Gaining insight
Before coming to Malaysia, I didn't know anything about statelessness. My husband and I learned about it gradually as we met people who had become stateless or were born here stateless.
And then we got a call asking us if we'd adopt twin girls ... no one else was willing to step up because the girls were stateless and that left them in a precarious situation.
A year later and I can't imagine what my life would be like if anyone else had stepped up. I'm beyond thankful that we were given the privilege of raising these beautiful girls ... and I'm sad for those people who missed out because they couldn't see past a piece of paper that gave the girls nationality.
I'm even more sad when I think how we'll share this story with our girls someday. By then, I hope they'll have been granted citizenship but it will still be difficult to explain why other couples said no and we were finally called at the last minute. I think their understanding of the story will come slowly over time, but in the end, I hope it will give them a heart for other stateless children.
How our past shapes our future
I didn't understand everything about my own adoption at first - only that my birth mother didn't want me. It took years and maturity to understand all the heartache that must have been there leading up to that. Her own rejection by her lover and the shame she felt as the truth was revealed to her family. Yet even without that understanding, my young heart ached for other "unwanted" children.
When I was little, I looked after other kids who needed help. I volunteered to read with kids who came from tough homes, befriended the kids who didn't have a cliche, and mentored students who were having trouble transitioning to high school. It was my concern for orphans that eventually led me to teach in the Middle East and that sealed my desire to adopt once I was married.
Cultivating a heart for others
Of course, it isn't enough to hope our children will care about others. We need to cultivate their hearts and lead by example. As we learn more about statelessness, @ironmanmatt and I want to do more to help. We're still in the learning phases of what we can do. But to start, we're trying to raise awareness of what statelessness is and what it means to be stateless.
I recently wrote an article on statelessness. The link will take you to the post on Steemit, where it posted under our joint account: @reformedexp.
(Articles from our website automatically post to that account through the SteemPress plugin).
I am always in awe (I mean, ALWAYS) at you and Matt's adopting of Squish and Squirt. That's what draw me to you in the first place. Like I said even before, not a lot of people would step and do what you guys did. I'm sure the girls will forever be grateful for that.
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The gratefulness is also felt on our part! We don't consider it anything amazing; we just did what we needed to do.
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For that you both will always be blessed :) I'm glad I got to know you two with such great heart.
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I'm proud of you and @ironmanmatt it looks like you two are true leaders in the non-profit sector, even though you two are just starting.
I encourage you to keep going, and to help as many people as you can. I believe you two can help a lot of people, and I also believe you will.
If I am able to develop @crowdfunder I will try to help you and @ironmanmatt help more stateless children and people. Thank you for everything you do!
Thank you very much, and that would be awesome!
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You can also start a project on @fundition in the mean time 👌
By the way, I have just been invited into this new platform, Weku. It's just like steemit really. I just signed up and currently exploring. I hope you and Matt could take a look at this and in case you consider signing up, I qould appreciate you uaing my referral link for an extra bonus (I got 100 weku sign-up bonus just now):
https://deals.weku.io/pick_account?referral=blackthorn
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