Little Miss Zoya

Shawn and I have some exciting news! We have committed to adopt a little girl with Down Syndrome! Crazy? You might think so, but we don't! Just a year ago, we would have never believed, ourselves, that we would be embarking on this journey.  This decision has been made with a lot of prayer, reflection, and listening to our hearts.  Those of you that know us know our love and passion for children with special needs. We initially began looking into domestic adoption of a child with Down Syndrome and learned some grim facts.  First off, on a positive note, there is a waiting list in the US of over 250 families wanting to adopt a child with Down Syndrome!  The sad statistic is, there aren't many children with DS in the US who are available to adopt since 92% of these "would be" children with DS are aborted after the prenatal diagnosis. 

We then found Reece's Rainbow website (http://www.reecesrainbow.com/) .....and.....our.....life.... changed! Our eyes were opened to a world we never knew existed! Hundreds and hundreds of children with Down Syndrome (and other special needs) are left in orphanages across the world because there is no chance for them to live a valued life in their own country.  No medical care, no therapies, no place in their society.  Many of these children, when they turn four, are transferred to institutions, where the majority of them die within the first year due to lack of care, nutrition, and attention.  Once God opened our eyes, we could not turn back.

We found Zoya's picture and felt an instant connection.  (We aren't sure if we will keep her name or change it yet).  We will be traveling to Eastern Europe to adopt Zoya.We are so excited and want her here NOW! We know the process is difficult and daunting, but its a small measure to take for the end result! We are hoping, if all goes well, that she will be home 6-7 months from now! Please keep us, and Zoya, in your prayers! We are so happy to have your support!

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do.  God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."

-Proverbs 24:12