W.I.S.E. UP Powerbook

W.I.S.E. Up by Marilyn Schoettle, Geared for ages 6-12, this book provides adopted children with the tools to handle comments and questions about adoption.

W.I.S.E. Up gives children (teens and parents, too!) the power to choose how to talk about adoption with others! Children need W.I.S.E. Up when they begin to be asked questions about adoption and their adoption story.

This TOOL is important when the children begin to hear that others are noticing some differences about how their family was formed. For children in transracial or transcultural families, that may begin as early as age 3 (“Why don’t you look like your mom?”) and for others, it may not begin until ages 6, 7, or 8, when their friends may begin to be curious about their adoptive family (“Why were you adopted?”).


Here is what my wife, Sandy, had to say about this book.

"Hey Gang I had gotten this message on an event from Irving Bible church and while we cannot attend the event, I had ordered the book just for educational purposes. Man, I did not realize what a tool it would become and how God would use it to bless my family! I got it and it has things to color and blanks to complete and it is perfect for school age children to empower them to talk about adoption and to handle unavoidable uncomfortable situations!

My 6 year old kindergartner and I have talked through many things but really I haven't gotten him to tell me how he feels about being approached by kids at school. This opened him up and allowed me to be mom and minister to my son and equip him to deal with these situations as they arise. I was shocked at some of his answers and was so thankful for the opportunity to explore these things with him in a light hearted positive manner! He said (and I quote), "this book is fun"! I highly encourage you to get it from amazon.com. It was only $15 and worth every penny!!!

He even underlined the parts he liked and crossed through the parts he did not like. Talk about getting to know my son's feelings on a whole other level without having to go to a counselor!"

How Many Orphans Are There in the World?

More and more I hear people talking about the millions of orphans that are alive today in the world. I’m thankful for this because most people don’t realize the magnitude of the problem of orphaned and abandoned children.

That said, I think it is also important for us to know what we mean when we throw out statistics. First, as Christians we need to know what we mean because we have been divinely called by God to care for these children. Secondly, we need to know what we mean so we can give care in the most effective way possible.

The latest UNICEF numbers for 2008 indicate that there are an estimated 132 million orphans (the 2006 estimate was 143 million).

UNICEF and global partners define an “orphan” as a child who has lost one or both parents.
Therefore, of the 132 million children they classify as orphans, only 13 million have lost both parents. The majority of orphans are living with a surviving parent, grandparent, or other family member. 95% of all orphans are over the age of 5.

This is crucial for us to understand because as UNICEF writes, “it can have concrete implications for policies and programming for children. For example, UNICEF’s ‘orphan’ statistic might be interpreted to mean that globally there are 132 million children in need of a new family, shelter, or care. This misunderstanding may then lead to responses that focus on providing care for individual children rather than supporting the families and communities that care for orphans and are in need of support” (UNICEF Press Release).

The more I think this over, the more I can’t help but feel this has huge implications on the way we approach our calling to “visit orphans in their afflictions” (James 1:27).

200 Million People...

Have no Bible in their language. These are spiritual orphans, like you and I once were, but with no access to the one thing that will lead to the chance of their spiritual adoption.

“The best thing about having God’s word in your own language is that God becomes your own Father. God identifies with you. You become his child. You are not a stranger. You are not a foreigner. God becomes your God.”

We can give them that verse today that will change their life for eternity!



by Jason Kovacs at The ABBA Fund Blog

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