Muhsin Muhammad Adoption Story

Carolina Panthers' Muhammad Brings Ethiopian Children Home

On the dusty streets of Addis Ababa, a city in central Ethiopia, it's not unusual to see children of all ages running around barefoot. A country staggered by famine, drought, and the after-effects of civil war, Ethiopia has a high population of orphans who struggle daily for life on its streets. Most of these children lack the essentials they need to live: warm clothing, clean water, and enough food. The sight of these children moved one little boy to action. When six year old Muhsin Muhammad Jr., the son of the Chicago Bear wide receiver with the same name, saw an Ethiopian child without shoes, he stopped, took off his own shoes, and gave them to the boy. The boy responded by throwing his arms around little Muhsin.

The Muhammad family was in Ethiopia for the first time ever, and the experience astounded them. "It was so hard to see so much need in the country and then go home," Muhammad's wife Christa reflected. Muhsin and Christa recently completed their adoption of two siblings from Ethiopia, an eight year old girl and her five year old brother.

The Muhammads had four children when they began to consider adoption in late 2006. After a lengthy time of prayer and research, they chose to adopt from Ethiopia. The family was drawn to Ethiopia by its culture and family structure. Both Muhsin and Christa have a strong heart for helping others, especially children; their M2 Foundation, begun in 1999, focuses on enhancing the physical, emotional, and spiritual development of children.

They also chose an adoption services provider carefully. "We looked at three or four agencies," Christa remembers. "What clinched our decision to adopt through All God's Children was reading the story of Hannah in Jan's book, The Strength of Mercy. After seeing how that story unfolded, we just knew All God's Children was the one for us."

What they didn't expect was the strong ties they formed with All God's Children staff and other families on the path to adoption. "This was a life-changing experience for us, kind of a dream. We felt totally comfortable with All God's Children, how they supported us, and really, it was like family all the way through," Muhsin commented. "Anyone who feels skeptical about adoption should know we felt that way, too, at the start, but we've witnessed the beauty of adoption firsthand."

In some cases, adopting older children is a challenge, but the Muhammads deliberately prayed for children who were not infants. "It can be harder for older children to be adopted, so we wanted to give them the chance," Christa said. "We had room in our home and in our hearts, we prayed about it, and felt God was leading us every step of the way." The new additions to the family, Journey and Maddon, are adjusting well, and enjoying their new life as Muhammads. Click here to view the Muhammad Family Adoption Story.