Rutledge6: Families for Orphans Act

Rutledge6: Families for Orphans Act

I am in need of your help. Above is a link to a post in a blog about the "Families For Orphans Act". In it you will find the Joint Council on International Children's Services, is trying to pass a bill to create a state department office that is focused on global orphan care. There is a list of 4 things you can do to help pass this bill, one of which is signing the petition. Did you know the many thousands of children who are orphaned in Haiti, due to the earthquake, have their lives hanging in the balance of politics and governments? UNICEF an organization apart of the UN has stepped in and made offers to the government of Haiti to not allow international adoptions to take place for these children who will grow up without knowing the love of a family. They are spreading lies and false accusations that international adoption leads to child trafficking and slavery, instead of allowing loving Christian families do the work God has called His people to do, love and care for the orphans. (This is the same organization who is causing world wide issues with adoptions, and is a playing a big factor in the hold on adoptions in Liberia as well as many other countries.) With this passing of this bill it will allow the orphaned children to have a voice and someone fighting for them! Please read the letter on this link and be a voice for these children!

Some Positive News

We received a little bit of good news today. For the adoptions completed before the moratorium...they have received a court decree which means travel letters are currently being processed for them. Once they have those within the next couple weeks they will be able to travel to bring their children HOME to their forever family!!!!

This is very exciting news for those families! Some who have been waiting for over 3 years! One boy who we've been praying could come home immediately as he has severe CP. Even though there is no new news about the moratorium being lifted, this brings hope and joy to all of us waiting families.

Christmas in Liberia

We received a message from Dan Buegar last week telling us he went to visit Onah and Marie and check up on them in the AFAA house. He said they are both healthy and looking good. He said Onah was not comfortable with him and cried for the house mothers when he held him and wanted down. He said eventually he got up enough courage to shake his hand :)
He said Marie was very comfortable and sat with him and spent some time in his lap. He said she's still perfecting her walking skills but will be up and going with the big boys soon. It's funny how I can see their little personalities a world away and after meeting them only once. Onah was the same way when we were there. It takes him alwhile to get comfortable with new people. He's my shy one. Marie on the other hand goes with the flow. Dan tried to take pictures of the kids to send to us but the staff would not allow him. They said they were not 'properly dressed' (they like to make sure they are all dolled up in dresses and nice attire if they take pics and like to have their hair done).
There is a team from Suncrest Christian Church going to Liberia at the end of this month as well as two of the men from our church. We have sent in a couple stuffed animals with a note for Onah and Marie as well as a DVD we made for them to watch. We read them some stories, I sang them a song that I played on my guitar, and Colten of course danced for them and showed them some fun playing outside on his rope swing and tree house. We added a picture show to the end so they can see the things we've been up to over the past year, as well as pictures of us with them :) I'm sure they'll be surprised to see themselves on tv!!!

Finally we got some pictures of Onah and Marie's Christmas in Liberia. They look SO big!!!! They don't look like little babies anymore. In Colten's words..."wow, Onah's starting to look like a real son, mom!" He makes me laugh sometimes with the things he says.

This is the only picture where Onah is smiling...Poor little guy! Onah is sitting in the front. He's the one on the right. Marie is sitting as well, she is the one on the left.

Something made the poor little guy mad :)

Look who's still mad and unhappy.

Long Day of Anticipation ends in Disappointment

This is the day I've been waiting for, for months. I've prayed and asked you to pray along with me that today as the president addressed her people that she would have an announcement that the moratorium was being lifted. I anticipated the joy and celebration we would have upon hearing the news, but I'm left in tears and disappointment. Adoption is still suspended in Liberia. President Sirleaf did not even make much mention of adoption at all in her speech. She simply said..."The adoption program remains suspended until policies and proper guidelines have been established under the National Adoption Act which will be submitted to you as part of our Legislative Agenda."
Thank you for praying for us. We continue to ask for your prayer that God would give us hope and joy through this journey. Every day is becoming emotionally and financially draining. We need God's strength more than ever to get us through this. The song that's playing on my blogspot does a great job of verbalizing my emotions right now...

"How long must I pray, must I pray to you?
How long must I wait, must I wait for you?
How long till I see your face? See you shining through?
I'm on my knees begging you to notice me,
I'm on my knees father will you turn to me?

One tear in the dropping rain...One voice in a sea of pain...could the maker of the stars, hear the sound of my breaking heart?
One life is all I am...right now I can barely stand, If you're everything you say you are,
would you come close and hold me heart."

Rough Draft of Children's Bill

If you are interested and would like to read up on the rough draft of the new children's bill, here is a link. It's lengthy :) Pages 43-52 pertain to Intercountry adoption.
www.liberianchildrensbill.blogspot.com
Please continue to pray for the 25th of January. This is the day that President Sirleaf will be addressing her country and I pray the ban is lifted on this day for all children!