God told us to pray about making a move to adopt or foster just two weeks before we "found" Maria. I had always prayed He would bring a child to us and didn't want to pick a country or any specifics. So when I was on a website, we saw Maria and immediately were struck as we heard and felt very clearly God say "this is your daughter." We knew we were to say yes and "jump" despite so many unknowns and doubts. As excited fiancees in 2002, Jeremy and I discussed how we both desired to have biological children and adopt. We were blessed with four wonderful sons, one of which had a heart defect and survived open heart surgery as a newborn. We knew God would use this in a good way. Over the years, He prepared us to consider adopting a child with special needs. Maria has Down Syndrome, and we think she is perfect in every way. Adoption is a beautiful way to grow a family. The immensity of God's love for us calls us to love one another and use all we have to bring glory to Him. He has blessed us with more than enough and given us the dream and desire to be a family to a child who has no family. Our family needs Maria, as much as she needs us. She is priceless. We face a lot of unknowns in the next months and then after she's home, but God knows everything already and we are trusting Him each day. We know, as always, He will lead and provide. We believe God has a very special purpose for her precious life and we are immensely grateful to all of our family and friends who will join us in helping get her home! Our boys are beside themselves with excitement and can't wait to get Maria home! It's been a long wait for them this past year and I've seen a sweet growth in their spiritual lives as they pray all day long for her to be able to come home, and prepare themselves to be her older brothers and help take care of her. God keeps showing up for us and confirming we have His favor in this. We are so thankful He will always be our secure King of an unshaken kingdom. We hope a side-effect of our dream-come-true in adopting Maria encourages anyone else who has that tug in their heart to adopt. Every child deserves a family and we love that this might inspire someone to say YES someday to a waiting child. No obstacle cannot be overcome by our great God. Thank you so much for playing an active role in this precious mission…God is using you to impact a story that will ripple His love and glory.
