Niger - Home of the Poor

My wife and I are hoping to adopt our second child. I don’t know why, but for years I’ve had a heart for Africa. I want my future church plant to commit there long-term, and I have always wanted to adopt a black child. People question why from another country (the thought crosses my mind as well), but I just consider the opportunity, or lack of opportunity, for the basics for children from a place such as Niger. Depending on which site I saw last night, Niger is either the poorest, or the second poorest, nation on earth. People there live on less than $1.00 per day - I probably burn that in electricity at home when I’m not even there. Women there have a lot of children. I think the highest birth rate in the world, something like 8 kids per woman., however they will probably lose 3 of them before their first birthday. I’m not sure how many orphans there are, but I suspect it’s a lot.

So why Africa? I don’t know for sure, but I love that continent and pray that God will raise up men and women in Africa that will effect change. Kids that will impact every domain of society in Africa - government, the military, education, business, healthcare, all of it. As a mentor of mine in church planting says - “maybe the next Martin Luther or Billy Graham will come out of Africa, or China, or some remote village in South America”. And maybe, just maybe, God will open the door for us to adopt a child from a country like Niger and he will be raised up in the Lord and love his country so much that he will give up everything to effect change in his country, or maybe he will plant a multi-ethnic church in Vancouver, or maybe he will simply love his wife and children and work as a copy repairman in some Dallas suburb and teach a 3rd grade Sunday School class.

I don’t know if any of this will happen, but I think that’d be pretty incredible. Lord, your will not mine.