Saturdays rant :)

Still waiting on news from the USCIS about our application to adopt an orphan. They have the pieces and it is ready to be assigned a worker. We are hoping to get our fingerprint appointment within the next week. The whole patience thing or lack of it means I will be calling again on Monday to make sure.


Don't forget we still have our art fundraiser and giftaway going until May 7th! You can see the details above just below the title of our blog or click HERE We really need to kick things into gear as we really do not have time on our side anymore. The longest part of the process, our homestudy is completed. We are working hard to expedite the rest of the process before any changes come to Joshua's country. I also want to sincerely thank those that have already donated or bought a print from Jacob. I wish there were some magic words to express myself and my gratitude but know from the bottom of my heart it is so appreciated.


Most feedback from people in our community has been positive. There was a person that commented on our online article with a sarcastic remark about why we did not choose a child that he was already obligated to pay for in our system. I expect some people to question our choices. If someone has a specific question they want answered I will answer it. One thing I want to make clear is nobody is obligated to pay for my children. We have our own health insurance and we pay our co-pays etc. We have passed a comprehensive homestudy which included our finances. We were approved for up to 2 children ages 0-5. We were approved for special needs children or those that do not have special needs. We are not wealthy meaning we do not have $25,000 sitting in the bank and I think in our hard economic times you would be hard pressed to find anyone with that kind of money available to spend. We never set out to initially adopt a child much less internationally. I was always a big advocate for RR way before seeing Joshua. It broke my heart and I wanted to advocate for all the children. I always said that you did not have to adopt to make a difference. Some people are simply not in a position to adopt and that is fine. Our decision to adopt was really quite simple. We saw Joshua's picture and said he is our son! Didn't matter that he was in another country- we just knew. At that point we were not even sure if we could adopt. We just knew that God was steering us in that path and we wanted to follow that path as far as God wanted us to. And that is what we are doing... and we are hoping at the end of our path will be Joshua. We firmly believe that is what we were meant to be doing. I can't and won't make any excuses for it. Joshua is a child of God no matter where he was born.


Someone asked me what would happen if we could not raise the funds in enough time. I can't even think of that right now. That is further up the path and I am taking one step at a time. It is all I can do at this time. It is hard enough knowing that my son is in a country that basically says he is not worthy. If not adopted he will be sent to an institution and will only leave that institution when he dies. For children like Joshua that will probably be within the first year of transfer. They say 90% of special needs children die within the first year. The average life span once transferred is 9 months. Can you imagine a child without the love of parents or a family stuck in an orphanage for 4 years only to be transferred to an even worse facility and slowly dying alone? Children who are blind being transferred to a room where they remain bedridden because they can't see and the caregivers do not have enough time to walk with them. A place where only the strong survive and if you are deemed not worthy because of special needs, you get treated poorly. In some cases, you are deprived of food and any stimulation because you are despised because of something you were born with and had NO control over.


I am truly passionate about the plight of these children. I have seen it. I have seen picture of little Carrington adopted out and her body in the process of shutting down due to starvation. Children who have passed away because they were not given proper medical attention. Pictures of children with bruises and bumps on their heads because they have absolutely no stimulation that they have to bang their heads on the bars of the cribs. I have heard of stories of people walking into orphanages where the children cry out are you my momma and daddy? Are you here for me? Or one little boy who looked at his new momma and said I have been waiting all my life for you. This is not acceptable in any society. If you read my blog enough you are going to hear and see these stories too. And if you hear these stories and say it is ok then I really fear for humanity. It is not ok with me... it is not ok that Joshua was born on a path to a lonely existence ending in eventual death before his time. NOPE not in the least bit. I am going to go get him and give him a life that he deserves. One that includes love, patience and acceptance. One that every child deserves! Well thanks for letting me have my rant. Please continue to pray for us that God continues to guide us on our path.