We felt God calling us to host this sweet sibling pair from Lativa during the Christmas of 2014. There was some hesitancy as we thought that older orphans had so much baggage, which we weren’t sure we could handle. Nonetheless, we stepped out in faith and answered God’s call and invited them into our home and our hearts.
We weren’t necessarily thinking about adoption at the time, but our hearts quickly changed after having them for a week. They were wonderful, sweet children. They just wanted to be loved. They fit into our family so well. I would liken them to old shoes. They were just so comfortable and it seemed that they had been with us for years. We were prepared for issues, so this was a surprise.
So, we began adoption proceedings in January. We hosted them again in the summer since we hadn’t gotten the referral and travel dates. We just didn’t want to miss another opportunity to bond with them as we were missing them terribly. We spent the summer with them making more memories and building family bonds. We sadly put them back on the plane and anxiously awaited the call with our referral and travel dates. It came in September thankfully!
We spent three weeks in their country with them. It was an amazing experience. We were thankful to really get the feel of where they came from. We said good-bye to siblings that were not available for adoption, which was so hard. We thought our hearts may just break. Yet, we were thankful that these two had each other since they had never been separated. I think it has helped with their adjustment to have each other. Even though they are typical siblings as our children are, having their moments of not so brotherly or sisterly love, I think it has been a comfort for them to be together.
We brought them home in October. They are such sweet children and welcomed the love of family. The Lord has stretched us and it has been a transition, but the journey has been worth it. We are so thankful that God gave us the opportunity to be a part of His story by inviting these two to be a part of our family.
I have asked them a time or two about what they like best about being in America and their reply is “we just love having a family”. We are far from a perfect family, but I don’t think God is looking for perfect and neither are they. He’s just looking for willing. Adoption is at the very heart of God. What a pleasure it has been to be so close to His heart.
Since our beginnings, An Open Door has always felt a strong call to provide orphan children with loving, Christian homes.
There are more than 153 million children in the world who have lost at least one parent, and there 8 million children living in orphanages -- not counting those living on the streets or trafficked as slaves. Every year, there are also thousands of birth parents who face the incredibly hard decision to place their child with the best family possible. What a humbling privilege it is to be there for these children and families.
Since 1987, An Open Door Adoption Agency, Inc. has placed over 2,100 children. These include 1,400+ children from the state of Georgia and 700+ international orphans. Each of these precious lives represents many more people touched by adoption -- from the birth parents to the adoptive couple to the children themselves. What a great privilege it is to be there for them to complete their desire for a family.
