From The Shepherd's Crook Ministries

A lot of you, I'm sure, already know that November has been designated by our government as National Adoption Month. We need to be praying for the orphans of the world on a regular basis, and this month ought to bring their plight to mind more often than usual. In addition to praying for these children, I ask that you share their stories with at least one other person this month. You can post this message to an on-line forum, to your Facebook page, or print it and share it with your church. We all need to pray for these precious little ones and the millions of other orphans that they represent.

Before talking about this month’s Focus Children, though, I want to give a brief update on the children that have been featured in recent e-mails. Sadly, no one inquired about “N”, and so she continues to wait in the Republic of Georgia for her forever family. Similarly, William, Gradie, Heath, the little girl in Latin America with Down Syndrome, and the sisters Veronica and Samira remain on our Waiting Children page with no one having committed to any of their adoptions. Not all of our news is bad, however. The Haitian siblings Bodelais and Loutiana now have a family pursuing their adoption! Also, many of you will remember the baby with spina bifida that is due to be born early next month. We are happy to say that the birth mother has decided not to place this little one for adoption, after all, and we are thankful that that biological relationship will remain intact.

In Christ,

Greg

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Jefferson - West Africa

This little boy was abandoned at a hospital in his home country, and sadly nothing is known of his family or medical history, not even his birth date. He is listed as being about four years old, an estimate that is made more difficult because of his cerebral palsy. In spite of this condition, he knows and responds to his caregivers, can roll from side to side, and has shown a clear affinity for music.

Mary & Rick - Latin America

Mary (10) and Rick (6) are a brother and sister sibling group, and each of them has a cleft palate. We don't know whether the clefts have been repaired or how severe they are, but this is a relatively common condition that can be treated quite easily here in the States. Sadly, Mary is also HIV-positive. Many of the world's orphans have lost one or both parents to this pandemic, and it has touched this little girl in particular.

  Mary                Rick

Cliff - East Asia

This little guy was found abandoned on August 5, 2010, when he was only one day old. His physical and intellectual development are normal, but he has ptosis of both eyes. This might not seem all that serious at first glance, but if ptosis is severe enough and left untreated, then it can cause additional ocular issues, including amblyopia (lazy eye) and astigmatism.

Marcus - USA

Marcus was born here in the USA and was adopted when he was just three weeks old. Sadly, his adoption is being dissolved, as the family feels that they can no longer meet his needs. His birth mother is reported to have used drugs and alcohol during her pregnancy, and this young man, now four-and-a-half years old, is suffering the ill-effects of her choices. Most of his development appears to be nearly normal for his age, but his expressive language is well below normal, which has obviously impacted some of his other scores. Like most children his age, he is a big fan of cars, trains, toys with lights and sounds, and TV shows like Curious George, Dora the Explorer, and Diego. He has also been diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease, although that diagnosis is in some doubt because he is not showing any symptoms at this point. For a time when he was younger, Marcus had to be fed through a feeding tube, but he hasn't had to use that for some time now. Once it has been unused for a full year, the tube will be removed.