Today an orphan died in China.
He was a beautiful, precious little boy who had his whole life ahead of him. He was living with a foster family. He was receiving monthly transfusions thanks to the amazing group of thal moms I call friends here in the states. His paperwork was being prepared for adoption. Unfortunately, any illness can have a significant effect on the severity of his thalassemia. When an illness that caused diarrhea swept through the orphanage the last week, it was too much for his little body to handle. He passed from this life into the arms of Jesus.
My heart is heavy again today. I will never be able to hear of an orphan dying without being overcome by sadness. This isn't the first thal child who has died...
This sweet girl mattered too. She deserved a family. She deserved to get the best doctors coming to her aid. But she lost her fight and passed into the arms of Jesus too.
I've often been asked "Why not adopt from foster care?" I've been told that there are so many kids here in the US and we should "take care of our own" before we help the world. I'm not going to argue these questions or points at all.
I simply believe that children matter. ALL children matter. ALL children deserve to have the love of a family. Someone to kiss their boo boos. Someone to hug them and tell them they can do anything. ALL children deserve to have food on the table. ALL children should have the opportunity to get an education. ALL children deserve to get the medical care they need to get better.
Today an orphan died in Yulin, Guangxi, China.
And so did others... In China. In Russia. In Ukraine. In Ethiopia. In India. In Uganda. In Honduras. In so many orphanages around the world these precious children, who have already experienced unimaginable loss, continue the fight of their lives.
An estimated 143 million orphans can be found in countries worldwide.
I believe that all of us have a responsibility to these children. God calls ALL of us to help.
Pray for ONE. If you need a picture, a story, and a name. I know plenty of them. Make one child your priority to pray for every day while they wait for a forever family to take over those prayers.
Sponsor ONE. Amazing agencies are doing amazing work in countries worldwide. They are making a difference everyday in the lives of children throughout the world. I would be happy to point you in the direction of some that I know.
Foster ONE. If you are one of those who has a heart for America's children, I encourage you to reach out to your local social services and find out what it takes to become a foster parent.
Support ONE. At this moment, I know of at least twenty families who felt God's call to adopt a child, even though they didn't have enough in their bank accounts to cover an adoption, and took that step out to help care for ONE. I'd be happy to show you families that you could support.
Adopt ONE. If you think you might be willing to bring a precious orphan into their forever, please email me. MEPSCOASTIE@YAHOO.COM. I will be happy to lead you to the agency and program that's right for you.
I pray that this message reaches you all. I pray that a precious little boy's death will be the catalyst for something good to happen. Today an orphan died in China, but I pray with all my heart that others won't have to.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Prov 31: 8-9
"Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." Matt 18:5
Thanks for stopping by,
Fannie
Well said my friend!!! Makes my heart hurt too...
ReplyDeleteWell said!!!
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking and so true! I am adding your link to my post tonight because readers need to read your words and hear your heart! WAKE up church!!! XOXO
ReplyDeleteSo many children don't make it to family day. So many wait for a family day which never comes. I am adding a link to your post to my blog. The more people who see what not getting adopted or getting adopted soon enough means for children throughout the world, the more people who may begin to care enough to take action. My heart breaks for the children I couldn't bring home. My heart breaks for you. And it breaks for the children who don't get a chance.
ReplyDeleteDear reader who disagreed and said that "buying" a child internationally is feeding into a system of corruption... My son would have died in China. And so would my daughter to be. While I agree that there are issues and that children have been exploited, the Hague convention has helped to make progress. I agree that the system isn't perfect, but I ask you what is worse? To turn our eyes away from the medical needs of orphans and refuse to do anything as a way of "standing against" the system? To let children die who could have lived?? Our savior doesn't think that he should give up on us because we were born into a broken system. I have felt his calling toward the children the world has forgotten and I will answer that call. As I said clearly in my post- I believe in helping children. I believe we all have a responsibility. If your calling is to push for reform than I encourage you to do that. But to ignore these children until the world fixes all it's problems is something I cannot and will not do. Praying you find your calling to help. It sounds like maybe you have?
ReplyDeleteWe are blessed three times by adoption after raising our three bio kids. Sadly my extended family did not like our choice, to not "sit on the porch drinking lemonaide" once they were leaving for college but we welcomed a multi SN child home. She is now 11 and struggling with daily severe pain. I've pushed myself so hard to cope with the "negative" or dysfunction in others that my own health is now failing. The three little ones are NOT the cause! Trying to stay centered against so much negative attitude, lack of concern or support, finding that most of our "support" people really only cared if we were giving or doing for them. Once I was nearly homebound four years with such an ill child unable to meet their expectations they abandoned our kids. The emotional loss our adopted children have faced is one thing, but for grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult cousins, neighbors and even God parents to step out of their life after doing hurtful things breaks my heart. Ironically they think I've had a heart attack from a potentially fatal endocrine disorder. These children do not deserve more pain, loss or grief! Hearing an orphan died hurts. We did want to adopt again but it has been like swimming upstream to those who do not grasp how ALL children deserve a loving family! I wish I had one and until we adopted I did not see how broken those around me really are. I hurt for them. They years of joy they have missed watching these awesome young ones come to us, we were strangers then suddenly family. To see the obstacles their SN gave them yet they never looked at it as a struggle. They were HOME! This IS their life, their family and boy do we put the FUN in dysfunctional if adopting more children AFTER the age of 42 is crazy, then they can sentence me. I know many will never look at orphans as something they need to care for, but for those of us who do, it is our passion and our choice but why not all children? We did look into domestic foster care. We just found too many obstacles and we are still looking that direction "if" I turn out to be okay. If not, our older three now nearly 30 will fight over who steps in and each of them plan to also adopt when its time to build their family. Plus it was their idea in the first place over a decade ago. What a miracle we have lived...but we can still hope for more!
ReplyDeleteMarie
Great Post!
ReplyDelete