Cari, who blogs at Wherever He Leads Us, was kind enough to take a moment from her busy schedule to share her family story.
First, please give a brief overview of your family:  how many children, how old they are etc.  My husband & I are high school sweethearts and have been married for 17 years. We have six children. Bio girl 14, Caribbean girl 12, Bio son 12, Bio son 10, China girl 5, China girl 2.
1. What led you to adoption?  At the age of 10 or 11, I remember being in my room and having a daydream of a little Chinese girl with long dark hair. From that moment I had always wanted to adopt a little girl from China . I know now that desire or daydream was given to me by God as a purpose for my life.
2. What was most helpful in the beginning of your journey?  Being able to actually talking to someone that had already adopted, so I could asked them questions about their experience with the adoption process and agency they used or recommended. Also, I researched as much as I could on the internet about every aspect of the adoption process. During our 2nd & 3rd adoptions, I found that yahoo groups and blogs were very informative.
3.  What were/are your favorite adoption resources?  Real adoptive moms! Usually I “met†them through blogs or yahoo groups, and on a rare case in person through school or church activities.
4.  How did you fund your adoption?  Our first adoption was funded through almost three years of saving our money each month. Our 2ndand 3rd adoptions were so close together, that we not only depleted our savings, but also sent out donation letters through a non-profit company and borrowed against our 401K.
5.  Why did you choose International/Domestic/Foster?  I believe that God has specifically spoken to us and led us to each one of our children. My husband and I never had a conversation about adoption where we just thought a specific country was more interesting to adopt from the other. I felt The Call {from God} to go to China specifically for a baby girl for our first adoption. During that trip, we saw a little baby with cleft lip/cleft palate in the orphanage and eventually through prayer and seeking God’s Will, we felt Him sending us back to China again for another little girl with the special needs of cl/cp. During that adoption process, we clearly were led to an older female child from an island in the Caribbean , and had to move quickly to complete all the necessary adoption paperwork to bring her home. The last two adoptions were completed this year and within four months of each other.
6.  Anything you would say to encourage those still on the fence?  Spend much time in the bible and in prayer asking God to make it abundantly clear what He wants you to know. When you have a peace about something {even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else}, know that is God’s will and trust that He will provide and equip you for the mission.
7.  Any adjustments/challenges with your child/children  Our first adopted daughter {adopted at 8 months old, home 5 years} had some self-soothing behaviors from being in the orphanage, that she still shows today but not as often; such as head banging when she is has awakened during the night or early morning. Our second adopted daughter {adopted 2 y.o., home 7 months} has the special need of bilateral cleft lipand palate. We go to many doctor appointments and have surgery scheduled, but otherwise have had a great experience with her transition into our family. Our third adopted daughter {adopted at 12 y.o., home 4 months} has been our most difficult adjustment and great challenge. We realize that she has had the most traumatic experiences out of all of our children, and we also realize that she has only been with us 16 weeks. This is also our first time working through an older child adoption. The transition will be slower and take more time. It has been the most mentally and physically exhausting experience of our lives. Having said that, I still believe that God called us to bring her home as our daughter and that in time we will experience the most joy from seeing God heal her.Â
8.  What was your biggest fear?  Having the money to pay a fee when it was due for the adoption, and how were our other children going to be emotional after we bring in another child…especially an older child.
9.  What has been your greatest blessing?  Watching all the children when they are playing and laughing together.
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