Why the Congo?

I am overwhelmed by information as we start this process of choosing a country to adopt from. We have spent so much time in prayer and researching about the different countries and agencies. I am beyond excited because I know that God is going to teach us so much through this process. I am excited for this little child to join our family. I am fully aware that there are going to be many bumps in the road and ups and downs. I know that it will be an adjustment for all of us.

But I am so in love with our Creator and He is teaching me everyday to focus on eternal things and not on earthly things.

I read this quote from a book called red letters which is about a man who had a passion for children born with AIDS living in Africa,

"Jesus is interested in what we're doing with our compassion and acts of mercy. He doesn't care about how religious we appear. If our Christian faith doesn't manifest into something that helps the life of another human being, it doesn't mean squat to Him."

I know that people have all different reasons for adopting. 6 months ago I had no desire to adopt whatsoever, the whole process actually scared me. I thought it would just be too hard.
Man! How God can change your heart so quickly. When I look back on my fears of adopting before they were all for selfish reasons. We want to adopt from somewhere where children are not being given a fair chance at life, ultimately we want to share the Gospel with them, teach them about Jesus and love them with all our hearts.
I am not expecting anything, but trusting God completely and taking this one step at a time.

So back to the point of my post.
Choosing a country has been harder than I thought. I feel like the door has shut on us several times because the country that we feel we want to pursue is not available or we dont meet the criteria, but it's all in His plan.
We met a sweet couple who is adopting from the Congo and happens to live right down the street from us!
So Jarrod and I started researching about the Congo, our heart began to break for the children in this country. Here are some things that I have read:


They have been at war from 1998 until 2003

• Deadliest conflict since WWII
• Over 5.4 million people have died since 1998
• Life expectancy is 46 years
• over 5.2 million Congolese children receive no education
• over 1.2 million people are infected with HIV-almost 60% of those infected are women
• Malaria kills 400 children a day
• the sexual violence against women and female children is the worst anywhere in the world
• Nearly 50% of all deaths resulting from the war are children.
• There are close to 2 million internally displaced persons and 500,000 refugees. These people have been forced to flee their homes, communities and country because of the on-going violence.
  
• Citizens of the DRC are currently the poorest in the world.
• Thousands of children are being abducted, brainwashed and enlisted into military combat as child soldiers.
• One of the largest threats in the Congo is due to a group who disturbingly call themselves the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army), a brutal rebel group Composed of between 200 and 400 combatants. This militia forces hundreds of abductees, many of them children, to fight and commit brutal crimes.

I am overwhelmed for this country. Lord help them.

Psalm 68:6 (Amplified Bible)
"God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell"