Adoption!!
OK So many of you saw our post, it’s very exciting! We are
adopting!
So what’s the story? Why? Who? And the questions keep
coming. Here’s our story…
I wish our story were how I envisioned it many years ago. I
have always had this thought we would one day adopt. I had dreams of finding
this little person on our doorstep or a phone call asking us if we would take a
little person into our home. Well,
years have gone by, like almost 7 years of living in Asia. We have not received
a phone call. We just have been
dreaming of this little person coming into our lives for years. It’s hard to
explain, but I even look at our current family photo and see a missing smile
there, knowing God has someone else to add to the photo. Adoption keeps falling on our hearts.
Alleyah (10 years old) has been praying for 4 years that we will adopt. Orphans
are all around us here in Asia. It’s impossible to look away and we just don’t
want to look away any longer. Every year Morgan and I take time to process the last
year and the year to come. This last January while doing this we came across
the desire to adopt again. To our surprise we felt like now is the time! So
that's why now.
Who? So, we have had a desire to adopt a little girl for
years. Then, when Levi was born here in Asia that idea was confirmed. You see,
I labored next to another woman for a whole night. It was a sure deal we would
both have a baby by morning. However, I already knew I was having a boy. During
my pregnancy I was in America where you can find out the sex of your baby. Here
it is illegal to find out that information. This woman was secretly hoping her
baby was a boy. She delivered first that morning and we watched the father’s
eyes as he saw his new precious baby girl. He looked at her with such
disappointment and as he left the room without even picking her up said, “Its
not a boy” and left. I had a c-section about an hour later. After Levi was
safely checked over they brought him over shouting, “it’s a boy!” I was so
excited to see his face and as they walked over for my first look they aimed
his (boy parts) right in my face, “it's a boy!” and, I said,
“yeah I know…can I see his face?” After a little while I was wheeled
into a recovery room with 2 other new moms. One mother was the mom who labored
with me all night and had that baby girl. Her husband never came those 3 days
we were together. She sat there sad, alone, and I felt so broken. This little
baby girl was precious, she was healthy and perfect. She was born with a
purpose! We knew then that when we adopted we would choose a girl, yes choose a girl. Because a girl is just as
valuable as a boy. Not just this situation has given us a desire to adopt a
girl, but also the day-to-day praise we receive for having 2 boys. The
strangers overlook our gorgeous daughter and just complement they boys. Again,
we want to choose a girl.
Another aspect is how much the need is to adopt a child with
special needs. So many children are given to the orphanage because they have a
disability. Parents don't have the same resources here to care for a child with
a need. Also, with the one child policy it has played into this factor. I won’t
go into it here on open space. Anyway, the list is long for these waiting
children. After Morgan and I started the process of adoption we have seen the
need even more. The camp Alleyah and I attended was another opportunity for us
to see the need. It was overwhelming to visit an orphanage in another city of
over 800 children! These kids need and want families!
So all that to say, who? A little girl that's waiting for
us, and we are waiting for her.
So that's our story, it’s not some amazing living-overseas
one, but it’s just so heavy on our hearts we are moving forward. Most of you
know that adoption is a big financial cost. NO, it’s not cheaper because we
live here in Asia. It is the same big number as everyone else. However we do
hope and pray for the grants allotted to children with special needs. We also
hope that knowing orphans are on God’s heart more than we know, that He will
help provide the need to see this child have a home. We are not sure where or
how the finances will come. However, that is not our concern. Our concern is
being apart of changing a little girl’s life.
Thanks for reading, and we can’t wait to one day, hopefully
soon, introduce you to our little girl,
Mia
Jade Jones.
Name meanings:
Mia (mine, desperately wanted, and beloved)
Jade (A precious stone of China)
And…This guy Dexler, Just one of many looking for his forever family. Please continue to pray for these waiting children.
