Lionel is two years old and lives in the orphanage. At approximately 6 months old, he was diagnosed with hemophilia and has been receiving treatment ever since. He is reported to currently receive two infusions per week. He is a beautiful little boy who is described as having normal physical and mental development. He can …Read More

I am sure you have seen the posts. You have been given the information on how to be the village to your friends arriving home with their new, precious, yet traumatized son or daughter. You diligently studied how to be that good friend, how to give space for cocooning, how to offer meals and household …Read More

“It takes a village to raise a child.” – African proverb Whether you are a working mom, single mom, stay-at-home, or homeschooling mom, one thing is for sure… you find out quickly that you cannot rely on your own strength to provide for your children and family. Being a mom to six children while working …Read More

While still in the baby steps of adoption, we stumbled into the realm of special needs adoptions, specifically Down syndrome. Although our initial plan was to adopt domestically, we discovered the Bamboo Project (a program committed to finding families for children in China with Down syndrome). And when I saw our daughter’s photo, I knew …Read More

Our daughter’s special need wasn’t on a checklist. Even today, we still don’t know what her special need is. Her medical history is a complete mystery. With no birth story, we will never have all of the pieces to the puzzle. Yet, her puzzle will not always be incomplete. In fact, as we put these …Read More

Savannah is a little girl with a huge, sparkling personality! She is full of life and has such a beautiful smile! The words we wrote to describe her were things like “outgoing, spunky, super friendly, curious, independent.” She is designated to Gladney Adoptions. Savannah is 7 years old and she has dwarfism. She knows her …Read More

In his sermon a few weeks ago, my pastor preached from 1 Peter 4. He spoke in part about using our gifts to serve others, “Each one of us should use the gifts they have been given so that they can see and serve Him.” What, you may ask, does this have to do with …Read More

Congratulations! “That is so wonderful! I’m so happy for your family and for that sweet child that has been waiting for so long!” This is the correct response. This (or a version of this) is what others should say to you when you share your adoption news. If you have adopted more than twice you …Read More

Dearest Family and Friends, As you may know, we are about to deplane. Yes, we have returned with our precious cargo. We cannot wait to take a shower see you. You may not recognize our tribe at this point, as we have just survived the travel version of the Spartan race. This is what’s left, …Read More

I have a rather comical relationship with one of the nannies at the orphanage. I’ve been back in the USA for about five months now (getting a 2nd degree in nursing, in case you were wondering) and this nanny (I’ll call her M Ayi) and I have had many a chat on weixin, a Chinese …Read More