While this waiting is tough for us -- it's absolutely nothing in comparison to the wait our little one and others like him (or her) are having to endure.
You would probably agree an orphanage is no place for a child like I always have -- but it wasn't until soon before we started this process that that reality really sank in. When that reality truly sinks in, you feel no other option than to do something about it.
Would you want your baby sleeping on plywood? Eaten up by scabies as they lay on plywood? Failing to thrive from malnourishment because they haven't received surgery for their cleft palate? Laying in bed so much and so long that the back of their heads are completely flat? Never going outside four walls? How about being told that in four months you'll age out at 14 years old and never be able to be adopted after that? Never knowing the love of a mother and father? Never kissed goodnight? Rocked slowly to sleep? For every month a child is in institutionalized care, they are set back at least 3 months developmentally due to neglect, lack of stimulation and one-on-one attention, and other general care. I'm sure you agree that if this isn't okay for our own children, this is not okay for any children. Here and abroad.
Adoption from China (and internationally in general) has fallen to the lowest numbers recently. According to the last recorded data, in 2011, Americans adopted 2,587 children from China -- sounds like a lot, right? That is still just 2% of all the children in institutional care in China alone, and hear this:: just 0.4% of all the orphaned children there!
As of last month, there were around 2,500 children in China alone with paperwork prepared to be adopted on the Shared List (this does not include children's whose files are agency-designated). This is a very very small portion of all of China's orphaned children. But nonetheless, these children still wait. They wait because they are older. They wait because they have "special needs." Needs as little as having a malformed ear. Needs as little as missing a finger on one hand. How is it that we can't find 2,500 or so families for these children? While that number seems large, it's so entirely small considering how many people right now in the US there are with the love and resources to take in one of those children.
Please take a moment and visit this following website that advocates for waiting children in China (and other countries). https://waitingchildinfo.com/
The least yet most we can do is PRAY over each of these faces. Don't be surprised if your heart isn't further moved for these children. As you sit and stare at their faces, your heart will be changed.
Here is Zachary. He's the sweetest lil guy who has microtia of one ear. He's only 1 1/2 years old and perfectly healthy -- just missing hearing in one ear. https://waitingchildinfo.com/2014/10/01/zachery/ Could you open your heart and home to sweet Zachary? Don't let the cost of the process scare you off. So many have completed adoptions starting with absolutely no funds. God places the lonely in families. God's heart is for the orphaned. HE will make a way.
Here is Beau. Beau has stolen a piece of my heart!! Beau is SO precious! Just check out his videos! His "need?" Repaired cleft lip, and currently unrepaired cleft palate. Couldn't you see sweet Beau just smiling with that stellar smile as you kiss him goodnight or good morning??https://waitingchildinfo.com/2014/10/01/beau-2/
Please pray over these children. Pray and seek ways you can help these children. Whether it be by sponsoring one or more each month by just paying $30 or so. By advocating for them. By fostering. By helping and encouraging a local foster family or foster children. By giving towards other families' adoptions. Or last but certainly not least - by considering adopting yourself.
While waiting in this process is at times grueling, it is nothing in comparison to THEIR waiting. 120-140+ million children's waiting. Oh God, please have us see these children as YOU do. Each one is worth DYING for. Worth. Dying. For.
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