Adopting an older child

When Darren and I first felt God impress upon our hearts to adopt and we began to do a little research on adoption, we both felt that God was leading us to adopt a "waiting" child. We were blown away by the number of children in orphanages over the age of 5. Once a child reaches the age of 5 or 6, their chances of being adopted plummets. So many people are willing to adopt a healthy, infant or toddler, but when a child has something medically wrong with them or they are older, children are often labeled as "unadoptable."  There are numbers of beautiful children and teenagers waiting for a family, who have been passed over simply because they are not a baby anymore! There are numerous others who have been passed over because they have a medical need, maybe even something small like a cleft lip or crossed eyes.

Our little girl is almost 7! Her birthday will be coming up here shortly and we hope to have her home with us so we can celebrate her birthday as a family. She does have some special medical needs, but when we consulted physicians and spent time in prayer...God gave us peace that He will give us the strength to handle whatever comes our way. (And to look at her picture, you would never know it!!!)

We are excited to become a family to a little girl who has been waiting....who has watched friends go home with their forever families and who has expressed desire to be adopted; however, adopting an older child has some challenges as well. Many of these children carry a heavy burden from their past and a feeling of rejection. Many of them are scared to love their adoptive family because they don't want to face being abandoned again. All of them have dealt with pain beyond their years; and yet, God loves each and every one of them. How are they to know God's love, if someone doesn't show it to them? We are praying that we can be the family that Joy Noelle needs and that we can show her God's love in a whole new way.

This fundraiser we are doing with Give1Save1 is the LAST fundraiser we plan to do! Will you help us raise the funds needed to purchase our plane tickets? Round trip plane tickets to the Philippines cost about $1200 EACH right now and $900 for a one way ticket home. For just Darren and I and Joy Noelle, that is $3300.00!  We've raised $853 in the last two days. Our goal for the week is $3000 toward the plane tickets. Would you help us get there by donating $1 at http://www.give1save1asia.blogspot.com/ and sharing our story with a family member or friend?