I’m writing this from the prayer room - disturbed to my core by a story I heard last night. This morning, I felt compelled to share with you. Sometimes a holy disturbance is worth shouting from the rooftops.
Kelsey and I had dinner with several couples who work in the field of adoption last night. We are working with one couple to help them launch an adoption agency in Kansas City. The other couple is laboring in another city as social workers for a non-Christian agency. They told us of how many adoption agencies are so profit driven that it daily affects decisions about who gets which babies - and if those babies are offered for adopted at all.
Recently, they had a young woman call in to the agency for help, single and afraid. They asked her a few questions about her age, race and physical condition, during which they determined she needed some prenatal care. An appointment was set for her to come in and make arrangements for her prenatal care so that she could place a healthy baby up for adoption. This particular agency’s owner is a non-believer and was excited about helping this woman because she had identified herself as hispanic, and hispanic babies are easy to place.
When the woman arrived, they realized she was Puerto Rican and much darker skinned than they expected her to be. The owner of the agency suddenly decided that the child would be ‘too black’ to find a home for. The owner refused to allow the social worker to pay for the ultrasound that the girl needed - it didn’t seem like a good investment for the agency - and the girl left, probably more afraid of having her baby than she was when she walked in. She was denied assistance because of the color of her skin - something that would be illegal to do if it involved a bus seat or a hamburger, but is perfectly legal in the adoption world.
We don’t know what happened to this baby, but there is a very real chance it was aborted rather than adopted because the profit margin was too low for the adoption agency.
Friends, there has to be a better way. This should not happen in any city in America where a church exists. When a pregnant young woman chooses LIFE, she should find help, not resistance. It’s no wonder 4,000 babies are aborted every day in America - in the short term, we have made death an easier choice than LIFE.
Lack of finances or someone being ‘too black’ should never inhibit something God is favor of. Knowing that adoption is in God’s heart - both for the babies of young women and for each of us - we want to do all we can to make it affordable and available to believers everywhere, as well as adopt more children ourselves.
We’re meeting this week with some of the individuals who helped us connect with Zoe’s birth mom. They feel led by the Lord to have an agency in Kansas City. We believe it has something to do with the proximity of the House of Prayer and raising these babies as a type of Samuel, growing up in the house of the Lord.
We need your help.
Please pray for us and our participation in the launching of an adoption agency here in Kansas City that will change the way adoption happens, offering care to the mothers that goes far beyond ‘sign here’.
Additionally, nearly every week we are emailed about ‘emergency situations’ - babies about to be born with no home to go to because they’re the wrong color or don’t fit into the middle class American dream/nightmare. We are currently updating our adoption home study to be ready to take in children at a moments notice.
I am reminded daily that our own Zoe was one of these emergency situations. You can take a look at the photo at left to see how these emergencies turn out. :)It is becoming more and more impressed upon me that this operates best in a missions-funded context. By raising our own salary, we free ourselves to help people adopt, unencumbered by the profit-driven decisions that are making adoption expensive and difficult.
Would you consider supporting us as we lean into this calling?
We need immediate funds to reduce some unexpected debt, bolster our monthly support to match our growing expenses, and then fund the adoptions themselves. We are only days away from receiving our updated home study and are ready and willing now to take more children into our family - especially these that some would call unwanted.
Beyond that, we want to subsidize thousands of adoptions into the prayer movement - and insure that no young woman is ever turned away from adopting her child for being ‘too black’, to be marketable.
If you'd like more information about how you can send some help our way, drop me an email - rbohlender(at)gmail.com or mash on the paypal button in the Partnering section of RandyandKelsey.com.
Thanks for your prayer and financial support in this season. You are making a difference in the lives of children - for eternity.
14 comments:
My heart is in line with what you're talking about. We have struggled with finances from the beginning of our marriage and yet my heart still knows we're not done raising children. The more I work in non-profit, seeing kids in "therapeutic" foster homes, and knowing the adoption need, the more crucial it becomes. We're still working to put ourselves in position where we can take these kids in.
Yet one more reason that I respsect you and kelsey so much boss. Someday we need to sit down and talk about how singles can get involved in this whole process...
We want to be on the email list...
