143,000,000
Our whole lives we are given statistics and numbers. We read them in the newspaper, we hear them in school, we get them forwarded in emails. Drugs, abortion, endangered animals, divorces, poverty, whatever. We become numb to it all and the numbers don’t mean anything anymore. We don’t really understand how much a thousand or a million really is, anyway.
Our brains usually need help visualizing the statistics so we can really understand what it means. I can think of a couple of times that I have “gotten it.”
The first is that “if the world were a village” thing. Most of you have probably heard this before. I think I first got it in an email. If you haven’t, it condenses the world into a village of 100 people and you learn that 50 people would be malnourished, 67 couldn’t read, 5 would control 32% if the world’s wealth, etc. I think this was the first time I really realized how lopsided and unfair the world is, and how incredibly lucky I am.
The second time was at my parent’s church during a message about the suffering of the world’s children. Pastor Greg said that around 25,000 children die per day, most from malnutrition or malaria or other things that could be prevented. If he would have just left it at that, it wouldn’t have had such an impact on me, but he then took a bead, representing a child and dropped it into some sort of steel drum. It echoed. He dropped more and more beads. Then he took a handful and dropped them in. Then he took a bucket and started pouring them into the drum. It droned, it was a roar that went on for probably a good thirty seconds. After he poured the bucket, I felt sick to my stomach. But then, he pulled a whole other bucket of beads from underneath the table and started pouring. And all that was only one day’s worth of suffering, dying children.
Today I watched a video that had that same impact on me. It’s called 143,000,000 Orphans. There are 143 million orphans in the world today. Another statistic that I couldn’t really comprehend until now. The video blew my mind. I hope you will watch it, and look past the cheesy music. It is heartbreaking.
It is a huge hope and prayer of mine that more families will consider adoption.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I hope so too. I guess I’d need to learn more about why people /don’t/ choose to adopt. Is it because they believe more in nature vs. nurture, so they can’t predict how their child will turn out? (As if any parent could predict that.) Is it because they want to see their genes and heritage carried on in their offspring? I would like to hear many viewpoints.
But whatever the viewpoint, I don’t think you can argue with that statistic. Which is why I don’t understand all the fertility treatments and egg freezings and other procedures that are done when women start to age…. I wish they would adopt instead.
I mean…why can’t we all be like Brangelina.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
P.S. Do you think you’ll try to be like Dr. Glenna Jackson, who adopted two kids and had two biological kids? Or are you planning to have all your kids be adopted?
P.P.S. Robby has a sister who was adopted. This is her blog: lovelyliving.wordpress.com
September 12th, 2008 at 3:56 am
I would like to know too, Sarah. I mean, a lot of times you can get an infant, so you can basically start at the beginning with them. In Ehtiopia, you can adopt a 3-month old. If you adopt in America, you can get a baby that’s just days old.
I wish families would adopt too, instead of the fertility treatment. If you really, really want to be a parent, is it that important for you to have a child with your eyes, or his mouth, or whatever? Especially with such a staggering statistic like 143,000,000? I just know God loves these sweet orphans and I know he wants us to love and take care of them too!
Maybe it’s the cost, but the government gives you a $10,000 tax credit when you adopt, plus there are so many grants and organizations that can help. There are a few Christian orgtanizations that will give you a no-interest loan for adoption. Plus, I would think most churches would support you with an adoption.
It just makes me sad that most of the time, Adoption is just “Plan B”.
I’ll have to check out her blog! Sweet!
I think we might have one of our own (if we can), and adopt the rest. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if they all were adopted, but Funnel really wants us to have one biologically. Also, a lot of the countries we are thinking about, you can’t adopt until you are thirty anyway.
— Jen
September 20th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Thanks again, for such a thought provoking post Jen. The kids and I watched this video this week. Very touching. I’m looking forward to meeting all our potential grandkids!! I’m praying for them even now. Love you!