Why do this?

The last few weeks have been spent running around gathering copious amounts of official documents to verify our very existence!  The preparation needed to bring Porter home is overwhelming, time consuming, and expensive.  Why do this?  Because a precious young boy sits in a very lonely place surrounded by unfamiliar faces, noises, smells, and who knows what else.  What Curtis and I are sacrificing pales in comparison to what Porter is enduring this very moment.

Porter has been transferred to a mental institution in a rural part of his country.  The video we have of him shows Porter dancing and full of life.  His life was turned upside down the day he arrived at his current institution.  Only two boys living in this place have ever been adopted.  Porter will be the third.  I have spoken with the families of those two boys and they have given us a glimpse of what Porter is experiencing.  The place he is now living has limited funding and the caretaker/child ratio is high (2 caretakers for every 20 boys). The caretakers not only have to care for the boys but they also do all the cleaning, gardening, laundry etc. All the boys have special needs and range in age from 3-18. They rank the boys according to function (walking ability) so most likely Porter is in the highest functioning group which means he is in a group with the oldest boys.  Porter is not being underfed but getting just what he needs. The facilities are primitive but he does have running water in his building (some of the buildings do not). They have no toys, therapy, books, TV's or any kind of stimulus. They keep the boys in outside sheds to contain them and keep the sun off of them. Porter does nothing all day every day.

To say that we can't get to him fast enough is an understatement.  But I do know that God has a special plan for Porter and he wasn't transferred to this place by mistake.  Porter is bringing light to a dark place and this is an opportunity.  Do we know exactly what God has planned?  NO!  But we will continue to walk in obedience and trust that He has Porter in the palm of His hand.

I am asking for your continued prayers.  Not only are your prayers over Porter and our family needed, but also for the caretakers and the director of his institution.  They are doing the best with what they have been given.  Pray for wisdom, support, and strength for these people.  They need us!