Adoption Culture in El Salvador

Dear Families,

Currently I am visiting El Salvador as I wanted to learn more about the adoption culture here and witness our Orphan's Ticket Home initiative which helps create identities for children. Nothing can compare to a personal experience in a country and culture and actually seeing and hearing the stories firsthand.
Our In-County Representative, Alexis, greeted me at the airport this morning and already I understand a little more about Brian's work and his vision on behalf of the orphans here.

Alexis explained that the term "adoption" is actually a taboo word here. In the 1980's there was a Civil War in El Salvador which left many orphans. Some people took advantage of this awful situation by selling the babies and children who had lost their parents to this war. So, as you can imagine, El Salvador's first experience with adoption was horribly negative and they understandably see adoption as a negative and corrupt process. Our Orphan's Ticket Home initiative and some of our staff at America World are working to change this mindset. Change comes with education, exposure and revelation to some degree. As I am here I will get the awesome opportunity to present America World to some of the governmental officials here. I will show them pictures of my neices who were adopted from China and other pictures of wonderful families who have adopted and even some of our America World Reunions. The smiling faces of these children who now have a name and an identity will speak multitudes to this mindset. I will share firsthand how wonderful this adoption process is and can be for their country.

So, I ask you to pray with me as I speak to them. God is the one who changes the hearts of Kings and Queens and He is the One who can go before us and create an environment in their hearts for change. The people of El Salvador really love children and do care about them. They just need to be able to see the blessing of Adoption. Pray that they will truly receive the Spirit of Adoption and that their eyes and minds would be open and enlightened to this Truth.

I will update you all as the week goes on.

Thank you!

Amanda Clark
Director of Development