So, I know many of you out there have expressed curiosity as to our decision to adopt.  If the quick and simple question is: “Why Adoption?”, then the quick and simple answer is: “Because He said so!”  But, since we all know God is in the details, I’ve got a story for you! It might be a long one, so I recommend you take a quick potty break, grab a tasty beverage and/or snack and settle in for awhile with me…

PART ONE – BACKGROUND STORY

From the time I was young, I remember always wanting to adopt. I love the thought of providing a warm and loving home and family to a child who might not otherwise have that chance. When Chris and I were dating and started discussing our future plans, we both knew we wanted kids.  I told him that I was hoping someday to adopt as well, and he loved the idea.  Mason came along shortly before our second wedding anniversary and we became pregnant with Silas shortly after Mason’s first birthday.  Mason and Silas are only 22 months apart and, now that they are 3 1/2 and almost 2, they are quickly becoming the best of friends.

               

I sometimes wonder if Silas had been a girl, if we wouldn’t have decided that two children were enough and been done.  Don’t get me wrong, I adore my two boys! I’ve learned to be enamored with trucks, airplanes, tractors, monsters, dinosaurs, camo, dirt, mud, etc, but our family will never be truly complete without a little girl in it. I’ve always thought of this as a not-so-subtle reminder from God that my daughter is out there somewhere, just waiting for us to come find her.

I don’t remember when we decided for certain that we wanted to pursue adoption for the next child in our family, but, knowing that the process could take up to a year, we decided to get started the fall after Silas’s first birthday.  At that time, we were still picturing ourselves adopting a newborn and we figured that would be a good age gap.  I began researching our options.  The idea of international adoption has always appealed to me.  There are so many orphaned children all over the world in need of a home and we are so lucky to live in such a great country.  We were definitely thrown for a loop once we discovered the cost of international adoption.  It was at that point that we decided that international adoption probably wouldn’t be a feasible route for our family. It just seemed impossible.

PART TWO – FINDING THE RIGHT PATH

Choose Your Dream

Shortly after my husband and I started attending our church, Grace Bible Church, our pastor preached a sermon that resonated deep within me.  The message was about dreams that come from God.  Basically, Pastor Dave encouraged each of us to pursue a dream, or begin a new dream to further God’s Kingdom.  He discussed how to know whether a dream was from God, and really emphasized how amazing God is and that NOTHING is impossible or too big for God.   I remember squeezing Chris’s hand and whispering the word, “Mission!” to him several times during the course of the sermon.  I was so fired up! On the drive home, I told Chris that I already knew exactly what my dream was.  I have always, always, always wanted to go on a mission. I’d researched different types of missions before, but never really seriously pursued it, until…

We’re Going On Mission

It was probably six weeks later that Pastor Dave gave another sermon that really hit home with me.  It was the beginning of 2011 and he was relaying what he felt was God’s mission and purpose for our church for the year ahead.  It was toward the end of service when he told us the big kicker: our church would be sending a mission team to Haiti before the end of the summer! You should have seen me trying to sit still in my seat! My eyes shot over to Chris and he nodded at me, as if to say, “I’m one step ahead of you, babe.” I was awed at the timing of everything! We had a church class to attend that night and I remember sitting down with Pastor Dave beforehand and telling him that, if it were at all possible, I would be going on that mission. Weeks went by and Chris and I attended several meetings regarding the Haiti mission.

……….TO BE CONTINUED……….