All The Why's?

"Your wisest moments will be those when you say yes to God."~ Rick Warren

Why Adopt? Why Ch*na? Why CCAI? Why a Girl? Why NOW???



We have been asked these questions by our friends and families long before we mailed off our application to our agency and they were discussed again during the home study process. They were asked with sincerity and in a spirit of truly" looking out" for our family, which we welcomed and appreciated. :)  So, if you were one of those who "questioned us", thank you!

Why Adopt?

For me, it has always been a desire. Growing up in San Diego, I made frequent trips to Tijuana, Mexico. The children begging in the street and living in deplorable conditions tugged at my young heart. I recall as a teen saying that I would love to bring home a cute little boy from Ethiopia someday. Although I was being a bit rebellious at the time, the seed was planted early on in my heart. I was aware of the need around the world and hoped that I could make a difference later.  Fast forward to our married years. After our daughter was born, we decided that if we were to add any more children to our family, they would be added through adoption.

Why China?

I will never forget watching an Oprah show about the orphans living in Chin@. It was in that moment that I knew that I had to help. Somehow. Someday. I never forgot the images that I saw and all the emotions that were stirred up in me. Too many children left and not enough people to love them and give them homes. Heart wrenching!

I always told Michael that our daughter was in Ch!na waiting. Call it mommy intuition but I knew she was in Ch*na. Even when we were researching other options to add to our family, I always came back to Chin@. One night Michael asked me point blank, " If we were to add a child through another program would that missing piece, whoever he/she was, complete our family?"  My answer without hesitation was,  "probably not."  I told him we would still have to travel to Ch*na to get our daughter. His response?
"I guess we are headed to Chin@ then."

Ch!na has a stable adoption program and only requires one trip for 14-17 days. Other countries require multiple trips and longer stays while in country. 

Why CCAI?

Reputation. CCAI's reputation, and the fact that they have an office here in ATL, were the primary reasons why we chose them. There are many adoption agencies to choose from and we researched many of them before making a decision. We also know several families that have had successful adoptions through CCAI.  

Why a Girl?

I always felt like I had a daughter waiting for us. Sadly, girls are abandoned more frequently than boys due to Ch*na's One Child Policy. The reasons for this are very complicated.

Besides, our daughter really, really wanted a "mei mei"! ;)

Why NOW???

Yes, this is the million dollar question. Our biological children are "tweens", we already have a healthy boy and girl, our home is happy, and we are approaching "middle age".  Why in the world would we want to start over and disrupt our home? But, the time is NOW. After years of discussing it, researching domestic vs. international adoption, considering local DFACS "foster to adopt" programs, and even reviewing one child's file in Chin@, we are confident that this is the path that we are to travel.  We believe that this is something we have been called to do and not trusting in our faith would be an act of disobedience.  Our hearts are broken for the millions of children who live in institutions and foster homes. We want to be able to do something to help a child and we want our children to see faith in action. So, the question becomes why not?

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The red thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break."

 An Ancient Ch!nese Belief

*My disclaimer- I am not a tech savvy person. I am new to blogging and am still on a learning curve. I have been told that comments aren't showing up and unfortunately, I  don't know why. If anyone knows why and can offer suggestions, please let me know. Thanks! :)