We just returned from a week long trip to Taiwan where we met around 70 children in 2 orphanages. We met children of all ages. Some of them need us to step up, speak up, and tell their stories for them. They need us to make them visible. And we are honored to be the ones to do that.

But then there are the ones who have a voice, they have the ability to advocate for themselves. They need us to step back, be quiet, and provide a platform on which they can speak. And we are honored to be the ones to do that.

These are the children who wear their best clothes and want to talk about their lives. These are the children who do 20 push-ups when we ask for 10. These are the children who share with us their dreams to be a chef of Japanese cuisine or show us their magic tricks. These are the children who recognize their need of a family and do whatever they can to make themselves visible.

We all love the babies, the little ones who need us to meet their needs. But the need to belong is just as strong in the hearts of some of the older children we meet. Everyone deserves to be so loved that someones' world would shatter without them in it.

We will be sharing children's stories here over the coming months. Some we will tell for them, for others we will allow them to tell their own. Please listen carefully and allow them to speak to your heart. Listen carefully, you may be the one their message is meant for.

Contact us at mary.chapman@gladney.org for more information on adoption from Taiwan.