One part of the trailer shows Esther saying, “It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own.” When I heard this, I had to remind myself that this is true ignorance speaking and not reality, because reality knows no difference.
The first experience I can share is the adoption of both our children. My wife and I have adopted a boy and a girl. Our son was a domestic adoption and our daughter, from
A year after our son’s entrance into our family our
As we went from one child to two, we knew that if we were to grow our family larger that we only wanted to do this through adoption. We know many families who even though they had adopted still had the longing to have a biological child. Moira and I were, and are completely contrary to this. From our first adoption on we always were thankful when we knew another month had passed and Moira was not pregnant. This was because of the overwhelming joy and satisfaction of knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God’s children are no different whether they carry our DNA or not. If our family is to ever grow again, adoption has always been our choice.
Another experience I had was just a little over five years ago. God made it very clear to me that I was to join our church on a trip and go to two Russian orphanages. At the time both my kids were 2 ½ years old, so I assumed I would spend much of my time in
After arriving at an orphanage in
The following six days proved to be some of the best six days of my life. I built solid relationships with each of them. We talked about why some of them were there, how they were coping with being there and what their dreams and aspirations were. I did not see resentment or bitterness in these girls. I saw hope, love and lots of determination to make it.
Not one child was there because of anything they did, and I can assure you none of them chose to be there. Every child in an orphanage has been traumatized at least twice. First, because of the event which made them “eligible” to be in an orphanage and second, the day they were place in the orphanage and all the security they knew had been stripped from them.
They day we left the orphanage was the single worst day of my life. I have never been so sad about anything in my life. At that point I didn’t know what would happen to them, or if I’d get to see them ever again. Those five girls have so much to give, and I only hope every one of them has a chance to use their talents and make the difference each of them is capable of making. Through them, I learned some painful hard truths about myself too.
Fortunately, that was not the last time I saw them. I went back two more times in the next 13 months. The 12 year old who took my hand on that first day now lives in the
With that said, I wish I could say to Esther, my two kids and the kids in Ivanova are my own. I love them all very much, just as I know they love me.
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