“When Love Takes You In” (Steven Curtis Chapman)
By Alyssa Bjornstad Adoption in America is often presented as a “caring option.” However, in developing countries, like India, where I was born, adoption means hope and life. India is more than just another poverty ridden country. Due to the AIDS pandemic, it currently has the largest orphan population in the world!
So when my biological mother gave birth to me at International Mission Hope, she gave me a future—something many of India’s orphans will never experience. Though I might never have the opportunity to meet my biological mother here on earth, I owe her my life. She loved me enough to make the hardest decision a mother ever could… to give up her child.
And because of her sacrifice, a woman in America became a mother, my mother.
Unlike many children in India, I have been able to grow up with clean water, organic food, new clothes, and adequate shelter. Even more than that, I have grown up surrounded by the love of my parents. My life could have been drastically different if not for God’s grace and intervention.
If you’re considering adoption, check out Thriving as an Adoptive Family, from Focus on the Family. I contributed a personal story to the chapter on ethnic identity.
The rising cost of adoption has made it cost prohibitive for many families. However, organizations like Shaohannah’s Hope are helping to bridge the financial gap. Contact them today to find out how you can change the life of a child.
(me with parents)
Because of Cherie Clark‘s vision, adoption saved my life. Therefore, I am committed to living the rest of my days making a difference, showing hope, and loving others. Will you join me?
Alyssa Bjornstad Alyssa’s greatest accomplishment to date was
picking one major in graduate school. Her undergraduate career was
filled with indecisiveness—namely, English, Communication, Journalism,
and Psychology. When not reading textbooks, doing
research, or writing papers, she can be found drinking coffee,
painting, philosophizing, blogging, listening to music, drawing, or
playing an immovable stringed instrument. After graduation, Alyssa hopes her dream of working for Passion Conferences comes true! Until then, she stays busy editing and contributing to the field of sanity. You can contact her by e-mail plansforhopeATgmailDOTcom, read her blog, or add her as your Twitter pal.
She is Beloved 