Today I would love it if my readers would take the time to visit the blog of my friend, Tonya LaTorre. Many times I have mentioned Tonya's family, their adoption from Uganda, and the exciting ministry God has since given them through Kirabo Seeds.
But what so blessed me about her post today was the beautiful way she shared why adoption is not always the best option. It may sound strange to say so since this is National Adoption Month, but I think as you read her post you will find that adoption doesn't always take the same form and that Biblically speaking, caring for the orphan can encompass so much more and involve so many more of us if we are simply willing.
I love that Tonya's family has had the amazing privilege to truly get to know their daughter's country of birth and to begin to understand the nuances of its culture in a much deeper way than many (dare I say most) of us who have adopted internationally. I praise God that He has used this deeper appreciation of Uganda to spark in them the imagination and obedient faith that has taken them step by step into a larger commitment to the children of this needy nation.
As Tonya shares today the story of one of the little boys in their children's home, she writes:
Once I understood how they raise their children I realized how devastating it was for one to leave the country and have a forever home somewhere else. Everyone in Uganda is somehow related, or so it seems, so the whole country grieves to see one go ... Is it clear now why children are not adopted out of our home? They are Ugandan and they have relatives that love them and want to be a part of their lives, even though their parents have gone, they are still family. The children who should be adopted are those whose parents abandoned them without identification at hospitals, in the road, on trash heaps, in busy markets, or worse case a pit latrine. Our Kira was totally abandoned without a single person claiming to know her while her umbilical cord was freshly cut. So we try to tie her life to Uganda as much as possible. Our organization is her legacy, it is the seeds sown from the love we have for her and her culture.
As you can see from the statement I highlighted, there certainly is still a need for adoption in Uganda and other countries of the world. However, as you read the entire post you will find there is also a very unique network of love and family ties built into Ugandan society which is worth preserving when at all possible. Thankfully, we can still be a part of touching children's lives even when adoption is not an option for them. The question is, will we?
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