I would like to introduce you all to my next little LOVE!! Today, Orphan Sunday, I'm advocating for "Handsome B". "B" is an adorable 8 year old boy that has so much promise and such a bright future IF ONLY he had a family to call his own. You see...B is one of the 147 Million Orphans living in this world WAITING for a family to PICK HIM so that he has a chance to live up to all that God has in store for him. 
B's story broke my heart when I read it...You see....I found B's picture BEFORE I ever left to go and pick up our Lucy Lane...I saw him one night late on my computer screen and turned to my hubby and said, "Oh, MY...He's beautiful!! Couldn't we adopt an 8 year old boy?" My hubby gave me his normal smile and reminded me that we were getting ready to go and pick up our new daughter....BUT I decided I'd look for him while I was at Hannah's Hope Orphanage anyways. His beautiful eyes just spoke to me...He had such an innocence and sweetness about him....Well, upon arriving at HH to get our Lucy Lane..I discovered that he didn't live at HH yet...He was still living with his mother UNTIL room became available in the orphanage.
Now, today, B is still with his Mom...During the Rainy Season in Ethiopia, there isn't much movement...so B will be moved to HH when there is room for him...Either way, I couldn't imagine the HUGE blessing it is for him to be able to live these last few months WITH his mother..I could tell from the pictures that they love each other deeply, but yet, she can't keep him. She must let him go!! I just can't imagine the pain. You see...B was part of a 2 parent home when his father lost his life in a construction accident...B lost his father, and his mother now has no way to care for him due to extreme poverty...I understand that since he is signed with HH that they will supplement his food and care UNTIL he arrives at HH to live. He's already experienced such great loss, he deserves a HOME!!! He deserves to know WHERE his next meal will come from....His mother deserves to know that her son will be taken care of...
I witnessed while in Ethiopia ANOTHER Mom bringing her daughters to HH to get photographed for "potential" adoptive parents to see....This mother's heart was so HUGE for her girls...She had them all dressed up in their finest of clothing, and she looked on so proudly as they were being photographed....B's Mom is no different...She dressed him in his finest of clothing KNOWING FULL WELL why he'd be getting his picture taken...B also being old enough to know exactly WHY the pictures were being taken too...I can't imagine their grief and pain...BUT there is hope for B....There is hope in YOU!!
Someone will have the opportunity to fly to Ethiopia where this little boy will be waiting...You will be united with your new son and you both will rejoice in the fact that you are finally together....You will then have the opportunity to meet B's Mom...She will come to say goodbye to you both...You will hug and cry together BECAUSE you both will love the same son. As B's new parent you will take him on his first plane ride, you will hold his hand as he leaves the only world he ever knew, you will fly him into a new world filled with opportunity and hope......You will take this boy and introduce him to his first HOUSE...You will take him to his first grocery where food is in abundance for the first time in his life....You will watch his eyes light up the first time he experiences air conditioning or the first time he is able to pick out his own clothes....You will also hold him tight as he grieves his mother...He will cry!! He will miss her!! He will want to make sure that she is ok....BUT you will hold him and tell him everything will be OK...He will learn to trust you....BUT for now...He is still waiting for that call to come...that he is being moved to HH BECAUSE a family is coming to get him....He must go and he must find a home!! Do you have room?? Will you make room? 
B is said to be healthy, active and right on target for his age...He is said to love football and he is described as being VERY BRIGHT!!! His smile reminds me so much of my 7 1/2 year old...They both have giants smiles that can light up a room...I think of HOW innocent my 7 year old is AND how much I LOVE her age...She is independent, yet she still needs me so much!! It is the best of both worlds at this age....An 8 year old boy still has SO MUCH life to live...There is still so much innocence in those eyes....And, I can already imagine him in his first ever soccer uniform playing on a team for the first time in his life...
