So many people ask us 'Why China?' when there are so many kids in the U.S.?

The number of couples waiting to adopt babies in the US is exceptionally high. The biggest issue for us was the emotional risk of adopting a child in the United States. We have heard countless nightmares of children being ripped from their adoptive parents arms because the birthmother changed her mind. We couldn’t bear the thought of falling in love with a child then having the birthmother change her mind and possibly drag us through legal battles. With China once your dossier has been accepted by the China Center for Adoptive Affairs you will receive the child. The orphans in China have been abandoned with no record of who their birth parents are. The Chinese government follows a procedure to make legally sure that the children qualify as orphans and are therefore able to be adopted. When you adopt a child from China the child is yours forever!!

We have been asked 'Why adoption?'

For about four years now off and on Tom and I have been praying about adopting a child. We are both drawn to children and our hearts break in two whenever we see a child neglected or mistreated. We prayed about adopting in Oklahoma and thought God was leading us to adopt through foster care but that was our plan and not God’s so it fell through. We then perused adopting twins in Oklahoma and God had a different forever family chosen for the twins. Then we began looking into adopting from Africa but God also closed those doors. About this time we got orders and became consumed with buying a house and moving so we put adoption on the back burner.

In July of 2005 we welcomed our friend’s home from China with their sweet daughter Isabelle. She is such a sweet little angel and you can’t help but fall in love with her. After countless conversations and a million questions with Stefanie and listening to all of her stories my heart began turning towards China. I began praying for God to make it clear to me if this was His will. I asked Him to totally take the desire away from me or make it clear to Tom and I. For Thanksgiving we revisited the Leist and Isabelle melted Tom’s heart. So the entire way home from St. Louis we talked about adopting. Tom said even though his heart said yes he was fearful about the expenses and said no we could not adopt. I was confused-why had God once given him the desire to adopt and now he was changing his mind by saying no way? I know we serve a mighty God so I began to pray even more. I found myself on the computer for hours searching for our daughter and crying while reading all of the stories about the orphans. Every so often I would find Tom over my shoulder saying “oh she is cute” or “that is so sad.” God was slowly changing his heart so I kept praying!!

In the middle of December we went out to lunch with our assistant pastor and we were discussing adopting. Of course I rambled on and on then he turned to Tom and said what are your feelings on this? Tom said “my heart is totally saying yes, but my head is saying NO”. Pastor looked at him and said “you always follow your heart.” Tom later talked to his friend john and he told him “If God has put something like that on your wife’s heart for so long, you can’t ignore it!” God was still working on Tom and I was still praying.

On Christmas night Tom said I have one more present for you Chenoa. I was dying to find out what it was! Tom said we are going to have another baby!!! That’s about all I could hear because I was screaming and dancing with excitement!!! He said “I know God wants us to adopt and I am trusting that He will provide for us like He always has!” Then he said let’s find our little girl. Thanks be to God!
Proverbs 19:20-21 Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.