Category Archives: Adoption

New Friends and Random Photos In Bucaramanga

Feb 17

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We were so blessed today to go to yet another children’s home in Bucaramanga, this one full of only special needs kids (and some adults). There were 82, all with varying chronic healthcare conditions. Although we were met with smiles and hugs that would melt any heart of stone, it was so sad to see many of these children go without some basic needs. Almost all of them were abandoned by their families. Here, maybe even more so than in the States, when a child has special needs, many times they are considered a waste of time and less than a real person. How sad. I’m glad God didn’t think I was a waste. These kids need to know of a God that loves them and has a special plan for their lives.

We were able to take them a few things to help out with the kids’ basic necessities and give a little money toward getting them proper care.

 

 

This two year old was the youngest at the Iris Foundation. Isn't she cute?

 

 

 

Sonya was a hoot. From the moment she saw me she tackled me, grabbed my hand and was pulling me everywhere. Did my wife get jealous? Did she intervene and save me? Did she try to stop Sonya?? Nooooo.... she laughed, grabbed the camera and took pictures. haha

 

 

 

This is Maria, the director along with one of the foundation's oldest residents. Maria sure loves those kids and the kids love her. Please pray for Maria's salvation.

 

 

 

A HUGE pile of DMEs (Durable Medical Equipment) was just donated to the foundation. Working around this stuff everyday, I can tell you this pile of stuff easily totals in the hundreds of thousands of US dollars. What a blessing!

 

 

Random Stuff Around The City…

We haven't met too many strangers in this place. People in this precious city are so friendly! We have had so many folks go far out of their way just to help us and to be a blessing to us.

 

 

Traffic in Bucaramanga.

 

 

 

 

Éxito is a very popular grocery/appliance store in Colombia. We've found that it's one of the closest things to Walmart there is here, along with another store named Carrefour. Both of these carry a few imported items from the US, though most everything is from Colombia.

 

 

 

A very common sight is to see people walking around with opened umbrellas, especially on a bright and sunny day. Can't be getting a tan now, can't we, right?

 

 

 

for about 35 cents each, and hoards of other fruits I’ve never heard of.”]

 

 

The Love Birds... And no, our hair isn't actually blue. It must have been the lighting 🙂

 

 

Posted in Adoption, Children, Colombia, Ministry, Survey Trip

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Have You Considered Adoption?

Nov 12

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child adoption.

Image via Wikipedia

My wife and I have been interested in adoption since before we even met. If the Lord sees fit, we would love to be able to adopt sometime down the road, either domestically or internationally. What a wonderful depiction of the Love of God. Just think of how many Bible verses describe His relationship with us in adoption terms:

  • “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains:” Psalm 68:5-6
  • “Thou art the helper of the fatherless. LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.” Psalm 10:14,17-18
  • “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” Romans 8:14-16
  • “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27

Here’s an article from the popular Colombian newspaper EL TIEMPO that relates the need for adoption in Colombia. There are more and more children being abandoned by their families in not just this country but around the world! They need a family. Will you be their family?

 

In the last 10 years, children placed for adoption from Boyacá has increased by 60%. In 2000, only 53 children from the department were placed for adoption. In 2009, there were 85, the majority of whom were placed with adoptive parents in or from Colombia.

According to Gloria Esperanza Medina Alba, Defensora de Familia (Family Advocate) for ICBF in Boyacá, the increase in the necessity for adoption has caused a great deal of worry for officials at ICBF. She stated, “The majority of children that have entered ICBF custody have done so on repeated occasions because of intrafamilial violence. Others enter the process because their parents are arrested, die, or simply cannot offer what is required for the children to grow in an adequate environment, which often occurs in the case of sex workers. ”

She continued, “We work with the parents who mistreat their children so that they can changes their ways, but often they return to their old ways, which is why the ICBF will make the decision to remove the children and declare them in a situation of adoptability.”

To date this year, 49 children (22 female, 25 male) have been placed for adoption — 28 to Colombian families and 19 to foreign families.

Medina also mentioned, “Right now, we have 25 children who already have an adoptive family assigned, but they are awaiting for the official placement or the official acceptance of the potential adoptive parents.” Additionally, Ms. Medina stated that at the moment there are 25 more healthy children that will be entering the Adoption phase of the process shortly.

In Boyacá, the statistics show that more adoptive families request girls, as well as children younger than age 7. In addition, the predominant age range of adoptive parents is 43-51 years of age.

From 1960-2000, 80% of adoptive parents were from foreign countries. In 2005, the law changed and now Colombian families receive priority. Now, it is more like 70% are Colombian and 30% foreign.

Most adoptive children in Boyacá come from the cities of Tunja, Sogamoso, Duitama and Chiquinquirá, with foreign adoptive families most frequently coming from Spain, Italy, France, the United States, Norway and Germany.

http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/boyaca/ARTICULO-WEB-NEW_NOTA_INTERIOR-8281940.html

 

Posted in Adoption, Colombia, Family, Random Thoughts

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