So, tonight, on this Orphan Sunday, I'm asking you all MOST IMPORTANTLY to pray!! Pray this child finds the forever family he was intended to have....No child deserves to be waiting this long...EVEN THOUGH I think it has been the LORD HIMSELF that allowed this mother and son to have all this extra time togehter.....BUT...now it is time for him to go home...It is time for him to head to HH where his every need can be met while he waits for YOU to show up and pick him up....Will you do it??????
2nd....Will you please pass this along to whom ever has slightly ever seemed interested in adoption...Will you post it to your own blogs or sites?? Together through prayer and technology we can BRING THIS HANDSOME YOUNG BOY HOME!!!
**If you would like to inquire about Handsome B then please contact: Megan Palmer, her email is mpalmer@allgodschildren.org or by phone at 971-244-1461.
***You can also read more about Handsome B by reading my sister's post at http://www.ordinaryheroblog.blogspot.com/ We are partnering and are determined to find this cutie HIS FOREVER FAMILY!!! As he sits in Ethiopia tonight, he has no idea that some crazy American women are determined to beg, plead and pray him to his family...I know HIS family is out there....and I'm praying that God will connect the dots like he always does....I know God has a wife someday for this boy and children will be born because he was given a chance to live and survive!! An entire generation will be changed forever BECAUSE someone stepped up to the plate and adopted Handsome B!!! Together...with the Lord's help...WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!
***You can also read more about Handsome B by reading my sister's post at http://www.ordinaryheroblog.blogspot.com/ We are partnering and are determined to find this cutie HIS FOREVER FAMILY!!! As he sits in Ethiopia tonight, he has no idea that some crazy American women are determined to beg, plead and pray him to his family...I know HIS family is out there....and I'm praying that God will connect the dots like he always does....I know God has a wife someday for this boy and children will be born because he was given a chance to live and survive!! An entire generation will be changed forever BECAUSE someone stepped up to the plate and adopted Handsome B!!! Together...with the Lord's help...WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!
***Thank you for your time and your prayers...AND, I know B and his mom thank you too...kj
"I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you." John 14:18
"Children are a gift from God." PSALM 127:3
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1
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25 comments:
oooo thats a good post! Im copying it and passing it on! :) and of course im praying...
What a sad, sad story. How amazing would it be to rally behind his mom so that she could keep her child and then he would need no new home, but be able to keep the one he's had his whole life.
I love your heart for God's Children :) My heart is poured out for this young man! My husband does the same to me when I say- don't you think we could....and he reminds me with a smile that we are...bringing home number 8.....and probably more in the future, but in God's timing.....I will pray on this young man's behalf! If you are even thinking that this may be your son- Make that CALL!!!!! PRAY!!!! Know that God has a plan for this young man- that he may wake up and have a family! Being an adoptive parent (8 times over) I know the burden for the biological families seems huge- it is- can you imagine wanting to find a family- DESPERATE for this to happen.....WAITING for someone to step forward. Please Hear that knocking on your heart from God & from the prayers of others and especially this young man's mother!
Thank you for continuing to post the waiting children of HH. B does indeed look like an amazing child. His picture always catches my eye when I'm looking at the waiting children on the website.
Kristi,
I am praying for him!!!
Is there ANY way we could sponsor him monthly so that he could stay with his birthmother if she still wants to parent him? My heart breaks for them both.
My husband is a pastor and we find sponsors for orphans around the globe.
Let me know.
Stacy
sdewitt777@verizon.net
When I read that parents bring their children to the center to be adopted, I could not help but think of Abraham leading his Isaac to be sacrificed.
I share your heart for orphans and I love that you are a voice for them! I pray that there is a way to keep this little boy from becoming one of the 147 million children in need of a home. I think that you have enough readers that could rally together and keep him with his mom. Isn't that where he should be?
I'm sitting here with my almost 3 month old sleeping in my life, tears streaming down my face, praying that somehow we had the finances to bring B home to us. We have the room and the love.
