‘What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men …… That is what love looks like.’ - St. Augustine

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Where Are Their Mothers and Fathers?

Every day that you and I wake up and kiss our children good morning, and make their breakfasts, and cuddle them in our arms is a day these children wake up alone.



These are only five of the 100 children at Orphanage #5. Look at their faces. What did they do to deserve waking up every day of their lives without a mom or a dad to love them? Where are their families? Who is going to step up and out of their comfortable lives to say 'yes' to them? Who is willing to commit their life to nurturing and loving these beautiful little souls?

I get emails on a daily basis from people asking how they might adopt these kids. Emails that express sorrow and concern over their plight. Emails that lead me to think there is hope. But out of the hundreds ( yes, hundreds) of emails I have received in these past 6 months, only two families are serious enough to start looking into a homestudy and contacting the DOE in Russia about a particular child. Why?

Why????

I don't understand why so many people would write me and say a particular child is calling to them, and then not do everything in their power to bring that child home. Help me understand. If you feel drawn to a child, and you are in a position to adopt, why aren't you pursuing it? Please tell me! The truth is that if these children are not adopted, most of them will be dead before they reach 25 years of age. Dead. What on earth is more important than finding their forever moms and dads? If you are called, why aren't you moving heaven and earth to make them yours?

Money is no obstacle. I've explained it a hundred times. Even if it takes you a year to raise the funds to adopt, eventually that child will be home. Even if you have to sell all you can and fundraise and take on extra work, eventually that work will pay off -- there will be a child in a home, safe and loved.

Please, please during this Lenten Season, look very closely at your heart. If there is room there for a child, why not commit right here and now to make them yours? It is a long and difficult road - no question -- but there are very few things in this world more pressing than giving a child a home.

Please spread the word -- not only about these 100 children that I so love, but of the estimated 143 million other orphans in the world. They need us. They need more of us willing to sacrifice for them.


7 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:05 PM

    Hi, I'm from south america and I read about your blog from SnowWhiteHeart on Fsnfiction :).
    I don't have much experience with blogs so I don't know how to send you a msg but I really want to donate to the art room and just want to make sure that you will receive the founds, so please let me know if there is a way to ensure this. My mail is sole@personal.net.py.
    I really love your blog, since I have 15 years old I'm 100% positive that I want to adopt some day. There is so many childrens in my country that need a home and the conditions in some orphanages here are no so far behind that the ones you told.
    You are a really inspirational person!
    I wish you and your family the best!

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  2. Thank you Solmendo, if you use the paypal donation button on this blog, the money goes directly to me. I can also email you when I get it to put you at ease! God bless you! Thank you! I hope you adopt, too!!

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  3. It is frustrating, but do not lose focus. We just got home a few days ago (adoption #2) from Russia with our 7th child. I can tell you in my conversations, many are frightened by the expense and that is why I refrain from answering questions about cost. I assure them God will provide. There were times in this past adoption that the agency was asking for money and I did not have it. I assured them it would come, but I had nothing for them.God did provide in His time and now we are home with our new 4 year old son.

    God Bless -

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  4. My family is in the progress of adopting a little boy from Ukraine through NHFC. Guess where I learned about this organization? Yup, right here on your blog. As we are working to raise money to bring our boy home, we are also met with the same frustrations you are feeling. some people criticize us. Some say, "I just love what you're doing, but I could never do that." Some say, "That's awesome!", but they don't offer to help us. But there ARE those who truly get it, and they're in there with us, working to bring him home. We're learning quite a bit about people's hearts. Some days, it frustrates me to tears. Other days, it blesses me to tears, probably like you. Keep fighting the good fight. Don't grow weary. Sound familiar?

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  5. Sincerely Mama, YOU MADE MY DAY!!!!!!!!!!

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  6. Faerie, I hope to adopt again, but it will be years before I can. In the meantime, I keep reading. Do any agencies work in "your" area, and do any families adopt independently there?

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  7. Keri, what do I do? I love this little girl in the blue shirt with the lazy eye. What do I do? I can't adopt her, I can't even host her. Can I "sponsor" her? Can I send a certain amount of money each month for her own specific needs? wants? Doesn't really replace love, but would it help?

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