One beautiful aspect about life is that our story never ends. Even after we die, our influences extend beyond the grave, becoming a part of our bigger stories. Our lives are intertwined with so many others. Even if we do not know it, we change lives every day. Oftentimes these changes are subtle. But there are other times when that change we create is monumental. My family has embarked on a journey to adopt two special needs children from China. This has been a huge milestone for me and my family in 2013, and the story only keeps getting better.
At the beginning of last year, God put the issue of adoption on the heart of my parents. They knew that we needed to do as much research as we could to determine if this was the right thing for us. It was a prayerful time in our lives as we seriously considered forever changing our lives and that of at least one child in China. During this time, I personally was incredibly uninterested in adoption. I did not want the change and struggles that it inevitably would bring. But God changed my heart, slowly but surely, towards the issue. By the time we had for sure decided that we were going to adopt, I was just as excited as the rest of my family.
Before I continue, it should be noted that God gave my mom a very vivid dream about adoption, that in various sorts of symbolism, further clarified exactly how we were to proceed.
Here began the seemingly endless stream of paperwork, meetings, and fees. But God came through every time there was a struggle. To recap the last 10 months of our journey, we have:
- Raised/saved over $40,000. Our agency director has told us multiple times that our fundraising efforts are unlike anything that she has seen. I’m pretty sure I know why too. We have saved a good portion ourselves, but the rest has come from generous donations. God has been so faithful. Despite recent extra necessary expenses, he continues to provide.
- Matched with two children. This is a huge step. Very rarely does China allow two non-siblings to be adopted at once. But we received supernatural favor and were granted approval to adopt two special needs kids.
- Broke down the computers for the country of China. The sector of the Chinese government that handles adoption recently switched over to a new computer system, and we were the first family to adopt to non-siblings at once through this program. Therefore, the computers had to be recalibrated in order for the process to resume. So we pretty much shut down part of the Chinese government.
Another thing that should be mentioned is the children’s medical needs. In order to get a “healthy” child from China, you must wait seven years. The wait for “special needs” children, however, is only a year and a half (or so). On top of that, some of the things considered “special needs” can be treated in America by minor surgery and then there is nothing wrong. We are adopting a boy and a girl who both have physical problems, but they are not outside the realm of medical or supernatural help. God has even set us up with connections at Children’s Hospital for our future daughter’s needs. My parents and grandmother will be going to China some time from April to June to pick up our kids.
And this is only the beginning of the story.
Our lives have already been changed by this process, and the change will only continue, accompanied by hard times and good times.
But it will be worth it all. One hundred percent.
We Are Mirrors 