Dear Concerned,

I will choose to believe that most of those who questioned what was happening with adoption were legitimate concerns.   Legitimate as you may be, you were wrong and jumping to a number of conclusions based upon false assumptions.   As a former lawyer, this can be detrimental to your case.  

Linny didn’t include all the information but just those things to see what God was doing.

If you really don’t know our hearts, you probably will not understand.   Our mistake, not to share more…  or share less… we thought you all knew us well enough. 

I will choose to believe the best about you.  What if you did the same about us?

I will chose to believe that  you were concerned for the extended family and for our little girl we are going to adopt.  

I really don’t need to explain the specific circumstances to you but truly “the truth would set you free” from your fears, your assumptions.  

If you knew all the facts, the things on the rumor mill would quite down – as you would then separate assumption from fact.   Many have convicted us without a hearing.   There is a proverb that says one always seems right, until you hear the other. 

We are sad, very sad, and broken that there are those who would question our integrity this way.  Not in 20 years of pastoring or in 11 years as a lawyer has anyone done so.   We have been relentless to protect our integrity, then one post, misunderstood, becomes such a point of contention.  I would never have thought it possible.  Not for one moment.       

So please ask yourself.  Have I convicted them based on a few statements by others?

Maybe Linny didn’t word it perfectly, we are sorry for the confusion.  Please forgive us for not communicating more effectively.  

The biggest mistaken fact  passed around is the pictures.   Linn only showed a few pictures – only of our family and kids.  There were none of the “American Dream”, no pictures of the house, or cars, none to say we can do better.  Just the kids and a great conversation followed.    Emphasis on great, and kind.

Linny showed the pictures because the relative had only one concern.   She tried to answer that concern by pictures.  End of information.    But that is typical of what has been misrepresented through all the blogs.

We will not continue to respond to the stuff out there, it does no good.  But we wanted to one last time try to have many hear our hearts.   We are ready and willing to be examined by the authorities, in fact embrace it,  about how this case has been handled – all with the utmost integrity.

When we are proved correct, honest, and above board I hope you will all publish your corrections.  We have worked all our lives helping put families back together, do you honestly think that our motive would be tear one apart?

Please reconsider what you all are doing.  We will prove that we were above reproof.  But what you are doing, with false information, is what could harm adoptions in Uganda.   

As to those who think we don’t know Africa and need an education in it’s culture… just know….

We have 5 kids in Africa who claim me as Dad and Linny as mom.

I flew to Africa to be at one of my sons wedding.  We named the middle name of our grandchild in Africa.  Our African daughter is working with us to help us serve the children and leaders in Uganda.

Linny went to Africa to bathe and dress the street children with a group of ladies for the wedding of one of one of the ministry leaders we serve alongside.

I have met with many leaders in Uganda.  I have trained over 750 on leadership skills in Uganda and 250 in Ghana. (Both sides of Africa.)

We sit, listen, ask question about the local customs, always trying to work within the culture, to embrace the culture and to take care of the children many of these organizations serve.  I understand the strategic need to come alongside.

We take mission teams and hire local contractors to work alongside the teams to invest in the local economy.

We work with a feeding program, soon to take it over, feeding the most needy children of Uganda.  

We help out women in their micro businesses so they can keep their children.

We work with a local boys band from the streets – bought them uniforms twice over the years.  They then go out and earn money so they don’t need to sell drugs.

We have helped raise money for orphanages and homes to buy land to house children coming out of drugs and off the streets.

We have physically helped build a number of homes, kitchens, schools… etc.

We love Uganda more than most and want the best for all of Uganda.   We love the country, support those in authority, and love the people.   Our actions and investment have proved our love.

We are not perfect but we are learning.  I hope this clears up some of the confusion.   

We are done responding to this situation and am so sorry it happened.  You can’t imagine the grief we have felt over this and the heart ache it has caused. 

I really do want you to understand our hearts and our actions.  You must understand our hearts to understand our actions. 

Please question what you hear or read!   Do they have a track record or 25+ years loving the orphan – like we do?

We absolutely would do nothing to harm international adoptions – in fact we are one of the biggest advocates.   Again we are sorry for all the grief this has caused all of you.  We gave some facts without all of them which led to assumptions.  Please forgive us.

We do not question your walk with Christ.   We will not question your intentions.  Please just know you were wrong in assuming you knew our intentions or what really took place.

 
May the Lord bless you and may He show you the truth, and may He decide.     dw

PS:  No comments will be published on this post.  We are done looking back, we are moving forward.