WHY ADOPT ANOTHER CHILD?????

When Roger and I set out to adopt our first child back in 2006, we had NO IDEA, what was in store for our future. We truly felt that adoption was a calling from God.  I had received the calling first, and it took over a year for us to see that the non-special needs program in China was the direction God intended for us to take.  Everything went smoothly with our paperwork, and we were told it would take approximately 12 to 16 months for us to receive our referral for our daughter.   That 12 to 16 month wait turned in to over five years.  But when Molly Kate, our 18 month old daughter was placed in our arms, we knew at that very moment she had been worth every second of that long wait.

I don't think either of us had ever considered that we might adopt again.  It didn't take long for that idea to creep into our minds, though, and four months after we brought Molly Kate home from China, we decided to submit our medical checklist to CCAI and pursue the adoption of another daughter through the special needs program.  It was that same day that we saw the profile of Callie Beth on their Waiting Child link.  Despite the fact that we were told the waiting list to see her file was VERY long, five weeks later, we received the email stating that, believe it or not, no one had chosen her to be their daughter, and asking were we still interested in reviewing her file.  Of course, we were, and the minute we saw the file, we knew we wanted her to be our second daughter. We traveled ten months later to bring her home. Since she was three at the time we adopted her, the transition for her was a little more difficult than it had been for Molly Kate.  By the time we got home from China, Roger was VERY adamant about that being our last adoption.  I was very content with two little girls, who adored each other and very quickly became each other's best friend.  HOWEVER, I think I knew in my heart that God wasn't finished with us yet. 

About five months after we had brought Callie Beth home, I was pulling out of the parking lot at the girls' preschool where I had just dropped them off.  There are no words to explain what exactly happened, but I threw on my brakes and whipped my van into a parking spot.  At that moment, I felt the presence of God SO strongly, and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt that He was telling me we were supposed to go back to China for another daughter.  I have to say that I wasn't distressed AT ALL about the idea of it.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being a mother, and I'm not sure that I think there is any such thing as having too many children.  I knew, though, that Roger really didn't want to go back again, and I didn't know how exactly I needed to handle it.  So, I prayed.....and the next day, I shared with him what I felt like God had said to me.  For anyone who doesn't know Roger, he is the best husband in the world.  As I've said many times, it takes a special man to marry a woman with three small children and no money.  Add the willingness to go back to work after retirement from 30 years in education to help finance the adoption of two daughters---it just takes a great man to do that.  Of course, his first response was, "Vicki, we can't afford it."  I told him I understood, and that all I wanted him to do was pray about it, and if he felt like God was NOT telling us to go back, I would accept that.  I knew we BOTH had to feel the calling.  Well, the next month, Roger brought in more income in 30 days than he had the entire year before, and needless to say, that was HIS answer from God.  In January of 2013, seven months after we had brought Callie Beth home, we submitted our medical checklist to adopt our third daughter.

So, this third adoption journey is taking place because it is part of God's plan for our lives.  I'm sure there are  many people who just don't understand why a retired couple would want to start all over again raising a family.  You know, Roger and I BOTH feel so privileged and blessed that God chose US to do this.  People very often make the comment to us that our girls are so lucky to have been adopted by us.  But really, it's the other way around.....WE are the lucky and blessed ones.  Molly Kate and Callie Beth have not only enriched our lives, but they have brought so much happiness to our sons' lives.  They simply ADORE their little sisters.  And everywhere we go, our girls put smiles on the faces of so many people.  We are overjoyed to be going back to China to bring Eiley Joy home, too, because we know God chose her to be our third daughter (there will be more on that part of the story later), and our lives are going to be enriched by her, just like they have been by our other girls!!!