Why China's "Waiting Children"? (Part 4)

Matthew 25: 40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

As we began the process of looking into agencies and programs, it didn't take long at all for God to close many doors- some countries we weren't eligible for, some required very lengthy stays in the country. China was actually one we first thought was closed to us because they have a "4 children in the home" limit. We kept looking. I found myself poring over adoptable children's pictures and I was always looking at the cute ones, I'll admit. The Lord pricked my heart and showed me that was not HIS heart. Jesus went to the least desirable by the world's standards. He came to those who were the outcasts, the ugly, the despised of the world. How far is my heart from where it needs to be! What is the one thing we pray for when we are pregnant? A healthy child (and I secretly hope they are cute!). In our culture, abortions occur all the time when a child is found to have even the slightest problem. These children are truly among the "least of these" that Jesus is talking about. In China, girls are not valued, much less a girl with a deformed limb or a cleft lip. These children are orphaned mainly due to the "one child" law. Parents aren't allowed to put their children up for adoption, so they are abandoned and found by orphanages.

Early in our marriage Joey very seriously said to me that he thought someday we might have a child with special needs. I was not surprised, and I don't know why. I just never thought it would happen by adoption. To ask for that sounds nuts! We found out after doing some research that China's "4 children max. in the home" does not apply for the "hard to place" special needs children. Thank God, He says that in His kingdom the last will be first, and the first will be last. His thinking is so different from ours!

We looked online and did phone interviews with four agencies. What set apart Lifeline agency for us was the MaoMing orphanage they are connected with near Hong Kong. It houses 60 orphans, all with medical special needs. If these children are not adopted by a family, they will typically spend the majority of their youth in institutionalized care and most will never have the opportunity to lead a normal life. I watched an interview of a woman describing the first time she went to an orphanage in China and saw her future daughter there. She described how dirty the special needs babies were- they were bathed last and were of a lower priority than the healthy children. Totally opposite of how Jesus said heaven will be. That gripped my heart! Looking at the pictures and videos of these waiting children, Joey said, "we need to go get Charlotte". Now, we aren't certain she is the child we will adopt, but at the very least, she was the motivation God used for us to choose that agency and the MaoMing orphanage.

http://lifelineadoption.org/adoption/international/china/maoming-kids/

Truly, this is not something I ever would have chosen on my own. If it were up to me, I would have continued to ignore the call and enjoy an easier life. I am just thankful for His amazing grace that I didn't have to get swallowed up by a whale to get me to do what He called us to. It is so freeing to finally submit to His will with a long overdue cry of, "yes, Lord, I will go. Send me." To God be the glory, great things He has done!