My husband and I talk constantly about adopting an older waiting child...and hoping God's timing is sooner than later.
Thank you for your wonderful heart for orphans... you are such a blessing.
It is my understanding that AGCI DOES have sponsorship programs but his situation is one where the mother is giving him up due to severe poverty.....My total guess (which I will check on tomorrow) is that she chose NOT to go with sponsorship and has decided to give the ultimate sacrifice by giving him a chance in America...Now this is a guess, and I will check on it tomorrow and update this case...What I do know for sure is that the mother currently IS GIVING HIM UP and he is in need of a home...I'm sure more info is given to anyone that calls to inquire about adopting him...but since i'm not inquiring about that..then I'm only given limited information...AND, another guess could be that the mother is sick..Again, I have no idea about this..it is just a guess...but i'll report back tomorrow with whatever I find out...Thank you all for the love and concern you have shown for this child, kristi
What people don't understand is the mentality of the poverty stricken in Africa. I have sat with birthmoms in Africa and begged and pleaded to find them sponsorship for their children to be able to stay with them and they have it in their heads that no sponsorship can take the place of America. Their idea, their dream of America goes far beyond what any of us can imagine. The ultimate gift of love in their eyes is to be able to send their child to America to allow them opportunities for education and to live out their dreams. Do I, one who lives in America, think all of this "stuff" that we have to offer is worth the ultimate price of leaving loved ones behind? NO. But trust me when I say that I have been in Africa 3 times in the middle of the poorest countries and to sit and watch "America" on TV in the hotel and then walk out into what they experience....you can't blame them for dreaming bigger for their children. We take things so much for granted in this country that we can't even imagine the reality of what people in Africa face and we can't imagine what a mother must be facing to think that even if she had financial support she would still want more for her child then what her country can offer....not herself.
I am praying huge for him! I will pass his information along to everyone I know. His poor Momma. At least precious B will know that in this life he was loved desperately by two Mommas once he gets his forever home.
Does AGCI let people adopt older children if all of the adoptive family's biological children are younger?
Kristi- Thank you for being such a huge advocate for these wonderful children!
this breaks my heart ... I will PRAY PRAY PRAY for B and his mother. What an amazing woman.
What heartbreak this mother must feel...I will be praying for them!
Thank you, Kristi (and Kelly) for advocating and asking us to do so as well on behalf of B and his mom. Only God knows the true situation, the limits this mom faces, and ultimately, knows the path already that B will travel on his life's road. It is impossible for us to sit here, warm and cozy on a beautiful fall day in our fun fall clothes, full bellies and healthy selves and know what this mother fears, worries about and dreams for with her child. We can do what we can do. Pray. And pass this story along...I'm doing both fervently!!! And praying for baby Stellan too, who is having major surgery today...oh how our internet friends become close to our hearts!
praying for little "b", his mother, his future family...thank you, kristi, for your pure heart for orphans and for acting out His calling on your life to care for them:)!!
My thoughts were those like Kelly posted when I read this. His mother is sending him out on an adventure of a lifetime. We let our children go when they graduate to start a life in college or with whatever they choose. These mothers love their children to the point of giving up their selfish desire to keep them, love them and hold them to allow them a better chance at life. A chance to become what our children take for granted. A chance to survive and thrive and maybe become the person who makes a change in the world...a change big enough to impact their Africa. These women are stronger than me. I only hope and pray one day to be a mother to a child like B. Copying your post Kristi and sharing. Thanks for all you do.
I posted on my blog and I am praying!!!
oh my your post just made my cry. I have seen him for months now on AGCI waiting children list. I so wish i had the money to bring him home. He is so precious. I love the part of his story that the mom is praying for a Dad who will teach him to be a godly man. I mentioned him to my husband a few months ago. Okay these older boys get my heart the most. Maybe because Noah our son would be 13 years old and my daughter Kaylee who is almost 12 is hoping and longing for a brother close to her age. I have seen a video of him and in the video he says that he is 10 years old. He's sure a precious boy! In the video he just is so cute and is learning english. He is very special guy. He has the sweetest voice on the video and expressions. I posted about him on my journal on Journey to Me with Esther Rose. God will provide him a home! What a blessing that family will have!
