Example One: Why Every Child Deserves a Home and a Family

Today, after a follow up appointment with the ENT, Malachi and I had to stop by the pharmacy.  While waiting for the clerk to put in our order, Malachi was chatting away.  "Where Papa?  What's that?  Up, Mommy!"  The clerk looked up smiled and said, "Wow, what a chatty little boy!"  I almost started crying...if only this lady has seen him 12 months ago.  He was basically a nonverbal, tantrum throwing, extremely reserved little boy.  Now, he is a happy little boy who goes to toddler church without crying, chatters an entire 25 minute car ride home, throws a mean tantrum from time to time (come on now, he is 2 :), and loves his family.  EVERY CHILD DESERVES A FAMILY!

Lately, there has been so much talk about ending adoptions.  This has me fired up...Do I believe adoptions need to be conducted in an ethical manner?  Absolutely!  Do I think, if possible, children should stay with their first family in their country of birth?  Without a doubt!  Do I think we, as Christians and Americans, need to support the poverty stricken so they can keep their children?  Completely!  However, even if all adoptions were completed ethically and we poured money into the poverty stricken villages so families could stay together...there would still be orphans.  This is a fallen, sinful world people! 

I have visited Guatemala since adoptions have officially closed in 2008.  The orphanages are full of beautiful children growing up without families.  In fact, there are estimated to be over 370,000 orphans in Guatemala alone. 

 

Guatemalans do not typically adopt Guatemalan children.  ("The majority of the children that could be adopted [by Guatemalans] are Mayan, and the families who can adopt often don't want children with that type of skin or that hair color. They want light-color children. That's our culture. It's not that we're bad. It's the way we were taught")   So, the alternative for these children is an orphanage.  An orphanage, no matter how nice or how much it is set up to resemble family setting, is not a family.  We need to speak up for these children!  Every. Child. Deserves. A. Family.

As I walked away from the pharmacy counter, I thought to myself...where would my little boy be if he hadn't been adopted.  If he hadn't received surgery to put tubes in his ears and relieve his constant ear infections.  If he hadn't received speech weekly.  If he hadn't received occupational therapy to build up his jaw muscles.  If the government decided (as they are threatening to do now) that adoption is not the best course of action for the true orphans within his birth country?  Where would he be?  More tears came because I didn't like the answer.