I wanted to begin this week's waiting kids post with something that's been on my heart for a while and I've just now been able to put into words. You see, it wasn't just in China that did this to me. Maybe it was before we adopted Luke. Maybe it was in the process. Maybe it was after we got home and I started doing advocacy work. I'm not really sure, all I know is that somewhere along the line, my life was changed. My mind was blown. And my perspective on life and my priorities have changed alot. I'm not worrying about whether or not I'm going to be missing my favorite TV show. Hey, I never watch TV anymore at all. In the good words of a advocacy friend, Ashton, "Never again was I going back to the sitting on the couch flipping the channel when the commercials we all know about came on. Those days were gone. God changed my heart. He broke me into 10000 pieces for the Orphan. the Forgotten." In fact, Ashton's whole post and the blog that she shares with her friend Taylor speaks just what I feel. Please visit it
here. You can look for the post, "Forgotten" by Ashton. For me, this just describes in another way what I'm telling myself and anyone who will ask why I care so much about the orphans in China. I will not let go. I won't allow myself to overlook them because I have my life safe and good.
You don't understand the love for the Chinese that we have until you go there yourself. It's an over populated, communist, down in the dumps country, but the people are sweet as sugar. They are some of the nicest people I've ever met-nicer than alot of Americans and above all they need the Word of Jesus. They(the big majority) don't look up to their government, at all. Our guide in Beijing took us by Tianmen Square, and across from it stands the huge building with the big picture of Chairman Mao on it. Our guide said,"The picture is re-painted every seven years,
to keep Chairman Mao looking good." In not so many words, Candy was revealing to us some of the secrets of her communist government. From what I understand, Chairman Mao is the man who started the country in communism.
You see, I don't think anyone is "unfit" to adopt. James 1:27 NIV says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. " There it is, in print, from a Christian Bible passage look up site that I found. In my KJV Bible, it's printed, right there, the word of Jesus, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Farther is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep one-self unspotted from the world." And also, there is a verse a little more known, found in John 14:18, "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." and in NIV, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." So who else may come to them but us? God can't adopt them all into Heaven before they age out. He can't let them come to Heaven when they die, whether or not they have had parents to share the Good News of Christ with them. Believe me, you will see me one day in the Nursing Home telling the residents that they need to get better and get out so they can adopt! :) People say all the time that we can't just sit around and wait for someone else to do missionary work, or someone else to invite a person to church, or someone else to tell the gospel. Why is adoption any different? God has a heart for the orphans, so why should we, made in his own image, not also care for them? Whether it be advocacy, adoption, fostering, or donating to families in need of funds to adopt. Maybe even offering encouragement and websites and agencies to help them dive into the process of adopting.
There's several things that keep people from adopting.
One:
The overall newness of it all. Since it's natural for people, human beings, to be afraid, it's also natural for us to fear the unknown. Not until you really dig into other people's stories do you get used to the idea and all the adoption lingo...PA, LOI, LOA, TA, CA, the list goes on! It's especiallly frightening to alot of people to adopt Special Need. That brings me to another point; Special Need is not a logical term. Cleft lip and palate? That's not a special need, that's a birth defect. Clubbed feet? That's not a special need, either. Neither is limb difference, or missing limbs, either.
Two:
Finances. A friend of ours is adopting from Eithopia, and she is asking 300 people to donate $100. That would cover the cost of the adoption. She has it on her blog, and they're not there yet, but can you imagine how quickly that might happen? Someone on the yahoo group I'm on had a big Christmas fundraiser. They rented a Santa, used their camera to take santa pics, and a friend of theirs lent a digital printer for santa pictures to be printed. They had several buisnesses donating prize baskets to raffle off, and they raised a good deal of money. You can do that, trusting God, and earn the whole amount to adopt. You read right. The whole amount. Yes. And as far as taking care of your children after you're home...well...if God provides for the adoption he'll provide for the home, right?
Three:
Being too old. I have three words for you. Sarah and Abraham. At that time, they were probably in their nineties, if I've heard right. And God wanted them to have children, so he let them. Age doesn't matter to God. That's why he sends angels to children. Age is just a number. I know someone who just became a father in '08 when he was 54. Another adoption was completed after that, and now, at 57, he is again going to be a father to a nine year old girl.
