Pardon Me While I Rant

Ok. I need to rant. And if this post annoys you, then I'm sorry, but I really need to say this. And this really has nothing to do with our fundraiser other than the topic is orphans.

I really had not thought much about fostering or adopting up until a few years ago. I looked at adoption as a way that infertile couples got their children. I worked with a lady about 9 years ago who was a foster mom. And a pretty awesome one at that. That started my wheels turning. There were a few other things that made me think, "Well, one day I will foster or adopt" but it generally revolved around if I could not have children.

But I can have children and I now have three. They are 6, 5 and 3 1/2. And in 2008 we heard about internationally hosting an orphan. I took a "I'm going to wait and see how THIS goes" approach. I honestly thought the whole thing was kind of weird and Gee, they were going to have to send that poor little boy back to his Russian orphanage. That hardly seems fair to him. I have even had people say that to me about the ones we have hosted, and they have used it as a reason for them not to host.

"I can't do that. It just seems so unfair."

Unfair.

Let's talk about unfair. Unfair is not having a mom to rock you at night, or mend your clothes, or help you with homework. Unfair is a dad that leaves your family, or beats you, or dies right infront of you because he is POISENED by his boss when they can no longer pay him (that really happened, by the way). Unfair is watching your drunk mother chose to buy more alchohol instead of paying for your home to be heated, and watch her do nothing as you and your brother are carted away to a orphange, and then she keeps doing nothing for the next 4 1/2 years while you wait for her everyday. Unfair is knowing she died never coming to see you and you never get to say goodbye or even go to her funeral. Unfair is being brought before a possible adoptive family and they reject you because you are 'too ugly'. Unfair is going to bed hungry and scared and sad and NO ONE to care. Unfair is being picked on at school because you're an orphan and having the teacher look the other way instead of help. Unfair is being brainwashed and told you're worthless. Unfair is literally being dumped on the streets when you're 16 and being left on your own. It's no wonder so many take their own lives or turn to drugs and repeat the cycle.

And it's unfair that once you are older than 5, you have an almost ZERO chance of getting adopted.

These kids have already dealt with more unfair than most of our brains can comprehend. Once these kids come over and are hosted, they have an almost 70% chance of being adopted. People don't want older kids because they are more intimidating, too hard to 'train' or come with too much baggage. But when people actually MEET these kids, those misconceptions fade. They can see the children for what they are- children.

When I heard that the statics go from almost nothing to an almost 70% chance at getting a family, I knew I had to host. Gabe agreed. I HAD to give someone that chance; I had to fight for them. If it were MY child, I would want someone to fight for them if I couldn't. They deserve it. They can't fight for themselves; they have no voice; they have no real options. They need US to advocate for them.

It's expensive. It's inconvient. It's exhausting. It's uncomfortable. But it's not about us- not even a little bit. It's about them and showing them the love of a Father that will never leave them or forsake them. There's a lot of great things too- it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, for starters. I love loving kids that have no one to love them. And I can't wait to hug Alina this summer, either. I hope she comes ready to be bear hugged to the moon and back.

So if you're one of the ones that want to host, but you just think "it's just not fair to the child", PLEASE think again. YOU might be the one to turn that child's life around!