Since I began this adoption series on 1smartmom, I have mentioned a few times that we have been in a lengthy international adoption process. I have chosen this month to begin to tell you this story. This is not an article of what to do or not to do in an international adoption. It is simply my adoption journey. God put this child in my life for a purpose. My second son’s life is destined to be linked to mine forever. Remember this as you read about my Marathon Adoption of Epic Proportions.
Our adoption journey to bring our #2 son into our lives began in the Fall of 2002. We had recently relocated across the country to be closer to extended family. We were settled and ready to begin the adoption process again. I had begun to ask the Lord to bring another little boy into our home that was around 2 or 3 years old.
We felt that the age of our older son would fit nicely with a 2 year gap. I wanted Zach to have a playmate for life.
A usual practice in our life is to “sow†seed for things we believe the Lord is calling us to do. So when an opportunity arose during the Christmas season to sponsor a child in a home in Romania for Christmas, I did it. I signed up for the youngest boy in the house. He was a little boy named Feri. Zach and I went shopping for this boy so that he would have a blessed Christmas, prayed over his things, and sent them off with the mission team that would be taking the gifts. We had sown the seed for our next little boy.
We had no idea how the Lord would use this step of faith and obedience.
In the late winter of 2003 one of our pastoral staff, that ministers in Romania on a regular basis, came to us with a potential child for adoption. We turned her down flat because the boy was older than Zach and we felt strongly about him remaining the oldest. Sue, our pastor friend and now beloved Bonika (Romania for grandmother), said that she would verify the child’s age. She was certain that we should consider this boy for our family.
Sue told us that she had carried this boy from a crib in a hospital ward in Romania when he was about 18 months old. He had little muscle tone and had spent most of his life in crib with another child in a room with one window. He was placed in a wonderful small children’s home and with the proper care and nutrition, just blossomed into a mobile toddler. The doctor anticipated that there would be some developmental delays, but it appeared that he could regain everything with therapy and a lot of love. I was moved by the boy’s story, but knew in my heart that the birth order issue was a priority.
Two other times Sue approached us and the last time, the information of his age was different. It caused us to consider and pray about this boy. According to our information he was 6 months younger than our oldest son, Zach. I told Sue, “Give me 3 days.†She offered a picture and I turned her down. “No faces.†I said. I am too much of a sap. I needed to know that God was in this. Adoption is emotional enough. We prayed. I researched bringing a “like-twin†into the family.
I knew that we should do this. On a chilly early Spring day in 2003, Sue called and asked to bring a picture by of this beautiful boy. Standing in the foyer of my home I stared into the eyes of my 2nd son. He was wonderful. Everything a mother could want. I asked Sue for his name for the first time and she said “ His name is Feri. He is the youngest boy in Dove House.†My ears did not deceive me. This was the very boy that we had sponsored at Christmas. Tears rolled down my face as I realized that we had been given another lesson in destiny. Bonika Susie’s perseverance and our obedience had brought us our 2nd son.
Our Bonika Susie took a trip to Romania a few weeks after our decision to adopt Feri to find out all the things we would need to proceed. Upon her return she gave us a copy of his birth certificate. Mitchell Feri was born in 1999. He was 18 months younger than Zach! God hears our prayers.
This is only the beginning of the adoption marathon we are navigating to bring our Mitchell Feri home. There is so much more that I have learned on this journey.
God is teaching me something through this every day. I want to share some of that with you next time. I hope you’ll come back by 1smartmom next month around the 15th to hear the epic that continues with our Romanian adoption journey.
This installment of Journeys with Kelly is dedicated to Mitchell Feri and all the other Romanian children who wait for their Forever Families. We will not walk away. We will not stop the fight. You are all worth every day we spend in the battle to bring you home.
If you have a great adoption destiny story I would love to hear about it. Let us know here at 1smartmom.
Great installment, Kelley. I look forward to the next one – this could make a really good book. Hope the family is well! Love you, Pat
Kel~ I am so proud of you for sharing your story. I know it has to be very difficult. I have been, and will continue, walking through this with you, David, and Zach. I have seen the ups and the downs that have come with this process. The love and dedication you have to Mitchell Feri and to bringing him home is quite amazing and uncompromising. As heartwrenching as it has been, I know that these years full of tears, false hope, and broken promises will be worth it all when Mitchell Feri comes home for good. Even in your weak moments, you are much stronger than I think you know. This is such an incredible testimony for your family and of the faithfulness and love of God. There is no doubt that your story will touch many!! I love you and am blessed to a have you as a great friend. Thank you for allowing me to take part in this journey with you. I look forward to reading more.
Although I know much of this, I look forward to hearing more. I pray God will heal your innermost hurts as you “bare” the emotions this seemingly neverending season brings. And as we wait for our children I agree with you in faith this season WILL end and we will bring our children home where they will forever be brother and sister. Love you girl!
Kelly, God is blessing you with a beautiful style of writing that conveys your compassion and passion for mothering. You have shared your story of Mitchell Feri and your love for him in such a way that brings me to pray for you, your family and Mitch. I feel certain that the frustrating delay in his arrival in Arkansas will turn out to be a good time for him to melt into your family love and be the best buddy with your older son for life. Your joy as a mother is clear and distinct as you have written of your “epic of adoption”.