Adoption is a Beautiful Thing!
Who could possibly disagree with that statement! Bringing an abandoned or orphaned child into your family, your home and your life is one of, if not, the most beautiful things anyone could do with their lives. James 1:27 indicates that taking care of orphans is “pure and undefiled religion” in a sense. In previous posts, we’ve gone over several reasons why there are so many orphans in the Philippines, but in truth, most countries have an orphan problem. Take a look at the next couple of graphics.
That is pretty staggering but I’m reminded the data is from 2008. While it’s difficult to find, the below graphic is more recent, and even more staggering.
It’s completely overwhelming to view these maps but even more so to think about and process the question – what can be done about this? Our hope is that the church would rise up and simply adopt more orphans. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is one of the callings of the church.
Take a quick look at the below graphic outlining (not in great detail) adoption requirements by country. When I view the requirements for the different countries, it doesn’t look so bad. But the truth is that no matter which country you adopt from, the process is expensive, lengthy and filled with red tape and frustration.
In the meantime, we will continue to exhort the church to adopt! And we will certainly continue to build orphanages in order to shelter, feed, clothe, educate, disciple and love all the Filipino orphans we can! While it may not be the ideal answer, it is certainly something we can do to help as many as possible….RIGHT NOW!
