Along our adoption journey, we have been asked many questions about our process and about where we are going to go get our children. The Democratic Republic of Congo has just recently opened to international adoption, and in fact, up until May of this year, parents were urged not to go there to get their children, but to have them escorted back to the United States because of safety concerns.

Is traveling to the Democratic Republic of Congo dangerous? Absolutely.  And that’s exactly why we must go. Orphans whom we were called to adopt are there, and it’s an even more dangerous place for them.

The truth is, our adoption journey has not been a safe one even thus far. We have been hurt. We have been robbed. We have been shamed. But we have not lost sight of the fact that every step of our adoption journey has been ordained by God.

Nevertheless, God does not lead us to safe places. David Platt, in his book Radical says,

“[God] is good. He is good even when he calls you and me to places that are dirty and disease ridden. He is good even when we end up possibly sharing in the diseases of the people we go to serve.” The diseases aren’t just AIDS or malaria or hepatitis. The diseases of some along our adoption journey have been lying, deceit, incompetence, and fraud. But that does not mean that the calling was a mistake, that our actions were in error, or that God allowed us to go down a wrong path.

Following God’s will isn’t safe. When you are doing the work of the kingdom as you follow Him, it will certainly lead you to dangerous situations. It wasn’t safe for Jesus. It wasn’t safe for His disciples, or the early Church. Why should it be safe now? David Platt writes, “To everyone wanting a safe, untroubled, comfortable life free from danger, stay away from Jesus. The danger in our lives will always increase to the depth of our relationship with Christ.”

 If we only attempt to do what is possible on our own, are we really following anyone but ourselves?

True followers of Christ attempt to do things that would be impossible without God. And that’s what He has called us to do.

We are to go into dangerous places in the world and seek out waiting orphans who have seen many other children leave the orphanage, wondering when it will be their turn, questioning if they will ever be chosen to be a part of a forever family.

We are adopting children from a different race, language, and culture. This too is dangerous, and we know the risks of developmental difficulties, trouble with bonding, and lack of societal acceptance.

We don’t know how we will pay the costs of the adoption. $28,000 is a lot of money to raise in 6 months, and as much as we plan, it will be impossible without Divine intervention. Adopting two orphans half way around the world is financially dangerous.

But our security is not in our physical safety. Neither is it in our bank accounts, jobs, or material possessions.  Our security is not in what others think of us, or even in a culturally accepted family structure.

David Platt again writes in Radical, “Indeed, God knows every detail of our lives, and when we step out in faith to follow Him, He will show us that our greatest security is not found in the comforts we can manufacture in this world but in the faithful provision of the only one who knows our needs and the only one who is able to meet our needs in every way.”

God has called us to dangerous places, and that’s exactly where our greatest safety is found.