How Adoption Changed My Life

Ever since I was probably four years old, my mom would tell me, "One day, we're gonna adopt a little girl from China named Destiny, and a little boy from Cambodia named Caleb."

Now obviously, this never happened. And my mom's name ideas have changed. But her long to adopt, never faded.

The day adoption stole my heart, was in 2010, while we were living in TN. My mom came across Ethiopian adoption online, and got me hooked on it in a heartbeat. My dad, just like any other man, wasn't on board at first. We discussed Ethiopian adoption, and prayed about it (and watched just about every African adoption video on YouTube). After several months, my mom stumbled upon a picture of a little boy with Down syndrome, that was listed on Reece's Rainbow. After that she was sold. She grabbed me and my dad and we looked at the RR website. My mom had always had a thing for people with DS. And so, you can guess where it went from there ;)

Before adopting Gabe and Levi, I'm not really sure what my views on adoption were. I do know that I wasn't educated on it at all. I had no idea what the time frame was, what the paperwork held, etc. But now, I'm pretty much obsessed. I actually enjoy being apart of adoption conversations between moms, and reading adoptive parents' blogs. I know almost every step of the international adoption process (well at least for UA). I mean, how many 12 year olds do you know, that can actually pronounce the word dossier? ;)

God has not only blessed me with three brothers through adoption, but He has given me SO many amazing friends and support! I learned that I wasn't the only teen in the adoption world, when I joined the Big Brothers & Sisters Saving Little Lives With Christ group on Facebook. Since then, I have made friends for life. We all live in different states around the US, but we are united by the one same passion for saving lives and CHANGING the world.

Adoption now has a special place inside my heart=) Thank you Lord, for blessing me beyond words through one of your incredible gifts to us!