We adopted a child who was 10 years old. Went through 2-3 years of "normal" ups and downs (there are always ups and downs in ANY adoption), with an emphasis on the ups. Starting when our son was 13, he started to act out in a violent manner. This wasn't completely unexpected as we had had many "intensive parenting" moments. A few weeks after he turned 13 he assaulted my wife with a knife after being disciplined for not picking up after himself. Our case worker had worked with us about the disciplining process, which was a touchy subject because the kid had had NO discipline in his life up to this point. We met with a social worker after the assault and began family therapy which seemed to be helping him work through his anger issues. However, a year later, my wife was raped by him following an argument about how late he could stay up. Even after this point we attempted to continue our parenting, though he had been removed from the home. His insistence that the assault wasn't wrong because my wife was not his real mother was the last straw. Families need to feel free to step back from parenting troubled youths when circumstances dictate that their ongoing involvement represents a danger to their life.

I am not the mother of an oprhan, but through my efforts with the MAGIC Foundation, I am intimately familiar with patients suffering from panhypopituitarism, which can be an attendant condition with other medical issues, including dwarfism. Children are born with one or both conditions, and panhypopituitarism is treatable and people are as normal as anyone. 1. I am appalled that the movie would suggest that adopted children are crazy. I heard that enough from family members growing up, "you'll get someone else's problems/mistakes"..what a load of pucky. I never had the opportunity to adopt as my husband was military and we moved and traveled all the time. During the child-rearing years, I was never anywhere long enough to get the paperwork through, and once I had my brain surgery which left me panhypopituitary, I was unable to adopt, mostly through the stupidity of the people doing the approvals. My heart aches that I was unable to give a child a family. 2. Because dwarfism with panhypopituitarism is so rare, I'm guessing they movie's producers thought they could get away with it. They may have made some money, but it will be with a ding to their conscience, especially after receiving my emails and letters. 3. A child is a child, no matter where it comes from. To love a child is life's greatest reweard.

As I was growing up, my parents were always incredibly generous and open-hearted. Our dinner table always had friends around it, in addition to my parents and their 4 birth children. Eventually, my parents asked if we wanted to bring some children into our family for good - and we all said YES! Without a doubt! We fostered a 17-year old for a while, and then eventually, adopted a sibling group from Korea. Those 3 kids had been through the ringer, and were definitely damaged. But this is a story about how love conquered. After over 18 years as our family, they have come to truly receive our love, and have begun beautiful families of their own. My experience with adoption as a sibling has been so wonderful - growth through challenges - that I want to adopt children myself. My husband and I just had twin boys - they are now 6 months old - and we are almost ready. We really want to adopt a child from an orphanage - orphanages, even the great ones - are less than ideal. We're just starting the process, but we are very excited, and look forward to loving an adopted child just as much as our birth children.

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External Link http://www.barach.com

Orphans are children. Would you call your cherished teddy bear a damaged good? No. A child is a person with feelings but a teddy bear is still cherished even though he doesn't have feelings. Orphanages do a great job in educating and caring for its orphans. If they were damaged goods, they would have abandoned them for good. Adoption could never destroy a family. It may be true that orphans had lived in troubled families, just like special-needs students often have academic problems in the past. Do we ever give up on special-needs students? No. Residents still pay school taxes for them showing that they care. It's about time that society pay respect to orphans, just like they do to special-needs students!

We are a military family with two biological daughters and our son who was adopted from Guatemala. While we were in process of our adoption, Guatemala change their laws and the process was at a standstill. As much needed as the reform was , it caused a major delay in bringing our son home and we almost lost him completely. Thankfully mountains were moved, prayers were lifted up and we were grandfathered in and were able to complete the adoption of our son. He is two years old and has almost been home for a little over eight months. I am amazed at how well he is adjusting and thriving. His vocabulary is growing more and more everyday and it's as if he has always been with us. He is such a blessing and is adored by his two big sisters and his parents. We are truly blessed. Adoption has grown our family in more ways than just numbers, in love , in joy and more of an understanding of the needs that orphans .

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by Marianthe Snyder (KS)

http://myladybugjournal.com/schafbuchhome.html

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Well God has blessed us with 3 biological kids. Then my son Noah got leukemia. He loved Jesus and trusted in His God. One night I was crying and Noah said, "Mommy, Jesus will never forsake us, He always loves us and always hears us." Noah knew Jesus personally after giving His whole life to Jesus. Noah fought hard and then went to Heaven at age 7. After about 2 years I was sitting at the kitchen table crying and reading my Bible. I had felt like all of my dreams had died. I was truly at my lowest point. I missed Noah so much. I couldn't understand why God has chosen to take Noah to Heaven instead of here on earth with me. Could I really trust God again? Well when Noah was sick he raised his hand in school and told his teacher. "Even when we go through very hard times. God is still God and God is still good." God had not abandom me but had great things ahead for our family. As I was sitting at the kitchen table it was as if God spoke quietly to my heart. "Heidi I am giving you two kids to adopt." WOW I could hardly believe my ears and heart. GOd you are giving me two kids. We can't afford to adopt as my husband is a youth pastor and I stay home with the kids. Well I was filled with joy dreaming of two precious children that weren't born in my body but in my heart. I had dreamed of adopting since about 2nd grade. God had put adoption and the love for the orphan in my heart as a very little girl. God's heart is for the orphan. He loves the forgotten. Our world has so much money and glitz that we forget the suffering and needy who are crying, praying, hoping that someone will love them enough to call them their own. Jesus came to die on the cross and take our sin upon Himself and rose again the 3rd day so that we can have the chance of life. True life in Jesus, forgiven and free. Jesus adopted us into His family whoever will say Yes to Jesus. Adoption is God's idea. THe orphan is not forgotten by God. He has great plans for them. My two kids are so very beautiful. WE adopted Samuel from China at age 3 and ESther from Guatemala at 15 months old. Samuel is now 6 and just started Kindergarden. ESther just turned 2 years old. They are so precious and loving! God has truly blessed us through them! My bio kids Kaylee and Gracie love them and adore them. Kaylee keeps asking if we can adopt again. I am praying about Africa next! God has do the impossible! He provides all that is needed to bring them home. He provided in the past and if He wants us to adopt 1 or who knows a few more kids He'll provide! The orphan is no longer an orphan when someone calls them their own. They are loved by God! In the Bible it talks about where will we see Jesus? When you look into an orphan's eyes or the poors eyes it is truly like looking into Jesus's eyes. When we went to China we were walking along a wealthy street with nice shops. WE were enjoying being in CHina. I was so shocked as out of the corner of my eyes I saw the most sad thing ever. It was alittle boy maybe 2-3 years old. He was covered in dirt from head to toe. His Grandma was very dirty and could not walk. The little boy was pulling his Grandma on a flat wooden piece with little wheels. My heart broke for them both. We went to Walmart in China and picked up a hat and some toys for the little boy. He was only playing with rocks and dirt. He looked so sad. When we got done shopping I prayed that God would let them still be there to give them the gifts. We didn't see them anywhere then I saw them sitting on dirt and trying to play. I went over to the little boy kneeled down and put the hat on his dirty head. I gave him the little bag of toys. His face lit up and his face was truly like looking into Jesus's face. "Whatever you do for the least of these you've done unto me." I was so overtaken that I started to cry and handed the Grandma some money and slowly walked away. The little boy had joy like I've never seen. Jesus was there. The next day we adopted our son Samuel. He is a true joy! God turned my sorrow of loosing Noah into joy with adopting 2 more kids and who knows the future plans that God has for our family! I pray that He will let us bless more orphans but really the blessing is all ours!!!

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External Link family picture

I am an adopted son, of an adopted son, with an adopted son. My father was adopted in a small town in Canada by a loving single mother. As a child, I saw the love af a son to his mother daily. Even though he moved to the USA, weekly visits to his mother, and available for anything she needed, showed me the devotion of a son to his mother. My brother and I were orphaned at the ages of 2 and 3 along with our 7 siblings. Mom and Dad adopted the 2 of us together when I was 4 and that was the turning point of my life. Growing up in a loving religous family I learned that it is not how you are brought into this world, but how you are tought to live your life. I am not bitter about being orphaned, I thank the Lord every day that it happened. It gave me the oppertunity to be raised by these loving parents. My son, though not being orphaned, was the product of a failed marrage. I married his mother, and adopted him 1 year later. We are a happy, loving, and grateful family of 3 generations. Yes we had the same problems as any family, but we all know we were not just born, we were chosen! Adoption has inhansed all our lives. We are not damaged goods. We are blessed!!

I am a teacher from the Walla Walla Valley.I started volunteering at an orphanage in Montego Bay, Jamaica in 2007. My heart for these children and belief that God has a love filled plan for them has lead to the development of the non profit organization, “Embracing Orphans”. Monesia's Song Nap time came at about eleven o’clock. Children were falling asleep on their colorful mattresses, but one looked uncomfortable, confused, and heart broken. Her eyebrows dipped and her lower lip stuck out as she looked at the kids around her. Then a single tear rolled down her cheek. I asked a staff member how long she had been at the orphanage. She responded, “Two weeks, she never talks”. I could read the hurt on Monesia’s face. Throughout the time I spent at Blossom Gardens she barely made a noise, until the last day. I took Monesia to the classroom upstairs. I got out picture books and read to her. I took out the stuffed animals and pretended they were talking to her and kissing her. I picked her up high in the air over and over again. She started to laugh. Much to my surprise as I embraced her she began to sing. In a still small voice she sang. How often we forget that we are loved. Would you like to these orphans know that they are loved? contact me at embracingorphans@gmail.com



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External Link www.embracingorphans.org

by Carl Robanske (WA)

We waited 18 years to be parents. I always wanted to adopt but not my husband. All I know is he is so happy that we chose to adopt. Our little girl is the best thing that ever happened to us. Yes, there are challenges but I wouldn't give anything for her. I never thought I could love someone so much. I'm so thankful God didn't give me my own child or I wouldn't have Hannah. She has brought so much joy into our lives. Thank you Lord for giving her to us.

okay, last attempt to make all the links work. see if the links will work, separated by semi-colons.

External Link http://www.myadoptionwebsite2.com/ainsley/; http://thirtyonefeet.blogspot.com/; http://thirtyonefeet.blogspot.com/2009/08/blind-side.html; http://www.unstained.wordpress.com/

by David (PA)

here are the links to blogs or websites that we created to tell our adoption story and to otherwise point people to a passion for christ that is pure and undefiled and unstained from the world (james 1:27): http://www.myadoptionwebsite2.com/ainsley/ http://www.thirtyonefeet.blogspot.com/ http://unstained.wordpress.com/ ps - here's a recent post about a movie coming out in november - "the blind side" - that is a great counter to the movie, "orphan," as "the blind side" shows the power of adoption (see http://thirtyonefeet.blogspot.com/2009/08/blind-side.html)

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by David (PA)

After 10 years of trying to have a child of our own, God directed our hearts toward becoming Foster/Adoptive parents through Orange County Social Services. The first day we saw our 1 month old daughter we knew she was \"our baby.\" She was a 5 lb. crystal meth baby...but she was the most beautiful baby we had ever seen. We cared for her around the clock...her poor sucking reflex, her tight body and projectile vomiting! We prayed for her, sang to her, rocked her, loved on her and after 6 months she was the \"happiest baby in the whole world!\" Her sweet smile brought joy to all those around us and encouraged many of our family and friends to open up their hearts and homes to a child in need of a loving family. During the first year of her life we were fostering her with the hopes to adopt her, but during this time the Lord gave us a love for her birth mother and we began to watch the birth mother change her life and follow her required program. Two weeks before Christmas and 3 weeks before our daughter\'s first birthday, God required us to give this beautiful, precious baby back to her birth mother. This was the coldest, loneliest Christmas we had ever known. We were brokenhearted, yet God had grabbed a hold of our hearts and given us a love for the orphans in Orange County. Three months later we were \"doubly blessed\" with a sibling set...a precious 3 year old girl and her 1 year old brother. The first day we went to meet them we heard our daughter yell through the doorway, \"My new Mommy and Daddy are here!\" It was the first time we had ever been called Mommy and Daddy! We walked into the house and saw the two most beautiful faces looking up at us! One pair of beaming bright eyes full of hope and trust and another pair of sad, scared eyes that were full of questioning and wonder. Our lives have never been the same! I can honestly say that these amazing children are our very own \"flesh and blood!\" God truely created them for us and they have filled our hearts to overflowing. They are the most confident, sweet, loving children...and they know they are LOVED! We adopted them the same year they came into our lives and shortly after they were praying for more brothers and sisters. This year we welcomed into our family another little boy from OC Social Services and we are so blessed to have him be a part of our lives. Yes, we have had many challenges, trials and tears in our journey of fostering and adopting...but we have had endless joy, laughter, and love fill our home. We are passionate about finding other families to open their hearts and homes to the orphans in Orange County!

Warner Bros. new horror movie Orphan proclaims that it must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own. Let me tell you about how an orphan changed my life. The first photo (see blog: www.livingablessedlife.blogspot.com) is a picture of a little girl who was born with a cleft-lip, cleft-palate and two holes in her heart. Within a day or so of her birth, she was brought to a cultural center in Tianjin, China, and left to be found. She spent her first three months in a local orphanage. There she was given the name Wei Kang Xia and referred to as Xia-Xia. She was then moved to a children's village in LangFang. She received care and surgeries for her special-needs through her Philip Hayden Foundation sponsorship. When she was fifteen months old, our family received the second photo. Her cleft-lip had been repaired while in China. Her palate was repaired shortly before she came home (see third photo.) The two holes in her heart healed on their own. For all intents and purposes our special-needs child arrived home completely healthy. She will require some reconstructive surgery when her teeth and bone structure are more matured. After being abandoned by her birth family, experiencing several moves (and losses) and undergoing two serious surgeries in less than 18 months, Xia-Xia was most definitely traumatized. Her heart and her brain were wounded. I have no idea whose care she was in for her first 18 months or how well they treated her. She has memories that are far from pleasant and evoke much fear in this little girl. Those are the plain and simple details of this child's life, devoid of as much emotion as possible. Those may be the kind of details that movies are made of. At least horror movies. But you see, this story will not provoke fear, but rather faith. It's a story of love and redemption at it's very best. The first photo you see is common for a girl with Xia-Xia's history. She was well-cared for, I am told, but orphanage life is not home. There are far too many children and not enough workers to meet a child's every given need, or respond to their cries, as would a birth mother. In a perfect world, we would have no orphans. In a perfect world no child would be hurt. In a perfect world parents would always be loving, kind and gentle. Sadly, our world is not perfect (yet.) The rest of the photos are Xia-Xia 2.5 years later, at the age of 4. Her new name is Sara KangXia. She is an intelligent, loving, kind, energetic, humorous and well-adjusted little girl. She fits beautifully into our family. She loves her family and we all adore and love her. Xia-Xia came home to us anxious, fearful and full of rage. She had experienced too many losses and too much grief to allow her to trust us. She was diagnosed as having a significant attachment disorder (meaning her brain was wounded due to the trauma she experienced), post-traumatic stress disorder and a sensory-processing disorder (even going to the grocery store was far too overwhelming for her.) She would not allow us to hold her close. She would laugh when she fell down and got hurt. Without intervention, Sara was bound to lead a life of pain and destruction. We chose, instead, to intervene and respond in the same we have for her older brother and sister (our birth children.) As soon as we recognized that Xia-Xia was struggling, we pulled together a team of specialists and support people. We spent the next 18 months helping her brain and heart to heal. We met her right where she was at, and, thanks be to God, He has worked a miracle of transformation into Sweet Sara. The question remains, was loving Sara "harder" than my other two children? Most definitely. I won't lie. Her siblings and I bonded during my pregnancy. They readily accepted my love and comfort. Sara didn't know who in the world I was. She didn't know if I was just another care-provider-in-passing. She had already bonded with her nannies and they were nowhere to be found. Her response to the entire situation was perfectly normal, albeit very difficult. When you add any member to your family, it takes time, effort and shared experiences for bonding and true love to develop. Just as it does in any relationship. When that individual is wounded, it also takes counseling, therapy and the power of God. We did love our new daughter the moment we made the decision to adopt. We loved her through the tiring paperwork and the waiting that followed. We loved her when we first saw her photo. We loved her the first moment we held her (and she screamed, grin.) That love, however, has grown and deepened over the years. Is my love for her any less? Definitely not. I love all of my children equally, regardless of how they joined our family. However, I also love each one of them uniquely. They each have their own personalities, they are different ages and we each have shared different experiences together. My love for Sara has been tested and refined, and it only keeps growing more rich and full. We have painstakingly built her trust with us. And still, today, we need to reassure Sara that we will never leave nor abandon her. Sara has been forever grafted into our family. She is our daughter through and through. We have and will continue to do everything in our power to help her heal, grow and mature into the precious girl God created her to be. None of her life history is her fault. She's a strong girl and has made great strides. We are so very proud of her. Sara has challenged each person in our family to grow and be stretched. She has taught us things we greatly needed to learn, but never would have experienced without her. The greatest joys follow the most challenging trials. We are stronger because of our daughter. And, we love her through and through. Just ask her. I recognize that not all children receive the help they need and deserve. I can't speak to each and every unique situation in the world. I know that there are very deeply wounded children in need of healing and support. Sadly, many of them never receive the help they deserve. Sadly, as adults, we miss opportunities and shy away from them for fear that they will be too difficult or scary. I understand that. Truthfully, had I known how difficult our transition would be in adding a traumatized child into our family, I would have run away in fear. I also would have missed one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Thankfully, God knew better. He knew that we could handle more than we ever thought we could. He knew that with His help, we would rise to the occasion and make it to the other side and that we would all be better for it. I understand that many people will see Orphan as simply entertainment. The reality is, however, that we have over 147 million orphans worldwide in need of food, clothing, a home and a family. It is very scary to choose to adopt a child that is not your own. This movie has the potential of causing incredible parents to run away in fear, leaving yet another child alone and in need. A possible consequence of this is that children who grow up without a family's love, will not suddenly morph into a well-adjusted adult. I encourage others to think of what the world would be like if 147 million children grew up into poorly-adjusted adults. Now that, my Friend, would be truly horrifying. Claiming an orphan as your own and investing your heart, energy and life into them is one of the most incredible things one can ever experience. God never expects us to walk the hard days on our own. He uses them to grow us into the individuals He created us to be. When we choose to take a chance on a child in need, we will be blessed beyond belief. Sometimes even more than the child we adopted, if you can believe it. I urge you, my Friend, to not allow movies such as Orphan to fill you with fear and doubt. Yes, there is evil in this world. Thankfully, we have a God who is BIGGER! Love always wins. If you made it all the way through this l-o-n-g post, I commend you! :-) Something so important cannot be addressed with a few words. (And yet, pictures do speak a thousand words, don't they? Isn't she beautiful?) No, Sara's not perfect. But neither am I. Like Sara, I require love, patience and a whole lot of grace! Parenting this sweet little girl has helped me to have more compassion on myself and others. We're still learning. We're still growing. But God is with us, each and every step of the way. And it's been an exciting ride! If you're visiting my blog today, I have many more sweet photos of all three of my children and have written in depth about all that God is teaching me through them. I also have a video I posted about her journey to us. God is SO good! This is why I am LIVING A BLESSED LIFE! To God be the glory, Amy



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External Link http://www.livingablessedlife.blogspot.com/

by Amy Ivey (OR)

We adopted out son last year - he's 11 now. Adjusting was hard at first, for us and him, with a few "scenes" in the early months, but he was also immensely loving and rewarding from the beginning, and it would be unthinkable to be without him. He's kind, affectionate, strong-willed, thoughtful, and intelligent child with a brilliant sense of humour, who has worked hard to catch up at school, and makes good friends. People think adopting an older child is harder because their personality is already formed, but that only means you know what you're getting (provided like us, the social work dept inform you fully what the child is like and his background, before asking you to decide, as is policy here in the UK) We saw A's picture/description in an adoption magazine and were drawn to him immediately It's true there are some horror stories, where adopters have been put through the mill, but the shops, at the moment, seem to full of stories of biological parents whose kids have given them major problems, especially as teenagers, and stories written by children who suffered abusive experiences in their "real" family. And the world seems full of people who were adopted and turned out just fine. I hope this film doesn't put adopters off, as so many kids just want a family. I also hope it doesn't cause my son and other adopted children any hassle at school from other kids thinking he's a going to murder everyone or something equally rediculous. He had enough from ignorance when he first started school.

My husband and I work for a ministry that bases its operations in Panama, Central America. The Lord led us here to fight for the rights of the forgotten orphans, where literally they are rarely if ever adopted. The stigma against adopting here is huge. We have finally begun to see some progress with a new administration, after much prayer and waiting. My husband and I went to have a date night and watch a movie, when the trailer for "The Orphan" came on. I almost jumped out of the chair. We were so upset and knew that this was an attack from Satan. He wants to use this movie to literally scare people out of adopting. The timing of this movie being released in Panama is crazy. Please join us in praying against this movie, and that it will stop being shown in this country. We are about to begin a big campaign for national adoption awareness. Please pray not only that the hearts of people in this country will not be affected by this horrible movie, but that they will rise up and take responsibility for the abandoned children in this country. For more information, see www.heartscrychildren.com

We just hosted three Russian orphans in our home for a week. They were siblings, 11, 9, and 6. God created these special children, and they are valuable and precious to Him and to us! We had a week of fun experiences, and even though they didn't speak English, and we don't speak Russian, they understood they were loved. Our whole family was profoundly affected. They flew back to Russia last Wednesday, and we miss them greatly. We are praying for God to provide them with a family, and praying that God will protect them and richly bless them.

