“It was in January 2002 when my adoption adventure began,” recalls Tidwell. “As I was praying about my focus for the upcoming year, I got a mental picture of placing my hand in God’s hand. With my hand open, I let go of everything that I had held so tightly and I put my trust in Him. A couple in my Bible study group shared pictures of their recent trip to Ethiopia to adopt two children. They spoke of the plight of numerous older children orphaned by AIDS. As I looked at the pictures, my heart was nudged toward Africa. When I saw a picture of a man’s hand with an Ethiopian baby’s tiny hand grasping the man’s little finger, I knew this was the path for me to adopt.”