Our Little Panda

Life was so busy in the spring that I didn't post any pictures of the birthday boy.  So, here is our little Panda last month, wearing his favorite new shirts.  Mr. B. thought it would be funny to help John look like the pandas on his shirts, which led to several photo sessions.  Little Panda didn't mind posing.  It is hard to believe that he is 6 years old.

Adoption articles

This week I have found two insightful articles about international adoption.  First, a blog post about China not wanting to send healthy children or children with minor special needs out of the country anymore.  I am not sure why some people have reacted angrily to the idea that international adoption is shutting down.  I personally think it is only a matter of time.  The numbers have been in steep decline for years, for various reasons.  I know that my two children who were born in China have lost many things--they will never be fully part of the culture of their birth, and they have lost their native language.  It would have been better for them if they could have been adopted locally, but for them, at this time, that was not an option.  They are in a family that loves them, they are getting the medical care they needed and the best education that we can provide, but I hope I will be sensitive if they express a sense of loss.  My little John had such a happy life in China that he still grieves, and he usually shuts down completely when anything reminds him of his former home.   There is really no need for healthy infants or toddlers to be internationally adopted.  I hope for a day when children with medical needs like spina bifida can grow up in their birth families and not have to be transplanted to another country.   There will always be a way for God's people to live out the gospel and care for others.  Adoption is only one way, and should not be the focus of all efforts.

The other issue that I keep coming back to is the reasons for the strong preference for girls among adoptive families.  I have heard that 90 percent of people adopting internationally will only consider a girl.  This blogger writes honestly about what some of the reasons are.