Our son Rob was in our foster home in the late part of the 1970's. His parents placed him and his 4 siblings into foster care and then took off. (In separate directions). When he came to live with our family he was a very needy 15 year old and had been in care for 8 years already and numerous foster homes. He left us to try to persue his mother's love but she did not want him. As the years went by he would call and talk but was never fully connected to us. He called me mom and I would try to console him when he was afraid or down and encourage him to keep fighting, that he could live and not repeat his parents' life. Our biological son had gotten married and his wife was about to have a baby and Rob called again to just see how things were going. His marriage had failed and he was lost. We told him to come home. He was living on the West coast of Canada at the time and two and a half days later he showed up at our house. Over the next few years he would have a difficult time staying and being part of family functions. One day I said to my husband we need to adopt him officially. We asked our son and his wife if they would agree to the adoption as it affected them because half of what we had would be his as our son. Our wonderful son thought it was a great idea and so for Rob's 39th birthday we did paper work for almost nine months and finally he became our son in more than spirit but name. No one had ever adopted an adult before in our province (Ontario) so there was no paper work and the court was not sure what to do. With much work and the help of a court clerk that was very sympathetic, he became our son legally on December 10, 2002. He is now 47, has since remarried and is living a very happy and successful life. We learned a very valuable lesson about life and that is it is never too late to belong, to be part of something bigger than ourselves. God has blessed us with two wonderful sons.

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by Sharon Leis ()

I am a single mom still in the process of adopting a beautiful 11 yo girl from the US Foster System. It's true, these kids have all been hurt and usually the transition is hard in so many ways you can't know unless you have been there. But, what you get back from your investment is multiplied many times over! My daughter has only been in my home for 4 1/2 months and the progress I have seen in her is amazing. Sure, she takes 2 steps forward and 1 step back (or 3 at times) but looking at the picture of what things were like a few months ago to now makes me so excited for the future. God has truly blessed me by putting her in my life. These kids just need a home, stability, someone to love them and guide them with a strong hand. We're hoping to finalize on National Adoption Day 11/21/09!

We are blessed to be living and ministering in a place that allows for those living in the country to easily take in an orphan. What began as simple obedience has now turned into advocacy and pleading a cause. This country alone has over 2 million unwanted/orphaned children due to HIV, war and poverty. Each of our children has a different story but they all had the same need for the love and hope of family. Two of our children have a life threatening disease, sickle cell anemia. They were both abandoned, one at 3 years the other at 7 months. Three of our children came from the same orphanage--each left at local hospitals at or near birth. And our son that is considered a total orphan, both parents being dead, his is the story that I would like to share. One evening a woman lay in her hut. Nestled next to her is her 3 week old son. Her life is full of fear and pain. Rebels have ravaged this part of the country for nearly twenty years. What she has feared the most is about to happen. Rebels kick down the door. She grabs her baby and quickly straps him onto her back. By gunpoint she is forced to carry a 40 pound bundle of firewood on her head, through the bush in the middle of the night. Unable to walk as fast as she is expected the woman is shot and left for dead. The baby is thrown into the bush to die. Early the next morning the woman's husband returns to find that his worst fear has come true too. This was supposed to be a "safe" village but his wife is gone and he knows exactly what happened. Village elders get together to follow the foot prints. What they find is a devastating miracle. The mother is dead but the tiny infant survived the night in the bush. Unable to care for his infant son, the father places him in an infant care center. The baby soon contracts TB and is hospitalized for nearly a year, and survives once again. Family slowly forget about the baby boy as they are consumed with their own survival. Left alone the baby boy grows into a self dependent, literally, toddler. In the meantime the father contracts HIV and dies. After the rebels leave the country missionaries begin ministering at the infant care center where the boy has grown up. They fall in love. And begin praying that one day this boy would find a family to call his own, or rather that a family would find him. (The boy I speak of is on the left, with his new baby brother that has sickle cell disease) We were that family, we found him! He is the sweetest child you will ever meet with the most contagious smile and inexpressible joy! He is often heard singing out praises to the Lord. It is as if he knows where he came from and he is rejoicing over God's redemption. This is how one orphan has changed our lives.

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External Link www.fromglory2glory.blogspot.com

We adopted a beautiful little girl at 20 months. We later found out she'd been abused; neglected; and a significant amount of mental health problems in several generations. We'd have our little girl for 10 yrs now. We've tried everything and haven't given up yet. She isn't much better but she would have been far worse if she had not had us. A great analogy is you can lead the horse to water but you can not force it to drink. We've planted lots of seeds that hopefully will grow some day. Sadly, it has made a negative impact on our other kids. We never anticipated that damage and trauma. We are in favor of adoption but more resources, funding and information need to be available for these children AND THEIR FAMILIES.

by Jennifer (TX)

My husband and I will tease each other about which one of us married up - but we both have no question that we adopted up. Elliot came home from Korea at 4 months. This kid is amazing. He is funny, smart, cute, handsome, silly, clever, creative. He is 3.5 now and I know we may have some challenging times ahead as he comes to terms with his adoption, and we will be there to support him however we can. Much like I will never truly understand what it is like to give birth - I know the majority of people do not truly understand the wonderment and magic of how our family came together. We are truly so blessed!

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From the time I was little, I always, always, always wanted to be a mom. I waited a long, long time, until finally, in 2003, when I was 44 years old, I had the opportunity of fostering, then adopting two boys at the school where I taught. My boys are now 14 and 15. They have been through way more than any child should ever have to endure- drug and alcohol abuse, then abandonment by their biological mom, then physical and emotional abuse, and starvation at the hands of a foster mom. Through lots of prayer, lots of therapy, and lots of loving by a whole lot of people, they have come through, not unscathed, but they have come through. They are typical teenagers, much more interested in sports and girls than academics. They are also wonderful, kind, loving, compassionate kids who will grow up and be contributing members of society. I'm so proud and honored to be their mom.

They came from Russia when they were 3 and 5. Now, one is a senior and wants to join the Coast Guard. The other is a gifted muscian and helps lead our Praise and Worship team. What a blessing we got when we thought we were being the blessing!

Our wonderful universe points us in the direction that we are meant to go in. After years of trying to have children, my husband and I reseached adoption. We fell in love with Haiti and it's children. Many children are in orphanages because of their parents not being able to care for them due to homelessness or simply not being able to feed them. We are now proud parents of a vibrant 3 1/2 yr. old boy. He brings us so much joy every day. My husband and I say almost daily how truly blessed we are and how much joy he brings us. When we first met him in Haiti at 12 months, he weighed 14 lbs. could not hold his head or sit up by himself, he was horribly malnourished. Now he is often mistaken for a 5 yr. old because he is so big. It is truly amazing what love can do.

Read it here: http://littlehoffman.blogspot.com/2009/07/rated-s-for-senseless.html

Picture Link: bh_blog_meron07292009-4.jpg

External Link http://littlehoffman.blogspot.com/2009/07/rated-s-for-senseless.html

by Tymm (GA)

I linked my adoption story from my blog for others to read. You can read it and see more photos and stories about my kids on my blog.

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External Link http://confessionsofj-momma.blogspot.com/2009/07/orphan-movie.html

Because we were unable to have children of our own, the Lord provided us with 2 beautiful children through adoption. We adopted our son when he was 3 days old. He is now 24 years old and we have never kept the fact that he is adopted and he has never once said that we weren't his real parents. He has been a great joy to us. 2 years later we adopted our daughter from an orphanage in Guatemala. She definitely was a gift from God. She would like to someday find her biological mother just to answer some questions, but other than that, she is happy with her life with us.

MY POSITIVE PROTEST!! I am the mom to 3 amazing children. All 3 a blessing. All 3 make my heart melt. All 3 make me laugh and give me my highest highs. All 3 make me cry and give me my lowest lows. All 3 require my sweet kisses on their boo boos. All 3 crave my attention. All 3 are the reason I get up and work my ass off everyday. All 3 call me MOMMY and I couldn't live one day without anyone of them. Did I mention one of 3 was adopted??? Ummm, NO. In our eyes it doesn't matter how our child came to be a part of our family, whether it was through the amazing miracle of birth or through our amazing journey of adoption. Both journeys have their own ups and downs, neither one more significant than the other-- just different paths that led me to being a mommy of 3. I THANK GOD for the option to grow my family through adoption, without it, my once "orphan" daughter wouldn't be one of the (3) biggest miracles in my life. Oh, and there is NOTHING about her that is "HARD" to love. Quite the opposite actually!! She is simply amazing, simply sweet, simply naughty, simply beautiful, simply MY DAUGHTER (adopted or NOT) Obviously anyone who would think that a once "orphan" child would be hard to love, has not been touched by a child who is now thriving in a loving family. A family who wished, prayed, and longed for a child to call their own. A family whose life is much richer because of an "orphan." A family whose dreams have come true because of an "orphan." A family who is a FAMILY because they were blessed to be parents of an "orphan" Orphan = simply a BLESSING

Picture Link: Mommy and me1.jpg

External Link http://completelyorganizedchaos.blogspot.com/

by Valerie Parrott (VT)

I am not really a writer, more of a talker, and a do-er, but I can't help but write out our story. We adopted a little 7 year old boy from the foster system this past year who was severely neglected and abused. It was not too late for him! He has many issues that we need to work through, but GOD is so much bigger than that. Our new son has not destroyed our family, but enriched our family. He has called us to live a life outside of ourselves. We have three other biological children. He has taught us peace, patience, and to trust God. He has changed a lot since coming to our family. He has calmed down, there is a sense of peace and belonging in his eyes, he knows that he is LOVED. HE IS MY SON. When I think of him on a waiting children's list, it seems foreign to me. We found him on a list like that and I can see his picture on the list, but now when I see that picture, I hardly believe that it is the same child. There are 120,000 children in the US foster care waiting to be adopted and millions of orphan's world-wide. God has called us as Christians to do something about it. We have been called to take care of the orphans. Will you?

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by Sarah (MN)

External Link http://ralstevens.blogspot.com/2009/07/defend-cause-of-orphan.html

by Leigh Stevens (MO)

My husband and I went through terrible loss year after year trying to conceive a biological child. For us it was a great loss because it felt like we would never have a family. We desperately wanted to be parents. Finally, God opened our hearts and we chose to adopt. When our son was place in our arms for the first time (he was 7 months old adopted internationally) all the pain we felt was gone. A greater love had entered our lives- our beautiful son! He continues to be the joy of our lives. We are in the process of adopting again and hope to also adopt more children in the future! Adoption is a true miracle and a blessing.

One of the finest men I know was an orphan, adopted from Korea, along with his twin brother, by an American family. He is the husband of a dear friend and the father of 4 great kids (two biological, one adopted from Korea, and one adopted from China). He is the first to help out when a friend, a co-worker, or even a stranger needs a hand. His is the kind of employee any boss would love to have. He is involved in his church, coaches high school girls tennis as a volunteer, and spends lots of time with his own kids. He is the kind of man you would want for a neighbor, a coach, a son-in-law, or a friend. He was an orphan, but he found a family, and he now is a great husband and father raising his own family. I wish there were more men like him. He is a wonderful person, and I am so fortunate to call him my friend.

We brought home one son at 2 days (domestic adoption), but our last adoption was our son from Liberia whom we brought home January 2008 at age 3. We have had a dream adoption! Toben has been an absolute jewel! We have days where he mourns Liberia, and we have extra patience and lots of hugs and kisses on those days. However, Toben is one of the most loving and respectful children you will ever meet. He is a typical three (now four) year old who has his tantrums occasionally and cries at times when he doesn't get his way, but he is just as quick to kiss me on the cheek and tell me he loves me or climb in my lap and tell me he neeeds a drink. I had my doubts about adopting even a toddler as I work in the adoption ministry, but God made clear that Toben was our child, and we moved forward on that. I am so glad we did! Had we not believed God to take care of our needs in both of our adoptions (our oldest son's situation was not what we thought we would ever adopt, but once again, God made it clear he was ours) we would have missed out on parenting two of the most wonderful little boys in the world! This adoption journey is hard, but it is one that I am so thankful I have been blessed to take! Both of our boys have blessed us way more than we could have ever imagined! You can read more about our adoptions on my blog. Click on the "adoption" key word.

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External Link http://stepsestablishedbyhim.blogspot.com/

by HollyAnn (TX)

I am a mother of 6 beautiful children, 5 biological sons and 1 precious adopted daughter from Guatemala.Our daughter came home when she was 3 weeks shy of 1 year, we've now had this blessing in our family for 2 years.At first she would not make eye contact and was very quiet, you wouldn't hear a peep out of her.Now she is a happy,energetic,cuddly, sweet little girl.Our boys are so in love with their little sister and she adores them.She has been such a blessing in our family and it has been such a humbling experience.When I think of what would have happened to this precious child had she not found her forever family it makes me want to cry.I am strongly considering adopting another child, possibly one with special needs.Choosing to adopt is one of the best decisions my husband and I have ever made, we love her as much as we love our biological children, she is our child. Our daughter has been doing speech, developmental and occupational therapy and it is remarkable to see how she has progressed.Yes there are some challenges adoption may bring but there are so many resources out there for many different situations.Our daughter receives her services through early intervention and the state covers most of it, we pay a small fee every month and it's worth every penny. Every day,even the difficult days, have been a miracle with all our children.Orphan children especially should not be viewed as a burden, as Christians we are called by God to care for widows and orphans. To go on in our daily life and act as if though the plight of orphans does not affect us is shameful and sinful.How can we ignore the cries of a starving child, a child longing for love and affection.The book of 1 John 3 tells us that real love is action.True love, Godly love is selfless sacrificial giving without expecting anything in return.Once again Hollywood has managed to scrape the bottom of the barrel and use children that have suffered through many hardships to make money, this is all the work of the evil one my dear Christians.Let's not fall into the traps of this world but let us come together as Christians and speak for those that have no voice, those whose cries cannot be heard.

by Sophie Neri ()

Our story is on our blog. Thank you so much!

External Link http://nationsaroundourtable.blogspot.com/

Twelve years ago, we adopted two "older children" from Russia. They had spent their entire young lives in orphanages. We also have two biological daughters and can testify that a parent's love for their children does not have to come genetically. Our two adopted children have had such a tremendous influence on our entire family and community: both of our older daughters are interested in helping the "cause" of orphans - both of them having spent time overseas in foreign orphanages, working with "graduated orphans" and sponsoring children in need. Our community has also received, supported, and loved our children and, in turn, their lives were enriched. Some of our friends have also adopted children. We have had countless opportunities to encourage families to adopt and have yet to see a "failed case". All families face challenges; it's a choice and commitment to walk through them together no matter where your children come from.

by Dana and Ed (CT)

Tanya is an orphan in Russia and she has totally impacted my life. I am forever changed by the changes she has made toward maturity and the changes in me that have taken place because of our relationship. I visit her every other year in Russia and we write regularly.

Warner Bros. new horror movie Orphan proclaims that it must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own. Let me tell you about how an orphan changed my life. Actually two Orphans have become our children and changed our lives. Steele was adopted in 2004. We adopted Steele at birth. He was considered special needs because he is a boy and biracial and therefore considered harder to place. Steele is now 5 years old. He's funny, talkative, loving and he fills our hearts with such joy. We also have Abel. He's only been home with us for 6 months. He's from Ethiopia, 7 years old and he lost both his parents to AIDS as a baby. His grandmother raised him until 2007 when she could no longer care for him and so put him up for adoption. Abel entering our family was a divine appointment. We truly believe that God planned our family this way. He's kind, funny, a hard worker, loves to laugh and play. Sure there have been challenges with attachment, him grieving, everyone adjusting. But as far as love, love is here and it is knitting all our hearts together. It is a process, but it is going on right now and will continue. The coolest thing about adopting a child, is you get to see them fall in love with you, and you with them. That is an amazing gift. Watching love grow is a joy beyond description. Evangeline and Steele act as if Abel has always been a part of our family. I often times will tear up watching them all together, or watching Steele with Abel or Abel with Evangeline, the love between them, the enjoyment of each others company, the affection shared, is truly supernatural and wonderful. I have posted freely about the issues faced by families who adopt older children. I have said several times how the issues are not harder they are just different then the ones faced by families who only birth their kids. But love is there, it covers, makes a way, heals, and gives the strength needed. I'm ready to do it again. I want to adopt a girl, around 3 or 4 years old, with HIV. Dean is not ready YET but he isn't saying never...just later. I wish every family would consider adoption or at least help others who want to adopt. Orphans need families and I know that we needed Abel and Steele to become a part of our family just as much as they needed us.

Picture Link: me and dean2.jpg

External Link http://www.thewardrobeandthewhitetree.com

by Carole Turner (LA)

Webmaster's Note: We desire to enable people to express a range of experiences as part of "Your Orphan Story." We must never forget that, as with all aspects of life, caring for children who've lost their families can carry great difficulty. It's also vital to remember that every orphan's experience as an orphan almost certainly began with tragedy. It may have been the death of parents, relinquishment to an orphanage or abandonment on the streets, removal from a home by government officials, or some other heartrending event. And although such experiences can--and often do--become stories of hope and new life, the pain at the story's start rarely disappears. Most anyone who has loved an orphan, as a mentor, foster parent, adoptive family or otherwise, will tell you the same thing: to love an orphan means to open yourself to the world at its most beautiful and most broken at the same time. The following post comes from an individual who feels this reality keenly: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I read the article in the newspaper about the mixed feelings regarding the Warner Bros. movie. My family and I have learned first hand the trials and tribulations of adopting foster children. My husband felt the need to adopt siblings, and I went along to the classes and thru the procedure. Difficult visitations, all the baggage that comes along with fost/adopt. I no longer wonder why there are still so many children in "the system". Agencies who are taking part in the adoption process don't disclose everything to the prospective parents until after you've bonded with the children and signed your name on the dotted line. It was almost like the lemon law. After you've taken this on, then you are told of the addictions of the parents who gave up their parental rights to these children and what you may need to expect. They tell you of the past abuses and neglect. Hey, it worked on us. The classes we went thru every week were attended by several couples and singles alike thinking this is a way to answer God's calling to help these kids out and give them a better life than what they'd already had to endure. They even went as far as to ask what type of behaviors we didn't feel we could deal with. Running away and fire setting were the top of the list for us. These two boys, half brothers, were 2 1/2 years and five years when we brought to our home. The anger demonstated by the 5 year old because of the way his birth mother had risen him before he was finally removed from her home (being taught to steal, peeing on his bed, telling us he wished he could go back and live in the park on a bench because then he could do what he wanted rather than learning, and being loved). No house rules were to be followed according to him. Both of these boys are horrible liars and manipulators. I was accused of child abuse, arrested, put into hand cuffs and made to sit in the county jail until my husband put our car up for collateral and borrowed money from friends and neighbors to bail me out. I've always been a law abiding citizen. I worked for a police department, my husband works for the prison system. We had to pass FBI background checks. When my kids were removed from our home by CPS (Child Protective Services) and taken to an emergency foster home, they started a fire in the closet of that home and the family wanted us to pay for the damages. We didn't ask for our kids to be removed. Since then the oldest has been sent to a group home, we brought him back home when we didn't like the way he was being treated there, but he was being watched 24/7. The home had a full time staff. The parents could afford to go on a cruise with their own kids because of the horrific amount of money they were being paid to be group home "parents". They both have run away several times thinking that whatever else is out there has got to be better than what they are dealing with at home with my husband and I, (Mom and Dad). No one knows how manipulating they can be. Flash the beautiful eyes and smiles and everyone melts until they get a first hand look at the "real kids". Breaking and entering, clepto tenancies, lying, threats of bodily harm to adults and animals, then being rewarded for bad behaviors by "Wrap around" facilitators and institutions. I'm sure "orphans" get a bad wrap sometimes, but believe me, if I knew then what I know now, I never would have gone along with this. So please, you need to listen to both sides instead of getting on your soap box and being an pro-advocate and thinking that everyone is a bad guy. My health has deteriorated in the past few years and a lot has to do with the addes stresses that my now 13 and 11 year olds are putting my family thru. Thank you for giving me the ability to voice my opinion on the subject.

My husband and me are parents to five adopted children. Two we adopted at birth (their ages now are 9 & 7) and three are biological sisters that were 6, 5 & 4. There is no doubt in our mind that God hand chose these beautiful children to be our own. They are such joy. We thank the Lord everyday for our children. We were adopted by God, so isn't it also His will that we would adopt? How awesome to know that we are living according to what He has already done for us.

