Our International Adoption Story

I had just arrived to back home from the US less than 24 hours before, and I was driving to the airport again.  It was a puddle-jumper flight to see about an exciting work opportunity out east.  As I sat in the taxi, jet lag was not helping me focus on the work questions I needed to think about.  And then a night-time international phone call came.  Our social worker.  "There is a child available that seems to fit your profile."  My heart starts racing as I hang up the phone.  But just a few hours later before we could even look at his file, another family had taken him off the available list for consideration. One month later, another midnight phone call.  The same child is back on the list.  I journaled how our prayer for discernment went and I thought some of you might be encouraged to read it: We sought the Lord's guidance in prayer together today and if God wanted to bring to  our  minds a scripture or way of helping us k...

The first stage of the adoption process is coming to a close.  The home study.  Our case worker came all the way to our home yesterday!  She came to talk with us, interview us, see our children, and see our home.  After this, the process will pick up momentum fairly quickly.  Here are some rapid fire frequently asked questions and answers you might not know: Do you know the gender?  No, we do not have a preference. What ages are you looking at?   1-2 years old. What country will your adopted child be from?   India, perhaps north India. When could it happen?  We could receive our child as soon as this next summer.  It also has the possibility of taking another 12-24 months beyond that.  It is uncertain and based on many moving factors. Do you have to go to India?   Yes, we will spend two weeks in India when it is time to joyfully receive our child. Why are you adopting?  We love how God adopted us, with our...

When I was still dating Heidi she said something to me about children that she was unsure about how I would receive it.  She explained her love and heart for children that you all know about, but then she told me: "You know when I think about it, if I am going to be ministering and raising children when I start a family, I've always thought why not bring lots of children under our roof... I'm not really thinking of lots of my own children per se, just that why not try to make an impact on the many children that are in need?"  She looked at me to sense if there was any surprise or bewilderment in my reaction.  I don't really remember what I said at that stage, but the gist of it was a smile and shrug: okay... why not. Here were are.  Married.  Two kids.  And beginning the process of international adoption.  Of course this decision was not made simply by asking the question why not.  But it kind of started there.  And after much prayer thi...