Birth Defects in China

It has been coming out in the news a lot lately all the horrible effects that coal/ash waste has on the environment, and consequently those living near dump sites. When we went to China to pick up Jezreel in Taiyuan, the capitol of Shanxi Province, we went to a coal museum. We were looking for something fun to do with our new friends and our new daughter and we wanted to get some flavor of the local commerce. The bragged on being the largest coal-poducing province in China, so I purchased a piece of coal to bring back as a souvenir and bought some other things back that were made from the compressed ash. As time has gone on and I have heard more and more stories of other babies with major heart defects from her province being adopted, I have begun to wonder about the environmental hazards. Last year I just happenned to be in a hotel the night they did a major story on the spill right here in our state in Kingston, so I watched all the horror(we don't have TV) and thought a lot about Jez. A few weeks ago China had to finally admit to the horrors in Shaanxi province-the one next to Jez'- as villagers finally stormed the coal plant demanding its closure as they sufferred miscarriages, birthdefects and illness from the plant. I just read a study saying that birth defects have increased 40% in Jezreel's province since 2001-the year she was born, and they are blaming it on the coal industry. Understanding all the why's of why Jez has had to suffer with all the challenges she has had don't make them much easier, and yet we want to be part of the solution.When we don't know what else to do and we feel helpless in the face of huge obstacles, the first thing to do is always pray, I'm convinced. On this side of the world, I don't know what we could do to stop this injustice. But God does. So we're going to start praying. I hope you have kept up with the 40 Days for Life results. There you will find out about babies' lives that have been saved, abortion clinics actually shut down and a woman named Abby who was converted and blew the whistle on Planned Parenthood's money-making tactics. She is scheduled to be on the O'Riley Factor on Fox News this Wednesday, November 11th. We MUST pray, above all else, in these times.