got 10 bucks? Send a Net, Save a Life.

You have to check out this website. It's great. http://www.nothingbutnets.net

My DH sent a url to me today that said- hey you have to check this out- at first I thought- hmm- Denis sending spam- that's odd.

So I called him-being the cautious computer user I can be.. then...
I couldn't believe it...

There's a company out there- providing Mosquito nets to families in Africa. They have incorporated themselves as a non-profit so your donation is tax deductable and... all of the money you donate goes directly to buying nets. NO ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS... and finally a web developer that gets it- It took me about 2 minutes to figure this all out.

Okay, so perhaps I'm a little too enthusiastic about this-but it's not often that:
a) I can find the information I really want to know in a short period of time on a website.
b) am excited- truly excited about keeping families together and know that providing a tool to a family to protect them from malaria - it keeps parents and children alive. What better gift can you give?

So many people wonder why Denis and I are often okay with the wait. I guess deep down - our dirty little secret and it why most of the time the wait doesn't trouble us-is that I really feel that the longer I wait- the more it means families are able to stay together.

There's so much information out there pointing otherwise-but hey we all need something- and this is what I cling to- even if it is a bit delusional. It helps me think ahead- what can I do to really feel like my adoption is necessary and "making a difference".

If all of us adoptive parents jump in and found a way to keep one child with his or her mom and dad just a little bit longer (or mom and dad with their children)- sure in the end- the wait for our dreams to come true will be longer-but deep down- we'll know we will be making a bigger difference in the world that our children will inherit.

If I know that people are really working together in this world to keep adoption a last resort and that the children I am raising really needed me as much as I needed to raise them-
then to me- is "worth the wait".
"
I'm no Mother Theresa so- now next time I'm desperately wanting the "pitter patter" of little feet in my home- remind me- laugh :-).

So check out the website. http://www.nothingbutnets.net . And if you have an extra 10 bucks - buy a net and save a life.

Here's a snippet from the website:

• "In the poorest parts of the world, where effective window screens are lacking, insecticide-treated bed nets are arguably the most cost-effective way to prevent malaria transmission. One bed net costs just $10 to buy and deliver to individuals in need. One bed net can safely last a family for about four years, thanks to a long-lasting insecticide woven into the net fabric. "
• Malaria has been brought under control and even eliminated in many parts of Asia, Europe and the Americas. Yet in Africa, malaria infections have actually increased over the last three decades. Malaria is a leading cause of death of children in Africa, killing nearly one million children each year.
• Every day 3,000 children die from the disease.

They are not in Ethiopia Yet- but perhaps together we can get them there :-).