Not Just for a Holiday

We've already started to receive weird comments. Like, you should talk to {this person}, because this person has adopted a lot of kids in {said country} ...when it turns out what they meant by adoption was really sponsorship...not taking a child home, loving, nurturing, disciplining, raising....but sending money each month and getting updated pictures. That is great and needed too, but that's not what we are doing.

Or another conversation, where a person asked if we were doing this to make a statement, or if we were doing this for the child. Wow. We want this child. We know, with all of the hardships and craziness of it all, that we are getting a little human to come home with us. One that will cry, have bad dreams, get loose teeth when he/she is older, one we can teach our skills, values, Bible stories. We will let him/her get involved in sports or dance or drama, will read with the child and take family trips and family pictures. We will live on a budget but will occasionally spoil just because we can't help it, because its our first kid! Our hearts will break when our child disobeys us or makes bad decisions. Slumber parties, birthdays, school plays, skinned knees, temper tantrums, asking "why" a million times.... those things come with it. We know. Yes, we may make some statements in the process, but we want this life to share with our child. Our Ethiopian, brown-skinned child.

Another comment regarded how this adoption will affect our ministry. You see, Will is in seminary, and may one day seek full-time ministry opportunities. We know that if any door shuts because of our multiracial family, that is ok! We also know that God is doing ministry in our lives now, through this adoption. Conversations about why we would choose adoption first, or how "good" of people we must be to choose to adopt... we can easily explain our gracious Heavenly Father's adoption of ourselves as believers, and point people to the cross.

I'm sure other adoptive families can also attest to intrusive or weird comments that they have received. We understand that not everyone "gets it" but also hope that more people become open to adoption through our example.

We love this baby so much already. The way we picture our home now, we think of a little brown skinned baby running around in it. We already feel so attached, and we haven't even seen a picture or know any details.

Thanks for praying along with us on this journey!