Often we receive medical and social histories for waiting children with a long list of diagnosis. These labels can make it very difficult for families to accept a child into their home. Often children in institutional care will receive labels such as developmental delays or autism. These diagnosis are many times given due children going up in less than optimum care and may or may not be long term issues. For Jim and William, these labels were definitely a barrier to finding them a family, but one family was willing to take a leap of faith. Mel and June Abordo discovered that labels can sometimes be misleading. Mel and June share below:
It does not seem possible that a year had already passed since we welcomed Jim and William into our home and our hearts.
Had it only been a year from the time we first looked at their profile from Nightlight’s Hong Kong adoption program, and thought to ourselves, “Are we ready for 2 boys, brothers, from a different culture with a foreign language neither of us knew?”
Our answer...why not? We chose them, an act of will, not of chance nor consequence. Has it been as we expected? Yes, and more… It has been hard and easy, challenging and sobering, humbling and uplifting, all at the same time.
We have often been asked why we chose to adopt. Our answer can be summed up in one great truth: That we are ALL adopted children of our Father in Heaven, and we should do our part to make these abandoned children realize that they are children first and foremost of a good God.
To all that have helped us in this adoption journey, we thank all of you.
-The Abordos