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Warner Bros. new horror movie Orphan proclaims that it must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your biological children. Let me tell you about how an orphan changed my life… Last year, a 12-year old orphan from Liberia stayed with us while he was here in the U.S. on a medical visa. Our church was able to bring him to the U.S. in order to repair his hand which had been damaged since he was a baby. Moses changed my perspective on orphans and poverty in general. He was constantly amazed by things we take for granted like clean running water, washing machines, fast food, you name it. All of the commercialism in America was completely foreign to him. It was actually refreshing. However, what broke our hearts was the prayerful sobbing we heard at night as he pleaded with God for a family. More than our stuff, he got to experience “a family” and he desperately wanted a permanent family of his own. We prayed hard about adopting Moses but for a variety of reasons God did not open that door. Today, Liberia is still closed to adoptions. The good news is that our church is helping a Liberian family in our church adopt Moses as soon as Liberia opens back up. In fact, because they are Liberian our church was able to work with the government there to get all the paperwork done in Liberia. Once Liberia opens again for adoptions, the barriers for Moses to have his own family will finally be lifted. That’s not where the story ends however. The impact Moses had on our church inspired our church to sponsor the entire orphanage in Liberia. Now, each child there has a family in Texas that provides for all of their basic and educational needs. I visited the orphanage last year and those children just wanted someone to know their name. Now they have a family in the U.S. that not only provides for their material needs but also sends them letters and prays for them by name. But wait… there is even more to the story. Moses touched each of our hearts in our family. We knew that we must do something. While God has another family planned for Moses, he has a little boy from Ethiopia planned for our family. We’re in the final stages of our adoption process and look forward to picking up our son in the very near future. Will we love our adopted child as much as we love our biological children? We already do and our biological children already love their new baby brother as much as any of their other siblings. Actually, since God broke our heart through Moses, we love all orphans. We don’t know all that God has in store for us, but we know he is still not done with our orphan story. Loving orphans is not about our own love. Our love fails us over and over again. In fact, the honest question for parents is – do they love any of their children more than themselves? Most parents will answer “of course” but then make decisions every day that challenge that statement. Loving orphans, and loving all others including our children, is about God’s love. God’s love for the orphan is really God’s love for all of us, as we are all orphans. Orphaned by sin, adopted by grace. Romans 8:14-17 (ESV) 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Picture Link: flickr.jpg

External Link http://www.seekingabove.com

by Tony (TX)

On December 12, 2003, at 10:00 am, a precious little boy entered our lives and little did I know how he would take over my heart. My husband and I had four children at the time, and we were about to meet our fifth! Our son was almost one at the time. There were some rough times early on, as our small son grieved the loss of the life he knew. How could we expect anything less? He'd lost a birthmom and now a foster mom (both of whom loved him dearly.) Gradually, though, trust and bonds grew, he learned to relax and our relationship flourished! As I type this, my beautiful little 6 yr. old boy is snoring softly in bed right beside me. By my side is right where he loves to be. I have to say that he and I have a mutual admiration society, as he is firmly attached to his parents and we couldn't love him one bit more if we'd birthed him ourselves. It's hard to imagine how God brought us together from two different countries, and as our son often says, "I'm glad Jesus picked me out for you." Out of all my children, he is the one who says things like, "You're the best mommy ever!" This little guy is like a piece of my heart walking around outside my body and I am so thankful that I'm his momma!

We are an American family living and working in Athens, Greece. In 2007, we adopted a little girl with Cerebral Palsy from China, and she has been one of God's greatest gifts to us. Our story can be found at: http://elliebomccracken.blogspot.com

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External Link http://elliebomccracken.blogspot.com

Webmaster's Note: We desire to enable people to express a range of experiences as part of "Your Orphan Story." We must never forget that, as with all aspects of life, caring for children who've lost their families can carry great difficulty. It's also vital to remember that every orphan's experience as an orphan almost certainly began with tragedy. It may have been the death of parents, relinquishment to an orphanage or abandonment on the streets, removal from a home by government officials, or some other heartrending event. And although such experiences can--and often do--become stories of hope and new life, the pain at the story's start rarely disappears. Most anyone who has loved an orphan, as a mentor, foster parent, adoptive family or otherwise, will tell you the same thing: to love an orphan means to open yourself to the world at its most beautiful and most broken at the same time. The following post comes from an individual who feels this reality keenly: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In 2004 we brought home 3 Russian siblings (ages 7, 9 and 14). We had successfully raised 4 biological children to adulthood and had a lot of love and security to offer these children. The children's multiple emotional and neurological issues were kept from us prior to the official adoption. There were no follow-up services as the agency promised other than to send us a list of books to read. I had taught myself to speak and read Russian during the year I was doing the paperwork. Our home turned into a battle zone between the 3 children. The oldest girl interfered terribly with our training of the youngest boy who exhibited the worst violent behavior. I was called to the kids' school 3-4 times a week for misbehavior. Nothing we could ever do for the kids was ever good enough. People were amazed when they asked us if the kids were grateful to be in a family and to have nice things and we answered no. We turned ourselves inside out for these kids and finally were forced to readopt them to another family when my previously healthy husband was diagnosed with heart issues due to the stress. The family we sent them to had 11 other Russian orphans who also had failed first adoption, but even this very experienced family was unable to handle our 3 and gave up after 3 years and sent them back to the adoption agency that handled the readoption. Both of our families have been devastated by this whole experience. We were prepared for difficulties (we both work at a maximum security state prison for men so are no stranger to handling difficult people in crisis.) To this day, we never once blamed the children themselves. They were the victims of neglect as infants by their mother and the state-run Russian orphanage where the kids ran wild. Survival of the strongest ruled the day. Both sides of the adoption story must be told. We will never fully get over this whole nightmarish situation. Please research fully the child you are adopting and back off if you are not given information for the child's "protection." Your life is about to change dramatically and you are entitled to the truth. We are a blue collar couple but spent $90,000 in a 2 and 1/2 year period, including taking a second mortgage out on our home. If people are scared off, then they weren't supposed to adopt in the first place. I can't tell you how many adoptive parents called me crying tears of relief when they discovered they weren't horrible parents, that certain behaviors are common to neglected, brain-damaged children. God bless you and pray to receive a child who can actually be helped. We have prisons full of people who are too damaged to function in society in a normal, decent way. We thought love was the answer and discovered that only divine intervention in healing their damaged brains is the true answer. Obviously I will not post the children's photos, other than to tell you they are beautiful, angelic-looking children.

I say "least of these" because it's my great honor, privilege, pleasure, and JOY to be able to welcome 90 special children into my home over the past 4 1/2 years to care for as our own. Currently 41 abandoned/orphaned babies and young children make their (temporary) home at "Casa de Amor Children's Homes", the rest having been adopted or returned to an improved family situation. I have an adopted sister (Russia, '99) who is the light of our eyes, and have had a front row seat to 11 international adoptions and multiple national adoptions. In every case, the families and children are doing wonderfully together! I am greatly heartened by the negative response to this video (already available in Bolivia) but can only expect that it will continue to reinforce the average Bolivian's negative image of adoption, that the adoptions/available children are all "flawed". Abundantly Blessed, Jennifer Thompson Founder/Director Casa de Amor Children's Homes (House of Love) Cochabamba, Bolivia

External Link http://hogardeamor.blogspot.com

Adopting my children has been one of the most powerful and compelling things I have experienced in my life. I can't begin to fathom life without these amazing children God gave me from across the world.



Picture Link: Copy of IMG_9380.JPG

External Link thevoiceofadventure.com

by Angel Weir (TX)

We are in the process of adopting a 10 year old boy from Russia with Cystic Fibrosis. We went into this adoption knowing of the challenges and trial that are ahead of us. Adoption isn't easy, life isn't easy. Our belief is we are commanded by God to care for the Orphans. God so happened to lay on our heart that we are to follow him in to the Spirit of Adoption. God's love is bigger than all the trials and challenges we will face and regardless of these things he will carry us through and sustain us. Some of these children, not all, have been through horrible events in their life something a child should never experience. My calling was to be a parent to this child who was abandoned due to his disease and give him a good Christian home so he can live whatever life remains for him in a loving, nurturing, secure environment. While most have these children have received all the physical needs in the orphanages.foster care, most of them have never received the emotional and spiritual needs required to develop. Regardless, of the challenges we face we WILL provide a loving home to this child. God Bless

External Link www.adoptingsasha-thejourney.com

I really don't know. I'm not going to lie and say I was adopted by amazingly kind people who totally knew what they were doing, but I do believe fully it was better than being shuffled through foster care. :( Being shuffled from home to home isn't a good feeling, as some of my friends can attest to. It was nice to grow up feeling wanted, and to have decent role-models in life who wanted to provide me with discipline and lessons on what was acceptable behavior. I was able to have a network of relatives rather than being someone who never knew if those same adults would be there next week or not, or if I'd be yanked out and moved yet again. I hope more people take the initiative to adopt, because there is really no promise that kids produced from your DNA will turn out the way you wish. (I've seen too many examples of peoples kids growing up to be criminals, and the parents make excuses for them rather than realizing that any child will turn out bad if the parents in charge of them don't do their job.) :-( I also hate the excuse of, "I can't afford to adopt!" HAVING children is expensive, either via adoption or giving birth. The only people who have a valid reason are gay people who get discriminated against, or people who looked into it but were turned away because some arsehole discriminated against them over their religion/race/etc.

by A.i.K. (GA)

There are many children in foster care in New Mexico. My sister and her husband are foster parents to many of these children who come and go. My sister and her husband take these children to church and they share God's word with them and when they are ready to go back to their families these children leave sharing God's word with others. They come from families who are poor or too ignorant to care for them they sometimes come from families on drugs or out of an abusive family and they are thrown into the foster system... I will tell you this my sister takes these children to all of the family functions and they are better behaved then most children with two loving parents. Most of them make a cauntious effort to please and they are so very loving and caring. Most of the kids that come through her home are so grateful for whatever is for dinner, they are grateful for wherever you buy their clothes and they never expect designer anything. Please do not believe a fiction story over these precious lives God has promises and blessings for those that care for the fatherless.

Two years ago in far western China, a beautiful little 2 year old girl became our daughter. What started out as a move of obedience and compassion toward the little girls in China has now forever changed my heart and life direction. Many people say she is lucky and blessed that we saved her, but that is not the way I see it at all. I thank God for her because she has saved me from a life of empty selfishness. She has taught me so much about the pure grace of God that covers us when we follow Him and more about my Heavenly Father's love and adoption of me then I could have ever learned without her in my life. He knew what she needed and He also knew what my family needed when He decided to intertwine our hearts and our story. She is such a blessing to our family born of our hearts, and as much my child as my other two children born of my womb. Orphans Do Deserve Better - Let's stand up church on their behalf!

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If I had been able to get pregnant, I wouldn't have my two precious children, whom we adopted from Korea. Not only do they fill out lives with joy, but have also spurred us to learn more about Korea and meet Koreans and other adoptive parents of Korean children. Thank God for infertility!

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With four biological children, we thought we were done. Well, my husband thought we were done. For years, I felt a nagging, an urge to adopt. My husband and I had talked about it at multiple times in our lives. A family from our church had recently adopted, and I was inspired by their story. We went to an informational meeting with the intention of only getting information, and only had the intention of adopting a baby. As we sat in the meeting, the social worker began talking about two older children who were 8 and 10. A family who had recently traveled to Ethiopia absolutely fell in love with them. We saw their pictures. Suddenly, as if God tapped us both on the shoulder, my husband and I began fractically writing notes to each other. Could we? Should we? This isn't what we came here for. We felt like those were the children God intended us to have. We asked the social worker if we could have more information about these children and if we could get in contact with the family who had met them. As it turns out, the family who fell in love with my kids was also the family who went to our church and had inspired us to adopt in the first place. We really felt like these children were meant to be ours. They came home in Feb 2008 and have melted into our family perfectly. Even though it wasn't my intention to adopt older children, it was the best thing to ever happen to our family.

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External Link http://enoughellerbees.blogspot.com

Our family has been forever changed by the addition of our beautiful daughter, Rosie, who came home from Ethiopia in April of 2009. Children are a blessing, and to have the ability to provide a family for a child who has none blesses everyone involved. Whatever the media would like to portray, adoption works! Any challenges that might be faced are worth facing . To read more of Rosie's story, visit our blog at : anenglishamericanethiopianfamily.blogspot.com

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External Link http://anenglishamericanethiopianfamily.blogspot.com

My husband and I have three grown sons, and we adopted our first daughter from China in 2007. She was three years old when she came home, and it was such an awesome and rewarding experience that when we decided to adopt again we definitely wanted to adopt an older child or children. We brought home our two daughter from Ethiopia in 2008, and they've adjusted amazingly well to our family and life in America. All three of our daughters bring us endless joy. Please, don't be afraid of adopting an orphan!

External Link http://peculiarsmith.blogspot.com

by Rebecca (MO)

With two bio kids already, my husband and I felt called to add to our family through adoption. Wanting to make a difference for the "hardest to place" we decided to adopt two older siblings. The kids were 9 and 8 when we brought them home from Ethiopia in Dec. 2008 (a boy and a girl). Sure, there have been some tough times as they work through grief of leaving their country and friends and learn to like American food and speak a whole new language. But they have been a true joy and have taught us so much. I'm not sure if we will adopt again but my husband is now involved in full time ministry helping orphans around the world and we are very involved with helping those left behind in Ethiopia.

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External Link http://www.fourplusmore.com

by Julie (AZ)

They have been my daughters since before time began. My wife and I know they are perfect gifts from God. Not perfect in that they are perfect. But perfect in that they are exactly what God wants them to be and exactly where he wants them to be. Our daughters came to be part of our family through adoption. My wife and I came to understand God's love for us much more clearly as we went through our adoption journey. We have been blessed and forever changed by it. I am honored beyond words to be the dad of my two girls. The love in our family brings me to tears regularly. Adoption is not a 2nd best plan. Being an adopted person does not make you 2nd best in a family or in community, in any way. Children loved by parents is what it is about. Children loved equally regardless of genetics or the circumstance of their birth. God loves each of us equally and without end. He has asked us to love others as He loves us. It is as simple as that. It is real that some people think adoption or fostering equals dealing with children who are more likely to have problems or who will some day turn their backs on their adopted family. Anything that perpetuates this myth in our culture is hurtful and mean spirited. It's not the content of the movie as much as the message with which it is marketed. Thank you for this effort in allowing all to add their voice to collectively become a shout in the ears of those who just haven't "gotten it" yet. Maybe the collective good will outweigh the greed or short sightedness of others. May God bless these good efforts.

by Alan (TX)

I am the mother of 3 kids whom my husband and I adopted from 3 different countries. My children are smart, funny, beautiful people. One of them was adopted as an older child, and he is wonderful. My brother was also adopted, and we are very close. I can't imagine life without any of them; they have brought me so much joy. Stereotypes like the ones perpetuated by this movie are harmful and hurtful. I pray my children don't accidentally see the trailer. Warner Brothers really screwed up this time.

Our adopted son Tyler is the joy and light of our lives. Adoption was the answer to our many prayers. As a Christian family me and my husband are adopted as well because the Bible says, "He has chosen us before the foundation of the world: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children." (Ephesians 1:4-5) President Ronald Reagan's adopted son Michael wrote a book entitled Adopted Twice. God lovingly adopts us as His children into His family. That is how important adoption is, and how special adopted chldren are.

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I don't remember anything about China, the place where I was born or anything about my past. But I do know that I have a great loving family and parents who adopted me. I'm now a teen and have also a younger sibling who is adopted as well and an older sibling who is a biological child. I remember when I was young and saw my family and parents, I did not see any physical differences. To me they were my parents and family and still are and always will be. They have always cherished my Chinese heritage and I have as well. Though there are or were times when I was confused about who I "really" am, I figure that I am both. I'm not one or the other, because both have influenced me greatly. I'm not angry or sad about my adoptive parents but I have thankfulness and an openness towards them even though it's impossible to ever see them. Though this movie is not even released yet, I can't truly say it's terrible or it's horrible or something like that because I didn't even see it. So I don't have a real judgement on it yet or an opinion. But, I think it's a good opportunity to get awareness about adoption, especially from foreign countries. Growing up was sometimes hard because people outside of my family didn't understand sometimes. The point is, I don't think adoption is bad and I think that the stereotypes with adoption should be thought about seriously, such as insults or jokes like "oh yeah? you're adopted!" and some little kid runs away crying. Honestly, what's wrong with being adopted? I don't think it matters and I plan on adopting in the future when I have children of my own.

At the age of seventeen months, a little boy had a colostomy due to severe abuse. He died twice on the table. It wasn't expected he would survive the operation. Much to the doctor's and nurse's surprise this little boy survived the night and within days was jumping in his bed. Seven months later after a reversal of the colostomy he moved into my home. A year of trying to get bio mom to spend time with her child, talk to him and WANT him, termination happened as she wasn't interested. We decided to adopt this little boy. When at the age of 3 we told him we would be adopting him and would be changing his first name, he told us "My name is Joshua. God calls me Josh." Upon asking him how he knew this he replied with "When I was a baby having surgery on my tummy, Jesus held me,told me my name would be Joshua and showed me a picture of you. Jesus told me you would be my forever mommy and daddy." Today he is ten years old. Healthy, happy and very bright. He has a good heart. This child endured in seventeen months more than anybody should have to in a life time.

All I have to say is that my son is adopted and has brought nothing but love and joy to our entire family. Adoption made our family a family. His birth mother was not able to care for him. In fact he would likely have starved to death had she not made the selfless and brave decision to make an adoption plan for him. Whether an adoption plan has been made, the child had been abandoned or orphaned every child deserves a family to care for them.

I was never adopted but was born into a violent and abusive family. My father raped me until I was 4 and then stalked me and my mother. My mother was extremely emotionally abusive to the point of terrifying me, but we moved so frequently and she was so good with authority that I was never taken away. When anyone started to suspect something we moved. She used to threaten to give me away to children's services where she told me I'd be raped and beaten and would pack my bags and drive me around until I was in tears. By the time I was 8 her threats no longer meant anything- being adopted was an option (in my mind) that at first terrified me but after awhile I wanted to be adopted because I knew that the unknown was better than living in the situation I was in. I am now on psych disability for post traumatic stress disorder and psychosis and other problems- which goes to prove that a biological but abusive family is far worse than being adopted. Blood means nothing, really, love is what matters. I now am trying to get stabilized with medication and therapy and am working towards getting permanent housing and my goal is to someday adopt an older child with behavioral problems because I know I will NEVER give up on them and I know what it feels to be unwanted. I love horror movies so I still want to see Orphan but I see why people are upset. I agree that there should be a pro-adoption message at the end and even if an adopted child does have reactive attachment disorder, they can still heal. As long as you are willing to love a child with all your heart, it doesn't matter. And if you aren't willing to love a child with all your heart, in my opinion, you are not fit to have a biological child of your own. Love is love and the people who have shaped my life for the better are not related by blood to me but I consider them my real family. If you are considering adopting and you want a child to love, look deep and realize that love knows no bounds and you can never tell just how far a child or youth with behavior problems can improve with enough love.

When I saw the trailer for this movie I was so disheartened. I have first hand knowledge of what it is like to be a teen waiting for a home - and never getting one. My mother was terribly abusive, physically, verbally, emotionally. I was locked in closets for days at a time and smashed with anything she could put her hands on. One time I didn`t do something fast enough for her in the kitchen and she picked up a pot of boiling water and smacked me across the face with it. The impact hurt and scolding water splashed all over my body. I can recount incident after incident of things that were done to me. I want people to know what these children really go through. At 13, I was removed from my mothers home. It was very scary but at the same time a relief. The fear of the unkown was overwhelming. I had no idea what was going to be done to me. I had a fear of people because I felt like if I didn`t do exactly what was expected of me, I would suffer terrible consequences. I was found a foster home. I lived with a single woman, Cathy and her 8 year old son. She treated me with respect and kindness. I knew I had a job to do there. I was to pick up her son from school, babysit him until she got home from work and make sure the house was clean. Cathy always cooked dinner so she expected the kitchen spotless before she started. She was not a slave driver nor was she unkind. She explained to me that to be part of a family, you had responsibilities and duties. I was given my own room and experienced a level of freedom I had never had. Cathy encouraged me to attend the school dances and showed me how to put on make-up. I was allowed to join the school band and she even let me practice my very loud trumpet in the basement. She acted like a real mom and I loved her for it. I was the happiest I had ever been. And then - my life fell apart. Cathys Mom fell ill and was unable to continue living on her own. Suddenly there was not enough room at the inn any more. After two years of living in peace, Cathy came to me told me I would have to move out. She was making arrangements with the social workers. I begged her to let me stay. I offered to live in the basement. I did not need my own room. Please please please let me stay! But the basement was damp and unfinished and not a suitable place for a child to live. No. I had to go. There was not enough room for me. It took two gut wrenching weeks to sort out all the details and find me a place to stay. I went to an institutional home. There were so many girls that they could not accomodate us all. I was terrified of living on the dreaded first floor. Here was a big open room with 18 cots and school lockers. I was terrified to live there. Luckily, I was not placed on that floor and was given a room with 3 other girls. From that day forward, I had no adult guidance in my life. There were adults in the cafeteria and in the offices but none were interested in talking to me. They had to deal with the kids who were causing problems, skipping school etc. I was good so there was no need to talk to me. I asked my social worker if I would again be placed in a home. She told me that because I was sent back from a home I had been placed in, it was unlikely anyone would give me a chance. She was right. I lived in the institution for 3 years. Six weeks before my 18th birthday I was given written notice from the staff that I would have to move out at the end of the month that I turned 18. I was still in high school and even though I had a part time job at a department store, it was not enough to pay rent, groceries and a bus pass. I wanted to finish high school because I felt I would never be able to support myself without a diploma. I will not go into the struggles I faced upon leaving the system. After all, this is about adoption. How would my life have been different if I had a home return to at the end of the day. What if I had someone to teach me about the ways of the world. How would it feel to hear a kind word after a bad day. I was a good kid in desperate need of love. I would have made a good addition to a family. This is why I was so saddened when I saw the preview for this movie. It is so hard for an older child to find a home and this film is just making it worse. People really do not know anything about the real live kids out there who need help. I am afraid that stereotypes will be reinforced by this movie and discourage people from helping an innocent child. I am 32 now. Although I am unable to help a child at this point in my life, I fully intend to bring a foster child into my home in the future. I was a good kid and I know that I am not the only one. There is someone deserving of my love out there waiting. I wish I could let that child know that I was coming to help, offer some hope and relief. I hope this movie is a box office dissapointment and fades away quicky. I will not be viewing it and I encourage others to do the same. Thanks for listening, Molly P.S. I did finish highschool and later opened my own business. I have been running it for 5 years and have 6 full time employees. I was not doomed to a life of crime or misery. All orphaned children have this potential. All they need is kind people to show them the way.

