Survivor Challenge

If you've ever watched the Survivor Reality/Game show (a favorite at our house, I'll admit), you may be familiar with the blindfolded maze challenge. If not, I'll explain: several members of the team are blindfolded in a maze filled with obstacles and also with bags of puzzle pieces, which they must collect. One member of the team is not blindfolded but stands outside the maze, shouting directions to those inside. There are often two, sometimes three teams, thus lots of people groping blindly and lots of shouting and inherent confusion.

Our adoption journey feels like that Survivor blindfolded obstacle course. We're racing through the maze, bashing into obstacles, while occasionally someone yells, "Sign this form!" or "Wait! Wait! Government delay!" But every now and then we collect one of the puzzle pieces - a name, a birth certificate, a photograph.

Make no mistake - this is an immunity challenge. UNICEF estimates there are 143 million orphans worldwide (for comparison, the entire population of the ninth largest country in the world, Russia, is 142 million). Left on their own, orphans are prey to malnutrition, disease, wild animal attacks, sexual trafficking, child labor, slavery. Institutionalized orphans who "age out" of care face high percentages of suicide (10 to 15%), prostitution and sexual slavery (60%), criminal behavior (70%) and drug abuse (70%).

It's difficult to imagine 143 million orphans. But each one has a name and a story, hopes and dreams. Only a few of these orphans will have the opportunity to be adopted into families, but they all deserve the love and care of God's family.

Jump into the battle to outwit, outlast, outplay the evils of the world. Consider adoption. Explore child sponsorship. Opportunities abound to sponsor orphans in countries where adoption is not an option (http://www.makewaypartners.org/; http://www.childfund.org/) or to sponsor children in ways that work to strengthen the family and the community (http://www.worldvision.org/; http://www.compassion.com;  http://www.fh.org/). At times you may feel you are groping blindly, but the victory is oh, so sweet. It really is a survivor challenge!