THE ADOPTION OPTION!

“Let’s make the adoption option replace abortions” was the heading in the NZ Herald by columnist Garth George, 20 July 2007.

That’s a great idea, Garth said, but it seems that Child Youth and Family are not only discouraging NZers from adopting Russian children, but they are also discouraging non-family adoptions within NZ.

The adoption stats look like this:

            1969 the peak year with 2600 or so adoptions

            1980 the figure had dropped to 500 or so

            by 1990 it was 225

            and in 2006 there were about 90.

There is no doubt that the 1977 decriminalisation of abortion had an effect on the number of babies available for adoption.  But CYF have not been making their availability widely known either, even though the old secrecy and stigma surrounding adoption has disappeared and what is known as ‘open adoption’ has become the norm since the passing of the Adult Adoption Information Act in 1985.

Somehow, in the minds of many, abortion seems the easier option.

With the usual Kiwi ‘can do’ attitude, two women, who became friends when they both adopted little girls, set up their own website, when they discovered that as far as the public were concerned adoption seemed to be shrouded in secrecy to such an extent that most people seemed to think it didn’t happen any more.  The information will help young women make better choices.

(see www.adoptionoption.org.nz)

Lou Engle, USA, recently said;

“The church needs to begin to set up compassion ministries for pregnant mothers and prepare for adoption before abortion becomes illegal.  Godly prophetic activism must fill every state (of USA).  The church must be a movement of adoption.  Caring for mothers and children must swell.”

Steve Dunne from Taumarunui was convicted by God on this issue of abortion and adoption as an option.  Mother Teresa, in one of her many comments that we love to quote, said,

“I will tell you something beautiful.  We are fighting abortion by adoption – by care of the mother and adoption for her baby.  We have saved thousands of lives.  We have sent word to the clinics, to the hospitals and police.”

Although Steve has six children, he saw in the vision that there were six more.  These were children rescued from abortion.  The Lord showed him that they would become the historical preachers to their generation about the abortion holocaust of NZ.

After a period of time considering this, the crunch came!

The Lord told him to place an advert in the local Ruapehu district newspapers where he lived. 

The advert was to read –

He wondered, would anyone call?  What if hundreds called?

Within two hours of the publication of the first advert he received a text message from a woman on the way to having an abortion.  Steve and his wife met with this woman twice and at the second meeting she decided to have the baby and give it up for adoption.  Since then they have dealt with several other cases and phone messages.

Steve poses the challenge:  “If 18,000 of God’s people in NZ rose up and adopted the 18,000 aborted we could change society in one generation!”   (see www.Jeremiah.co.nz)

The call for Christians to adopt, the Church to be an agency re this, is Gaining Momentum

The 24/7 International House of Prayer in Kansas City is working with a couple keen to establish an adoption agency there, to work from the vicinity of the IHOP and to raise these children in the type of Samuel, being brought up in the House of the Lord.

WOW!  What a concept!

There have been more than one movies released about pregnant women choosing adoption. Bella is one of these, but my initial enquiries from my local video lending outlet didn’t bear fruit.  The other is called Juno, which is available.

God says:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Please Pray:

Heavenly Father, you are presenting the church with a challenge, and with an opportunity to fulfil your mandate in scripture to care for the orphans, and mothers in their distress – those who are unable to care for their newborn babies.  Would you give us creative strategies for reaching these pregnant women, love and compassion for their situation, and show us how to be your hands and feet in the whole abortion/adoption process.