As a former orphan who resided in a orphanage for nearly a decade, I find the premise of this film, Orphan, disheartening and a bit disturbing. For me, April's release of my memoir, The Unbreakable Child, bookends the tragedy of the Irish endemic on the other side of the world. A painful journey. My name is Kim Michele Richardson, and I am one of forty-four orphans along with noted attorney, William F. McMurry who brought, and won, a national landmark lawsuit against an order of Catholic nuns and priest for the systematic violation, humiliation, and injury we suffered at their hands in a brutal orphanage environment. In my childhood, I was always racing my own age and searching for my "forever family"-- an adopted family, and remember worrying and feeling tainted by age and the word, orphan, thus not worthy of a 'family.' I, too, am concerned about the message, Orphan, would give and about its effects on those precious children waiting for their own forever family...



External Link http://www.theunbreakablechild.com

I was adopted from a Foster Home at the age of 6 months. I have a wonderful adopted family who have given me every possible opportunity to move ahead in life...and more than anything they could have given me, the most valuable to me is that they gave me their unconditional love and I am thankful for that every day of my life. I believe in the adoption process 100% and would adopt myself given the opportunity!

I don't remember anything about China, the place where I was born or anything about my past. But I do know that I have a great loving family and parents who adopted me. I'm now a teen and have also a younger sibling who is adopted as well and an older sibling who is a biological child. I remember when I was young and saw my family and parents, I did not see any physical differences. To me they were my parents and family and still are and always will be. They have always cherished my Chinese heritage and I have as well. Though there are or were times when I was confused about who I "really" am, I figure that I am both. I'm not one or the other, because both have influenced me greatly. I'm not angry or sad about my adoptive parents but I have thankfulness and an openness towards them even though it's impossible to ever see them. Though this movie is not even released yet, I can't truly say it's terrible or it's horrible or something like that because I didn't even see it. So I don't have a real judgement on it yet or an opinion. But, I think it's a good opportunity to get awareness about adoption, especially from foreign countries. Growing up was sometimes hard because people outside of my family didn't understand sometimes. The point is, I don't think adoption is bad and I think that the stereotypes with adoption should be thought about seriously, such as insults or jokes like "oh yeah? you're adopted!" and some little kid runs away crying. Honestly, what's wrong with being adopted? I don't think it matters and I plan on adopting in the future when I have children of my own.

There is no other way, u can reach out to God, other than loving a child who reached us because of destiny. My baby brought in a baggage full of good things and i respect myself for this decision . Every child needs a family and the child loves the parent ( whoever picks them up) with no condition, but as a parent,we can not even reach near them, as we love them if our conditions are met... Adoption is divine and it needs a diff mindset regards suja

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It is really not fair that some kids get adopted while others don’t and are left behind in the broken foster care system. Either support orphanages (group homes) or adoption! I am tired of seeing children who are left behind in the broken foster care system! It’s time to change!

by Jessica Liao (NY)

As someone else stated in an earlier post, I too have benefitted from adoption on many levels: both my wonderful husband and our precious son were adopted. I shudder to imagine life without either of them. We adopted our son from a Ukrainian orphanage when he was 3 years old. Certainly, he had been impacted by the fact that he had lived the first three years of his life belonging to nobody. How can anyone suffer the loss of their parents and come out unscathed - especially if they lived long enough as orphans in an institution to have memory and consciousness of it? He was tiny; he could not throw away food; he was initially afraid to laugh or cry; he needed multiple surgeries because of some birth defects, he clung to us like logs in the open ocean; he was a shy, white ghost-baby with old eyes, a shadow of the vibrant and strong 7 year-old I know today. But today he is whole. Today he is NOT an orphan. He is our son. He is beautiful, intelligent, sensitive, affectionate, extremely witty, musical, and one of the most profound thinkers I know. He has enriched our lives beyond words. His birth mother had named him Victor, and we agreed with her. "Victor" could not be more appropriate, because he has charged into life's most daunting challenges with zeal, and lets nothing beat him. He is a victor, in the truest sense. Seven surgeries and four years after our adoption, we would do it all again...and probably will. We love our boy.

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External Link http://burchardadoption.spaces.live.com

This will be my last rant due to the fact alot of you know nothing about this system and act like you do from the good things you read. There are good homes, most kids will never see these quality homes and parents. The rest will be stuck in run down group homes and with parents who only want to collect a check. To you wonderful parents, I wish I meet you when I was a kid. It might have made a different impact in my life but I'll never know. I have a wonderful girlfriend these days and I wouldn't change a moment of my life due to I might have not met her. Again, those Parents like you are what this system needs, there just isn't enough of you.

by Anthony (FL)

If there were many people adopting, then there would be no children in the foster care system. Obviously that is not the case and that is why advocates for adoption are upset by the negative portrayal of orphans. People are not overreacting. This is the opportunity to tell people about adoption. I am tired of seeing people express their anger about people complaining. People complain for a reason, just to get the message across. There is nothing wrong with that.

by Jessica Liao (NY)

I am currently 54 yrs. old and I was adopted at 3 months of age in March 1955. Just recently I found my 'birth-family'. I was born to a 13 yr. old who was the victim of incest. The mother of the 13 yr. old who also had 7 other children, took the entire family to an Indian (Native American) mission and Orphanage to wait out the girl's pregnancy. Subsequently I was adopted by a wonderful couple from Indiana who were delighted to raise me as their own. I love my parents greatly and they love me. Because of them I had a great life, better opportunities than I would have had on a Reservation, and NEVER would I have thought of harming them!!! I've worked as a computer programmer, instructor at Purdue University and as a photojournalist. I'm active as a volunteer for the American Legion Auxiliary and crochet hats/scarves for the homeless and for premature infants. I think that I am FAR from 'damaged goods'.

by Mary Anne Prashina (IN)

Read the story at the link below:

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External Link http://www.hollywoodpastor.com/hp-blog/2009/6/19/my-three-kids.html

This is the true story of ""LITTLE JOEY!"" who was left abandoned outside an orphanage in Montrel - Quebec - Canada and its so sad but true and it will bring you to tears of joy to see how one can and simply does make a difference in this life and how he literally survived what was called ""THE CANADIAN HOLOCAUST!" By the way this child as a tiny infant having gone through this never received one penny from either the Roman Catholic Church or from the Canadian government but his story is one that should be told and he has never forgotten but he has """FORGIVEN !"" ALoha from BUTCH - aka ""LITTLE JOEY!""



External Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTPuZ4YKc_Y

by Butch aka (HI)

I am the mother of 5 ~ 3 biological and 2 adopted children. I am an adult and when I first saw the trailer for "Orphan", I was in shock. I just can't imagine how anyone would write, direct, produce, fund, star in, support...etc etc etc such a twisted tale of nonsense. When my teenagers saw the trailer for the first time, they felt the exact same way. They were amazed that such a film could actually be made. They are teenagers and they knew better. What were the adults thinking that are part of this movie project? And even worse - the trailer is everywhere now. I DON'T want my 4 and 5 year olds to see this stupidity and relate it to their adoptions. My children are amazing - all 5 of them. My "littles" were meant to be a part of our family. They come from different countries - but were meant to be sisters and best friends. Our family is a blessing. If this movie makes one family hesitate regarding adoption - which it certainly will - the studio execs should hide in shame.

When we met Rob he was eighteen, discarded in a divorce, the product of several failed government programs. He was beyond childhood but in great need of stability coated with love. Many people told us that he was too set in his ways for change; but this was not true.His adoption went through at age 22. Today, he is a woven part of our adult family, married to a lovely woman, employed at a good job, faithful to the Lord who called him out of confusion and rejectioninto life abundant.

We have two biological children, ages 17 and 14. The oldest, a girl, was a miracle child, born with a severe abdominal birth defect. Our son was born with a minor heart defect. We then added two Korean children by adoption, both Waiting Children. Our son came home to the US at 12 months, and our daughter at 4 years from an orphanage for brain-damaged children. Our family has been so blessed by adoption. Of course there are challenges and problems to solve, but that goes with all children. Overall, our last 3 children put together have been easier to raise than our firstborn, who has been a real handful all along. But I would do it all over again for every one, including daughter #1, whom we were urged to abort. As adoptive parents,we have supported our children's Korean heritage as best we can here in America. We have had 2 Korean foreign exchange students in our home. Pictured is our oldest daughter, our Korean student, and our youngest daughter.

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Two of the most important people in my life are adopted...my husband and my oldest son. At first I told everyone on the street that my beautiful son was adopted. But after awhile I stopped. The comments that I recieved were not at all what I expected. I sit here thinking about my beautiful little boy and my heart breaks because of what people will think of him just because he is adopted. I don't understand it. He is so loving and smart and just amazing. When people tell me "oh he looks like you" I just want to scream "is that supposed to make me love him more" because he could be a one-eyed green alien (which I am sure my 4 year old would love to be) and I would still have an overwhelming amount of love for him. Right now adoption needs a postive message to combat the negative statements. They are afterall just babies - beautiful, wonderful babies whether they are newborn or 17 years old, whether they are domestic or foreign. Just babies that need love and compassion...security and attention. Just babies - that need a home.

Webmaster's Note: We desire to enable people to express a range of experiences as part of "Your Orphan Story." We must never forget that, as with all aspects of life, caring for children who've lost their families can carry great difficulty. It's also vital to remember that every orphan's experience as an orphan almost certainly began with tragedy. It may have been the death of parents, relinquishment to an orphanage or abandonment on the streets, removal from a home by government officials, or some other heartrending event. And although such experiences can--and often do--become stories of hope and new life, the pain at the story's start rarely disappears. Most anyone who has loved an orphan, as a mentor, foster parent, adoptive family or otherwise, will tell you the same thing: to love an orphan means to open yourself to the world at its most beautiful and most broken at the same time. The following post comes from an individual who feels this reality keenly: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nearly 5 years ago my wife and i adopted 2 childern. We thought it was a great thing. Little did we know that one of the childern would always try to hurt herself and our family. She has been in counciling for the entire time we have had her. She cries and screams for hours at a time no matter what we say or do for her. So be careful and dont trust what social works say because they are just out for themselfs. Hideing family history of mental illness of children just to get the kids placed, as they did in our case. Has anyone done a study to see how many children and adult fire-starters were adopted?

In October of 2007, my husband and I decided to begin on the amazing journey of adoption. We expected to go through the process of training and paperwork and then wait for a brave birth mom to choose us to be parents. We were told that the process usually took about a year, so we were ready and willing to be patient! Little did we know that God had other plans! 10 DAYS after beginning the process, we received a phone call telling us that an amazing young woman had chosen us for the baby girl she was carrying! 6 weeks later we were holding that baby girl in our arms! We praise God every day for HIS perfect timing. We believe that God always intended for Shelby to be our daughter!

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I will be blogging about this over at Psychology Today--my blog is called Adoption Stories--and would like to interview parents and pros. I'll also be linking to your site. Many thanks. Meredith Resnick

External Link http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/bloggers/meredith-resnick-ma-msw-lcsw

by Meredith Resnick, LCSW (CA)

I am first the adopted daughter of God and life would have no meaning without that. I am also the grandmother of Hannah, she was adopted by my son & daughter-in-"love". She came with a stack of papers naming her problems. Her only real problem was a need for LOVE and someone she could trust and Jesus Christ as her Savior. She has not a drop of my blood in her but she is just as much mine as my 35 other grandchildren. I would have hated to miss the love she has filled my life with just because she had been abused and reacted to it. I praise God that He chose our family to place Hannah Rachel Jones in.

by Patricia Jones (MO)

We need to start treating children better. What do you think the children that live in permanent families feel when "orphans" are portrayed as "evil" in the entertainment industry? If people are going to be making fun of "orphans", then I think the government should ban people from keeping their babies altogether. Children will all be placed in orphanages. No one will be able to "adopt" them since apparently people are not comfortable with it. Think about it. If everyone abandons their infants, there will be no social status for children. Children who are born into rich and poor families don't exist. Self-esteem of children who would have been born into poor families would increase as kids are treated fairly. The federal government would have no choice but to support orphanages. Since this will never happen, it is extremely important for people to adopt children. The foster care system is very stressful to children. These kids will be the future for the world. It's time we start treating children better.

by Jessica Liao (NY)

I just want to be added to the list of people who would not know the joy of motherhood if it were not for the blessing of adoption. Truthfully, our son was placed in our arms with a list of challenges, but we realize biological children are not without their own lists of challenges. None of this has mattered. Our son is growing up with the knowledge that he has been loved since before he was born and that he was the answer to our prayers. We are teaching our son that families are all formed in their own special way. God has a plan for every being and thankfully, His plan was for all of us to be together. Warner Bros. has every right to put this movie out. I don't deny that and I in fact support the right to free speach in any fashion. It is only my hope that people will view these adoption stories and realize that Orphan is simply a movie based on someone's imagination, not an advertisement for actual adoption. Bear in mind that for every horror story about actual adoption, there are thousands of beautiful ones. We are simply one family with one amazing child.

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by Ronda Langston (CO)

Foster care children working with CCAI have made this video to give their stories a voice. Watch their personal testimonies about succeeding against the odds - clearly illustrating the difference love can make.



External Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUqnZ15h2-4

As a mother of 6 kids (4 by miraculous adoption), I find the movie orphan to be irresponsible. People struggle through falsehoods all of the time during the process of adoption, this movie only continues to perpetuate an inaccurate sterotype. My kids are a blessing and have been the best thing that has happened to our family.

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External Link http://www.injerahotdog.blogspot.com

by Deanna Jones (NC)

We brought our daughter home just over a year ago from Ethiopia. We are now in the process of adopting a little boy from there as well. Adoption is just as rewarding and beautiful to our family, as the day our 2 bio boys were born.

External Link http://schumacherfamilyaddition.blogspot.com/

We adopted our India princess earlier this year. After many years of marriage with no children, we brought home a beautiful 11 year old girl that has brought such joy to our lives. We can't imagine life without her. She brings joy and happiness to everyone she meets. She is considered an orphan by the world's definition. She is considered a blessing by us.

Adoption has been a part of my life since my conception. My wonderful parents were thrilled to take my brother and I, orphaned children into their lives. We had an awesome life with our parents. My husband and I felt led by God to add to our family through the miracle of adoption. We adopted three children from Asia. Although there are struggles, especially when adding an older child to the family, we have had nothing but the best experience. All of the trials were worth the effort. Life is so much better not only for our children but for our family. You can read all of our adoption stories on our blogs which are listed within the link below.

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External Link http://mylifeasamom2six.blogspot.com/

Hello, and thank you for reading my story. Please take a few minutes to view facesoftheforgotten.org and see how so many orphans can have beautiful lives, and give such love to those who chose them to be part of their families. Our son, his wife, and their 5 young children sold their house, many belongings, and moved to Haiti in April, 2009. They are with a ministry who builds Homes of Hope for girls and for boys who have been abondened or orphaned. They are loved by Christian Haitian houseparents they are happy to call mom and dad. The changed looks in their eyes within a few months says it all! We miss our son and his family so much, but are happy they are making a difference forever in the lives of these little ones who had no choice in how they were treated. Please, please, please produce movies of real life. Of so many happy stories that are out there. Why does fear, horror, immorality, have to be your bottom dollar line? People will pay to see good movies. They were popular at one time a long time ago, you really can influence it that way again! Thank you.

In 2008, we completed the adoption three older siblings from eastern Russia. Suddenly, we were parents to six wonderful children! People often comment how lucky my three youngest are - I quickly correct them and inform them that I am the lucky one! They have blessed me with more joy and love that exceeds anything I will ever do for them. Many people fear adopting older children (age 4 and older), but watching them experience things for the first time is such a joy - things like ice cream, french fries, ketchup, fire works, new shoes, new clothes, etc.

External Link www.pville8.blogspot.com

We adopted our daughter from South Korea after having two sons born to us. I can say withhout question that there is no difference between adopted children and birth children. My daughter was not born to us and is of a different race, but is every bit as special and loved as our birth children. My in-laws set the example by adopting five older children at different times. These kids ranged from 3 to 17 when they were adopted. There have been unique challenges and struggles, but no more struggling than birth children can cause. All my adopted brothers and sisters in law have reached adulthood, married spouses of different nationalities and earned college degrees. How can it get better than that?

I was adopted as a baby..I grew up in a very loving family..I got married to a great man and we had three children..He died at 49. As of this time 2 of my children are married, and I have 15 grandchildren...7 of them are adopted!!!5 in one family and 2 in a family of 10 total..All of them were foster kids first, and they are all considered special needs..Yes there has been some difficult times, but what family doesn't have problems? They are all my grandkids and no one is loved or treated different!!!!Thank the good Lord my "parents" didn't have a problem with adoption..Just look at all the precious lives that have come from just one adoption!!!!!

Growing up without a family isn't easy, and I'm a true testament to that. I was in the foster care system for many years and had given up all hope of ever getting a family of my own. One day, after leaving another foster home, my guidance counselor approached me and asked me if I would come home with her. I figured that she just felt sorry for me because I had nowhere else to go. Little did I know, she had been planning for months to take me home. She knew I was in a bad situation and wanted to do anything in her power to help me. Without her, I would not have a home. I am now 18 (almost 19) years old, I'm a sophomore in college, and I too one day plan to adopt a child, if not several. It's all because of the kindness of a stranger that I am happy and healthy today. I was extremely lucky, especially because the older children get, the less likely they are to be adopted. At the age of 17, I was given another chance. There are still plenty of kids out there just like me, and they need kind strangers too.

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by Sabrina Coleman (NH)

In November, 2002, our family of three went on an adventure to Ukraine to find our daughter. Ukraine is a little unique because you do all of the paperwork, get approved by the Ukrainian government to come over to adopt a child or children and they assign you a travel date to come and look at hundreds of pictures of orphans. It was our desire to adopt a healthy girl under the age of 2. We were certain that was God's plan for our family. The first day we sat at the Director's office, we were presented with about 12 photos and an encouraging word to just go home and come back another time. We looked through the pictures and there was one little girl that was under 2 years old. She was laying naked in the picture with her legs straight up by her ears and her little club feet curled over her head. We looked at the picture several times, probably because it was so pitiful and left with an appointment to go back the next day to look at more photos. When we got back to our flat, our 5 year old daughter asked what we would do the next day and we told her we would look at more pictures and she said, "Why? We found our baby today!". It took a couple more days and about 300 more pictures before we too, believed that this little girl was ours. They couldn't tell us if she could ever walk or if she had control of her hands and they really discouraged us from even going to see her, but we insisted and we got to meet her a couple of days later. She could use her upper body but she had no idea what purpose her lower body could have. She was 16 months old and could do an army crawl dragging her lower body behind her, looking like a mermaid. She hated us. We looked different, smelled different and talked different, but less than a week later, she was ours. We had no idea what our lives would hold adding a special needs child to our family. We did know that she would teach us so much. Fast forward over 6 years. Marianna (her birth name meaning "Grace") is 8 years old. She has the strongest upper body you've ever seen on a little girl. She is funny and beautiful. She wears a brace that supports her back and bottom and walks with loft crutches. She loves to go bowling, is learning to play putt putt, jumps on the trampoline with her sister and little brother (adopted 3 years later from China) and play house. She wants to marry a farmer and have 10 kids...and be a teacher. People that know Mari are inspired by her. She is a remarkable little girl. She understands why I push her to walk and use the active muscles she has. She loves to read and was one of the top students in her 1st grade class. When we met with the Psychologist at the Adoption Center in Ukraine, he told us that she was a sick little girl who wouldn't live past 20 years old. We later found out that if she had stayed in Ukraine, she would have been institutionalized, never educated and only taken care of until she reached 16. She probably wouldn't have made it to her 20th birthday. God has blessed us with Marianna. He hand picked her from a dreary situation to be a part of a family and to learn and grow and be anything she decides to be. She is not damaged, but a perfect little girl.

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by Angie Topp (IN)

I am the blessed mother of 2 biological kids (ages 25 and 23) and 2 adopted twin girls from Kazakhstan, and I mean blessed. The twins came at age 15 years old and are now 17 and 2 of the most precious kids that walk this earth. Each is so unique though they are twins and it has been a joy to get to know them, learn from them about cultures outside of the US and to hear their stories and perspectives on things we take for granted. It is fun to hear Russian banter and sisterly teasing. And they are such fun and good sports about our teasing back. they have brought much laughter into our home. Life has taken on a much more global fell as we talk to and pray for their friend still in the orphanage is Kazakstan and consider how we might visit in the future. These girls have given a new meaning to "a full quiver." It just wouldn't have been complete without them.

