Steel Town

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ere is another installment of the photos-from-the-past series. I hope it isn’t boring for everyone else, but I have really enjoyed seeing these photos again after a few years. The photos in this post are from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

A few years ago, my wife conducted support groups for adoptive families. Most people don’t realize the unique and difficult issues that many adoptive families deal with on a daily basis. These issues range from medical-related situations the adopted child may have to behavior fall-out from the adoption process to being ostracized from general society because the family makeup is different than the “norm.” The non-acceptance from others seems to be worse in the church than it is among the general public, which strikes me as odd since adoption is presented in the bible as the way we Christians are brought into the family of God.

The dome at the old Pittsburgh train depot

So Kim worked with the United Methodist Family Services under the faith based non-profit organization Adoptive Family Preservation. She conducted support groups to help folks navigate the often strange and complicated paths surrounding medical, education, and church integration of the adopted children. She attended IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meetings with parents who needed help through that process. She counseled families on how to figure out the needed lingo to communicate with doctors who are looking for code words rather than diagnosing the child on their own. And she counseled families on many other diverse issues.

Night view from the top of the Duquesne Incline
The stadium is lit for a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game

All this counseling and support required training. So Adoptive Family Preservation sent Kim to regular training sessions. And as a family-oriented group, they invited folks to attend these training seminars as whole families.

The training seminars in Pittsburgh were huge. Hundreds of counselors attended the training and the trainers offered myriad choices of topical training. It was an amazing week-long seminar.

Another view from the Incline

They also provided a camp-type atmosphere for the children, with events, games, touring, and all kinds of fun activities. That kept David busy for the week.

Kim and David kissing Pittsburgh goodbye

All this left me with the opportunity to walk all over Pittsburgh with my camera in hand. I found wonderful places, unique public art work, and some great restaurants, markets, and an amazing cheese shop. And our family found Pittsburgh to be a delightful city. David even became a solid Pittsburgh Steelers fan as a result of our visit. His bedroom is now decorated in Steelers memorabilia.