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***desperately needing a christmas miracle***

“The number of intercountry adoptions to the United States has fallen by 75% since 2004, leaving hundreds of thousands of orphans without safe, stable and loving families.”   ~ saveadoptions.org

Devastating!  It’s truly just a heartbreaking reality that is hard to wrap my head around.  The result, of course, is that thousands and thousands of children remain without families.  Without hope.  The consequence of that is unimaginable as teenagers turn to trafficking and suicide (10% of aged-out teenagers in Ukraine will take their own life before they turn 18, according Last Bell Ministries) as they fall into a pit of despair and hopelessness.  And children who have special needs are left to die due to lack of nutrition and adequate medical attention.  It’s a gut-wrenching fact!

Many will argue, “Oh, but children should remain in the country of their birth.  Americans have no right taking them out of their culture.”  Have they never been overseas and seen for themselves the reality of the conditions that children live in and die in? Perhaps people who voice such an opinion have not once walked into an institution where children have heads the size of large watermelons, waiting to die because they never had a simple shunt inserted at birth. Or seen the effects of children who are not fed adequately and are hanging on by a thread. Or seen teenagers weep when their friends are adopted, but they have aged out and can never, ever know the love of a family. It is absolute devastation of lives occurring all over the world.

Every life matters!

Every child has infinite value and worth.

Every child is worth fighting for!

Like Clarence.  Languishing in an orphanage in Eastern Europe and desperately needing to be rescued. Some take offense when we call adoption a “rescue.” But yes, this is, in every sense of the word, a RESCUE! If Clarence isn’t chosen soon–if he remains where he is, he will surely die!  That’s the tragic reality.  We see it too many times in our community of adoptive parents and orphan advocates. Children die due to a lack of the basic things that we take for granted in this nation–food, medicine, and good healthcare.

Sweet little boy is just three years old and can’t weigh more than about 10 pounds. I seriously have no idea how he is still hanging on. Only by the grace of God!

A recent comparison of photos shows that he is, very sadly, declining.

He is just absolutely precious.  Look at those gorgeous eyelashes!  The extra facial hair is caused by a lack of nutrition.  Once his body is adequately nourished, it will disappear.

Clarence has multiple special needs that may sound daunting on paper.  Goodness, do I understand! I know the fear that rises up when we consider doing something that is so very far out of our comfort zones. It feels like yesterday that we read Hasya’s long list of needs. We couldn’t even pronounce some of them at the time.  It was, quite honestly, terrifying to be taking on so many things that we had no clue about.

But I can tell you something with absolute confidence.  A lesson in faith that we have learned along the way in parenting six children who have special needs.

GOD. CAN. USE. ANYONE!

He loves to use broken, imperfect, often failing, medically uneducated people like us. ALL He needs is a willing heart–a heart that is willing to take one day at a time and trust that HE will equip us along the way. Grace for today.  Wisdom for today.  Strength for today.

His glory shines brightest when ordinary, imperfect people step out in faith and do the seemingly impossible–when God’s people are willing to do the hard things. I love what Heidi Baker says, “God is not looking for extraordinary, exceptionally gifted people.  Just laid-down lovers of Jesus who will carry His glory with transparency and not take it for themselves.”

In spite of every statistic that claims that the rate of adoptions continues to drop….Clarence…he is our opportunity to be Jesus to a child! I weep for this tiny little love. I am absolutely heartbroken for him. I know his life. I have seen with my own two eyes the reality of children just like him.  And yes, it’s an overwhelming crisis and we cannot help them all. They tell me all the time.  I know that.  With all my heart, I know that. BUT.  When God puts just one in our path…that ONE matters.  To Him.  And to us. If not us, then who?! 

Please, please would someone prayerfully consider going to the ends of the earth to rescue this little love?  Time is not on his side! Clarence desperately needs a Christmas miracle.  And if it’s not you, would you please share his need on your social media?  That would be such a huge blessing to this little guy! 

Praying, trusting and believing that Clarence will be chosen soon. Thank you for helping me to spread the word, friends.  I am so very grateful.

Anyone wanting more information about Clarence can contact Nancy at [email protected].

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