Saturday, March 26, 2011
Say Yes
Look at their little faces...oh bless my heart! The little boy who says, "I could feel the LOVE!" - how can you resist that??
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A Broken Heart
I have spent the last week in Eastern Europe, working on adopting our new son! He's a cutie pie. We still have a few more weeks before he'll actually be home, and we're loving him up while we are here.
Look at those teeny fingers! You may notice that they look slightly blue. Not awfully, just enough to notice. That's because our little boy has a hole in his heart. It's fixable, and once we get it fixed, he'll be stronger and grow like a weed! But he's 3 already, and his heart hasn't been fixed yet. Before we got here, we could pretend that it hadn't been fixed because his country didn't have the technology, or because it didn't really need to be fixed, yet. But that wasn't the truth. I knew that, but I didn't want to believe it.
The truth is, my son's heart hasn't been fixed because he has down syndrome. Oh, that makes me cringe.
He has been brought to the heart hospital in Capitol City several times, where they refused him surgery. Because he has an extra chromosome. That's why. that's the reason.
Our facilitator (whom I adore!) told us that everyone will understand if we decided not to adopt our son after meeting him. He is a "difficult case". So, the social workers and inspectors and orphanage staff would understand if we walked away, chose a different child. One who was not a "difficult case". But us walking away would mean the death of our son. As our facilitator said, "There is no line for [our son]." And yet, everyone would understand if we chose to let him die.
There's more that I tried to pretend wasn't real, before I got hear. I'd heard many stories about the horrible institutions, they way people were treated, and the hopelessness of children who were "imperfect". I've even told others. But I always tried to pretend that things weren't like that anymore, that that's the way things USED to be, or RARELY are. Of course, that's not the truth. Things are getting better, and there are a lot of people who care. But there are still buildings where people of all ages are treated like animals, because they can't defend themselves. Places where there are not enough medicine, where there isn't enough warmth, and where there is CERTAINLY not enough love.
In most places, the caregivers are doing the best they can with what they have. They do really care. But there just isn't enough to go around. For example, if you don't have enough money to buy enough food for all the children, there definitely isn't enough money to buy things like birthday presents. Or more than one pair of underwear. Or mattresses that aren't stained, holey, and useless.
I refuse to accept this. I refuse to go on living as if I didn't know what was happening. There are so many ways people can help. Why aren't they? Where is the Church? Haven't we been called to help those in need?
The need is great. God is greater. Go and be His hands and feet.
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me, declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 22:16)
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." (Matthew 25:35)
"Remember those…who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3)
The truth is, my son's heart hasn't been fixed because he has down syndrome. Oh, that makes me cringe.
He has been brought to the heart hospital in Capitol City several times, where they refused him surgery. Because he has an extra chromosome. That's why. that's the reason.
Our facilitator (whom I adore!) told us that everyone will understand if we decided not to adopt our son after meeting him. He is a "difficult case". So, the social workers and inspectors and orphanage staff would understand if we walked away, chose a different child. One who was not a "difficult case". But us walking away would mean the death of our son. As our facilitator said, "There is no line for [our son]." And yet, everyone would understand if we chose to let him die.
There's more that I tried to pretend wasn't real, before I got hear. I'd heard many stories about the horrible institutions, they way people were treated, and the hopelessness of children who were "imperfect". I've even told others. But I always tried to pretend that things weren't like that anymore, that that's the way things USED to be, or RARELY are. Of course, that's not the truth. Things are getting better, and there are a lot of people who care. But there are still buildings where people of all ages are treated like animals, because they can't defend themselves. Places where there are not enough medicine, where there isn't enough warmth, and where there is CERTAINLY not enough love.
In most places, the caregivers are doing the best they can with what they have. They do really care. But there just isn't enough to go around. For example, if you don't have enough money to buy enough food for all the children, there definitely isn't enough money to buy things like birthday presents. Or more than one pair of underwear. Or mattresses that aren't stained, holey, and useless.
I refuse to accept this. I refuse to go on living as if I didn't know what was happening. There are so many ways people can help. Why aren't they? Where is the Church? Haven't we been called to help those in need?
The need is great. God is greater. Go and be His hands and feet.
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me, declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 22:16)
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." (Matthew 25:35)
"Remember those…who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Baby House 19
It's been a little while since I've posted. I've been a bit busy - we leave in just one week to go meet our new son! There's so much to do in such a short amount of time. His new bed is up in our room, his clothes are hanging in the closet, our suitcases are filling up. Oh, how I long to hold my sweet little boy!
He's waiting for us, and we're dreaming of him.
Who is dreaming of Karina? Or Nadia? Miley, or Thomas? These are all children in our boy's orphanage - children who have no mamas coming to rescue them. No mamas putting away little clothes just for them, no names being mulled over, no futures being planned for.
Karina, in particular, desperately needs a family. She will certainly not survive if she doesn't receive medical care soon. Sweet baby girl.
And then there's Easton, Niko, and Sasha. These three boys grew up in the very same baby house as my little boy. They had the same nannies, played with the same toys. But these three boys have now been transferred - moved from the baby house. They are "older children" (but hardly old at 5 years old!) and have minor special needs - making it hard for them to find families. Some great mamas have set up a fundraiser to help these boys find families! Check out the fundraiser HERE and you might even win a great prize!
Consider donating to one of these little children. At the very least, click the link to the fundraiser where you can learn more about Easton, Niko, and Sasha, and the orphans in Eastern Europe. It is a beautifully written post. Plus, they are just too cute!
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