You really have the gift of writing Kristi! I am still crying from your post.
Love Heidi
Given that the mother is alive and truly wants to care for her child but does not have the means, I'd love to donate $ to her so that she can keep her son..... please let us know if that is an option.... Adoption should be the LAST resort. That poor mothers heart must ache for her son.... Thanks for highlighting their story....
Thank you for answering my question. Now I know what to pass on to people in case they ask. :-)
Blessings.
Kristi,
I agree with Isaac and Staci. I, too, lost a father when I was younger and now, I have a 7 year old son. I can't possibly imagine Handsome B having to experience another loss after losing his father. It seems to me that if the only reason he is going to an orphanage is for financial reasons, then believers should rally together to prevent this tragic separation of mother and child. I realize the unbelievable poverty in Africa. I have spent some time in Zimbabwe and my husband has led mission teams to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda and Botswana. However, we sometimes think that the children of the world need to experience the luxuries of air-conditioning and other opportunities when what they really need is the stability and security of one loving parent. My sister and I are willing to sponsor Handsome B so that he can remain with his mother. For 14 years we have sponsored children in Ethiopia through Compassion so we could possibly route the money through them. I realize that AGC might be concerned that Handsome B would lose the chance to be adopted when we might not continue sponsorship but I assure you that we would. We could even possibly talk about a lump sum. My husband is a pastor and we could find people to help with this.
We have friends in the north Nashville area who have adopted 2 older girls from Ethiopia (app. ages 5 and 9 at adoption.). These girls have grieved the loss of their dad who did not want to give them up but did not have the finances to keep them. While they are in a loving home, there is no substitute for what was "normal" with them with their dad who just needed more income. They are somewhat adjusting but they would say that they would much rather have their father than the luxuries of the USA.
Kristi, I so appreciate your sweet heart for orphans. I am also so deeply burdened for these children. However, I want to see children who are truly orphans -- meaning they have lost both parents -- be adopted. It seems to me that it would be best for this child to stay with the mother God gave him.
It is VERY important for people to remember that this is a choice that his mother has made for her son for reasons that are too hard for us to imagine b/c of the luxuries that we face. She has chosen to place her son up for adoption and that is a sacrifice that she has given much thought. Her social worker has discussed options with her. There are obviously no options that work for her right now. When she makes that decision, we have to honor that. It's not always an easy fix. She desperately wants to find a forever family for him. See my post with more thoughts about this.
I know in a perfect world a mother/father could always provide the basics for their children. In a perfect world parents wouldnt die and leave their kids. Mothers wouldnt wonder how to feed and shelter their children or how to make them well when they get sick. BUT this world isnt perfect or fair. B's mom shouldnt have to even consider adoption but we dont know what her world is like. You are right, we cant judge until we have walked in her shoes (God forbid..) respecting her and finding her child a loving home is whats important :) Thanks for getting his story out there.
If it is true the mother has refused sponsorship, I hope and pray the forever home treats this more like a foster situation. Can you even imagine having to call another woman "mom" when your own mother lives. The boy will grieve his mother, his loss of culture, his complete loss of identity. We can't change his mother's mind in keeping him, but his forever family should consider allowing him to keep some form of contact, maybe letters posted to the orphanage if she has no home address? Vacations to visit her. And would there be any way for the adoptive family to sponsor the mother for basic food and shelter? I cannot imagine this boy not constantly worrying about his mother and if she is has food and shelter. Although it would be a legal adoption, how better to honor this mother's sacrifice by considering this not as an adoption but a fostering of this beautiful child in the land of opportunity.
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