Last night, Kurt and I were guests at the 34th Founder's Day celebration of the only government run orphanage here in Davao.
Venus, the social worker who worked with us in the adoption
of James.
some of the children dancing for the guests.
We were blessed to see how well the children are cared for, yet saddened at the many children abandoned. We heard stories from the social worker that some of the children had been exploited by parents in cybersex human trafficking, one child was found in a plastic grocery sack, another left in a church. Many of the children we saw had histories of abuse. Some of the children are unable to walk due to clubbed foot and other orthopaedic issues.
Founder's Day guests
The staff that works with the over 50 orphans in their care.
This is the orphanage that James and Jerard could've been placed in had we not taken them in. I am thankful we took them. While the children are well cared for at the orphanage, there is a lack of ability to provide as much one on one stimulation as each child needs for language development, etc.
The kids having a special visit from a McDonald's character.
James 1:27 reminds us Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.