Hi,
I didn't adopt from Ethopia, but I have experienced no support. I adopted my son via fost/adopt and my family was completely against it. I remember telling my aunt that God was calling me to adopt and she told me maybe God was calling me to teach children's sunday school. I'm dead serious, she said that to me. I told her I didn't think so and perserved.
I knew my family would love my child once he or she was in my arms but before, it wouldn't be pleasant.
When I finally got the call, I was praying and wondering if this was the right situation for me. I decided to ask my mom (also my roomie) what she thought. She told me, I shouldn't adopt until after we came back from our vacation. At the time, our vacation was 5 months away. I wisely ignored her and said yes.
22 months later, Jory's Oma is madly in love with him. Madly in love with him. A store opened across the street from her job and for the past few weeks, I've been seeing knew trucks or cars being added to his toy box. She loves picking him up from daycare and is very bothered if I tell her not to because I'm picking him up. He has filled a space in her heart and life that she didn't know was missing. The rest of my family is also besotted with him.
My mother is still anti-adoption. She believes every man and woman should raise their own child. I told her in a sin-free world that would happen, but that's not the world we live in.
I finally explained to my mom that adoption is a gift, like preaching, teaching, missionary work. They are all gifts from God and He doesn't give everyone the same gift. He gave me the heart to adopt, but not her. She tells that to people now. "Yash says it's a gift from God and it must be because I don't have it."
I'm currently paperchasing for baby number 2 from VN and I'll tell her about this after I get my referral or maybe my travel date.
All I can say is stay strong. If your family, friends, and church family aren't accepting of your baby when he or she comes, then have faith that God will provide you with new loved ones and a new church that will welcome you both with open hearts and arms.
God bless,
Yash