Does Anyone Care?

My fist clenches into a tight ball and shakes and my heart cries out from the deepest depth, does anyone care? It cries..as I look at my child. Through his sweet victories reminding me of what so many are missing, as well as through his leftover scars that are reminders of an old yet too recent life. My heart cries as I look at other children being advocated for.. As I contemplate all the others left behind. As I remember the faces that we left at our son's orphanage. As I hear about a little girl desperately needing a medical procedure to survive. Or the little boy who writes a letter begging for a family as he contemplates aging out onto the street. As I hear others coldly state "we need to adopt kids, HERE." Or, "The process costs too much." Or "But how will my other children be affected.." Or "I don't think I could handle it.." Or...
And I ask myself consistently, how much do we care?? How much do I REALLY care? And what am I REALLY doing about it..?

International adoptions have plummeted 80% over the past handful of years, despite the number of orphans actually increasing.

It’s said if this trend continues, international adoptions would END by 2022. 4 years from now. 4.

I’ve contacted my reps and plead they take up the cause and have asked others do the same. Unfortunately, I have a feeling maybe one or two of my friends outside of fellow adoptive parents contacted theirs.

"Adoption is contested, both in its cosmic and missional aspects. The Scriptures tell us there are unseen beings in the air around us who would rather we not think about what it means to be who we are in Christ. These rulers of this age would rather we ignore both the eternal reality and the earthly icon of it. They would rather we find our identity, our inheritance, and our mission according to what we can see and verify as ours - according to what the Bible calls "the flesh" -- rather than according to the veiled rhythms of the Spirit of life. That's why adoption isn't charity --- it's war." - R Moore

Can I be honest? It feels like if I were advocating for starving dogs down the road that'd garner more response; people would be scrounging up money and ways to help left and right. I hope I’m wrong. But that’s honestly the vibe I’ve gotten ever since educating myself on adoption in general, especially international adoption..

There’ve been many speculations as to why the huge decrease in adoptions abroad. Everything from Hague and tougher eligibility requirements, cost increases, the face of international adoption changing from healthy infant to older child and medical/special needs, and more. We could speculate all the dang day long, but the simple fact remains:: children all around the globe desperately need us, despite whatever excuse we can muster up as to why we can’t help them. Just last week I heard of another sweet child that had died while waiting for a family. You see, children around the globe aren't as privy to medical care (sometimes lifesaving), nutrition, stimulation, and so much more we, Americans, so easily take for granted on a daily basis.

We live in the comforts of our big fancy homes constantly focusing on and idolizing the faces within our four walls while ignoring the dying faces of children abroad. These are not imaginary people, friends. You may think "out of sight out of mind," oh but believe me, they exist. I've seen hundreds upon hundreds of faces of living breathing souls that had they been the only person on earth, our dear Jesus would have died on the cross for them. THAT is their value!!! Each and every one of them worth dying for as our Dear Savior showed us on Calvary. And again.. here we sit, maybe throwing a couple dollars and empty prayers here and there at the problem, then carrying on in our little American dream bubbles that we like to comfortably nestle in.

Friend, I'm asking you..please see how you can be a part of the orphan crisis. Be it donating, sponsoring, educating, giving toward family preservation, or adopting -- we need to be the hands and feet of Jesus in one way or another. So what is your part?? How can you and I make a difference in just one (or more) of these precious children's lives..?

Go to the link below and check it out. The petition closed with not enough signatures. Now go see ALL of the other petitions that easily get 100k signatures in 30 days. My heart is sad and angry. Lord, break our hearts for what breaks yours!!! Pure and faultless religion...

Petition to Save Adoptions