So maybe you're not ready to take on a child full time, forever. Maybe your heart is broken, like ours was, for a child who just needs a home - for awhile. She was 2 weeks shy of her 16th birthday when she came to our home. Her grandmother had tried to raise her and her two brothers, but grandma was ill, tired, and just not capable. We'd raised 4 kids of our own, and already had 7 grandchildren. We run a non-profit Christian agency, so we're busy, fulltime. Bringing another child into our home wasn't our plan, but for some reason God wanted us to do just that. She's been with us now for two years - two years of joy, laughter, and most of all love. No, she's not a cuddly little toddler, but a funny, boisterous, crazy teenager. And, she's brought so much to our family; new friends, report cards, shoe shopping, parties, texting, i-tunes, video games, enthusiasm, McDonalds, questions, opinions, new hairstyles, pride, and lots of pizza. Our grown kids love her, as do the grandkids. She's truly our 5th kid. For two years we've watched her grow and change from a young girl with insecurities and fears to a young woman with ideas and dreams. She's still on that journey, but it's a good journey now, with a wonderful destination. This is her senior year in high school, and then she wants to go to college. As I write this, she's in Singapore, on a mission trip. Singapore! Can you imagine? A girl with little to hope for - all the way on the otherside of the world - serving others. She never wanted to be adopted. But, she wanted to be part of a family. She's made it clear that she expects her room to be here when she comes home from college. And she knows that this family will be here always; loving her and proud of her. So, while we didn't have the opportunity to adopt, we found to foster a child is just as exciting and fulfilling - for all of us! Because of foster regulations, we cannot publish her photo. But, we have them scattered throughout our home. They reflect a happy young woman with a big smile. There are so many children that need a family. Adopt. Foster. Love.

Last summer we adopted two little boys, 2 and 4 years old, from Russia. It was such a joy for us to know that we had been able to nestle them into a loving family, and take them out of the tragedy their lives had become. Our boys were brought to the orphanage after being hospitalized in grave condition from severe abuse and neglect at the hand of their birth mother. The ever-widening, rippling effect of drugs, alcohol and homelessness had destroyed the lives of these two little ones, their birth parents and untold others. And while some children were left as orphans for noble reasons, we also saw the destuction in the faces of many of the little children in the orphange, some of whom will never be adopted because of the damage that has been caused. But these precious little ones were the victims of the consequences that came from the choices made by the adults in their lives. Let's not perpetuate the damage by allowing ourselves to be entertained by their plight. Instead of imagining how much damage a hurt child could cause, let's imagine how their lives could be transformed when we invest goodness into their lives. Instead of being shocked at a child's disturbed emotions, let's reach out to and care for them, helping to heal some of the hurts. Let's step into their lives in any way we can and offer them beauty and hope and safety. Our boys have some challenges in front of them, but they are a blessing to us and to the people around them, and they will be a testimony to God's good work and restoration in their lives.

by The Nelsons (MN)

My husband and I adopted three children from the foster care system and have two biological children. I would never discourage anyone considering adoption, our children have been a HUGE blessing in our lives. Yes, we have struggles and challenges, but what parent does not. When I have discussions with other parents their issues are the same as ours, some issues worse, some easier. In fact I must say my children that I adopted are easier to raise than one of our biological children. My children are the best thing that has ever happened in my LIFE, they are a BLESSING!!!

When God forms a family He uses many avenues. Our way came through International Adoption. We have been blessed with 2 beautiful daughters, born in China; our forever family. Adoption has built our family. Without adoption we would not have children. There are many families like ours who share in our passion of caring for orphans. Natalee and Megan may not physically look like mom and dad, but they share our values and beliefs. Adoption is an investment in the life of a child, it does not come without hurts and disappointments, but it is very rewarding. Damaged goods are only the result of the sin in our world. These innocent children are suffering because of many generations have gone past in direct disobedience of our God. It is not the fault of these kids and they all deserve their forever families. I wouldn't want my family to be any different than it is. I cherish our daughters from China. Our oldest,7, knows she is Chinese, but when asked she says she is white like her dad and mom. We just recently completed our second adoption and had the privilege of taking Jei Jei to see her birth country. Her response was, 'this is a nice place, but I wouldn't want to live here.' She is completely ours and was chosen by God to be our daughter, just as her sister.

External Link http://thompsons2china.blogspot.com

by Kyle Thompson (MI)

We have 4 beautiful girls from Ukraine. They were all older girls when they joined our family. They are a huge blessing. Read along with our family on the many journeys we take. It has been life changing. http://www.youtube.com/thenealeys

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External Link http://gmnealey.blogspot.com

by Nealey Family (CA)

We adopted a 4 year old girl with Down Syndrome from Ukraine last year. We called her Ava. In a period of 15 months Ava has learned to roll over, then sit up, then eat from a spoon instead of a bottle, then crawl, then started doing sign language. She is now able so speak some words and has learned to walk with a walker. Every family member is so wrapped around her little finger, we have decided to adopt another one from Ethiopia, just so there will be more to go around. My little orphan girl rocks!!



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External Link http://urbanfunnyfarm.blogspot.com/

by Charissa Urban (OK)

Colin and Alex came to the US from Russian orphanages when they were 9 and 14 respectively, entering our home 5 years apart, they are bio brothers who were reunited after a long absence from each other. They have grown and prospered. They are both athletes in many sports, talented artists, loving kind, Demolay members, Boy Scouts, and just great sons. Now one serves in the USMC and the other is waiting to join. They are and have been giving back to their new found nation since their arrival.

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by sue (PA)

External Link http://avoiceforthechild.com/index.html

If you are near Tampa,FL... You are invited to come join us every second Thursday of the month at 7:00-8:30pm Idlewild Baptist Church (for directions: www.idlewild.org/directions). Come hear God's word embracing the orphaned, He loves. As Christians, we are called to care for them and not be polluted by what the world values... James 1:27. We will truly care when we value what God values. Come and embrace what God is doing amoungest individuals as they share their personal adoption, foster care and orphan care testimonies.

External Link AVoiceForTheChild.com

As adoptive parents of a vibrant young lady, we have daily proof of beauty that can come from ugliness. Our adoption is one that should have never taken place, according to many proponents of abortion. Most people justify the crime of abortion against innocent children for certain reasons that they deem too difficult, like rape or incest. But what is that to God? Can he not redeem such an act of violence and perversion? Every day, I experience living proof in the face of my golden child who is sparkley, peaceful and deeply thoughtful.

We have 2 beautiful daughters from China. It is China's one child policy that "produces" orphans. However sad this is, God had us in mind for our daughters to love and cherish. Let us pray for the brave mothers of China who loved their children enough to place them were they knew they would be found. God blesses them every day and us too. Life just wouldn't be the same with out our daughters.

by Victoria Nguyen (NJ)

Randy and I adopted the first time thirty years ago. The boys were five and seven year old foster children. Since then we have adopted eight more children. Our two biological sons have never complained about their siblings. All twelve of our children have been a great blessings. Of course there have been tears shed inbetween the joyous times. One of our adopted children came to us at birth. The other children were all older when we adopted them, ranging from five to twenty years old. Our most recent adoption was May 2009, we adopted our sixteen year old foster daughter. Yes, some of our children have come to us with serious emotional pain and fear. That pain and fear sometimes drives them to behave inappropriately. Somedays can be very exhausting but our call as parents is to affirm their sucesses and help them learn that they are forgiven when they blow it. Unconditional love and acceptance brings healing to their broken hearts. We have learned that these children respond to our forgiveness and acceptance. It appears that if we were to continue to abuse them, reject them and not understand their fear they would harden their hearts to the point of hurting themselves or others. If we remember not to take their challenging behaviors personally and provide a balance of nuture and structure everyone is safe and someday everyone will achieve some level of happiness.

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by Randy and Deeanna Wallace (HI)

Even as a child, my life was changed by the adoption of my big sister. To this day, she is my dear friend who brought much joy to our home. Now as a mother myself, I have learned that my own family has been changed just as dramatically. After two biological children entered our home, we were blessed to bring in two more through adoption. I initially had some fears about bringing home an older child, I heard all the "stories". Boy, were we surprised when we brought home the sweetest 6 year old boy and he immediately blended in so well to our family. His brother and sisters have welcomed him wholeheartedly and share a deep family bond. The scariest part of adopting are the worries and fears that we tell ourselves ahead of time. I know I will never be the same again and I wouldn't change a thing!

When I was barely a teenager, I lost both of my biological parents to suicide at different times. It effected me deeply in many different ways, some which I continue to realize as time passes. Fortunately, I was given a loving family who, despite my baggage, gave me a loving home and a second chance at life. There are so many orphans across the world who aren't ever given the chance to redeem their lives because of social stigma, fear, expectation, etc. and films such as these only enforce negative views about children with similar lives.

We adopted three older girls and each one came to us with some sort of emotional damage and sensory integration issues. Some of the issues were pretty bad. But we assembled a treatment team, changed how we parented, and addressed each problem and now they are all doing very well. It has been an extremely rewarding journey. While going through our trials with the girls, we mostly heard flowery, sweet adoption stories and wondered why we got the kinds of challenges we got, instead of the easier kids that other people seemed to get. What we found is that many people do adopt easy to parent kids, but some of them experience hard times and challenges when they adopt (especially older kids) and they keep quiet because it's not okay to talk about it. A lot of parents keep quiet because they don't want to speak up and feel guilty that maybe they kept some orphans from being adopted. The adoption agencies also keep quiet because to let clients know they may wind up with troubled kids could cut into the numbers of kids placed. Part of that is income-driven and part is because some agencies really do have a heart for orphans and they worry that if potential parents know about the kinds of damage that can affect the kids, they'll lose adopters and the kids will never find homes. I think the movie might scare some people away, but it also could open dialogues like this, to get people to talk about not only the good parts of adoption and success stories, but also make them aware of the sad stories that are out there. There are sad stories out there, even tragic ones. You just never hear about them unless murder is part of it. I think we need to encourage open dialogue and to encourage those who do have problems with their kids, whether the kids are birth kids, adopted, or foster kids. There also should be no stigmas about admitting you can't deal with the problems and you might want to disrupt the adoption. That is often done in secrecy and shame, but some families just cannot handle the sorts of problems their kids have. And treatment should be made more available. A lot of resources go into getting kids into families, but little is available for any type of treatment, once they are here. Attachment and sensory integration therapies are extremely expensive and not everyone can afford it. Insurance often does not cover it. In reality, a family can't afford not to do it, if they have a child enter their home who is like the one in the movie....and those kids do exist! I talk to many therapists in the course of my life and I'd say most of them do not even know what RAD is. A huge move to educate them has to happen. The adoptive community needs many more therapists who know what they are doing and can help these families. Insurers need to cover treatment, even if it's out of network. Families need to be supported in all kinds of ways when they go through the treatment journey. If a family tells an agency that they are not up to the challenges of taking on an emotional special needs child, then that ought to be respected and kids screened. No one should have to unwittingly adopt a child with a kind of damage that could potentially destroy a family. There are ways to screen for this, but agencies and orphanages are reluctant to use them. Adoptive families are not being protected from this, although many states are beginning to screen foster kids and get treatment before they are placed for adoption. Adoption has the potential to create happy endings for both the parents and the kids. It also has the potential to create misery and ruin lives. But even those unhappy stories can turn around and have happy endings! It takes commitment, hard work, personal growth, professionals, respite, teamwork, and support from those around the family in order to make that happy ending. Even the most damaged children can often be helped, if denial is swept away and proactive healing treatment begins. And please, if you adopt an infant, carry it facing you, not facing out! When babies are carried facing out, it is very harmful in terms of attachment. You are thrusting your child out into the world ahead of you, the children do not feel protected in that position, and they cannot see your smiling eyes looking back at them or hear your heartbeat. If you want good attachment, use a carrier that turns the child into you, not away from you.

My parents adopted my brother from Calcutta, India when I was 5 years old. He came to us as a 3 year old who couldn't talk, couldn't sit up, and was very underweight. There were some tough times and quite a few visits to the doctor, but soon enough he was learning and improving so much by watching and interacting with his 3 sisters. He was/is loved every day and love makes all the difference. My brother has shaped my life in so many ways. He is 30 years old now and one of the most loving, caring people I know. He has an incredible heart for other people, loves to sing, and wouldn't miss a family get-together. I love spending time with him. He is one of the reasons my husband and I are in the process of adopting a little boy from Ethiopia.

Our son came to us at 16 years old having lost both of his parents to suicide at different times in his life. He was hurt, angry and confused having witnessed so much pain in his life. It was hard for him to trust and sometimes hard for him to accept love. When we met him his plans were to live a life that would have torn his soul apart. Today our son is 20 and is in college and works caring for persons with developmental disabilities. He is a man with a strong heart, a beautiful gift for art and writing and a sensitive loving person. I can't imagine our life without him. He is and has always been our son. It's true these kids have witnessed some scary things and sometimes raising them is hard but they deserve it. They deserve another chance at life. God is clear in His commandment to us and He is with us all the way. He loves these children more than we can ever imagine. And in the end, that is what they are, children. Never to be demonized or seen as "bad", just hurting children. I pray that our story, our son will help others to know the importance of seeing orphans in the way God intended.

We are so blessed to have 3 biological children They have brought us so much joy. We love being parents. We realized that there are so many children without a place to call home and a family to call their own we decided to adopt. God brought us a little girl from China who has perfectly blended with our family. I have never met someone so filled with joy. Her laughter is contagious and her smile and eyes light up the room. Through our experience God has continued to soften our hearts for children in need and we have decided to adopt again. We will be traveling to Ethiopia to bring home another daughter hopefully early 2010. Each child is unique and special, created to be part of a family!

After being blessed with three biological children, we chose to adopt our youngest from China. She has been an incredible blessing in our lives. There comes a time early in a parents life when you can imagine a time when your child was not with you. We experienced that with our daughter years ago. We are her parents and though we don't fully understand why, God knitted us together and we know that this was something He planned long before we imagined it. We leave Saturday to bring our two newest children home from Ethiopia. Everywhere we go we hear the same story over and over and over, of people stepping out in faith to adopt an orphan and of the amazing love and blessing that has fallen upon them.

I grew up basically an orphan in that I had birthparents, as everyone does, but I never knew my birthfather, and my mother was mentally ill and unable to raise me. I grew up in several different homes. Some of these were with my mother's family, and some were complete strangers. I never felt like I was a part of any of them. I was an outsider who only wanted to be loved as much as other children I knew. I was always prepared to be abandoned and was always so afraid of doing something wrong. I thought if I could only be good enough, someone would love me and want to keep me. I made good grades-even getting a scholarship, was very clean and worked extremely hard, stayed out of trouble, never did any drugs, loved and reached out to the families, and even covered for them at times hoping to earn love. I ignored my feelings and boundaries in hopes of not being demanding or complicated. I was abused physically, emotionally, and sexually. However, I was never adopted (partially due to my mom not giving up custody-maybe she would have if anyone had ever really loved me and wanted me). This is a pain that is indescribable and could have destroyed me. Finding the LORD and choosing to receive His love kept me from becoming bitter and even showed me a way to nurture myself while helping others. He led me to a wonderful husband with a lot of similarities in his background, and then He led us both to adoption. We have a wonderful life, with two biological children (and two more that have gone before us), plus two children that we have adopted. One child is from the U.S. out of the foster system and one is from an orphanage in Hong Kong. Both have special physical needs. All of these children are ours just the same and have brought us such joy. They have each taught us priceless lessons and helped us to become the people we are-better than we would be without them. They each deserve a family and the blessings of helping each other. To discriminate against orphans is to put yourself above them as though you had any control over the matter. The adults are the ones that have failed here, not the children. The children just want to be loved, but sometimes don't know how or are afraid. Love, compassion, guidance, and understanding will help them to become who they were created to be- as with any child. This will in turn make us into people who are blessed as well as being a blessing to others. Orphans are a hope waiting to happen, not a burden. It's up to us as to make the difference.

Picture Link: Kimmi - First meeting with adoptive family - June 1, 2009 (42).JPG

External Link http://mullinsfamilyadoption.blogspot.com/

My husband and I just returned home last week from adopting twin girls from the Philippines. What a joy they have been to our family already! Though they are both deaf and had no language when they came, they are quickly learning sign language. We know that God has a special plan for each of their lives and we are so thankful to be a part of it!

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External Link http://www.photoshow.com/watch/GD7rj6WX

by LaNae Sanchez (WA)

If it had not been for bringing a daughter and son into our family through adoption, I am not certain that I would not have been detroyed. I call them "Angel Baby" and "Baby Boy". The love we have for them is incomprehensible but it comes back tenfold from them. They are the children God intended for my husband and me to have. The fact that each has a set of parents other than us just makes the story more precious. When so many mothers take the apparent "easy" option when unable to face parenting a child, we owe a debt of gratitude to two women half a world away.

My husband and I flew to Siberia and met our beautiful 11-month old son in May 2005. He became the center of our lives and we soon wanted to add to our family. We found 2 brothers, 10 & 11 in Russia in need of a family. We hadn't really considered older children before, but felt a deep sense that they were meant to be our sons. We met them on Christmas Day in a small Russian village. All I could think was, "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you." Finally, the children we longed for had found a way to us. We have had our share of adjustments, but all three are healthy, happy, American kids. We are truly blessed!

by Heather Garrison (CA)

Since Jan. '09, Luke has been "perfect" for our family. Overall, he's a happy and passionate kid, full of life and learning. We've embraced all the challenges and joys he has brought. We can't imagine life without him! our story blogged on 7.21.08... For Good I've heard it said, that people come into our lives for a reason Bringing something we must learn And we are led to those who help us most to grow If we let them and we help them in return Well, I don't know if I believe that's true But I know I'm who I am today because I knew you. Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you, I have been changed for good. By: Stephen Schwartz Form the musical "Wicked" I'm actually still processing and piecing together the earlier details of our story; but for now, here's our story in progress... More than 4 years ago, when Ian was only 1 1/2, we started trying for baby #2. Since then, we have been disappointed; we have gone through fertility testing/treatments and have discovered that nothing should prevent either one of us from having another biological child. I believe we're not able to conceive for a reason, perhaps to mold us and make us into the people God wants us to become (to adopt and so much more...) We have also had a "failed" adoption where we were within one week of adopting an infant girl domestically (the mother just couldn't do it; and though it was sad for us, we believe this was ultimately better that they stay together). With each hardship and unforeseen turn, we kept asking God "Why is this happening?" We knew He had a plan, but it wasn't fun to go through. We trusted it was all for good and pressed on the best we could. In early 2007, we felt a pull toward children in Taiwan. With Mike being Taiwanese, we thought it was all the more appropriate to consider adopting from this country. Finding an agency that worked there was not easy. We actually went through one that didn't pan out. Then we discovered Heartsent in Pasadena. All the ducks (of our adoption desires) seemed to line up with them, so we committed. The paperwork was supposed to take a couple months, but I finished most of it in about a week! (When I put my mind to something, there's no stopping!) One of the last things to do was a physical with complete blood work, to make sure the child would go to a "healthy" couple who could care for the child long-term (makes sense). This is when I discovered I had autoimmune liver disease and PBC (another liver problem). My body was attacking itself for no reason. I had no symptoms. (By the time symptoms appear, it's almost "too late." I may have needed a liver transplant.) So you can say, this child we hoped for saved my life or at least helped prolong it. But still, it took several months to discover that I was stable enough with my health to adopt. My specialist needed to be convinced I would live 20+ years before he signed-off on any adoption papers. So in that time I did many tests, a biopsy of my liver, medication, more tests, lots of prayer, healing rooms and constant soul searching. Adoption became a side issue; it may never even happen. The reality was that I could die before Ian entered college. HOW was I going to live and live well!? God gave me a peace, joy and hope during that time that is currently very difficult to fully describe (but one day I'll try to write it down). Basically, I knew He held me close to Him and wanted me to "live." Yes, He wanted me to live well (even if for only another year). But I also believed he wanted me to live longer than 10 or even 20+ years. Actually, 20 years is not even that long, I'd only be 55+. But next to 5 or 10, I'll take it. As the months went on, my liver was responding well to the medication and my liver doc, gave us the "okay" to adopt, about 8 months later. As soon as we started the adoption paper process again, we were tired, but still felt a calling to do this. Soon after informing the agency that we were good to go, they informed us of a certain boy who could not be adopted out as a "typical" child, only because he had family members with medical issues. (In Taiwan they have more info about the families that must be disclosed. But if this child were found in China, he would have been given to a family who was expecting your typical adopted child.) With this additional information, no adoptive family so far, felt they could take him. Or maybe God was just saving him for us? At the time, we didn't even think we could handle a child with potential special needs. So for a week, we didn't even consider him. But God has a way of getting our attention when we need to listen. Something was unsettled within me. I knew I had to ask more questions about this little boy. We were still struggling internally about the "what if's" for weeks. I remember when we were deciding on this particular child (who is "typical" now), we didn't want to accept a higher risk of challenges. We just wanted a healthy child (what parent wouldn't?) We actually said "no" for a while. But something kept tugging at our hearts to rethink things seriously. So we got on the agonizing journey of trying to make a decision with very little "promise" that this child would be "typical." We got all sorts of advice... most was "negative," but good to hear and necessary to consider. We were told: "Don't do it" or "Don't do it unless you're really called and willing to have a needs child." One person mentioned that this was not our decision, but rather God's decision; we just needed to hear the calling. I believed (and still do) that God would redeem any decision we made as we made it with the best of our given knowledge/understanding at the time, while being as "right" with Him as possible. So the burden kinda lifted in terms of us making this huge mistake to pass this child on OR to keep him. Just days before we had to make a final decision, I was informed that my liver was not doing as well as anticipated. We knew this could happen, but not this soon. All of a sudden, adoption altogether was out of the question for me. In a strange turn of events, I actually became this little boy, a health risk for the future. In an instant, deciding to take him (with all his risks) was the easier choice. I prayed, for God to take away my health issue now. In theory, I would rather take a "needs" child than swallow the more painful pill of dying "early" and leaving family behind. We told the agency about my new health issue and the potential risks. I would have to be on "worse" medication for at least a month. I didn't think it was a good time to adopt. How much more clear could God get with showing us that this was a bad time to adopt a child (and possibly one with special needs)!? The owner of the agency didn't flinch. A believer, and convinced that this news wasn't a deal breaker for her, she gave us freedom to decide on our own. She told us this doesn't change her belief that this child was or was not meant for us. So she suggested we sleep on it and just get back to her in the morning. That night was difficult with thoughts of lost dreams and a looming premature death. I was genuinely ready to throw in the towel to adoption all together. But in the morning (very early morning because we couldn't sleep), God was new to us again (great is Thy faithfulness!) Mike and I sought God, His wisdom and leading on our own. We agreed to come back together later that morning and make a final decision. I assumed it was a "no go" but hoped the time with God would give me comfort in this reality. I was resolute to agree with whatever Mike said. I was fully ready to submit to whatever he thought best. As I met with God that morning, in prayer and through His Word, He showed me in verse after verse, that adopting for us was still pleasing to Him!? (I'll have to write down all the Bible verse listings later. Most are in Ecclesiastes.) But realizing that Mike had to agree, I was still ready to submit to his final decision. When Mike and I reconvened, he started by saying, "This doesn't make sense, but I think we should do it." We then started to compare notes on what we had "heard" and read, and why we each felt this was right and good for all of us! Actually, even if something is really tough, if God is behind you with it, He can make it better than the supposed "easier" road anyway. I think of the more recent Chronicles of Narnia movie, Prince Caspian. Did you see it? A whole army was running toward little Lucy who's wielding this small dagger, but they stop dead in their tracks. Then the camera pans out to reveal who's behind her, it's Aslan. A little girl plus Aslan (Jesus/God) is the winner! - shoot, did i just ruin the movie for you? i hope it was worth it Trusting in God "having your back" or supporting you probably works best if you're at peace with the specific calling to do something. We came to this peace after weeks of agonizing. It just came in that one night. So here we are now, waiting for our child, as our papers go through the Taiwan courts. Our future with our child is uncertain. (What's new?) But we are certain, no matter the outcome, he's supposed to be with us, and God will hold us every step of the way. We believe God wants him to be healthy in every way, so we'll pray for that (and please join us in this prayer!). But ultimately, we accept him just as God created him. Actually, this is a reminder of truth for all of us. We don't know what's ahead. We can only hold on to the One who gives us the strength and wisdom to make the best of what we've got. We're so excited for our new family member. We're charging the future with a little dagger and God behind us. And we feel confident He's our best resource (His guidance, wisdom and provision). Nothing is for sure: my health (I used to be perfectly healthy, with no signs of liver problems in my family line) or family's health. But what I am sure about is that God is/will be glorified in all this somehow. He doesn't want us to suffer. So, when "tough" times come, I know that God can still make it good. A part of our story is the struggle we went through and how it has changed our perspective on children as a whole (adopted or biological). We're all the better because of it. We'll cross harder bridges when we get to them; but for now, we move forward like any other adoption, eager to receive our child and looking forward to the new family that will be created because of the addition of this new member. May you be open to and blessed with how God changes all of us along the way... for the better!

