The Marshall Islands is a collection of islands in the South Pacific. It is where the United States tested their nuclear weapons and still have an active strategic military presence. The classic photo of a nuclear weapon being detonated over the ocean, with the mushroom cloud? That was the Marshall Islands. Sadly, the effects of these testing programs on both the people and the environment was and are quite terrible. If you know nothing about this, and plan to adopt from here, I highly recommend reading a bit, starting with Holly Barker's book, Bravo for the Marshallese.
The Marshall Islands program really spoke to us on many levels. Most referrals are for infants under 12 months of age and there aren't any orphanages. Children stay with their biological families, or in some rare instances foster homes, until the adoption is completed. The very best part of the program is that it is an open adoption, which in international adoptions is essentially unheard of. The Marshallese have a long standing tradition of adoption in their communities. They see adoption as an addition, not a subtraction, meaning that they aren't losing a child from their family, but rather they are adding more people (us!) to their families. I think that it is a beautiful way to look at adoption! We are excited to spend 3-6 weeks in our new child's birth country, getting to know our new family members and about their culture and language.
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