Why Bulgaria?

Well, first of all, there are just some flat out logistical reasons. Bulgaria requires two shorter trips into the country, versus one very long trip like many South American countries. It's hard to pick up and leave for a month or more when you have two kids! The program we are working through has children available in an age range younger than Violet. That is important because of our desire not to disrupt birth order--or have adopted kids older than our biological children. A big desire in our hearts was to adopt a child from a "less wealthy" country. Honestly, I had never known Bulgaria was a developing country until I did my own research. While I had heard about many troubling stories of orphanages in Romania, I never realized that in many ways, Bulgaria's orphanage situation has been worse.

For you statistics people in the house..here you go! (bc my Kevy likes stats)

• Bulgaria is the poorest country in the European Union (EU).
• Bulgaria is #1 in the EU for the number of abandoned children ages three and under.
• Bulgaria has the highest number of children in institutionalized care than any other country in the EU.
• The #1 reason for so many orphans in Bulgaria is due to extreme poverty.
• Bulgaria pays parents to have children. Therefore, many people have children to get more money but then cannot afford to care for their children and end up sending them to orphanages.
• Most children in Bulgarian orphanages are ethnically Roma. You may or may not know much about the Roma culture; you may be more familiar with the term Gypsy. Gypsy is a highly derogatory term that Roma detest. It is similar to the "n-word" to African-Americans.
• Ethnic Bulgarians do not like the Roma population and are unwilling to adopt their children. Therefore, the primary population in the orphanages are Roma with very little hope of being adopted by a family in their own country.
• Especially in Eastern Europe (and througout Europe in general), Roma face brutal discrimination. In published articles, Eastern Europeans often state that they "hate" the entire Roma people and culture. Roma children have little hope of being adopted into a European family.
• Bulgarian orphanages are highly understaffed and may have only one adult to supervise up to 20 children.

Does the "where" really matter when it comes to adoption? In my humble opinion, NO! God calls us to care for widows and orphans. He doesn't say, "Only care for the super duper poor ones," or "Only care for the ones in your country," or "Only care for the ones abroad." He makes a general statement with a specific job. I do for us to do. believe adoption is a calling.

I also believe some people are called to specifically adopt internationally. For me, I was really hung up on the "where" for a while. First, it was Brasil, then it was Russia, then it was Guatemala, then the Philippines and now Bulgaria. God moved us through a lot of places in our learning and growing through this process.

While I believe our child is in Bulgaria, in the grand scheme of things what matters is we are changing one (or two if God chooses) child's future. We are giving these most vulnerable children caring parents, a home, two sisters, an extended family, and hope for their own future.

We are restoring our future child to their proper place in God's plan as a treasured son or daughter. We are adopting them into our family the same way God restores and adopts us into HIS family--that's what matters.