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External Link http://stonemama.xanga.com/

by ann (CA)

Orphans matter. They are loved. They are cherished. I Matter Too is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that educates and loves children who have been orphaned due to abuse, neglect or abandonment by their parents. Our children are smart. They are our next doctors, judges and teachers. At I Matter Too, we focus in two areas: academic and mentorship. Our tutors teach one on one and provide each orphaned child with hope, love and a path to succeed in the future.



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External Link www.imattertoo.com

A little over 3 years ago we traveled half way around the world to a city in southern China. There we met the little girl who is now our daughter, she was 2 1/2 at the time. She is a beautiful, caring, loving little girl who brings us so much joy every day and I cannot begin to imagine my life without her in it. I will not lie and say that the adjustment was simple. Things were really rough at the start. She came home with a lot of pain, anger and "baggage", but the transformation in her has been simply amazing. She is extremely resiliant. It is sad for me to think about where the path of her life might have taken her if we had not stepped out in faith to bring her home, because she has so much to offer this world. She is our 3rd child. We have 2 biological teenage sons and I can assure you that the love I feel for the daughter of my heart is JUST as strong as the love I feel for the sons of my womb. We have just began the journey again. This time we will be bringing home a child who is waiting somewhere in our foster care system. A child that we do not yet know, but will love with all our hearts. I am also an adopted child. My birthmother was to young to care for me, so she chose the route of adoption for my life. I will agree with the other poster who says that adoption is loss. My adoption has caused me to have many, many difficult and painful issues in my lifetime, but that does not change the fact that adoption is necessary in our world. Children live without families. That's a fact. These children deserve to have loving adoptive families when the biological families are unable to give them what they need, for a variety of reasons. If you feel the tug of adoption I hope that you will at least look into it a little more. Adoption is a wonderful journey, through the easy and the hard times. Just as in anyone life experiences there are both ups and the downs.

by Karen (WA)

I have written a book about it - My mother died of a pituitary tumour when I was 18 months old; my father died of stomach cancer when I was 7 years old and then my aunt who took me in and whom I loved died when I was 16 years old. I have established a non-profit society in Canada call the Society for Orphaned Children in Canada - just to bring awareness to the fact that there are so many children waiting to be adopted.

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External Link http://elizabethwiebesociety.org/

External Link kevinandpam.blogspot.com

by Pam Greer (CA)

We adopted a one year old boy from an orphanage in Bulgaria in 1993. Now, he has had his 18th birthday and he is a delight to our family! We thank God for the wonderful addition to our family of two older birth children!

In 2002 my husband and I set off on the adventure of adoption. We wanted desperately to adopt a 10 year old girl from Kazakhstan. We first discovered Annalise’s photo on an internet site with photos of children from around the world who needed forever families. God’s hands were already on the process, even before it began, because I had specifically searched for a child who was closer to our own biological children’s ages. We were thinking of a child that would have been maybe three years old or younger. Annalise was 9 years old at the time, yet God had this “older child” come up in my search for 2-3 year olds. After going to bed that night that I saw her online, I could not get her out of my mind, so the next day I requested a video from her adoption agency. The video was eye opening and heart-wrenching! The only things this little girl wanted were a bucket of raspberries for Christmas and a mother who would love her. Our hearts ached for her! Mark and I married during Mark’s last semester of college. We found out we were pregnant with Kaitlyn when we had been married a little over a month. When Kaitlyn was 6 months old, we found out that we were expecting our son, Ethan. Mark had started a new career right out of college, which requires years to build up a client base, so we pinched many pennies. We had only been married for a little over 4 years, and had no savings, when God sent Annalise into our family’s picture. We were unsure as to how we could afford the price tag of $27,000 for a Kazakhstan adoption. After praying, we felt the Lord’s gentle guidance and decided that it was the Lord’s Will to take a leap of faith. So, we started our home study. Upon making this gigantic decision, we humbly shared our plans, as well as our needs, with our friends, family and Sunday school. We shared our hearts and our financial need, without being specific. During this time, we prayed fervently and we asked others for prayer. Our specific prayer was for doors to be opened or shut according to God’s perfect Will. We sincerely desired God’s plans to come about for us and for that little girl who was thousands of miles away. The Lord constantly proved His faithfulness by providing the money needed for each home study payment, agency payment, passport fee and INS fees. One day we desperately needed $200 for a home study payment, which was due that afternoon. When we opened the front door, there was a check for $200 from our neighbors! Again, when it was time to travel, we had no money for airline tickets to fly over to Kazakhstan, to meet and pick up our little girl who was waiting for us. My parents were provided by God with extra tithe and offering money to be able to pay for those plane tickets. God worked again and again like this! It was amazing to see God working through others during this time! It was surreal. The Saturday before we left for Kazakhstan, our Sunday school class gathered at a member’s house for a get-together. After laying hands on us and praying for our journey, they handed us an envelope for our trip with a lot of extra cash. At that time, we did not really see a need for this money since everything was already provided for financially for the entire trip. However, the Lord can see much farther down the road than we can! We ended up with an unexpected stay in Kazakhstan of 36 days due to some problems with our newly adopted daughter’s visa. If it were not for this extra money that we received, we would have had no extra cash for food and lodging for us, our two biological children and our new addition. We would have been in a strange country, with no interpreter, knowing only a few words of Russian, in below zero weather with no lodging and no food. God saw the need even before we did and met it before we even left our comfort zone, setting out to venture out into the unknown! He provided for us and saw us through! God provided us through each step of this adoption! The money was not there a day later than when we needed it throughout the process! And when we did need it sooner, He provided then, too! His perfect Will was carried out through willing vessels that trusted in God, prayed and waited for God’s timing! Now, we have soo-to-be 9 beautiful children (5 biological and soon-to-be 4 adopted!): Annalise (17 - adopted from Kazakhstan at 10), Kaitlyn (9), Ethan (8), Trey and Jake (7 & 4 - adopted from MO), Kristina Joy (3, soon to be adopted from a disrupted adoption), Julia (3), Ellie Grace (20 months), & Judah Michael (6 months)!! Annalise, our adopted daughter from Kazakhstan, asked Jesus to be her personal Savior shortly after learning English! She, now, wants to go back to Kazakhstan someday as a missionary to the orphans. If we had not been willing vessels; if we had not asked for and obeyed God’s perfect Will and had not taken leaps of faith; if we had trusted in our own power, instead of His; if we had not waited on HIS timing; if we had not prayed and asked for prayer, our Annalise might not be the young woman of God that she is today! And the most exciting thing is that only God can see what our prayers, trust in God and obedience meant for the people that Annalise will touch down the road! Lisa Metzger Helpmeet to Mark, Keeper of Our Home, 2nd Generation Homeschool Mommy to soon-to-be 9 blessings! Come visit us on the web.... A 2nd Generation of Homeschooling http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/carolinametzgers God's Plan for Families http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/GodsPlanForFamilies

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External Link http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/carolinametzgers/

by Lisa Metzger (NC)

A little over a year ago our family brought 2 girls home from Ethiopia. All most from the beginning they adapted to our family. We have our ups and downs but the joy thses girls have brought to our family far out weigh and downs. The language and lack of education has been the biggest barrier. As our oldest daughter has adjusted she has realized that she can not only learn the language but she can also have a good education, something that would never have happened in her country.

God blessed me beyond belief when he chose me to be the father of Jiang Mei Sha. The love I have for my daughter, and the love I receive from her, transcend logic. Yet, growing up in Southern California, I never thought about adoption. My daughter is not the same race as I, whereas my biological son is. These two kids have entirely different personalities and interests, as well as appearances. So, of course, our relationships are not identical. Yet, there is no difference in the amount of love I have for each child. That love seems endless. The day "Sha Sha" was born, in 2005, she was abandoned on a bench outside an orphanage near Chongqing, China. In spite of this start in life, she was destined to be my daughter long before that. This was, after all, more than a decade after I first started to believe that my daughter was in China. Today, Sha Sha is a true "California girl." My precious daughter loves the beach, runs around in flip flops, and recently asked for a new skateboard for her next birthday. She has also informed me that she is going to be a great surfer. It seems that I am a Chinese-American, as well. At least that is what my daughter tells me. She feels that she confers "Chinese status" on her entire family. Sha Sha also loves wearing her Scandinavian clogs. She enjoys hearing stories of how her family came to America from Denmark and Sweden. My blonde son is proud to tell the world that his family is Scandinavian and Chinese, but mostly American. He adores his little sister, and is protective of her, but she can also “drive him nuts.” Sometimes he needs his “space,” and sometimes she needs hers. What do you expect? They are, after all, brother and sister. If my wife were to be writing about our children, she would have different anecdotes to share. Yet, she would agree that our biological son and adoptive daughter are loved with equal passion and commitment. If you feel the call to adopt, don't turn away from that call. Your child will not be the only person to miss out on the most incredible blessing.

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by Steve (CA)

In February, 2001, my husband & I did the "unthinkable": flew to Siberia & adopted, Slava, a 2 1/2 year old orphan. Not many friends or family members understood why we did this; then neither did we. The orphanage conditions sickened us: children were hosed down w/cold water for bathing, slept in open boxes on the floor, ate some sort of soup for every meal & were filthy. When we got home, we had to hire an occupational therapist to teach our son how to chew food; it took almost 2 years for him to get over his fear of bathing & almost 4 years to grow out of night terrors. His nickname was "Slava"...he still asks us about that name & says he remembers being cold & hungry. I cannot begin to tell you how much we love him & how much he has given our family! We hear all of the time, how we saved his life, & so on. We probably did, but he saved ours also!!! None of us can begin to imagine our family without him as a part of it. He has healed from his painful past & is now a very healthy, happy, & active 10 year old that loves life!!! He loves the outdoors & is flourishing at school; such a bright child! We are so proud of him & are so grateful that he is a part of our lives. We are truly blessed!

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by Tonya Wood (SC)

We have 12 grandchildren. Some we inherited when our children hooked up with their parents. Some are biological. Three are adopted. They all have one thing in common. They add to the joy in our lives. We would not be complete if any one of them was missing. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They come with their distinct personalities with individual likes and dislikes. They are like the best recipe life could give, and if any one of them was missing, the dish would not be complete. If you are thinking about adoption, DO IT. You will not run into any problems or challenges that you would not run into with your biological children.

I have had the honor and privelege of working with foster children for the past 17 years and they have taught me more about love, forgiveness, hope, and personal strength then any of life's other influences ever could. I have seen children come from unspeakable beginnings and yet somehow instinctively know God and all the hope and unconditional love he has to offer. Do some of them struggle? Certainly - as do many of us along life's path! Love our children and receive it back one hundred fold.

by Lisa (MO)

Most children up for adoption aren't true orphans. Adoption agencies don't tell adoptive parents the whole story. My parents thought I had a foster parent. When I went to find her after my parents passed away, this is what I found instead: http://holtsurvivor.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/separated-by-adoption/ You're right - orphans do deserve better. Do I deserve to be portrayed as broken? No. BUT, it was by no means a walk in the park either. The general public, and that includes adoptive parents, also deserve to know about problems and issues that adopted children face, and the adoption industry multi-national corporations they are dealing with. Censoring horror stories isn't helpful either to improving the situation. We need ALL the stories so we can make informed decisions to protect ourselves and the children.

I was adopted at the age of 12 and it seemed unlikely that there was much hope for my life. My birth father in prison for stealing, once addicted to drugs before prison life. My birth mom was off who knows where my whole life. My fate seemed etched in stone. But one christian family decided it it was worth it and today I am married and we are expecting our first child, I have a job and I am working on my masters at a seminary. I serve Jesus and have a new found passion for Orphans. I want to help spread this word, because the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives and adoption is a wonderful way that proclaims the Gospel. We expecting our first child in Feb, although it will be from our own DNA, we long for the day the Lord will bless us with a Child by other means! As I grow in this desire, I can't help but think that God has formed me all these years to be a parent to the parent less.

by Joseph Martin (KY)

Our story is a little different. There were five of us and between 1961 & 1965 our parents and grandmother all died. Effective New Years Eve, the end of 65', we were orphans, ages 20, 18, 14, 11, 6. Living in the South Bronx without parental supervision proved quite the challenge as there were those who were convinced the younger ones should be placed in foster care or even put up for adoption.However, we fought the good fight, stayed together, and no one went anywhere. We stayed a family and it all worked out.When I reflect back on some of the things we went through I am amazed at what we accomplished. I am writing a book about this (I have wanted to do this for a long time)and hopefully it should be complete in a few more months.(Publishing is another story) Anyway, I know this is not about adoption but it is an "orphan story" just the same. God bles you all---Larry P

Our adoption story started back in 2004. We have three children born under my heart and eight born in my heart. In 2004, we added our first beautiful daughter, Aubrey. She was almost two when she joined our family. A few months later, God tugged on our hearts again to add Austin. Austin was almost four. It seemed as if years flew by. Foster care children were in and out. We knew that God was calling us to add to our family again. Our hearts were lead to Liberia. We brought home three brothers, Samuel(9), Jeremiah(7) and Joel(6). During that process we discovered that our boys had an uncle who was raised with them as a brother. We have been trying to get Daniel(14) home for over two years! God is watching over him. During the process of bringing our Liberian children home, God called us to add two sisters, Summer (was 8 when she came home) and Emma (was 4 when she came home), from here in the US. Each of our children come with a special story. Each child is very special. Each child has added to the family in their own special ways. I could not imagine life without them. God birthed each on in my heart and that is how we are connected!

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External Link www.respondinginfaith.wordpress.com

by Sonya Schweighardt (NC)

BECAUSE MY HUSBAND HAD CANCER IN HIS 20'S WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONCEIVE A CHILD. THROUGH A PRIVATE ADOPTION WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A SON, 5 DAYS OLD. WE WERE CALLED ON GOOD FRIDAY TO PICK HIM UP BUT THE MOM DECIDED TO KEEP HIM SO WE DROVE 10 HOURS FOR NAUGHT. THE MONDAY AFTER EASTER WE WERE CALLED AGAIN TO PICK HIM UP AND WE HAD OUR BABY!!!! WHAT AN EMPTY HOME WE WOULD HAVE HAD WITHOUT ANDREW JAMES. ANDREW DID HAVE THE ADHD SYNDROME FROM QUITE EARLY ON. THIS CAN COME FROM A MOTHER DOING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL DURING A PREGNANCY. WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT ADHD BACK IN THE 70'S SO I THOUGHT WE JUST WEREN'T GREAT PARENTS. WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO TRAIN ANDREW WELL AND HE WAS A VARSITY TENNIS PLAYER IN HIGH SCHOOL AND LOVED DRAMA. HE ALSO SERVED 4 YEARS IN THE MARINES AND IS NOW A WONDERFUL FATHER OF OUR ONLY PRECIOUS GRANDDAUGHTER. WE WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD ANY FAMILY IF WE HAD NOT ADOPTED OUR SON. I WISH I HAD TAKEN SEVERAL OTHER CHILDREN TOO. GOD CAN MAKE THE WAY WHEN THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WAY. LIFE IS PRECIOUS.

I am an adult adoptee from Seoul, Korea. What I know is that I was abandonded as an infant,and taken to a local orphanage. I was left in my crib, had very little human contact for my 1st year of life. I was lucky enough to be placed in the care of Holt International Adoption agancy...and was adopted at 15 months old. I have struggled w/the fear of abandonment and idenity...but so many people do; whether adopted or not. I have had the most loving family, and every opportunity possible. I know that there are children, and adults, who have severe emotional and behavioral issues. This should not be tied only to those children who are orphaned or in foster care. This could be anyone of us, at any time....or none of us. My message is that you never know how a child may turn out: born of your blood or not. All you can do is want them, love them, and be there.

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by Christine McCracken (KY)

After 4 biological children I was blessed with my adopted son, Jonathan, 18 years ago. Even with autism and intellectual challenges, he has brought great joy into my life and into the lives of every person who meets him. I love him as deeply as my flesh and blood. Four may have been born out of my womb but, they were all conceived in my heart. If one child misses out on having a loving home because of this movie, it will be a travesty.

I just cannot imagine putting an orphan in a negative light to begin with. Aren't their circumstances already debilitating enough? Our family has been so incredibly blessed through "orphans"! We have two biological children and then were able to adopt a foster child we had been caring for. After the first three left home we were privileged to adopt 4 siblings from Ukraine 9 yrs. ago. These children are nothing but blessings to us and make our lives so meaningful and worthwhile. Four years ago we were able to adopt another child from Ukraine with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a cranial facial disorder. We agree with his teacher's comment on his report card that he is a gift. We consider ALL of our children special gifts whether they are biological or an orphan at one time. They are incredible kids. We are hoping that we might be able to adopt again, and we are in our 60's!

This is really a story about my friend Marilyn. She never met mister "right" and wanted to have a child. After much prayer and talking to family and friends, she adopted a little girl from Russia. This was about six years ago, and they are as happy as can be! Her little girl is intelligent, has a great sense of humor, in fact, I encourage my friend to write a book with her child's quotes. I have never heard such comments that come from this little one! I raised three children myself, and my friend as a single parent is doing a wonderful job! They are both very happy!

If you asked either of our two adopted four year olds what adoption means they promptly answer 'I love you'. Both boys were exposed to drug use before they were born, one meth the other cocaine, the younger of the two suffering brain damage. Trying to come up with a way to explain what being adopted means to him we settled on I love you. It is a love that says you're wanted, you're accepted just the way you are, you're here forever. It's a love that reaches out where it doesn't have to, to take hold of something that many in the world ignore or throw away, the precious life of a lonely child. We thought we were helping the boys when we adopted them and we were but little did we realize how much we would receive in return. They have taught us so much about courage and hard work in trying to overcome their addictions. We are forever changed and forever blessed.

