Our Adoption Story

It started in January of 2010.  My little sister announced that "Mom says we're gonna adopt!"  My mom had come across an adoption blog one day of a family who had adopted from Ethiopia.  The beginning of the journey was trying to encourage (and maybe convince) my dad to agree.  When he did, the real excitement began.  Prayers were said constantly to make sure we were doing the right thing.

 If you don't know anything about adoption, there is a lot of paperwork to fill out and compile.  For us, time passed slowly in the area of paperwork.  Children came along that were waiting for a family, and we looked at their faces, wondering if they were ours.  There were a few times where we were stuck, with paperwork waiting to be signed or completed.  It was a slow process for about a year.

You might not know that I had six siblings before we adopted.  To some people, the fact that we were adopting when we already had a large family was crazy.

Last July, a sibling group was placed on the list of waiting children.  A sibling group of four beautiful children.  I came downstairs and their photos were printed out, lying on the kitchen counter.  I looked.  And I sighed, because the first thought that went through my head was, seven plus four makes a lot of kids.  And that scared me.

Time went on, and we began to warm up to the idea.  More prayers were said, family meetings were held.  Until July 21, 2011.  That was the day we accepted the referral for four beautiful Ethiopian children.

In November, my parents and two sisters went to Ethiopia for court.  During our process, Ethiopia changed their laws so that the day you went to court was a different time (sometimes months) from when you could take your kids home.  Due to a mix up with our agency, we found out that our actual court date wasn't until a few days after my parents would return home.  It was emotional for us in the states, because we didn't know what was happening or what went wrong.  Then, just three days after they returned, I came downstairs to little children screaming and laughing and my mom dancing.  "We passed court!"  No way.

When you pass court, the children you are adopting become legally yours.  It's so much more than that.  They are a part of your family forever.

A week before Christmas, my dad and I left for Ethiopia again.  This time to bring the kids home.  While we were away, my mom was hurrying to finalize the remodeling we had to do to allow more room in our house for bedrooms.  We weren't there for very long - about four days.  Those four days were some of the most emotional I have ever been through.  It was so hard, because this adoption was real.  It wasn't just some kids on a piece of paper anymore.

They've been here five months now, and the progress we've made is incredible.  It's difficult.  Every single day, it's hard.  But they are a part of our family now.  They are almost fluent in English, have hair :), and are learning all the time, new things about this new country.  It's amazing how love and care can change a person.

Adoption video:

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Orphan - The Unfair Name

Orphan.  A child, abandoned, with no one or place to call home.  Just one of 147 million.  Like a mass, they are looked upon as a charity.  "Give to the orphan!"  "Save the orphan!"  But never, "Adopt the orphan!"  We will give our money, but not our lives.  We will sacrifice money, but not our schedules, our plans.  It's unfair - this way most of the world treats orphans.

Someone once said, when told he looked old and worn out, that aged and tired was the way he was supposed to look if he was giving his all for and to God.  I ask you this: are you willing to look old and fatigued for God?  When you care for orphans, that is how you will look and feel.  Adoption or care-giving is certainly not rainbows and cherry pie.  It's dirt and bitterness and pain.  It's hard and it hurts.

But what it we thought like this instead: Is it that difficult to lose your sleep and beauty and plans for a child who has lost him mommy and daddy and home and joy and culture?  Many international adoptions deal with children who have lost those things.

When I wrote a post on my other blog a few months ago with the same title, some people said calling "orphan" an unfair name was wrong.  They said that God planned for them to be orphans, so that is what they are.  That's true.  However, with Easter just around the corner, we are able to celebrate that we have been adopted by a merciful, ever patient, loving God.  We are no longer orphans.  We are overjoyed and thankful that we have been adopted and that we have a Father.

Is it fair, then, that these children should be called orphans?  They need a father and mother as much as they need a Heavenly Father.  Maybe we can't all adopt, but we can pray and we can inform. That is one of our goals with this website and blog - to inform, to educate, to encourage.  The word orphan needs a new definition, in my opinion.  Orphan does not mean charity.  It means opportunity, it means hope, it means a child in desperate need of love, waiting, waiting, ever waiting, for someone to love them.  They're are not to be looked down upon, but they are in need of a name change.  From orphan to adopted...just as we once were orphans but have been adopted by our Father.

Olivia

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