HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-02-11, Page 12By Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande Duff’s and Bluevale UnitedChurchesOn Jan. 12, the world was
astounded with the news of a 7.0
earthquake in Haiti.
Watching the media, I shed tears
because of the gravity of the
destruction of the entire infrastructure
of Port-Au-Prince. There was panic
and confusion with no where to turn
driving people helter-skelter. Those
who managed to escape the rubble
attempted with desperation to remove
their love ones caught in between the
collapsed buildings.
The death toll reminded me of the
rebel invasion of the capital city of
Sierra Leone on Jan. 6, 1999 when
over 50,000 bodies littered the streets
of Freetown. The decaying all over the
city was like living among the dead
and hundreds of people were buried in
mass graves.
Since then, the outpouring support
from the international community
including Canada and the US has been
fabulous. Within a short time rescuers
managed to pull a few survivors and
aid agencies started supplying food,
water, and medicine and build
temporary shelters for the thousands
displaced.
The support of the international still
remains strong. At a meeting at
Iqaluit, Canada, on Saturday Feb 6,
Canadian Finance Minister Jim
Flaherty said, the group of seven
countries have told earthquake-
ravaged Haiti’s debts have been
cancelled and encouraged other
international lenders to do the same.
As we continue to pray for the
people in Haiti, members of Walton
and Bluevale United congregations
joined the United Church of Canada to
raise donations for Haitian.
Curious families traveled overseas,
contacted by phone or sent aids to
their love ones. Adopted parents urged
government to fast-track applications
that were already pending in
government files. Within a short
period the government processed over
hundred applications and the children
have now joined with their new
parents.
As a result of several disasters over
the years it is reported that Haiti has
hundreds of orphans that require
adoption. However, the authorities
said most of the children are not
orphans, but children ofparents unable
to provide for them. To desperate
parents, the orphanages serve as a
temporary solution to help a child
survive a particular tough economicstretch. For others it is an opportunityfor the children to seek better lifeelsewhere in the world. The report last week that 10
Americans tried to leave the country
with 33 Haitian children has caused a
little concern. It is unclear whether
these children are real orphans or were
just handed over by willing parents.
From their explanation over CNN they
said they did not plan any harm for
these children and are only trying to
be of help.
The fact remains that they drove
into the capital and made local
arrangements with the parents without
documents from the government or
any of the existing orphanages.
Reports state that Haiti’s child
welfare system was broken even
before the earthquake struck. There
had been serious problems already
about how to handle the
overwhelming poverty and shady
orphanages. The authorities seem to
have the knowledge that some of the
less scrupulous orphanages are taking
advantage of the chaos to round up
children in crisis and offer them for
sale as servants and sex slaves.
Authorities said thousands of those
trafficked were sold as servants,
known as restaveks, to well-to-do
Haitian families while others are
smuggled into the Dominican. Are
these missionaries sincere in helping
these children or do they want to
exploit the situation? The Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive alleged in an exclusiveinterview with CNN’s ChristianeAmanpour, that trafficking of children
and human organs is occurring in the
aftermath of the earthquake and
there’s organ trafficking for children
and other persons also, because they
need all types of organs. While some
groups appear to be legitimate, other
aren’t.
A group of parents in Sierra Leone
have accused a charity of sending
their children abroad for adoption
without consent during the decade-
long (1991-2001) country’s civil war.
The parents are furious at ‘forced
adoption’ and have no idea what
happened to their children after they
were handed over to help a Needy
Child International (Hanci).
The BBC’s Umaru Fofana, in the
capital Freetown, says the parents
have been lobbying the government
for years to find out what happened to
their children.
What does the Bible say about
adoption?
Giving children up for adoption can
be a loving alternative for parents who
may, for various reasons, be unable to
care for their own children. It can also
be an answer to prayer for many
couples who have not been able to
have children of their own.
Adoption is, for some, a calling to
multiply their impact as parents by
expanding their family with childrenwho are not their own, biologically.Adoption is spoken of favourablythroughout scriptureThe book of Exodus tells the story
of a Hebrew woman named Jochebed
who bore a son during a time when
Pharaoh had ordered all Hebrew male
infants to be put to death (Exodus
1:15-22). Jochebed took a basket,
waterproofed it, and sent the baby
down the river in the basket.
One of Pharaoh’s daughters spotted
the basket and retrieved the child. She
eventually adopted him into the royal
family and gave him the name Moses.
He went on to become a faithful and
blessed servant of God. (Exodus 2:1-
10)
The other story is from the book of
Esther, a beautiful girl named Esther,
who was adopted by her cousin after
her parents’ death, became a queen,
and God used her to bring deliverance
to the Jewish people. In the New
Testament, Jesus Christ was
conceived through the Holy Spirit
instead of through the seed of a man
(Matt 1:18). He was “adopted” and
raised by His mother’s husband,
Joseph, who took Jesus as his own
child.
Without further investigations, it is
hard to know the exact motive of these
missionaries rushing to adopt the 33children. I think the proper way was tostart assisting them through existingorphanages until properdocumentations were processed.
From my own personal view their
actions has created embarrassment for
organizations dealing with children’s
adoption but also for other
organizations helping the Haitians and
hope it’ll not jeopardize genuine
adoptions to deservingparents.
PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010.From the Minister’s StudyHow genuine is child adoption in Haiti?
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, February 14
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
February 14
~ Cadet Sunday ~
YOU ARE WELCOME
9:45 a.m. Sunday School for all ages
10:30 a.m. - Sunday Morning Worship
Mid-week Bible Study
C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS
O
N
,
I
N
D
I
A
N
A
Timeless Truths
For Today
308 Blyth Rd. E., Blyth
Pastor Les Cook ~ 519-523-4590
Blyth Community Church of God
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Bible Study
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women at the Well
Fridays 7:30 pm - Youth Group
Evangelical Missionary Church
February 14: 1 Corinthians 13
“What Love
Won’t Do”
Tues., Feb. 16: Interdenominational
Ash Wednesday Service,
8 pm at Memorial Hall,
following Anglican Pancake Supper
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, February 14
Brussels Public School
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644
Welcome to
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
♥ Sunday, February 14 ♥
9:30 a.m. Together for Worship
10:45 a.m. Coffee Break
11:00 a.m. Sunday School for all ages
Three things will endure — faith, hope and love
— and the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13
Pastor Brent Kipfer 519-887-6388
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, February 14
Ethel United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224 Rev. Gary Clark
All Welcome
Sunday, February 14
Worship Service & Sunday School
at 11 a.m.
REV. DAVID WOOD
119 John’s Ave.,Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School & Small Groups
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Service
Sunday,
February 21
at 10:30 am
Come and hear this
terrific choir and be
amazed by their
personal
testimonies.
TEEN CHALLENGE
CHOIR