We have been waiting for a while to officially announce the BIG FAMILY NEWS that we are ADOPTING!
We first met the family of six when they lost everything due to Hurricane Dorian when it ravished the Bahamas. My husband is a pilot (Allegiant Airlines) and was offering relief flights to Florida in our small plane. Each person had a place to stay after he picked them up. When he landed with the family of six, they did not have a place to stay so we offered our home for a few nights. They stayed with us for five months and had to return due to their six-month immigration status. We returned them to a very broken Bahamas without electricity or water.
Shortly after their return, the mother fell ill. She video-called from her hospital bed and asked us to adopt her four children. Her last wish was her first concern. I told her I would, but did not fathom it was a promise we would fulfill. Plus they had a dad. She was intubated and died alone eight days later. The children called us crying, saying that they were not afforded one last hug or goodbye due to hospital lockdowns in 2020. The day she died, the father asked us to adopt the children, and then abandoned them. It wasn't his best plan or behavior, but at least he asked, leading us to prayerfully consider these children into our family—a new family of eight. We are open to the biological father restoring a relationship with his children should he contact us.
It was unforeseen that the adoption process would take over three years (and counting), or the tremendous financial costs due to COVID-related government shutdowns, unforeseen complexities, and the length of time. We have supported the children from abroad for over three years and continue to do so. We pay tuition (private school for special learning needs), tutoring, uniforms, clothing, books, rent, electricity, food, supplies, immigration fees, adoption fees, dental, medical, etc.).
Because my husband is a pilot and has partnership in a small airplane, we are able to visit them on a regular basis and fly supplies to them. We recently had a second home study since our first one expired. I say this humbly without grumbling—we have spent over $200,000 of our personal savings and income, and are hoping we can hang in there until the best is yet to come.
My husband is 55; I am 51. We are toward the latter part of our working careers. We did not expect the adoption to linger for this length of time. Regardless, we PERSEVERE and cannot give up on these four beautiful souls.
If you find it in your heart to GIVE or PRAY, we are GRATEFUL and ACCOUNTABLE for anything you can give to assist us with the children's welfare. We believe the adoption will be complete in 2024!
"What is impossible with men is possible with God." —Luke 18:27
