What Makes Our Program Unique?

Why would you choose to adopt through an unlicnsed agency, or one who is using a partnering agency to do the actual court work in Ethiopia?  Despite our small size and the fact that we are a networking agency, rather than a licensed agency in Ethiopia, we believe that Fields of Promise has some wonderful advantages to consider for your family.

First, we believe that our SINGLE FOCUS on the country of Ethiopia is our strength, rather than our weakness.  Having lived in this country for a year and spent time getting to know the culture and the people, we believe that the program we have put together is very solid.  We wholeheartedly trust the indigenous NGO’s and their staff that we have chosen to partner with, and we believe you will be thrilled to know where your funds are going once you see these organizations up close. 

Secondly, our HUMANITARIAN/MINISTRY focus makes us unique.  As you will see when you look at our fees, we are one of the lowest cost programs available for Ethiopia.  If we have no paid staff in the U.S., why can’t it be even cheaper?  Because the primary reason we are working in Ethiopia is to be able to fund effective humanitarian programs that are Kingdom-focused.  The programs we have partnered with are all ministry-minded, focusing on the spiritual needs of the Ethiopian people as well as the physical needs, and we believe we are supporting the very work that God has put in our path.  We are not directing a small portion of our funds to development projects as part of our obligation in order to place children for adoption.  We are directing over half of our International Fees to our programs and staff in Mekelle and surrounding areas.  Our development work in Ethiopia remains our primary focus.  We pay a portion of our fees to the child placing agency who is handling the court work in Ethiopia.  The majority of the rest of your fees will go to make a difference in children's lives in Ethiopia.  For some families, this is very important.

In addition, our PASSION FOR PLACING WAITING CHILDREN is worth noting.  We will not be an agency who places a large number of infants.  We would be very surprised if this happened, since there are not a large number of babies needing homes in Ethiopia.  The orphanages and care homes and sponsorship programs are filled with children ranging in age from 4 to 18.  When parents die in Ethiopia, they leave behind sibling groups and older children, and occasionally a young child.  It is our passion as an agency that our placements will reflect this reality.  We hope to place older children, sibling groups, and an occasional infant when this is what God puts in our path.  We will not seek out babies who are already being cared for in a mother’s arms.  When a mother comes to our staff complaining of poverty,  we believe the best resource we can offer her is job training or sponsorship assistance, so she can keep her child.  We will work with the children who God places in our path, one child at a time, seeking to recruit families for these who are the most needy.  If your family’s number one priority is finding as young an infant as possible, this is probably not the best agency for you.  We can recommend several excellent agencies working in Ethiopia who are placing a high number of infants.  If, however, your heart is open to considering a child that may be a bit older, or may have a sibling, or even two siblings, then we would love to hear from you!

Finally, we believe that the PERSONALIZED SERVICE you will receive from our agency will be like a breath of fresh air.  When you call or email, you won’t be one of hundreds or even thousands that we are working with, you will be one of a very small handful of families that we will work with at any one time.  Our goal is to be intentional in our efforts to stay small, so that each family receives the attention it deserves.  We have designed our program with this in mind, so that we are not desperate to recruit more clients in an effort to pay our bills.  We will work only with Christian families who provide a pastoral reference.  We will provide personalized, professional service. We will keep you informed and educated throughout the process so that you do not feel alone.  Working with Fields of Promise should be a rewarding experience that leaves you more familiar with Ethiopia, equipped to handle the child that God has for you, and feeling as if you are part of our ministry team.

So is Fields of Promise the agency for everyone?  Of course it isn’t!  We trust that God knows exactly who the families will be for the children He has placed in our path, and we eagerly wait to watch Him do the work needed to put the two together!