I am so honored to be a part of Kidmia’s blog. I was introduced to Kidmia through my good friend Matt Brost, who just happens to be the Executive Director. Matt is giving me the opportunity to share with you, the reader, about different aspects of what is going on at Kidmia. I am just a passionate supporter who shares in the hope we have in Jesus Christ and His ability to change Ethiopia’s view of adoption.

For my first blog, I get to highlight God’s work through Sally Baer and her family. Sally and her husband Tom will soon be moving their family to Ethiopia to begin their mission work for Kidmia. I hope you are encouraged, as I am, by the Baer’s story.

Sally describes her family’s journey as one of loss brought together by God. They have all experienced great loss in their lives through an abusive marriage ending in divorce and leaving a child with no father and through a plane crash taking away a wife and a mother. Tom and Sally met years after these tragic events and quickly recognized God’s sovereignty in their meeting. God brought Tom and Sally together with great plans in mind. Sally’s passion for mission work quickly rubbed off on Tom when she took him to Haiti for a mission trip. Their heart for adoption began when they married and cross-adopted their daughter Emily and son Wilson and in 2003 adopted Andy from Kazakhstan. These five were living the “American Dream” with successful careers and living in a beautiful five-bedroom house sitting on large acreage. This all changed, over night, when Tom came home from work and told Sally he knew they needed to be in full time ministry. That night, they prayed for God to lead them and declared they would be obedient, no matter what. The next day, they began the process of getting rid of all their belongings and started training to be missionaries.

The Baer family headed to Kentucky for Tom and Sally to attend seminary. While there, they attempted to adopt a boy from Guatemala. He died at five weeks old and they decided to forgo adoption for a while. They went through times of frustration with the uncertainty of their path. Tom was advised to take a pastoral position to make sure mission work was where he belonged. They landed at a church in Lake Ontario and Tom quickly realized he was not made for a desk job, but he needed to fulfill his obligation to the church. While there, they decided to adopt a little girl, Sophie, from Ethiopia through The Gladney Adoption Center. When Sally went to pick up Sophie, she had an overwhelming feeling she would be back in Ethiopia for an extended period of time. Tom was given the opportunity to go over to Ethiopia and had the same realization that their family was being called to live and work in Ethiopia.

This family, with a passion for mission work, specifically for Ethiopia and adoption, was eventually connected with Kidmia. We can learn so much through the Baer’s story, but God’s sovereign hand at work stands out the most to me. On May 6, Tom and Sally are taking their family and moving to Ethiopia with only 13 plastic bins carrying all their belongings. Please pray for their safety as they travel and for the hearts of those in Ethiopia to be significantly impacted through their efforts.

joyfully blogging,
tori rubinson