In the spirit of National Adoption Month I'm sharing some posts centered on adoption.
Margaret, an internet missionary with Global Media Outreach, adopted a sweet little boy from Russia in the Spring. She shared a great post on what not to say to an adoptive family based on her own experiences. I highly recommend jumping over there and checking it out.
Focus on the Family provide the following recomendations on what to say:
| Accurate Language | Less Accurate Language |
| Birthparent | Real parent, natural parent |
| My child | Adopted child; own child |
| Choosing an adoption plan | Giving away, giving up your child |
| Finding a family to parent your child | Putting your child up for adoption |
| Deciding to parent the child | Keeping your baby |
| Person / Individual who was adopted | Adoptee |
| To parent | To keep |
| Child in need of a family | Adoptable child; available child |
| Parent | Adoptive parent |
| International or inter-country adoption | Foreign adoption |
| Child who has special needs | Handicapped child, hard to place |
| Child from another country | Foreign child |
| Was adopted | Is adopted |
| Birth relative | Blood relative |
If God hasn't called you to directly serve orphans be sure that you are doing all you can to support those who are called to this ministry.
The video cracked me up! People really do say those things!!! On another note, God has really opened my eyes to orphan ministry in the past year. I really didn't have personal connections to people who directly ministered to orphans and now it seems that so many of my friends are either adopting or providing foster care- or advocating for this great commission. I'm encouraged and eager to walk in this area God has called all of us to serve in. We sponsor a little boy through compassion and really try to invest financially and spiritually in his life and his family. We are also jumping at the opportunity to support those, like you, who are serving orphans in a more direct capacity. I am taking in all these examples and experiences and wondering what God will do in the heart of my own family so that we can serve in a more direct way one day.
ReplyDeleteEmily, that's so great to here. I can't wait to talk with you more about this. It's so exciting to see how God will move on our hearts when we are open to His leading.
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