Experiences from a leadership class

I'm away teaching a Biblical Leadership class for the week.  It's a great opportunity & an area of passion for me!

Last year as a result of this class, a couple students were inspired to do something practical for orphan care.   After a couple of meetings together with them, they organized "Run For Justice" and promoted it on their spring tour.  They raised over $4000 that went directly to a baby home (that had just been started in the previous months) in Durban, South Africa.  Pretty cool!  And amazing what a few 'poor students' can do!

Today I got to visit with a woman/student here who was adopted from Pakistan.  It was encouraging to hear her views and how great of a thing it has been in her life despite the original loss.  Her family took her on a trip back to Pakistan when she was in grade 8 and she said it was the most difficult thing she has done in her life - but extremely good.  It seemed like it was important for her to see where she was born and experience the people, culture, & land, but it also seemed to cement her place of belonging with her family too.  She loves the people & the country even more because of the visit, but clearly saw her place of belonging as being with her family in Canada.

Just to ramble for a bit....
It was good to hear, because as a parent I sometimes wonder/worry about what my son (and future kid/s) will feel & think about during his teenage years.   And I already feel inadequate about the kinds of questions I may never be able to answer for him - about his earliest life, why he had to experience suffering & loss so little, etc.  That said, I fully intend on helping him cement his identity & belonging as securely as possible all throughout life - because all of us have questions we will never be able to fully answer.  Maybe it's just better to be honest about what we know and then not label things as 'adoption related' in our minds.  Maybe it's just life as a part of a family?  I'm sure someone will think I'm insensitive for thinking this way... But maybe it's helpful to relate to each other in our most basic human ways instead of finding ways to marginalize & segregate ourselves or others.  Sensitive to differences, but all still human.  Every teenager struggles with identity & belonging.  Maybe it's just that adopted kids might have a different set of questions or feelings.  I'm already trying to teach my kids that their acceptance in our family is not based on their performance or whether we parents approve of all their decisions throughout their life.  We love them & will be there for them no matter what - whether they are smart or athletic or musical or none of the above.  They are a part of this family whether they choose to contribute to society or sit on a couch the rest of their life.  I obviously want a lot more for them than a couch!!!  But their place in our family is assured & unchanging.
This is all hypothetical for me (of course) since we've got a number of years before we hit the teenager stage!  We've also got a book or 2 coming in the mail that might change my view about the teen years for adopted kids!

later,
I.B.