Four years ago, we were a family of five.
My husband and I had two biological sons who are now 15 and 13 and one daughter who is now ten. We had adopted our daughter from China when she was only one year old. She had a hole in her heart, but God healed her. Things were pretty easy. We would finish homeschooling in the early afternoon and all the kids would go play, and I would do my Bible study.
I began to feel like the Lord wanted us to adopt again, and I felt Him very specifically tell me to adopt a child with Down syndrome. I took this to my husband, but he did not feel this… so I put it on the back burner.
A year later, while grocery shopping, I received a call about a little girl who was adopted from China who was going through a disruption. She was two and a half and was deaf. She had been in the United States for four months. We were called because I know ASL.
We had all of two days to pray about this, but by the end of those two days, we knew she was our daughter.
It wasn’t easy, but she was so worth the hard journey.
When I first met her, I did not know if she could smile and she certainly did not know what a hug was. I wish you could see her now. Three years later, I am happy to report that she shines the biggest and most beautiful smile…. and she loves hugs!
Sometimes, God doesn’t call us to easy things. Through our adoptions, God has taught me about His unconditional love. Only because Jesus lives in me was I able to hold our second daughter while she was fighting my love and look into her eyes and tell her that I would never give up on her. And this? Only because God never gives up on me.
I have also learned that I was not put here for myself and my comfort. I was put here to bring honor and glory to God. I just want to be obedient in every area of my life.
About a year ago, once again… I felt the Lord telling me to adopt a child with Down syndrome. I went back to my husband with this, and he said he would need to pray about it.
One morning several months later, my husband told me that the Lord had spoken to him. We we were, in fact, supposed to adopt a child with Down syndrome.
I want to make clear is that this was not a fear-free process.
The two things that I knew for sure were that God had called us to step out on faith, and that I was scared. But, desiring to be obedient, we took the first step and began the great paper chase.
During this paper chase, God began to change my heart and replace the fear with love for a child that I do not even know.
Lord willing, in October, my oldest daughter and I will be traveling to China to pick up our fifth child.
She will be a little over three and a half years old….and I think she wears her extra chromosome beautifully. I am filled with love, and even though a little fear creeps in from time to time, I am thankful God loves me enough to give me the courage to love one of His special children.
– guest post by Nicole
We received her file the same day we received Mila’s (who is our daughter and also has DS). We felt this girl was meant for another family! So, this is amazing for me to see. I remember this smile and this stance and I melted. But I prayed for her family to find her. So very thankful. Thank you Jesus.