Three of my children are former orphans. One spent a year in the steamy, unair- conditioned orphanage of Mumbai, India. Her mother was 25 and single and her little girl was low birth weight, almost died from the flu, and had a whole in her heart. She is now a happy eight year old, healthy, smart as a tack, and a wonderful big sister. Her brother's birth mom was also 25 and single. But she was here in the States. She chose us to parent her little boy who is now almost six, has wavy black hair, shiny eyes, and a sense of humor that can make the most grumpy person around crack a smile. Their little sister was found in Nanjing, China with an injury to her shoulder which probably happened at birth. She spent two solid years in an orphanage which was clean but devoid of caregivers with time to bond. She was weak and hungry and spoke very little Mandarin when she came home. She's been home now almost as long as she was in that lonely crib and has the cutest dimples, the most outgoing personality and can't wait until I teach her to read. All three of these children are a delight and gift to our family. I am so glad we were called out to make a difference in their lives, because they have certainly made a difference in mine.

External Link riddlesinchina.blogspot.com

I know of a little girl who just finished Kindergarten at the local Christian school. While she is not our child, she was one of the flower girls in my husband's and be my wedding 18 months ago. Adrienne is a sweet girl who was adopted from China. I know this little girl to possess a gentle spirit and an infectious smile.

My younger brother, Michael, was adopted when I was about 3 years old. We have grown up together, shared a room at least once, played with Furbys when we were little, and now, as teenagers, have diverse interests which we mutually respect. I believe we share a better relationship than some biological children share. He has not been excluded or been counted inferior by any member of the family. He is my brother, whom I love, and could not picture as some sort of evil entity meant to torment my life. Not to say we don't have our quarrels - most all siblings do. But he and I are not defined by those quarrels - our relationship and our lives are defined by the love poured out on us to make us brothers both in law and in Christ.

Nearly ten years ago this spring, my wife and I stepped off the plane in the Khabarovsk Krai in Far Eatern Russia. We were greeted by our friend Dr. Eugene Bykov, as well as our translator and adoption attorney. We had travelled to Khabarovsk to complete an adoption that had taken nearly 1 1/2 years to complete due to the "newness" of adoption in this region. Although we thought we were nearing the end of the adoption part of this journey in life...in reality it was just the beginning. Our first visit to the orphanage where our future daughter resided would leave us haunted with the images and sounds of the 87 other children that lived there...long after we returned home with our own daughter. We would remember the broken down old orphanage...replete with mold and cockroaches...the pale underfed children covered in bugbites, staring up at us with sullen, yet hopeful eyes. We would remember the feeling of despair we sensed from the caregivers who gave all they had but knew it was nowhere near enough. We successfully completed our adoption of our daughter Nina, who is now a healthy, happy and very loving 14 year old girl whose friends, teachers and even brothers call, "the light in the room." While bringing home a 4 year old child that speaks no English and has been institutionalized in a substandard living environment, was no picnic...there has never been a single day of regret for our decision. I cannot imagine our home or our family without our daughter Nina in it...and I don't want to. Like I said earlier though, we were not, nor are we at the end of the journey that started in Khabarovsk ten years ago. Those 87 children we left behind and our daughters love, spurred us to do something more! Along with two other couples, we formed a non-profit organization (Orphan's Lifeline of Hope) in 2000. We started out small, but have grown steadily and now provide daily needs to thousands of children in nine countries in children's homes. I have done a lot of different things in my life...owned a printing company, worked for a large online printing technology company, co-owned and worked in a land development company...but I wouldn't trade my daughter or what I do now for anything. There are nearly 150 million innocent children out there that deserve the same simple things any child deserves...and that is all they are...children. The word "orphan" has for many years, carried a negative connotation with it. The reality is that they are just children who need care...nothing more and certainly nothing less. We MUST remember though...without that care, those children who somehow manage to survive...will likely embody the means of that survival in the makeup of their adult lives. It is vitally important that the means and source of that survival is loving and caring people...and not something or someone far less kind or good.

by Greg Timmons (MT)

My son Jake is now 7 years old. We traveled to Ecuador to adopt him on his first birthday. He is an amazing little fellow and has been the greatest gift that God could have ever given our family. He greets me running when I come home with a huge hug and "I Love You". He tells his mother that he loves her a zillion trillion buzz light years. He holds his little brother tight and likes to read to him. He loves to play baseball and man is he good. Everybody loves Jake and Jake loves everybody. What a compassionate heart he has as he is always ready and willing to help those that need help. He took the hand of an elderly friend of ours the other day at the hospital and prayed for her. Wow! He has touched many lives as we too have been able to touch his. Adoption provides such great opportunity as there are hundreds of thousands of orphaned children hungry and thirsty not only for food and water but love and acceptance. We have a responsibility not to ignore the orphaned but provide for them, love them and give them hope. We are to wear our coats of compassion and extend the hand of Christ as we are his hands and his feet here on earth. I say that if you are considering adoption go for it. Do it! Be a blessing and be blessed.

In 1956 I was born to a 16 year old unwed mother. Given the mores of the day she was expected to quickly marry her teenage boyfriend. Sixteen months later they had another little boy. Overwhelmed by it all, my mother left us when I was 2 years old and my brother was 6 months. Soon after our father left as well. We were put into a foster home. Our foster parents brought us to their church where a young couple with no childen of their own fell in love with us and decided to adopt us both. That selfless act of love changed my life's destiny forever. I grew up wanting to adopt someday myself as a way of giving back for what I had been blessed with. God, however had another path for me to travel. Although blessed with four children and eight grandchildren an unfulfilled passion to change the lives of abandoned and orphaned children in the way mine was changed still burned within me. Then one day in 2005 I was approached by a young man named Andy Lehman representing an orphan advocacy group called Lifesong for Orphans. That meeting was another life changing event for me and the forerunner of many more to come. These past years as I have contributed to, solicited for and traveled to Ukraine, India and Zambia as an orphan advocate I have witnessed and experienced first hand both the agony and the ecstacy of the orphan experience. I have sat with my arm around the shoulder of a little girl in Zambia whose mother had died of AIDS and whose father was about to die from it as well. I wiped her tears and tried to reassure her as she agonized over what her future held. I have been hugged tightly by orphaned teenagers in Ukraine who were overwhelmed by the opportunity to be able to live in new transition homes built through Lifesong donations rather than be exiled into the squalor and degradation of the state run dormatories once they aged out of the orphanages. I have been mobbed by love-starved, orphaned children in the slums of India who are reduced to tears of awe and wonder over the idea that rich, white Americans actually care enough that they exist to not only come visit them but find ways to improve their lots in life as well. I could blog endlessly about the myriad of ways that these orphans have touched and enriched my life. As a kindred spirit to them from my life's beginning I ask only that people hear their stories and their cries before buying into any misconceptions or misrepresentations of what or who they are. To me they are truly the cups that God has asked us to pour the cool water of compassion and caring into....the least of His here below and yet primed to be the greatest in His eternal kingdom.

External Link lifesongfororphans.org

We have 4 children (3 biological and 1 from China). Our family has fully embraced and loved this little girl from China as our own, and we wouldn't be the same without her!!! We have been so blessed to have her in our family and she has brought us so much joy! We have since continued to build relationships with other families who adopt, and have been leading mission trips to reach orphans in China. God is doing amazing things through His people and growing countless loving families through adoption!!! It is an amazing journey and one that I will never regret. I would have been heartbroken to say no to what has been the greatest of miracles in our family.

External Link www.reachingheartsinchina.org

by Julie Richards (OH)

My name is Cherri and I grew up in rural Southeast Kansas. My passion for adoption began as a twelve-year old girl when missionaries from Africa visited my church with their adopted daughter. This sparked an interest in adoption and planted a seed for international adoption that was watered and nurtured for twenty years. My husband Paul and I have three beautiful biological children and three Asian angels through the miracle of adoption. I followed the dream God gave me to adopt and now I speak on behalf of the orphan through adoption awareness seminars, adoption education events, newspaper interviews, adoption support group meetings and adoptive family play dates. I am the coordinator for our church’s developing adoption ministry. I have served as a volunteer area representative for Dillon International, Inc. for many years and I recently became the Adoptive Family Outreach Coordinator for Dillon International, Inc. (the adoption agency the family used for our adoptions). I am very excited about every opportunity to share the adoption miracles that God has done in our family as well as spreading the message of God's love and compassion for orphans. I pray that everyone will become actively involved in reaching out to orphans in whatever way God calls them to. Our orphan stories and miracles are too numerous to post to this message board, but you can read about our family’s latest adoption miracles at www.pckoreanadoption.blogspot.com I also blog on Dillon International’s Hope for Children Blog at www.dillonadopt.blogspot.com Thank you to The Christian Alliance for Orphans for beginning this movement to counter the negativity in our culture and media about orphans. I hope and pray that this effort will help to spread the truth about orphans and that it is a blessing to care for them. Cherri W. Kansas, USA

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External Link www.pckoreanadopt.blogspot.com

by (KS)

Both my nephews were adopted and have brought our family closer together with their presence, I cant even imagine life without them. They both came from different circumstances and countries, one from ethiopia, one from the US. They have brought so much joy to our family and our family needed it because of such loss that we have endured.

My husband and I had been married nearly 15 years and had been through the "let's start a family..let's have a family...why can we not have children" cycle and all that medical science had to offer as far as infertility treatment and then we tried to adopt in the United States with no success. Finally we were given the name of America World Adotions in Virginia and that is where our parental journey went from a pie in the sky idea to a real concrete path we could follow and ultimately made us more than a couple but a Mama and Daddy! We were start to finish 2 1/2 years in the process for our daughter and our life took the most wonderful turn in January 2003 when we got the call that a little girl was wating for us in Guangdong province China and we would be her forever family as of March 9, 2005. We had the most wonderful experience and we were Blessed enough to give her a sister from the same province in China 2 years later again a wonderful life changing experience that we cannot ever think of taking for granted. We are a happy, healthy family of 4 and thank God every day for the mircle of adoption. We are a pleased that our family is complete and neither my husband nor I ever thought of adoption as a 2nd choice or a fall back plan. IN the grand scheme of things it matters not who you look like in your family, who your parents are or children are as far as ethnicity but that there is a loving parent or parents to soothe a skinned knee, hold the hand of an uncertain little child, to delight in the smiles of discovery and to make a child feel secure and loved. I feel that the word Orphan should not be politically correct and the makers of movies who portray a child as "damaged goods" are shameful. I guess it would not sell too many tickets to see a happy ending perhaps that is too Polyanna for todays jaded society I for one applaud the happy ending and there are alot of them out there. DNA does not a family make, Love, Commitment and dedication makes a family.

There's no way to describe how we decided to adopt other than we were destined. There was no logical reason for my husband and I to want another child other than we knew in our hearts that there was a child out there who needed love and we wanted to love another. We already had three biological children and with the addition of each child we had seen that our love grew. Our family of 5 came together with the decision to go to China. We spent months preparing our dossier and 18 months waiting to receive our referral. When we saw photos of her for the first time she looked so strange and foreign, but her smile and her eyes sparkled. Four weeks later our daughter was handed to us. She had been conceived at the same time we had first been given the invitation to sponsor an international orphan. She was abandoned at the age of 10 months and her paperwork went to Beijing as we finished our 1st year of waiting. For 6 months she was cared for in an orphanage and a foster home, but she had obviously been loved and was affectionate. When she was given to us she had seen many changes in caregivers. She was very frightened of me, but she went easily to my husband. She still has a preference for men over women and we wonder if she was not treated well by the nanny's or maybe her birth mother. It has been 2 1/2 years since we became a family of 6. This child of adoption looks so different from us, but she does not feel any different. She is ours. We named her Mia which means "mine". She has given our family such joy. To see her growing, learning and thriving is a constant reminder of all she's had to give up, and our family will never take for granted the blessing we've been given from China. We read and discuss issues that we are sure to face with raising an internationally adopted child. Already we have begun telling her that she is adopted and how beautiful her chinese eyes are to us. We have written a book about her life and how she came into her family. Still, I know that there will be grief at some point, at many points. My desire is that I will be a comfort to her during those low points and that she will realize that most people have suffered losses of some sort. Many of us have been scared by life in some way, some through death of family members, some through divorce, abuse and neglect. The first 2 years of her life are marked by trauma, but now she has come home as our daughter. She is no longer an orphan and we are becoming a family that has a deeper appreciation for the true meaning of belonging.

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External Link http://adoptingmia.blogspot.com

My parents struggled w/ infertility and finally became parents through domestic adoption of my both sister and I when we were infants. We had a great (and still have!) a great family and couldn't care less that we are not biologically related! My parents were so devoted to my sister and I....at times much more so than some biological families! (not in anyway meant to sound negative towards biological families). My husband and I have one child through birth and are adopting a second internationally. We couldn't be happier.

We returned home to America on June 13th with our 1 yr old son from Ethiopia. His mother and father both died, and he was severely malnourished. Our family of 5 is now a family of 6. He is no longer an orphan, but family!

External Link http://www.colefamilyadventure.blogspot.com

I became a foster parent to a 4.5-year-old little boy named Ian on December 4, 2003. He had been living in a psychiatric unit at a local Hospital for 6 months when I met him. He was an adorable little boy whose smile, bright eyes and charismas personality lit up the room. We clicked right away, almost too quick; and had a smooth transitional period of several visits that went wonderful; he stole my heart very quickly! Ian was only supposed to be in my foster home for 3-6months, but his goal changed from reunification to adoption within the first year he was placed with me. I could not imagine my life without Ian and so I decided to pursue adoption and make our family “forever.” On November 14, 2005 we became a legal and a forever family! Ian is now 9 years old. His social worker told me the nightmare realities of the first 3 years of Ian’s life, which were full of physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. The social worker also gave me a head’s up about some of the behaviors Ian had been displaying, but I was convinced that after some stability and lots of love, he would be fine. However, I learned very quickly that all the love in the world is not enough for Ian and even knowing what I was getting, I was not fully prepared for the emotional, physical, social and financial chaos his mental illness has afflicted upon our family. But I would not change it for the world. Ian has taught me to be more patient, not to sweat the small stuf and has shown me what resileincy truly is. He lights up my life every single day with his bright smile and fun personality Within minutes of Ian moving into my home, the cute little guy I had met at the hospital began to show his true colors. It broke my heart to see him hoarding animal crackers because he was afraid he would not get more the next day, to see him trash his bedroom when it was bedtime because he was scared for his safety, to see him urinate on his bedroom floor because he was angry, to wake up to the smell of feces that he had put in the radiators of his room when he was scared in the middle of the night, to see him throw himself on the floor screaming, just at the sight of the bubble bath (I later learned he associated the bath with being sexually molested and burned) and to see him stand on top of the kitchen table at dinner time throwing his food and yelling profanities, ones I had never heard an adult use before, never mind a small child, all because a loving meal was prepared and he just simply did not know how to accept that love. How could this innocent, cute little boy be capable of knowing how to behave like this? Ian has had several laundry lists of diagnoses, has been in several different schools and has been psychiatrically hospitalized 6 times in his short life. The primary diagnoses we work with today are PTSD, RAD, BP, SID and a LD. He attends a therapeutic day school currently and receives intensive mental health services both at home, in school and in the community to help him be successful and remain out of the hospital. Our journey through intensive attachment therapy is one I will share with you today to help depict what goes on inside an adoptive child with RAD and PTSD . We had been to several therapists by the time Ian was 7years old and already 3 hospitalizations. I was at the end of my rope as to how to help him; nothing thus far seemed to help long term. He hated going to play therapy and often we would be asked to leave the waiting room because he was so disruptive. Play therapy can be wonderful, but not when your child decides he would rather have his therapist as his mother instead of his adoptive mom. At home he was so unsafe and dissociative during tantrums, I would spend most days in restraints with him just to keep us safe. Often times, tantrums were unprovoked so I never knew when to expect the worse from him. I kept normalizing his aggressive behavior, but the truth was I was a victim in my own home, a hostage to this small child. This little boy who was not even potty trained yet, still slept with a light night and a blanky and loved to play with his toy dinosaurs, is the same little child who would bite me and scratch me until I bled, swear at me more often than not and on 2 occasions even attempted to jump out of our moving car on a busy highway. We finally were referred to attachment therapy, 1.5 hrs from our home. This was our last hope so we made the trek and commitment. I had to quit my job because of the tasks that went along with this therapy and in raising Ian. We went once a week for 24 weeks in a row and still go on a monthly basis now, 3 years later. Initially, Ian was not able to let me cuddle him for more than 10 seconds at a time. He would not accept any love from me, unless it was on his terms. One minute he would be stroking my face saying he loved me and then next he would tell me “all mothers are bitches.” One night we had just finished playing a fun game together and he looked at me and said, “mom, sometimes I want to kill you, but not now, but I am afraid I might kill you with a knife tonight.” Half way through our journey through attachment therapy, as I cuddled him in my arms, trying to make positive, loving eye contact so he could learn to trust that I loved him, he began sobbing. I had never seen my son cry tears of sadness up until that point. I immediately started to cry because I finally got a real glimpse of my son, Ian, I looked in his eyes, connected with him and got my son back for the first time since he had been placed with me. As I was holding him in therapy this particular day, in between his sobs and breaths of air, he yelled, “it hurts, it hurts, my heart is killing.” Our therapist validated how much it did hurt for him to allow me to love him, but reassured Ian that it would get easier and that he was doing a great job. Imagine not being able to look in your child’s eyes or hold him close because the intimacy hurts him. Attachment therapy for us was life changing. He was able to process his trauma and learn to accept love from me and now is working on accepting it from others. His psychiatric team of providers tried to convince me not too long ago, he would need to live in a residential facility and described him as “a broken child.” And yes he may need residential support down the road I know and yes, he can be a challenge, but he is not broken. Ian can be a tough little guy, the combination of his diagnoses make him a complex child who professionals have yet to figure out, but the progress he has made over the past 5 years is truly remarkable . He won 2 gold medals in the NH Ski Special Olympics this past winter, plays on our town baseball team and swims at the local YMCA. We still have our ups and downs and will forever, I imagine, but nothing will stop him from discovering life. So when you hear labels such a Bipolar, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Psychotic Features or Adoptive Family, remember he is just a little boy. His name is Ian and he is my son.

My husband and I are the parents of two incredible children. Our son was born with a cleft lip/cleft palate and was adopted from Russia at 23 months old. He has received a total of 5 surgeries. One in Russia and four in Georgia. He is extremely bright and is one of the most loving and serving children I know. Our daughter was born with spina bifida and was adopted from China when she was 3yrs.old. She is also a wonderful child who adores her big brother and the rest of her family. We cannot imagine our lives any other way and are so grateful that God has blessed us with two miracles. To God be the glory great things He has done! Very Blessed,Amy

I'm one of those foster kids you've heard so much about - except I’m all grown up. I’m a wife of 18 years to a very, very, patient and loving man, and, I get to be, a mom to two beautiful girls: Malorie is now 23, and my youngest, Rebecca, is 10. Background In my story, I was born to a very large family; I was the baby and twin of nine children. There are seven older brothers and then my twin sister and I. I grew up in a home with poverty, abuse, and neglect. My parent’s addiction was alcohol. My mother was an alcoholic who used her words as weapons, and my father was extremely violent. Our home was chaotic and unpredictable. My days were often filled with doing whatever I could to survive, while my parents and my brothers spiraled into their addictions. When the battering was worse than normal, my mother would pack us into the car and we would end up at one of her sisters for a night OR until things cooled down. It wasn’t uncommon to have a police officer arrive at our door for domestic violence and ending with my dad’s arrest. Other times the police would escort my mother and the youngest to a safe house or women’s shelter for protection. My dad would eventually find us and convince my mother to come home. He would make promises that he wouldn’t hit my mother anymore and he would stop drinking. Each time my mother would believe him and we would go home with dad. Within the week or two dad would break his promises to us and the cycle would repeat itself all over again. Eventually, my twin and I were removed from our home when we were thirteen. It was very traumatic and it was painful. We were given a paper sack and told to gather our things and then we were placed temporarily in a receiving home in Saginaw, Michigan. I don’t know how long I was there but it seemed like it was a summer. Eventually we were placed in an aunts home here in Holland. Unfortunately, we experienced more abuse. Things became so bad, our grades began to fall, and our teachers took notice. My twin opened up and shared with a school counselor what we were experiencing. We were then set up with a social worker, Tara. Tara had a plan…she would introduce us to a new state program, “The Choice Program”. The Choice Program would assign a case worker to us and allow us to live independently, while the state would take care of housing, food, and clothing cost. However, this would require a temporary placement for a couple of weeks while we shopped for an apartment. Meeting the Englert Family Tara talked about a special family here in Holland that she wanted us to meet. They had been doing foster care for a while and really had a heart for kids. I didn’t know it then, but the Englert family was burned out on foster care. So their original answer was that they needed a break, so they would not be accepting anyone new. Somehow it was communicated that there was only one girl and she only needed a place for the weekend. So the Englert family set out to meet her. So we went to meet the Englert Family. Connie went inside with Tara, while I waited in the car. As I sat, I became nervous with thoughts of separation. If she stays, where do I go? Will I have contact with my twin after I am placed? But then, Connie came out asking me to come in. Rick and Joan discovered that they would be housing a teen girl and there was a sibling. Not just her sister, but her twin. They didn’t have the heart to separate us and accepted me into their home as well. So we were together, happy, and relieved. That first night, our foster family gathered around the tabled and joined hands and prayed over my sister and me. Honestly, I had never been exposed to prayer and this experience left me oddly curious and suspicious about this family and what they believed. One night led to a week, and a week led to two weeks, and now we are secure in the love of a family for the past 27 years. Meeting Jesus in My Foster Family We don’t always meet Jesus like we expect…and sometimes He intervenes and gives us our hearts desire. For me, the label of foster child only emphasized the deep longing I already had…to have a loving family, to feel as though I belong, and to be claimed. In Matthew 25:40, it reads,”…I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these…, you did for me.” Jesus was referring to a list of six loving works of action in verses 35-36: 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, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. In my world of darkness and uncertainty, my foster family invited me in and became the hands and feet of Jesus. I wanted a forever family, and that is exactly what God gave me. He did find a way for me to know him...That is the hope I was given. Now I have been called to advocate for children in the system. One way I do this is by fostering. I am relatively new to fostering but not to the feelings of children who have been removed from their homes. Also, I am working on a new ministry. Rick Rack, is clothing ministry for teens in foster care and in need. Rick Rack honors my foster father, Rick Englert, who passed away in 2004. My desire is to honor Rick Englert by opening a Rick Rack "store" serving teens in need in Ottawa and Allegan County, Michigan. Passing along the legacy of being "clothed in love" that I received from the Englert family. Rick Rack aims to serve 39 teens a week, 169 teens per month, and 2028 teens per year. To learn more about Rick Rack and ways you can help our ministry move forward please visit: www.ricksrack.shutterfly.com Casandra

I am a mother to eight wonderful, unique children - two biological, six adopted - each given to my husband and I by God. Four of our adopted children are from the US and two are from Ethiopia. All are wonderful, special children who have brought us much joy and love. Certainly, my adopted children are coping with grief and loss, but what a privilege it is for me to be the one to help them work through their pain and show them God's plan for their lives. I was fearful of adopting a child that was not an infant, but after bringing home our son at four years old, I am not a strong advocate of older child adoption. The challenges are certainly there, but, for us, the blessings have FAR outweighed the difficulties.

