In the meantime, we were blessed to have a family from our church that was willing to sit down with us and share some of their experience in adopting their own daughter from China (although our youngest son David was disappointed when he found out that they were not bringing us our little girl). We were moved by how God put on their heart to pursue it, and by the sacrifice they made in order to be obedient to His call. In fact, this family had been saving for a down payment in order to move from a townhouse into a house, but instead took this money and invested it in something precious and eternal. From their story we learned not only of their journey to bring home a little girl, but also more about the conditions of the orphanage, and what life is like in China.
For lack of a better way to share this, I am simply listing a few of their own personal experiences and things they saw that this family shared with us about their visit to China (and gave us their permission to post):
The orphanage:
Beds were made of metal frames and plywood laid across the bottom to sleep on-no mattress or blanket
Bottle feedings: With so many babies, the caregivers simply make a round placing the bottle into the baby's mouth, and then when the round is done, they come back around and remove the bottles. If you are familiar at all with one of the most common "special needs" of orphans in China, is that many are born with cleft lip or cleft pallet or both. For these babies born with cleft lip/pallet, feedings are difficult, and many are not able to feed themselves and so they don't make it. This family's little girl was born with cleft lip, and was fortunate that another older girl at the orphanage had looked after her and made sure that she had gotten her feedings.
Many children are abandoned and then brought to these orphanages. This family shared with us a story that unfortunately is not uncommon in the way children in China end up in the orphanage. In their case, their daughter had been left in front of a middle school when she was two weeks old.
...being invited to a church...because only people who are in China and have a passport from another country are allowed to go...
....visiting a shop and getting to know the man who ran it...and hearing that the government could come and shut it down or tell him he no longer worked their at any day or time.
....a guide who became cold shouldered when she learned that the purpose for their trip to China was adoption...
....lost access to their own blog while in China, probably because of spiritual content, while their relatives in the states could still access it... (doesn't that make you want more gov't control of the internet?)
I included this information about this family's general experiences in China because it reminds me how blessed we are as individuals and as a nation in general and I know that one day we will all be held accountable for what we have done with the blessings and the freedom we have been given.
Luke 12: 48 From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Also, this family sent a link to a blog that was very eye opening and convicting to me personally when it comes to the worldwide orphan crisis. I encourage you to take a moment and read through this powerful post... "If not us, then who?"
http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2012/02/if-not-usthen-who.html
Amy
