- Regarding the Congo pilot program we are in with our agency: There are currently 12-15 families still in the program, 5 of which are waiting for referrals (including us). The program became wildly popular shortly after they started it in late 2011, so they closed it in early 2012 until they get adoptions completed and learn the ropes. I don't know how many families were originally in the program, but I believe it was 20-30. Many of the families have switched to a different program within our agency or switched to a different Congo program through another agency because of the numerous setbacks we've experienced. This is something Brett and I have been tempted to do a few different times, but after we pray about it we always hear God telling us to stay put and endure. We know this will all be worth it and we're confident that we are exactly where He wants us.
- After we get matched and go through court (which takes 4-6 months or sometimes longer), there are now field investigations conducted by the U.S. Embassy to ensure the newly adopted children were really orphans before they will issue their visas. This process is estimated to take 3-6 months. (We learned about this several weeks before she told us this, but with how little I've been updating this blog I thought I would share this information in the probable case that I have not in a prior update.) As frustrating as it is to have yet another step put into place that lengthens our timeline even further, it is better than the alternative; The U.S. could have closed the country (meaning no more Americans could adopt from the DRC) because of the high amount of corruption being discovered, but instead they have chosen to do these investigations. One thing I am very grateful for is the integrity and thoroughness of our agency. They are well organized and do their own investigations each step of the way so that the children's files will be as complete as possible, thus making it easier during court processes and on the U.S. Embassy when they go to do their separate investigation.
- After the Embassy investigation is complete and the visas are issued, we book our flight! We will be in Congo for roughly 3 weeks before returning home with our new son(s)/daughter(s).
- After the visas are issued and while we are in country, the Congo's DGM (Direction General of Migration) receives the children's files and conducts their own investigation before issuing exit letters that the children must have to leave their home country. The amount of time it takes to receive exit letters is varied right now, but maybe it will be more predictable by the time we get to that point.
- Our agency is currently partnered with 3 orphanages and they are working on establishing 2 new partnerships. (We learned in June that those 2 new partnerships have indeed been made!) Why the need for 5 partnerships in a pilot program that only has a few families still needing referrals? Because it is being discovered that a lot of the kids in the orphanages are non-adoptable. When I say a lot, I mean pretty much every single one that our lawyers have worked to collect paperwork/build files on. At this time, I don't feel comfortable talking about the corruption resulting in orphanages overflowing with children that may be stuck there until they age out as a result of them being non-adoptable, but if you ask me in person I will share what I know. Just please join me in praying for the broken system and the thousands of children worldwide that are in orphanages, yet non-adoptable. These children did nothing to deserve the lives they are currently living. They deserve to be in loving families and to know how special they really are.
- Regarding referrals: They are still at a standstill and it is unknown when they will start back. "It could be months away," I was told.
Very few of God's people are stepping forward to welcome them into their families.
“The truth is that the 143 million orphaned children and the 11 million who starve to death or die from preventable diseases and the 8.5 million who work as child slaves, prostitutes, or under other horrific conditions and the 2.3 million who live with HIV add up to 164.8 million needy children. And though at first glance that looks like a big number, 2.1 billion people on this earth proclaim to be Christians. The truth is that if only 8 percent of the Christians would care for one more child, there would not be any statistics left.” -Katie Davis in her book, "Kisses from Katie"But the problem with statistics is they are very impersonal to us. We aren't having to see the faces of any of these 165,000,000 suffering children as we drive through town or walk down our street. Many even justify lack of concern for these precious ones Jesus loves with a reasoning of, "It's not my problem" or "Our country has its own needy to care for." Oh, what a dangerous attitude to have towards God's beloveds. Please show me in the Bible where He tells us to only care for those in our nation, or to have complete disregard for the suffering. Quite the opposite is true! And, though I know that quite possibly every single one of you that read my blog do not think this way, I do pose a question to anyone that may stumble across my blog who believes Americans should not adopt internationally when there are children in the foster care system here in the U.S.: Are you actively doing something to care for the beloveds in the foster system? Are you opening up your home to any of them? If not, then to hold such a view is to be a hypocrite.
Caring for orphans is very personal to God, because we are His children and they are His children, and why on earth are we not caring for one another better? I do not say this to try to make any of you feel guilty for not pursuing adoption. (However, if God has placed it on your heart that He is calling you to adopt... DO NOT let anything stand in the way of pursuing it! Do not fear the opinions of man, or the costs, or the unknowns! He will prove Himself faithful and you will experience abundant blessing for stepping out in total trust and obedience!!) We are not all called to adopt, but we are called to do something to care for them. Do some research and donate to an orphanage that does not have the funds to feed and clothe the orphans or sponsor an orphan through one of several reputable Christian organizations. Speak out. Support a family that is adopting with words of encouragement or with a donation or by seeking other ways to help. These things may seem so insignificant, but I promise you that even the smallest thing we do to care for them in the name of Christ does not go unnoticed by Him. Maybe you have a talent that you can use to throw a fundraiser for a family trying to adopt. How rewarding would it be to know that you played a role in making it possible for a family to transform an orphan into a son or daughter? Pray hard, pray boldly, and pray often for the orphans and the families trying to bring them home. Prayer produces faith that moves mountains.
We cannot simply ignore James 1:27 ("Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us"). Ignoring the crisis does not make it go away. God loves every single orphan with the same love He has for you and me, and He proclaims several times throughout the Bible that it is up to us to step up to the plate to care for them. Because if we don't... who will?
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.’ Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” -Matthew 25:31-46
"It is a sin when someone knows the right thing to do and doesn't do it." -James 4:17
