First Thought and Final Conclusion

In 1993, while living in Portland, Oregon, Linda and I first talked about international adoption. It was during a time when Romania's orphanages were bulging with unwanted children and US adoptions from Romania were getting much public attention. Linda was familar with a pastor's wife from a church in Portland who was involved in a ministry focused on facilitating adoptions from Romania. We talked sincerely about the possibility of our family adopting, including gathering applications and reviewing stipulations. As inviting as the idea was, the application sat on the top of our refridgerator for weeks before it disappeared -- into the waste basket, I'm sure. We had a young family then; two boys under 5 years of age with another that would eventually be born. But the seed was planted.

Eleven years later, during the summer of 2004, I took my entire family to Haiti on a week long service project -- a mission trip with www.newmissions.org. While working in a very poor fishing village in coastal Haiti and rubbing shoulders with very needy people, both adults and children alike, the vision for international adoption was re-kindled. Upon returning home from Haiti we revisited the issue by talking with people in our school who had adopted internationally, and also attending an adoption conference. We walked out of the adoption confernence that Saturday knowing that we would adopt. It was our opportunity to give back some of the many blessings that we have received in this life, and also to fulfill our part in "taking care of widows and orphans," as the Bible exhorts.

After researching adoption agencies and potential countries, we determined to work with Kathy Storro of Small World Adoptions in Spokane, WA - www.swa.net. Kathy's passion and reputation (having four adopted Chinese children of her own) for international adoption convinced us that teaming with her and Small World was a good fit for our family.