Four:
God's will. Q: Is this God's will or not? A: You'll never know until you try. You have to try it first. If God wants it to happen He'll open doors, if he wants it not to happen, he'll close them.
So now that I've had my share in talking out my feelings for the orphans, I'l climb off my soapbox and continue with the waiting kids. :)
To recieve more information on these children, leave a comment with your email address!
This is
Mei, from BAAS. She is 10. She's beautiful now-Can't you imagine her with long, silky, dark hair? She seems a very nice girl! :)
Her special need is Hepatitis B positive. Mei is a lively, helpful and bright girl who has outgoing personalities. She loves to dance, sing and draw. Updated report on 9-29-10current measurement: height: 123cm, weight: 21kg, head size: 48cm, chest size: 56cm, length of her feet: 19cm Now she goes to a public elementary school and is in third grade. Her personality is lively and she always has a ready smile. She gets along well with teachers and classmates and she is very friendly toward children at the institute. Her grades at school is relatively good and she likes to draw and listening to music.
This is another little girl from the BAAS listing, named
Quinn. Quinn is three. Such a sweet face!
Her special need is having club feet. Quinn's physical and mental development is about the same level as her peers. She likes puzzles and blocks and has good fine motor skills. She understands and follows daily instructions. She can say simple words like "Yes, Good, Ma Ma, Ba Ba" etc
This is
Hunter, from FTIA'S Journey of Hope. He is four and a half. Doesn't he look entergetic?
Hunter was diagnosed with congenital brain underdevelopment. Hunter understands what others are saying to him and can express himself well, although his speech is not always clear. He can speak in complete sentences, makes good eye contact, and is eager to participate in most any activities that are going on around him. His caretakers say that he likes all kinds of food, can feed himself, and is full of energy.
This is
Matt, also from FTIA. He is ten and a half. He looks very gentlemanly, don't you think?
Matt is a stunningly handsome 10 1/2 year old boy. He has such a gentle way about him that makes others greatly enjoy being with him. Matt’s mobility and dexterity is amazing! He has deformity of his right and left hands and a missing fibula bone in his left leg. He moves very quickly with the aide of a single crutch. He is completing the 2nd grade and is considered a smart boy, who does well in school. His caregivers state that Matt “wants to be the best at anything he does.” His happy, extroverted, positive attitude is alluring.
And
Chase, also from FTIA. He is seven. Doesn't he looked loved? Look at the admiring face of the lady next to him. :)
Chase is a vibrant 7 year old boy. He is so handsome and has such a great attitude. Chase has congenital deafness in both ears. He signs to communicate and even performed a beautiful song at the opening ceremony with sign language. Chase is independent in his daily care. He is described by his caregivers as a happy boy, who loves to eat! They even said he could be mischievous. He is extroverted, has a good attention span, and good memory. He will likely need a hearing evaluation by an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist.
And this is
Ben, from Lifeline. He is four and has a $2,250 scholarship available. Doesn't he look so stinkin' cute!!!
Ben's special need is CHD. Ben is stated to like to listen to stories told by his teacher’s. He also likes to play with toys.
This is a girl from the shared list, whom I will be calling
EmmaMarie(I give all children with no English names a made-up name). She is nine years old. She looks well taken care of, and very sunny!
She has what is listed as a black, hairy nevus. About this delicate, beautiful girl: This active young girl is described as happy and contented by her caregivers. She has had several surgeries for multiple nevi. She has normal physical and intellectual development and is very self sufficient with her daily care. She says some simple English words and tells simple stories.
This is
"Abi", also from the shared list, who is eleven.
She is listed as healthy! And what a cutie. :) I see lots of personality on that face!
This is a boy from China, listed with Holt, who is about to age out. So so sad. :( His ID is
B09_220. He is 13. Doesn't he look so happy? I'm sure he'd be so much happier with a family. :)
This sweet little boy came into care in June 2001. He has been surgically treated for cleft lip and palate and also has been diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy. He had surgery in November 2007 to help improve his mobility. He is able to stand, sit and walk short distances without help. He usually requires assistance with stairs. He has some vision problems and his left eye is crossed. He sits in the front of the class so that he can see the blackboard. He is described as an extroverted and clever boy who helps out with the other children. When asked, he stated that he would like to be a pilot when he grows up because he could fly in the sky. His favorite animal is the snail and he also likes the colors yellow, orange and red. He is in need of a family who has experience parenting past his age and is able to provide him with any medical care or therapies that he may need.
