Gladys Aylward, missionary to China, wrote, "The eagle that soars in the upper air does not worry itself how it is to cross rivers."

Nine years ago, my husband and I adopted a baby girl from Haiti. When we began the adoption process, our friends and family guarded our hopes. They were eager for our family to grow and excited for a baby to have a family.

Yet, they verbalized their concerns. "Will you love her like your children?"

"Have you looked into adopting a child born in the States?" "Why adopt a child of a different race?" "What will you do about prejudices and racism?"

"Will the child be healthy?" "How will she feel about having white parents?" "Where will you get the money to pay for the costs involved in adopting?"

All of these questions were valid concerns we had talked and prayed about.

We knew in our hearts that God had called us to adopt and our daughter would come from Haiti. We were blessed to have Dillon International, Inc. help us through the entire process.

Janelle joined our family by adoption in 1992 but her life began when she was conceived in September of 1990.

Her birth mother knew that she would not be able to care for any child and she asked a Dutch missionary to find a home for her daughter. The missionary took Janelle to an orphanage that locates adoptive families for children. We became the chosen family. I will never forget the day the pictures, medical information and videotape of Janelle arrived in my mailbox. She was the most precious baby I had ever seen.

When I showed the picture to my seven-year-old son, he said, "Mom, she is beautiful!" Immediately, we drove to my husband's workplace and showed him our new baby. Within a few minutes we had bonded to the picture.

After a couple of months of paperwork, I went to bring Janelle home. People often comment how lucky Janelle is to have been adopted, but we are the lucky ones. God placed her in our hearts before she was ever conceived. We were chosen to be blessed. My heart soars everyday and God's grace has been more then sufficient for those challenging rivers we cross as a transracial adoptive family

If God has called you to add to your family by adoption, let nothing deter you from your passion.

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