What it means to advocate

One of the greatest resources to the adoption community is the No Hands But Ours website. I am always encouraged by the posts at this website. Over the last 5 years, I have grown to really love and admire many of the authors on the blog. Just the other day, this was the post about advocating. 

Read it HERE. 

There is this famous quote that is loved by many of us in the adoption community. It is by David Platt.

"Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes."

Isn't that the truth? I remember the trip to the government orphanage on my first trip to China. WOW. All of those beds, those dark walls. No toys... and very few workers. Baby after baby laying in a crib. We went into one room and all of the babies were sitting in bamboo type high chairs, and one ayi went down the line, shaking a toy in front of the baby's face. It was heart wrenching to say the least. I was thankful that my daughter had only experienced it for 6 months, before being transferred to a much better facility. I remember holding my daughter and being overwhelmed with joy. She was perfect in every way. And to think about the others left behind tore me to pieces. Everything changed.

That's why we do what we do. We know what the future holds for kiddos that are left behind. We know that many of these kids will NOT have a future if they stay behind and are not adopted.

So let me just lay this out here. What will happen to Long if he is not adopted? Well, if he is not adopted by the age of 14, he will never be adopted. It is a rule in China. At 14, these kids "age out." He will be on his own. His name will identify him as an orphan. It will be nearly impossible for him to find work. He will never be properly educated. He will more than likely be caring for himself at the age of 14. He will not have access to medical care. He will be treated differently than everyone else, because of his circumstance. If he is one of the lucky few, an organization will come along beside him and make sure that his basic needs are met, and that he finds a job. 

Adoption is redemption. For many kids in China, it is the only chance to have a future. 

Read this article to help make sense of the way things work in China. Read it here.  

So, I invite you to come to my house and spend an hour with him. Watch him giggle uncontrollably when the translating app says something ridiculous. Watch him play with Legos and examine every piece, to make sure he is building it correctly. Watch how excited he gets when he blows up a house on Minecraft. Watch him play with my children, and laugh as a carefree child. Watch him devour a bucket of KFC chicken and drink a Pepsi, a rare treat for this kid in China. Watch him respect and obey my husband and myself, and do exactly what is asked of him. Watch him drive monster trucks over a pile of Legos, and get huge eyes when he sees a REAL monster truck on TV. And then walk away unchanged. It is just not possible. There are millions of children just like Long all over the world who need a family to step forward and say "SEND ME! I'LL GO!" It is really our duty as human beings to fill in the gap for these kids. 

Keep sharing Long's story!