Baby Formula

Dear Family and Friends,
We just got some great news that we will be leaving January 24th to go to Ethiopia and pick up our baby girl. We will be home just in time for her birthday in early February. We are so excited and have a ton to do.

Sadly though, we have heard some distressing news from our adoption agency. Currently there is a baby formula shortage in Ethiopia and none of it is being brought into the country. Third world countries don’t really use baby formula because it is so expensive compared to breast milk. So it is only the orphans that use it and need it.

The orphanage director of Hannah’s Hope (which is the small orphanage that our baby girl is in) has even started buying formula off the black market and says she will do anything to keep the 30 babies in her care from starving. Our baby is okay since every time parents come to pick up their children they are bringing formula. We are all really worried though about the large orphanage in Ethiopia that is near by our small one. I can’t even imagine having hundreds of babies who could starve just because there is no formula to buy in Ethiopia.

All of us parents who are adopting are determined to do something to feed these babies. We are collecting as many cans of formula that we can and are bringing them over ourselves (this is the cheapest way since mailing anything to Africa is so expensive). Even if we have to pay the extra baggage cost that is cheaper than mailing it.

If you would like to help here is how you can:

- Next time you are in the grocery store just pick up a can of formula (no liquid) for babies 12 months and younger to donate.
- Ask you friends to do the same or get your kid’s school involved.
- If you live here in Atlanta you can get them to me either at church on Jan. 11th or some other way.
- If you live in another state, we have families all over the U.S.A getting ready to travel and you can mail it to them (or to me of course).
- You can also donate money to All God’s Children (http://www.allgodschildren.org) and specify that you want it to go towards formula. They will buy it and send it over with families as well.
- We can always buy some formula for you as well if you want to donate money.

Please email me if you can help. Even just one small can of powdered formula will feed one baby and I will personally deliver it to the orphanage. Thank you for all of your support and love during our adoption process. We are so excited to finally go and bring Jessa home.

Blessings,
Sarah