There are Christian adoption agencies out there... (this is one I know of: http://agfamilyservices.org/content/view/19/55/) Where are we dropping the ball? I talk to people all the time and tell them there is no such thing as "unwanted pregnancy" just a pregnancy that happens to someone else... I have counselled a number of infertile couples who are waiting to adopt... I will support anyone who is working to bring these Christian couples together with mothers who choose life. Thanks for sharing.
That story was indeed disturbing. Huge Blessings over you RB.
Can you put me on the email list too...adamleu@gmail.com. i've been keeping up with you guys over the past year. My wife and I have really been challenged with what you guys are doing with adoptions. We're in China now, but are heading back to the states next month to have our first child.
Thanks Randy! Great post... I guess we're all rolling up our sleeves and getting to work!
I watched our girls play together tonight, and thought about the "what if's" for about the 30 seconds my heart could even handle it, and then said a "thank you Jesus", even more determined to dig deep!
silver and gold have i not, but what i have i give to you!
this includes, but is not limited to:
Prayer
Sponteneous High-Fives (For Encouragement)
More Prayer
God bless you guys, you are truly the light of the world!!
Randy, I've always wanted to be a mom... but because of being a cancer survivor and not having 25k at least to adopt, we have never been able to. We've looked at so many adoption agencies and after 13 years of marriage we gave up. We watched so many of our friends lose so much money and one even lost his farm having taken out loans and then having the mom back out last minute after him paying for so much...
I pray you guys get the desires of your heart. Seriously. I'm sitting here in tears thinking, I would have taken that child!!!!
*sigh*
We are willing to adopt...even ready with HS and profiles. Lord make a way for us with a yes and a willingness to press on.
Tonya Lafayette
Your disturbing story, not only disturbed me, but it got me to thinking about what God thought about this situation. Let's stop and pray for this young woman...we know the devil has a plan for her life...but so does God. Perhaps it isn't too late for prayer for her-of course its never too late for prayer.
God bless you and may He amplify your voice on adoption.
I was very blessed to read the Pastor's comment. His church is blessed, I am sure the hand of God will move greatly among them. We have not found that kind of support in our church, which also makes my heart heavy.
God direct your path, may your life magnify Him.
Kimmie
mama to 6
one homemade and 5 adopted
*waiting to bring home our Ethiopian children...who may be considered by many as 'too black.' But skin is just the gift wrap that God placed us in.
My sister-in-law is mentally unstable (hears voices since 2000) and just had twin girls (Sept 16). She wants to give them up for adoption, and my wife & I want to see those two girls placed in a Godly environment.
I know that you were asking for help with your endeavour, but I cannot help but ask for help with our situation. If anyone has a specific burden for two girls from FL, please contact me.
I offer this prayer for the young mother-to-be in the article.
I ask the Lord to give her the strength, courage, and resources to give birth to, raise, and love her baby. Please bless her with the ability to nuture and protect her flesh and blood, as you have given her this child for a reason. Please surround her with loving family and friends who will help her as this child grows into adulthood. Thank you for showing us, through the love and devotion bestowed by the Virgin Mother towards her precious baby, that mothers everywhere can be supported in raising and loving their children.
Amen
Is there a list for this? I am black & multiracial. I'd LOVE to adopt a bunch of babies, black or whatever color, ut at least a few black children. I am in the process of trying to become foster parents but also are considering domestic/international, we'd like toddlers too, or even sibling kids up to age 5 or 6. Whatever the Lord calls us to. We have 4 children are open to His leading. I used to be in fostercare and am a product of drug addicts a prostitute, abuse and all kinds of ungodliness. The Lord has ransomed me from a life of hopelessness and death. He has used my life in remarkable ways. My blog is Ransomed, redeemed because Christ ransomed & redeemed me. My life and my childrens lives, and the children we'll adopt have a special calling. I didn't know there were babies that don't get adopted. Most adoptive folks will fight to get newborns!~ Please let me know if there are children needing homes, we have 7 year old twins, a 4 year old, and a 2 year old. We are trying to adopt but the Lord keeps closing the door it seems. Perhaps because He has our children for us and is waiting for the right timing. We are in California. I keep praying the Lord will give us the babies children that people throw away or don't want, ones that would otherwise die unless we got them. Please pray for us. We want a HUGE family, we want many children and have a HUGE heart for adoption. BTW congrats on the twins, once you have twins, you will ALWAYS pray for another set. Ask any mama with twins that loves motherhood and children. It is so special. My twins are now 7.
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