And this is
Dalton, from WIAA. He is 3 and a half. Wouldn't he be fun! And he sounds like such a sweetie.
Dalton is such a cute, happy little guy! He is fortunate in that he is part of the Love Without Boundaries program. This program provides excellent education and medical help for him and other children at his orphanage. Dalton has had surgery for a cleft spine and has a shunt for his hydrocephalus. He has had no problems or issues with the shunt and walks and runs. He is right on target with his learning and physical growth. His surgery left him incontinent but we hope an additional surgery may correct his situation. Dalton had a best friend from the orphanage who was adopted two months ago. The mother of his best friend is so anxious for someone to bring Dalton home. She says the following about him:
This sweet one is such a happy little guy! During our trip to bring our son home (Sept. 2010), we were given the great privilege to visit the orphanage. There were 3 boys there that are my son’s best friend so when he saw us come into the orphanage he came running over to see us. He was so happy to see our son. He then began to call me ‘mama’ and reach up to me. He would hold onto my leg and he kept saying that he wanted a mama, too. Through the entire visit, he followed us around. He was walking and running to make sure that he kept up with us. It was absolutely precious! He was extremely social with us and I am forever in love with this little one. Grant funding in the amount of $2500 is available for qualifying families.
Won't you please bring this precious child home and give him the "mama" and "daddy" he so desperately needs.
And this is
Sara, or Natalie, who is currently with Lifeline. This is a post from LWB. She's really just been waiting too long, and she is such a sweetheart, you can tell from her info.
Dance is the hidden language of the soul. – Martha Graham
I wonder what we would learn about Sara if we could but read the language of her soul. She loves to dance. If music is playing, Sara is dancing. For much of her eight years, she struggled with spoken language; perhaps dance became her language of expression at an early age. Now that she speaks fluently with her friends, aunties, and teachers, she still loves to express herself through dance.
Dance is about never-ending aspiration. – Judith Jamison
If you asked her, Sara would probably say she aspires to be a great dancer someday. She has been blessed to have a teacher at our “Believe in Me School in Shantou” who loves to dance and to teach the children the art and beauty of dance. Undoubtedly she would also say that she aspires to have a family of her own — parents who will take video and photos of her dancing and show them to everyone they know, bragging about their beautiful daughter. Sara aspires to feel the security of knowing she is loved unconditionally and will never be abandoned again. She aspires to be loved by someone who will do everything possible to give her a hope and a future – not because of what she achieves or accomplishes, but just because she is precious Sara. We are so lucky to have a short video of Sara dancing with some of her friends. On this website her English name is “Natalie,” and the password to view her video is “natalie2010.” What does her dance say to you? Sara, age nine, first became a student at our “Believe in Me” School in Shantou in 2007 and was previously mentioned in this blog (Sarah: Once Shy, Now Sunny. Still Waiting) in May 2010. This “pretty-eyed, pirate-smile” tiny dancer has danced her way into our hearts and hopefully will dance herself right into a family’s arms.
Don't forget the children from Shepherd's Field who need to be sponsered, such as
Lexi
and
Melanie
and
EthanLeave a comment if you want to know more about these children or any of the numerous others who need to be sponsered/adopted!
Thank you and please remember to pray for these kids who need a home and a family. Pray and see if you just might be it! A friend of ours who just got home with her third adopted child posted this on her blog when she had an advocacy post. I thought it was very sweet.
What if you had another seat at your dining table? A little bed and some pretty dresses? A bookshelf with books? Some ribbons for her hair? A carseat for your car? A few minutes a day to hold her and read to her? A little stool for your bathroom sink? Maybe a swingset? Maybe your family has a sister or a brother for her to play with? What if she is your daughter and she is lost at the bottom of a list with no one looking for her but you? -Redeemed Mama
Or maybe, an old bunkbed and a pair of footie pajamas? Some baseball caps? An old Tonka truck? Some older brothers? A tire swing? Some Thomas the Train videos? A child's tool box? Maybe a little bit of time to play soccer in the backyard? What if he's your son?
Blessings,
Joy
http://www.waitingontheirfamily.weebly.com/
