I have recently been checking out the blog called
Empowered to Connect (ETC). It is FULL OF INCREDIBLY HELPFUL RESOURCES for parents who adopt or foster children from hard places. Adopting children who come from orphanages overseas definitely constitutes "hard places."
And after listening to the
Family Life Today Interviews with Dr. Karyn Purvis (who is a leading Christian researcher in the area of helping children who come from hard places and the author of the book, "The Connected Child")
I am determined to read every piece of information posted on the ETC blog. And I just ordered the book.
If you are thinking about adopting, are in the process to adopt or have already adopted, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU to check out the
ETC blog. Or, I suppose you can just follow me as I check out the blog. I hope to post most of what I read about.
So here is the first installment. Listen to the
FamilyLifeTodayInterviews with Dr. Karyn Purvis. There are three interviews, each about 20 minutes or so long. Below is a snapshot of what the three messages are about and a short exerpt from each one. They are each a wealth of incredibly helpful information!
Interview #1:
Dr. Purvis talks about the realities for children from hard places and encourages parents to “count the cost.”
I’ve never seen a child who can’t come to profound levels of healing. Never. There’s no timeline on healing. It’s easiest when they’re little. It’s easiest before the history of failures. So if you can be proactive and be pre-trained that would be desired. (Dr. Purvis)
Interview #2:
Dr. Purvis talks about the importance of parents having realistic expectations as they begin and travel the adoption or foster care journey.
We have this dream that we’ll bring a child home and they’ll be so thankful and they’ll be so excited that we love them. And those are the expectations that have to come to the cross before we bring our child home. Because I go to bring a child home because I believe God’s called me to do this, I have a peace in my spirit to do this. But that child may have left a culture and friends and the only life they knew. It may be their darkest hour in their own little lives. (Dr. Purvis)
Interview #3
Dr. Purvis offers tools and strategies for parents to help them connect with their children to help them heal and become all that God intends.
I ask parents up front to remember this: scared kids look crazy and sad kids look angry. So stand before your child with an open heart because this child has come from incredibly hard places. (Dr. Purvis)
