Throwback Thoughts on Adoption (2014)

Today I found this essay on adoption that I wrote on September 29, 2014. 

Posting it today with a picture of our kids (the "Fab Five") from that time.

“You have already earned yourself Heaven!”  A well-meaning admirer once gushed over our unusual family here in Chile. With five children in a culture where family size seems to be dwindling, we are already an anomaly. Add to that our adoption dynamic and the multiracial makeup of our family, and we rarely go out in public without raising a few eyebrows. Living in a country where “political correctness” is not a societal norm, we have experienced our share of interesting comments and questions!

Raising a multiracial family in Chile was something we wrestled with during our preparation to reach the mission field. How would Chileans respond? We guessed correctly that our then two-year old son would be greeted as a cute curiosity. This was confirmed the minute we set foot in the country and the customs agent leaned out her window at the airport to exclaim, “I’ve never seen one so little!” We learned to joke about the “paparazzi” who would whip out cell phones and snap pictures without permission. When two more handsome sons joined us from Haiti, “Are they real brothers? I’ve always wanted one like that! Was it hard to adopt? I’d love to, but ..” were frequent conversations started by strangers in the grocery line.  Sometimes questions were so intrusive that in response, we struggled between protectiveness toward our children and being the “nice” missionaries no matter what.

We love the family God has given us and thank Him for it. We tell our children on the good days and on the tough days that our family is a glimpse of Heaven. Not because of our behavior (or lack thereof!) But because one day "every tribe and tongue and nation" will worship in perfect unity around the throne of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are so blessed that we don't have to imagine what that is like. As a family we get to experience it right here on earth.

However, at times we may also get to experience pain. It sometimes hurts that our children have to take to the front lines as they step into Chilean schools where no one else looks anything like them. This year our nine-year old son started alone at a school of 700 students where all eyes were on him. As parents, we want to protect our children, yet we can only walk beside them. We cannot walk inside their skin. How we cherish the fact that Jesus has already done so, coming to this earth as a member of a race that throughout history has been targeted for bigotry, oppression and destruction. We cannot always understand, but He always can!

Perhaps the most common question we hear about our family is “How?” But the better one would simply be, “Why?” The truth is that we pursued adoption with no loftier purpose than to form a family and fulfill our love for children. Yet God has allowed our adoption to be a visible expression to the people of Chile of His love for them. Answering the question “Why?” allows us to share that they, too, have a Father waiting with open arms. They, too, can be adopted and given a forever family. Pray with us that many Chileans will respond to His loving invitation today!