TAIWAN!? (click here to read an article)

 I haven't posted anything lately, because well frankly, we were trying to decide where to look next for our adoption.  I just put it into God's hands when I didn't know which way to turn and waited!  We've been inspired to get on the ball again.  We are considering a particular Colombia program (inspired by my in laws mission trip to Colombia and all of those precious kids!), however, this is a 3 year wait for referral and a 4-5 week stay in Colombia.  Now, at this moment, 4-5 weeks sounds like nothing when you are waiting for your precious child.  I mean, we would do that for our own biological child right?  However, when the time comes, a month or more away from our 3 kids could be very difficult to work out here at home.  So, it is not my first choice -at this time.  We are also excited about an agency with a Taiwan program for which we qualify.  This is a little less lengthy process.  Taiwan is not really a country in poverty.  However, I have done a lot of research over the past few weeks and found that the need is great to adopt children from Taiwan.  Unwed mothers are frequently shunned in their homes and in society, they cannot go to school or get jobs.  Most young, unwed mothers have 3 choices... abortion, abandonment, or to go to one of the group homes and orphanages run by ministries willing to help the girls with their pregnancy and adoption of their child.  In Taiwan, domestic adoption is still not very popular, although slowly becoming more acceptable.  Still highly unlikely for a child over 2 years due to the fact that a family would not want their child to know that they are not biological, it would be considered dishonorable.  Also, although Taiwan is more modern thinking than their mainland China, they still feel that the perfect family is one boy, one girl and no more.  So there is a lot of pressure to keep families small.  The abandonment of children is rising at an alarming rate according to a recent article in Taiwan that I read.  Every child needs a home and a family to love them!

Psalm 139:14-16 

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

      your works are wonderful, 
       I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you 
       when I was made in the secret place. 
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. 

       All the days ordained for me 
       were written in your book 
       before one of them came to be.