In 2015, U.S. families adopted 5,648 children internationally—the lowest number since 1981—representing a 75% decline since international adoptions peaked at 22,991 in 2004.
As you plan for your year ahead, consider making room for these powerful events that don’t just fill your social calendar, they help fulfill the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children.
2015 has been an incredible year and we praise God for the incredible growth in the children we serve and the new initiatives developed that continue to change lives. Here are a few of the highlights:
Our child development staff has been hard at work creating new initiatives for our Home of Hope children. They have started regular day seminars that cover a range of age-appropriate topics and are working on an individual basis with our children to ensure they are receiving the educational and emotional support they need. In addition, they have created a rotating library to be shared between families and are brainstorming new projects for 2016!
This year has been a huge step forward for a small Ethiopian business (Moriya) that now employs 11 women. They were living in complete desperation – doing whatever it took just to survive and support their children. They are now empowered to work with dignity and have hope for their family’s future. In 2015, the business expanded its online presence, inventory is now sold through many new channels and the product offering has expanded in both quality and variety! Check out the online store here.
2015 has been full of some incredible events across the U.S. From orphan care conferences to moving presentations from Stephanie Fast, benefit auctions, gospel sings and much more – it’s been a busy year. We are grateful for the opportunities to represent the voice of the most vulnerable with churches, groups and individuals across the country.
In 2015, the Welsh campus was expanded to include a two-story church and school for Home of Hope families, their children and those in the surrounding community. Construction is finishing up, and the students are excited to be in the building very soon!
LSM continues to work with families interested in pursuing adoption. Although the international adoption scene is changing dramatically, we are still providing information, support and guidance for couples and individuals interested in learning more about their options. We are also providing resources for those considering adoption through the foster care system. You can learn more here.
None of these initiatives could have happened without you and your support. Together, our efforts are creating long-term change in the lives of vulnerable children around the world. We look forward to what God has in store for 2016!
This weekend, we will celebrate our country’s independence and freedom. We will gather with friends and family and thank God for the freedoms we have been blessed with in this land – mostly things we have never lived without.
But we don’t begin to understand the magnitude of what we celebrate if we don’t know the power of what freedom really is. Today, there are people around the world who have never known this kind of freedom. They are men, women and children who do not know what it means to dream of a better future. They do not know what it is to celebrate freedom, either individually or as a nation. They are the world’s most vulnerable.