We learned of a number of travesties as we walked through our
adoption journey. Two of them, I feel God has called me to do something
about.
All children "age out" of the orphanage
between the ages of 12 and 14 depending on the country. Happy Birthday,
there's the door. Imagine your child put out on the streets with the
shirt on their back at such a vulnerable age! They are trafficked, enter
gangs or simply starve.
The other heart
breaking (besides life in an orphanage) fact that we encountered was
that many special needs orphans start out with the healthy babies but at
the age of 4 or 5 transition to mental institutions. The conditions are
so harsh that over 80% die the first year. They are tied to their beds,
underfed, hosed down once a week, etc. Matter of fact our daughter had
rope marks around her ankles just from the regular orphanage.
Once
a child enters the institution there is no turning back. They are not
available for adoption and stay there until they pass from this world.
Many
families are opening their hearts and homes and receiving blessing
beyond their wildest dreams but not enough are being saved. Still
millions languish in these conditions.
We are
in the process of putting together a project that will create group
homes, in country, for these children. We hope to throw the birthday
party and welcome these children into a safe/Godly home and
working/sustainable farm environment. After our fundraising experiences,
we've learned that self-sustaining is critical. Then the money that we
continue to raise can be used to open more homes. Our goal is to
multiply these homes all over the world.
If we
are to accomplish this, we need a community to support us; in prayer, in
financial support, in leg work, IT and eventually mission teams to
build the homes on each property. There's so much to do and pay for!
But,
as one of my good adoption friends shared with me, God pays for what He
wants. It will be done in His time. God is in the business of saving
the precious orphans. His heart is even more broken than ours.
Our inspiration!
Our inspiration!
