Our adoptions: Number One

I always knew I was going to adopt. I was adopted and it was a very real way to grow a family. When our youngest was 6, we decided that we were going to try it "the old fashioned way" for 30 days and then we would either immediately adopt or wait until baby #3 was about a year and then move forward. Baby Hailey was born in July of the next year. Why God has blessed us so is always beyond my comprehension. When Hailey was 10 months old, we began our adoption journey. There is so much more to this story that I just can't share, but I will someday. Just know that God is SO good, beyond what words can describe.

It took us a while to find what we believed to be the "right" agency. We had our hearts set on Africa. We began the journey in Ethiopia and then were steered toward a small country with a pilot program. After several months with no progress and feeling so wierd about just sending in paperwork and money, I had a very interesting conversation with the director of that agency about the status of adoptions in that country. I just wasn't feeling right about this. A lady whose daughter was friends with our oldest daughter had told someone else that her neighbor did something with an orphanage in Africa and had adopted. I called her and asked if I could have his number. I called this man and he said that he would be happy to talk to us. Our family went over to their house for dinner and we met their beautiful children (one of which was born in DRC) and we knew instantly that this was what God intended for us!

I called the director the next day and she wouldn't even take our paperwork until she came to our home and met with us! How great is that! This is what we had been looking for, a real connection and people that we knew cared about the children. We submitted our paperwork in June and received that amazing phone call on July 17th. We traveled to get her in January of the next year. Traveling to DRC is a whole seperate story in itself! Daniella's transition was very smooth and after a few days of initial stress, she has been a rock star!