Our favorite question! We get this question at least once a day as we walk around the community with our beautiful black baby.
Possible responses:
1) "We don't know! She just came out that way!"
2) "I'm black too, can't you tell?"
3) "WHAT?! She BLACK?!"
The question represents an underlying discomfort that exists here. One perceived problem is the robbing of natural resources from this country. Although we have been told that in general there there is a relatively small importance placed on children in this land still torn apart by the ravages of war, poverty, and corruption, when it appears that a child is leaving the country to go to America, they are justly concerned.
The next question is, "She can' walk?" (i.e. she can't walk?)
Our answer of, "not yet, she is weak" justifies us adopting her and the interviewers walk away satisfied that yes, this weak child should indeed go to America. They often say, "God bless you! God bless you! It is a wonderful thing!"
One astute inquirer (a guard at a guard station where we had to hang out for an hour waiting for approval to move on beyond the gate to an abandonned mine up-country 2 hours) then asked, "will she come back here?" and we answered honestly that we do not know but that we plan on living in Africa with her long-term. He answered with a heart felt and sincere, "thank you, God bless you, God bless you."
We're also trying to get used to being the primary attraction, even at the big local "football" game, the beach, the market, etc. When we swim in the ocean, a line of observers lines up on the beach to watch this curious thing - two white people throwing a screaming black girl around in the water! Her huge smile wins everyone over!
This intense observation by curious spectators to our lives will not end when we leave Liberia. Although Americans are not always so comfortable with straight-out staring as many of our African friends, there will certainly be some hostility, some questions, some judgements, even from people who we know and love.
For this reason (and many others), it is important for us to remember why we are adopting. Are we adopting for our comfort? Are we adopting even for our own pleasure? No (although Grace will certainly bring us much joy over the years). We are adopting Gracie to bring glory to our heavenly Father who adopted us, saving us from the gutters of our sin, making us full heirs to His kingdom (Galatians chapter 4). With this perspective, the challenges ahead seem inconsequential.
Possible responses:
1) "We don't know! She just came out that way!"
2) "I'm black too, can't you tell?"
3) "WHAT?! She BLACK?!"
The question represents an underlying discomfort that exists here. One perceived problem is the robbing of natural resources from this country. Although we have been told that in general there there is a relatively small importance placed on children in this land still torn apart by the ravages of war, poverty, and corruption, when it appears that a child is leaving the country to go to America, they are justly concerned.
The next question is, "She can' walk?" (i.e. she can't walk?)
Our answer of, "not yet, she is weak" justifies us adopting her and the interviewers walk away satisfied that yes, this weak child should indeed go to America. They often say, "God bless you! God bless you! It is a wonderful thing!"
One astute inquirer (a guard at a guard station where we had to hang out for an hour waiting for approval to move on beyond the gate to an abandonned mine up-country 2 hours) then asked, "will she come back here?" and we answered honestly that we do not know but that we plan on living in Africa with her long-term. He answered with a heart felt and sincere, "thank you, God bless you, God bless you."
We're also trying to get used to being the primary attraction, even at the big local "football" game, the beach, the market, etc. When we swim in the ocean, a line of observers lines up on the beach to watch this curious thing - two white people throwing a screaming black girl around in the water! Her huge smile wins everyone over!
This intense observation by curious spectators to our lives will not end when we leave Liberia. Although Americans are not always so comfortable with straight-out staring as many of our African friends, there will certainly be some hostility, some questions, some judgements, even from people who we know and love.
For this reason (and many others), it is important for us to remember why we are adopting. Are we adopting for our comfort? Are we adopting even for our own pleasure? No (although Grace will certainly bring us much joy over the years). We are adopting Gracie to bring glory to our heavenly Father who adopted us, saving us from the gutters of our sin, making us full heirs to His kingdom (Galatians chapter 4). With this perspective, the challenges ahead seem inconsequential.
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