"Why adopt?" Dave and I have always been interested in opening our home to children. We found it impossible to look at the needs of orphans without feeling called to do something. We began to consider expanding our family in the fall of 2003, and we decided to explore other roads to parenthood. Adoption through foster care was our first option but we decided to broaden our search. We started researching adoption and came across America World Adoption Association. It was through this group that we came to realize that adoption is not God's Plan B! Both adoption and having a biological child are equally ordained ways to become a family. A child will be a blessing to our family no matter how they come to be! It is amazing to think that God is taking us half way around the world to become parents for the third time. How more awesome can that be?!?!
"They are going to get a daughter!!" We are thrilled that we will soon have a daughter in our family. However, China was not our first choice! We considered other countries where there is an incredible need to provide a home for toddler boys. Foster care was our first choice but after research it was not the best choice for our family at this time. Dave was ultimately the one who said "I am most interested in adopting from China!"
"Why China?" China is a country where the one child policy and preference for boys has left many families in an awful situation. Many girls are abandoned with the plan for the family to try for another child, a son. The only thing "wrong" with these children is that they are girls. They tend to be under one year of age, something which appealed to our family. The cost was something we could work with, and the travel is reasonable, unlike other countries where we would be required to stay for 3 weeks or more. The process is fair, straight forward, and predictable. We fill out the paperwork, pay our dues, and will receive a child. Very reassuring! Once we had decided on China, we started the application process.
I chose you . . .
. . . beacuse I wanted the extra love that you would bring to our family.
. . . because you needed a loving family, and mine needed you.
. . . because I believe every child should have a loving home.
. . . because you needed the love that I had to give.
. . . becasue the love of family is meant to be shared.
. . . to give you the opportunites that were given to me.
. . . to share the many blessings that I have received.
Taken from "Why I Chose You" Gregory E. Lang
