What?! Another Adoption?!!

I know that many friends, family and even strangers, are going to think that we have lost our minds.  And in many ways, we have!  We have dedicated our lives to the Lord and have promised Him that anything He asks, we will do because we have complete faith and trust that He knows best, that He can make our weak things strong, and that He will provide.  This is not just something we recite on Sunday while at church, we live it!  We are passionate about handing over our lives to the Lord.  And so far, that has meant a WONDERFUL, full-filling, meaningful, happy and yes even tiring life.  But we would rather go to bed exhausted knowing that we made a difference then go to bed wondering what the meaning of our lives are.  We would have never planned our lives like this, given our way.  Thank the Lord we were not given our way!!

We do not just "up and adopt every orphan we see".  Over the last 11 years, we have seen thousands of orphans.  Through Kelly's ministry Special Angels Adoption, www.specialangelsadoption.org, we are approached by 5 or 6 adoption situations a day.  We do not bring these children home because they are not our children.  We have only brought home 8, so far, out of the 135 million orphans in the world.  We have brought home the ones the Lord told us to and we have a strong testimony that they are meant to be with us.  It is amazing how you just recognize your child.  No matter the race, disability, location, obstacles, etc, you recognize your child and are willing to move whatever mountains stand in your way to bring them home.

Imagine if you discovered one of your children had suddenly been taken.  They were missing.  And when you found them, they had somehow ended up in an orphanage in Russia.  What would stop you from going to get them?  The expense?  The travel?  The language or cultural barriers?  The time off work?  The time away from your other children?  The inconvenience?  The negativity of those around you calling you crazy?  Fear of your own inadequecy? My guess would be nothing.  Nothing anyone could say or do would keep you from retrieving your child and bringing them safely home.  We have lived through this experience several times over with our adoptions.  Have we been afraid?  YES!  But we have been more afraid of losing our child.

"But I thought you said you were DONE?"

My question to you is, "Why on earth did you believe me?"  Hee, hee!  I was done at 3 kids, then 5, then VERY done at 6, then at 8 children I declared, "No more!  This is all!  We are happy and complete!  Any more would be crazy!"  And then the Lord called.  Truthfully, I didn't answer for awhile.  I am stubborn that way.  Finally after lots of pestering, I listened and I could not deny the fact that I have always known I would have a daughter with Down Syndrome.  I knew we were not done.  Maybe we will never be?  Maybe this will be the last of our adoptions?  All I can say is, "What if it were your daughter?"