External Link http://barbandchriszoo.blogspot.com/

In 2000, the Lord began to plant the seed in our heart that we had a daughter in China. At the time, I was 9 months pregnant with our daughter, Dakota, and we had a 23 month old son. Going half way around the world to bring home a child that was not of my womb surely didn't make sense, however, as I have found over and over .. our God isn't the God of common sense and his plans are always better! What I do know, is that the Lord promises to make good of all things. Do we think that it was his desire to see beautiful children left fatherless? NO! But we live in a fallen world ever since that Garden of Eden day when Eve fell prey to temptation. Because of that day, our world is indeed less than perfect. The victory of the story, however, is that the Lord calls us to care for the orphans, defend the fatherless! He calls us to be his hands to the least of these! He has a plan to make good of the fallen and imperfect world! If we follow his call and are obedient to his word then the beautiful children who are left orphaned and fatherless wouldn't be without the love they deserve! The children aren't broken, as this movie would depict, but the system, and our world is! In 2006, we were blessed to receive into our arms a beautiful baby girl who was 10 months old. We traveled to China to bring her home and there isn't a day that goes by that we don't receive blessings from being chosen for her! We have two biological children and I can firmly say without any reservation that I love all of my children the same. As I say, I have two born of my womb and one of my heart but all created for my arms! I plead and beg Warner Brothers to not release this movie that will only do further damage to the children who are desperately waiting for their forever family! The adoption community works tirelessly to educate the community and to break down the walls of fear that adoption may hold. This movie destroys the face of the children we are called to defend and destroys the work of those who feel called to stand in their gap! We plead with you that you will reconsider this release and be bold to take a stance to help us defend the fatherless and be a voice for those who don't have one!

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External Link www.journeytomaliah.com and www.martinemadness.blogspot.com

We married hoping to have a family right away. God had other plans. We adopted our little girl Ella June 2007. She was abandoned at birth with medical complications. She struggled her first year on this earth, and through God's grace pulled through. It's been 2 years and I often sit back amazed at this child and how blessed we are to watch her grow. She is just like all 3 year old little girls, loves to dress up, dance and sing. She's an amazing swimmer. She's so smart. I often think about what life was like without her. This child is a gift to us, our family and this world. We love you Ella Maria Grace! We hope to adopt more children. Adoption is such an awesome opportunity to love and care for these babies that need a family. Please consider adoption, don't wait. A child out there needs a family desperately.

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by Leticia Rippy (CA)

We adopted our daughter from China 7 years ago. She was a welcome addition to our family joining not only my husband and I, but our three boys. She has been nothing but a blessing from the moment we got her paperwork! There is no difference in our love for her compared to our biological sons. She may not look like us, but that's all that's different. She's definately one of us. I encourage anyone even thinking about adopting to go ahead and do it. You may think you're doing the orphan a favor, but you'll be the one blessed more than you can imagine!

I just want to let you know that there are children out there waiting. Waiting for someone to love them, they are not out to destroy you home or your family. We adopted our daughter a year ago and she IS a major part of our life! She has blessed us and you can not separate her from her two older brothers. We never knew what we had been missing until she came home. AMAZING! Blessings,

What does it mean to be adopted? As I look at my two beautiful, internationally adopted daughters from Nepal and Vietnam, the definition becomes living and full of personal meaning, not just a two-dimensional word on a written page. Maybe what I want is not so much a definition as an understanding of the depths of its meaning on a spiritual level—t­­­he act itself of love, sacrifice, cost, and inheritance. Children of Dreams is borne out of Lorilyn Roberts' shattered dreams. The inspiring story of turning stolen dreams into life-changing hope not only for her but two destitute children will bring tears to the reader. The timeless theme of God’s faithfulness—the stuff out of which God brings redemption—will leave the reader riveted to the pages of this book. Children of Dreams is more than an adoption story set in the remotest regions of the planet. Facing insurmountable odds—communist blockades, life-threatening illness, betrayal and deceit—Ms. Roberts pours her heart out to the heavenly Father to bless her with children. An adventure story not for the faint of heart, her courage and determination never to give up will touch the reader. Despair transformed into heavenly joy and evil overcome by God's redemptive love will inspire even the most skeptical to believe in miracles. Children of Dreams will fill the reader with a sense that God can redeem every broken dream no matter how seemingly impossible. Children of Dreams resonates with Biblical truth at a deep level and in a sense is everyone's story. Timeless in nature, Children of Dreams is sure to be a favorite adoption story for years to come.



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External Link http://lorilynroberts.com/

by Lorilyn Roberts (FL)

I am both sides of this coin. I was adopted and lived a normal loving life. I have adopted a son from China and I have a biological son. For me, I love both of my children passionately and fiercely. They both have their issues and they both have their strengths. They both are children! MY CHILDREN! Our family has been so richly blessed by adoption. My life was richly blessed because my parents didn't believe the lie of someone else's problems and took the risk to love me and give me a home.

A year ago, we met an 8-year old orphan child from Latvia through an international Orphan Hosting Program, New Horizons for Children. We went into the program expecting to bless a child for a few weeks during her visit here with our family. What we did not expect was the immense blessing we received because of having her in our lives! She is a joy to be around and has opened our eyes to a perspective we never saw before. We can not imagine our family without her and are in the process of adopting her. It's a shame people think of these children as "throw aways" when in reality, they are jewels waiting to be found! They are children: waiting to love and be loved, waiting for a place to call home.

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by Jennifer (MD)

Webmaster's Note: We desire to enable people to express a range of experiences as part of "Your Orphan Story." We must never forget that, as with all aspects of life, caring for children who've lost their families can carry great difficulty and sorrow. It's also vital to remember that every orphan's experience as an orphan almost certainly began with tragedy. It may have been the death of parents, relinquishment to an orphanage or abandonment on the streets, removal from a home by government officials, or some other heartrending event. And although such experiences can--and often do--become stories of hope and new life, the pain at the story's start rarely disappears. Most anyone who has loved an orphan, as a mentor, foster parent, adoptive family or otherwise, will tell you the same thing: to love an orphan means to open yourself to the world at its most beautiful and most broken at the same time. The following post comes from an individual who feels this reality keenly: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is a "truer" story for you. My family was destroyed by adoption. My mother was coerced into abandoning me by a society that tells single mothers that they are not good enough to raise their children and that they should do the "right and unselfish" thing and give up their baby for adoption. As a result, I have grown up with numerous issues. I was taught that when someone loves you they leave you and spent my childhood waiting for that very thing to happen again. Now as an adult I am discriminated against and not allowed to have my original birth certificate. Instead, the government falsified my birth certificate to list my adopted parents as if they had given birth to me. Because of the closed adoption system I will be forever treated as a child. I did not ask to be adopted, it happened against my will and I should be punished for it. I have a great adoptive family who have loved me, supported me and given me just about everything I could have ever wanted or needed. It doesn't make up for the fact that I lost my family. I wish that people would spend less time worrying about a stupid, fiction movie and concentrate on the issues that adoption causes and work to reform the system. That is how your children will truly benefit.

External Link http://startingfromchaptertwo.blogspot.com/

We have been home with our two youngest children Joshua and Daniel for four months. It seems like they have been a part of our family since birth. They spent the first 2 and 3 years of their life in Ethiopia. Their tiny lives of hardship have been replaced with a life with a family full of love. They have been such a blessing to my husband and I and our two biological children. We can't imagine life without them!

My story is not much different than many other adoption stories you will find. I was a single woman, with no children of my own, sensing a need to be fulfilled in my life - that of motherhood. I had many good friends who had been adopted, an adopted nephew and cousin, so it was not something that was a total mystery to me. It was in fact, at the urging of one of my adopted friends, that my journey into international adoption began. My biggest challenge was deciding which road to take...Russia, Central America, China or Africa - there were so many children who needed families! After much prayer, and more than two years of waiting, I was on my way to China to bring my daughter home. She was a little more than a year old at the time and is now preparing to turn 4. This child was lovingly left where she would be found and cared for in a flowered dress with a note and a bottle when she was 2 days old. I can only assume that this unselfish act by her birth mother was not done without immense heartache and a never ending sense of loss. My only regret is that I have no way to let her know that her beautiful child is loved more than life itself and is a happy, healthy and thriving pre-schooler today. The joy of sharing my life with this child is more than mere words can express. Though I am unable to compare the bond with a biological child to my own situation, I cannot imagine having a greater love or stronger bond than that I share with my adopted daughter. She was not a flawed, unwanted or a cast away child, but merely the victim of an archaic law. This child has blessed my life with a love that I will be forever grateful for and is truly God's answer to my prayers. Though many try to tell me how "lucky" she is, I am truly the lucky one to have been allowed, through God's bountiful grace, to be her mother. Adoption is a beautiful gift to both the children and the families they enhance with their presence. There are no guarantees how our children will turn out - whether they are biological or chosen. Our job is to love and nurture these precious gifts that God has allowed us to care for the best that we can.

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All five of my grandchildren were adopted into our family. I can't imagine feeling any different if they were born into our family. They are as normal and different as any five kids could be, but blending them into a family is not any harder because they are adopted. Except for the oldest, all came as babies, he was three and has had the hardest time with knowing he is adopted. Several of the kids come from open adoptions and have been able to spend time with their birth moms and/or dads. His started that way but issues with his birth mom precluded being able to continue with that relationship. He has struggled to understand and wants to pursue finding his birth mom when he is 18. If he still wants to do that, he knows we will help him, which includes helping him understand the problems that kept her from bing able to keep him and his two brothers, who are also part of our family.

I am an adult that was adopted when 3 months of age by good, Christian parents in an age where adoption was not open and considered still to be taboo. Now, many years later, my husband and I adopted our beautiful, healthy, happy daughter, Emma Grace, from China four years ago when she was one year old. We thank God every day for the blessings He has poured out on our lives by entrusting us with her! We could not have a daughter that fits into our family had we given birth to her ourselves. If I had not been adopted and shown love and stability I shudder to think what my life would be like now. However, I also know that I can overcome anything with God's help, but am so thankful He allowed me to be adopted by two wonderful parents. Adoption is a wonderful thing, and just because a child comes from an orphanage under difficult cicumstances, doesn't mean they are scarred for life. Give a child a chance to experience their own forever family. Each and every child deserves to have their own family. We are in the process of starting another international adoption and can't wait to add another child to our family.

by Carolyn (AR)

It is a myth that a parent can't love an adopted child like a birth child. I have both, and I can testify that adopting our daughter has transformed not only my husband and me but her little life has spoken powerfully to our bio kids, the grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends... I truly am to a point in my life that I feel sorry for anyone who has not had the priviledge of being touched by adoption.

External Link http://www.baby-ellie.blogspot.com

Our story revolves around the adoption of our daughter, Emma, from Guatemala. She was an orphan in that her mother could not afford to take care of her. She was loved from the first breath she took by her birthmother. She was then loved by her caregivers at her wonderful orphanage in Guatemala City. Three weeks later she was loved by us when we opened the first picture of our new daughter. 8 months later she came home to the love an entire community and family who accepted her and will support her for the rest of her life. The only sad part of Emma's story is the fact that her birthmother was killed 15 months after we brought Emma home forever. But because of the promise of adoption this true orphan is an orphan no more. The world needs to know that about orphans and adoptions.

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Ever since I was little, I've always wanted a little brother. When I was four, my baby brother passed away. Finally, when I was twelve, my mother gave birth to her ninth child, another boy, but he died while she was in labor. I wanted a little brother so badly; I couldn't understand why I couldn't have one. For long I prayed, and years later the miracle came. My parents adopted my little brother from China, and I would venture to say that there has been no greater miracle in my life than him. He brings joy to my whole family, all eight of his siblings, my parents, my niece, nephews, aunts, uncles, everyone. Everyone that meets him loves him. Also one of my cousins was adopted from Japan, a good buddy to my little brother. And my other cousin from Romania, one of the funniest people that I know! And one of my best friends was adopted from India. Should I keep going?

External Link www.xanga.com/annagrace16

Our family embraces,celebrates, and advocates for God's heart for the orphan. We are happy to share in God's plan that includes five children in our family. Our oldest were born in a hospital in our local communitiy and our youngest were born as members of the global community. In Him, With Him, and Through Him there are no boundaries to His unlimited Love. In fact, there is but one thing we can do on a daily basis and that is to "Grow" in our Love for Him and His children. Our family is happy to share our true story and celebrate the miracle of life, love, and family.

Hi - I just wanted to share the story of my precious little girl. We were foster parents, at the time, and got the call about this precious baby girl who had just been born drug addicted to meth. Were we interested in taking her in? "Absolutely!" was our reply. The social workers told us that she was ours....as soon as they could find her. What?! Apparently, Lily was released by the hospital to a "relative" of the birth mom. She turned around and gave Lily to the birth mom and the birth mom went on the run. For 2 weeks, no one knew where she was and for 2 weeks we were on our knees praying for her safety. The day she was found, I was walking and praying for her. I felt like God gave me a picture of a hand reaching into the darkness. So I prayed, "God, please reach your hand in to wherever she is and bring her out safely." Later that day, police got a tip and raided an apartment where a bunch of underage kids were doing drugs. Lily was in a room all by herself, crying, filthy and starving. (Her pediatrician told us later that she wouldn't have lasted much longer.) They released her to the social workers who then called us and brought her over. When they put her in my arms, filthy & smelling to high heaven like pot, I fell in love. I looked down at this precious baby and my heart was hers...forever. We went through a 2 year battle to try and adopt her. In that time, she went through 6 months of withdrawals from meth and multiple infections and serious illnesses due to her compromised beginning. Her birth mom not only didn't have pre-natal care, she did so much meth during the pregnancy, the doctors say Lily should have stroked out and died. That's not love! Love, instead, happened in our family. We couldn't love this little girl any more if she had been "born" in us. We were able to adopt her the weekend of her 2nd birthday and it was the best day of our lives! She is almost 4 now and I can't imagine life without her and I can't possibly love her any more than I do. The presence of her in our lives has been immeasurable and nothing but a blessing. We have had tough times, for sure, but I WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING! She has gone from such a horrible beginning to a happy, friendly, loving little girl...our little girl FOREVER.

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External Link http://4-everfamily-young.blogspot.com/

by Donna Young (CO)

I am the adoptive mom of five, soon to be six, amazing kids-kids who by the world's view are castaways, less than desirable. Why? Two of my kids were drug exposed prenatally, two are Deaf, one has Auditory processing disorder, one dyslexia, one ADHD, one ADD, several adopted as "older" kids (our newest addition is a teenager) only one whose color or ethnicity matches mine. The reality of these children is that they have opened my heart and my soul to blessings and love I could have only imagined had they not been brought into my life through a series of unrelated events. They are not "lucky" because they were adopted into a stable, middle class home. We were blessed, "lucky" if you will, to have been the parents of these loving, kind, amazingly smart, funny, talented, artistic, giving, caring, compassionate children. As the saying goes, Not born of my flesh, but born in my heart through the grace of God alone. We are all adopted into God's family, and He has rewarded us with these truly beautiful children as part of ours.

by Shannon (TX)

We are the proud and blessed parents of eight children - one domestic adoption, five international adoptions and two biological children - God is faithful to His word and we give Him all the glory! Through our experiences of adopting children at various ages (birth, 2, 2, 9, 13, and 15), we have personally come to know a God who wants to see families multiply and longs for His people to care for orphans. We have also witnessed how adoption and love and nurture can change the life of an older child bringing him/her a hope and a future!

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External Link http://hisheartfororphans.googlepages.com/%22hisheartfororphans%22adoptionministry

by Aimee and Tommy Poche (LA)

I have seen miracles coming from my Russian orphan child. She is one of the biggest blessings that I have ever had in my life. She has stirred a love for all culture, race, children, and more. She keeps me laughing and she's only 3 years old. Sure, there are some difficult times, but just normal 3 year old issues.

We have two beautiful children adopted from Russia and two more on the way from Ethiopia. I can't imagine our lives without them and know that they were God's perfect choice for our family. The laughter and joy they bring to us has made us better people. They love unselfishly, unjudgementally and abundently. I can not even explain the wash of contentment that comes over me when they wrap their little arms around my neck, kiss my cheek or say "Mommy, I love you". What could be better!

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External Link www.hewillequipus.blogspot.com

by Teresa George (NC)

So many people believe its blood that makes a family, that the biological passing of genes and DNA make families love each other or make us safe. There aren’t too many things farther from the truth. True families are made through love. We adopted a little one at the age of two and she’s full of love, laughter and innocence. She loves to squeak and toot and smile and giggle, constantly showers us with hugs and kisses and tells us everyday how much she loves us. She has a wonderful sense of humor, a loving and gentle disposition and is quick to place her little hands in comfort on a tearful face. One day, she will understand we are not her biological parents and she may start a journey that might take her to some very sad, sorrowful places where deep longing and grief await her. But this little one, like any other child in any other family, is still a person who deserves to be loved regardless of her past or what may lie in her future. Most orphans are desperate for someone who will look past their circumstances, past their hurt and pain, and into their hearts. There you will find someone who only wants to be loved. And who among us doesn’t long for the very same thing? For this is how true families are made… through love.

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External Link http://mikeandkimsblog.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html

by Mike and Kim Barrett (CA)

In the summer of 2008, my wife and I sought out a teenage son to adopt. By October, Brandan had moved in with us and is now less than 30 days away from becoming legally ours. While he has identified himself as our son for several months now, he will ultimately know that he has a family. Brandan has undoubtedly experienced loss, rejection and trauma beyond his years, however he is not beyond healing. As our family has seen ads for the "Orphan" movie, it seems almost comical the night and day difference between this Hollywood studio scenario and our family's experience. We have three younger biological children who have come to know Brandan as their brother and he has reciprocated without the need to throw the car into neutral while they are all sitting to it and push it into a busy street. All sarcasm aside, our family was incomplete without Brandan and we look forward to the possibility of adopting older children in the future as well.

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by Bruce Kendrick (TX)

We have been blessed with six chilren, four that have been added to our family through adoption. We adopted a 10yo domestically in 2000. A newborn domestically in 2001, and our two newest blessings from Ethiopia joined our family in September of 2008. Our newest girls are now 2 years old and 8 years old. We have been so blessed through all of our adoptions. So much that we are going back to Ethiopia to adopt an older sibling group of three. As with our biological children, with each child there are unique circumstances and challenges. But the blessing at the other end easily outweighs the challenges. Orphans ARE NOT damaged goods...they are CHILDREN who need a family. My newly adopted 8yo doesn't let a day go by without saying "I love my family."

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External Link http://growinginfaithandfamily.blogspot.com/

As the adoptive father of a 9 year old girl 16 months ago I will attest that it has been the exact opposite of a horror story. It has been a real love story. The movie makers don't understand the love part either. In the trailer Esther, the orphan, makes the statement "It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own." WRONG! This is a myth that stops many potential parents, especially dads, from adopting. I have three birth daughters. I love them more than I can possibly describe. You fathers know what I mean. We don't always show it like we should. Nonetheless, I love them very much. I will also attest that I love my adopted daughters just as much! There is no difference. Love is a gift from God. Love is a decision. When my wife became pregnant with each of my children I made the decision to love them, each of them, unconditionally, forever. When my wife and I decided to adopt I made the decision to love them, each of them, unconditional, forever. So, no Esther, it is not hard. It is not hard at all.

External Link http://orphanadvocatesblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/orphan-movie-not-for-me.html

by Lynn Crooks ()