Why Adopt?

"So why did you adopt?"

This is a question we often hear. Most are simply asking out of curiosity. I usually respond by telling people we felt led to adopt and that we view adoption as a natural way to add to our family. While this is certainly accurate, the story is really so much deeper and profound than that. Some people ask about adoption because they themselves are considering growing their own family through adoption. This is what I share with them...

While clearly our story is mainly about a little boy who was once named Dima finally having a forever family, it has also been an incredible personal journey for us. Adoption did not just add a child to our family or give a little boy a home, it drew us closer to God than we have ever been drawn before. It changed our hearts forever by forcing us to stand right next to real and precious children who do not have families. Their little faces are forever stamped in our minds and their need for families burns into our hearts. These children are REAL. There are millions of them. It often awes me that my son was once without a family. Yes, he was already our son in our hearts from the moment he was born, but he was physically without a family for the first 2 years of his life. That is a difficult reality for me to even begin to understand. Our son is home now, though, and he has a family. What about the kids who never end up with a family? I am haunted by those little faces we saw in the orphanage. What will become of them?

Some more questions we get...

Q: Did adoption scare us?
A: We were terrified.

Q: Was it hard?
A: The hardest thing we have ever done.

Q: Did we have the money needed to complete the process?
A: No, but God provided.

Q: Was our faith perfect through the process?
A: Not even close.

Q: Was God faithful?
A: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So why adopt?

Because it is one of the ways God grows families.
Because these kids NEED families.
Because if God is calling you to it, you will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams if you do as He asks.

"You need to perservere
so that when you have done the will of God
you will receive what he has promised."
Hebrews 10:36

"God makes everything happen at the right time.
Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done."
Ecclesiastes 3:11

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father
means caring for orphans and widows in their distress
and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
James 1:27