit orphans!  And if you join our team for this race, 100 % of your registration fees will go towards the cost of our Ethiopian adoption! YEAH!

When registering just put that you want to be on the "Scott & Courtney Holder" team.

Right now, you have plenty of time to start training!!  The course starts in Gruene and finishes at the Guadalupe River.  It's also a Boston qualifing marathon. Go to the links below to find out more about the race.

http://www.marathonforadoption.com/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=241741642361