Our Adoption Journey Begins

[from April 25, 2007 on my facebook page] - My family and I have decided to try to adopt two children from El Salvador. We have two biological children and my wife and I always thought that two was all we wanted... but the Lord had other ideas. Years ago, at a 4Him concert, one of the sponsors gave a presentation about international orphans, their crushing poverty and their almost complete lack of hope. It touched my heart in a profound way and the plight of these children has weighed on me ever since. Several times since, I've given SERIOUS thought about trying to do something about it, but I always thought "what can I do, there are so many how could I make any difference" and "it wouldn't be fair to my children to ask them to make this kind of sacrifice" and "how could I ask my wife to be mother to children that aren't her own"... so I did nothing. I am ashamed of my complacency.

At a recent concert (Steven Curtis Chapman), there was a similar presentation by a Christian International Adoption agency. It touched me again, and as I looked at my wife, I could see by her face and her moist eyes, that it touched her as well. Then, out of the blue, my 7 year old said "Dad, we have enough food and enough love... we should adopt one of these children who needs a family. If we get a boy, he can even stay in my room." From the mouths of babes... My 10 year old immediately jumped on the idea (through tear soaked eyes) and gave me the hardest, most loving hug as she said she also thought we should adopt. My wife whispered in my ear that she has felt the same thing for a long time but never thought we could actually do it. It was a real clarifying moment. I knew we would do this. I knew we couldn't NOT do this.

So here we are, on the road to an interanational adoption. After careful discussion, my wife and I agreed that we have the room, the love, and the patience (hopefully) to not adopt one child, but instead we are going to to try to adopt TWO. I'm still not entirely sure how we settled on El Salvador after also looking at China, Russia, Hungary, and several other countries. I think maybe it was their eyes. They say that when you look at the adoption materials, eventually one of the photos will speak to you. The soft, frightened brown eyes of a Salvadoran child burned their way into my heart and so we're adopting from El Salvador. We have begun the process of our "paper pregnancy" and it will likely take at least a year to a year and a half and we will have to travel to El Salvador for about 3 weeks when it's time to go bring our children home. We have so much to do until then... I'm re-learning Spanish, we are builing another bedroom (converting a play room), we have to complete our home study with a social worker, pay all of the fees (WOW... never knew how expensive it was to adopt a child from abject poverty) ...lots to do.

If you are the praying type, please keep us in your prayers as we move along this journey.