Recently, our International Adoption Team at Christian Adoption Services had the incredible opportunity to travel to the Philippines ahead of our 2025 Child Hosting Program to learn more about the children and advocate for their futures. We are excited to share about Bre's experience during her time there!
How does one begin to sum up the Philippines, the beautiful country made up of so many islands? As I sit down to process my time, I am deeply humbled and challenged by this experience. The culture of honor and servitude run deep in the hearts of the people.
People are in constant community and there is no question about where respect is found. Before this trip, culture to me was somewhat the country itself, the land, the language, the places to visit and things to see and eat, but it is so much deeper than that. Culture is the heart of the people and the people I met left me speechless often with tears in my eyes.
After each encounter, I could not imagine my time here could get any better! But we serve a mighty God, who cares about the details of the ones He made in His image. Child after child after child, I was reminded of God’s great love and intricate design in the ways he made each child with gifts and abilities so personal. Their stories are beautifully broken, just like each of ours. They hold joy and sorrow, laughter and tears, hope and dreams, and they are not yet done being written.
As a potential adoptive mother, my husband and I are in the process of adopting, (yes through the Philippines) I often thought
of the child/ren that God has chosen to be part of our family. Yet, I had not often thought of the opposite. That we will be an answer to likely years of prayers for a child/ren. That feels so heavy and I feel so unworthy of having the honor of holding a child/ren story that God is writing for His glory.
The children we met with described the family that they want to be “good” and “perfect”. This made me stop and think about Brad and the boys. We are nowhere near perfect and we know that only God is good. How could we measure up, or know that we are the right family for a child?
I found myself thinking, “I guess our family is better than having no family at all even though we aren’t perfect.” Then the Lord hit me square in the face and let me know that having a family at all
is good and perfect. He designed us for community, for children to have a mother and father, maybe some siblings to play with,
and a dinner table to eat around together.
That is what these children want. They want to be children, to play, to laugh, to run, and have the comfort and consistency of a family. Saying yes to adoption was and never will be about me, or Brad or even our boys. It is and always will be about Jesus, His great love. He gave everything so I could know Him. Everything! He didn’t just give part of himself, he gave everything. His life, traded for mine, that I may live life abundantly.
In response to what Jesus has done for me, and for Brad, we will give all that we have, to another child, so he/she can live abundantly. One (or two or three) who’s story is already held with honor in our hearts.
So how was it?
It was full, challenging, life changing, perspective shifting, and above all, humbling!
Have you ever considered opening your home to a child who dreams of a family? Our Child Hosting Program offers you the chance to meet incredible children. Through hosting, you have the opportunity to provide love, connection, and hope to a child in need. Your home could be the place where their journey to a forever family begins. To learn more, visit https://www.christianadopt.org/child-hosting-program.
-Written by Bre Meadows, Admin & International Program Assistant - Christian Adoption Services