FAQ #8 "So how did all this come about?"

This is the funniest question of all. Because how am I supposed to answer that in one sentence or even one sitting?

-Charissa loved children
-John loved children
-We wanted a bunch of them
-Charissa wanted to adopt a child with a disability (discussed in 1994)
-John said he was "open" to adopt a child with a disability (in 1994)
-We had a bunch of kids (if you think 4 is a bunch of kids)-Feb 1998-Sep 2004
-Charissa started looking for family volunteer opportunities to provide respite care for parents of disabled children-2006 (Every child in the household had to be at least 16 in order to "volunteer" in such a capacity. That would be a long time to wait for a family volunteer opportunity)
-Watched Family Life "Hope for Orphans" (March 2007)
-Decided it was time to adopt (April 2007)
-Found Reeces Rainbow by googling "Down Syndrome Adoption"
-Charissa fell in love with the idea of adopting several specific orphans with disabilities, John was still "just open" to it (May 2007)
-While Charissa waited for John to say yes, every one of the specific orphans Charissa fell in love with got family commitments (June 2007)
-Got an email from Kelly, a humanitarian aide/missionary who does work in Ukrainian orphanages (June 11, 2007)
-Kelly said:
"While I was there this time, I was able to visit a little girl at the orphanage who has Down Syndrome. She is an
angel, with blond hair and big blue eyes and very fair skin. At
first she was not too responsive - she mostly lays still in her crib
during her days, but once I picked her up and started to kiss,
tickle and stroke her little head, she smiled such a sweet smile and
really responded, reaching out for more and more. She loved the
attention and tenderness. Originally we though this girl had more
health problems than she does. She does not have clubbed hands or
feet, just the DS related heart condition. It can be treated here
but in Ukraine it is not treated. She really
needs more stimulation and in a family she would just blossom. She
blossomed in one minute in my arms. What a sweet child.

The most amazing thing was the relationship she has with Naum, who
has taken on the role of her brother with no one showing him to do
so. The special needs kids also go outside each day with all the
children, though the mostly stay in the shade in their big giant
playpen together. This little girl lays in the playpen along with
some other children who are not mobile, and Naum lays right next to
her. While he could easily do the same for any other child, it is
ONLY this girl he lays by, strokes her cheek, holds and strokes her
hands and kisses them. He kisses her face. He 'talks' to her and
obviously feels that this little girl is HIS! Again, although he is
social with many other children, he does this only with her - she is
very special to him obviously.

If any of you are thinking of adoption of a DS child, please please
please consider her. When her Naum leaves, I don't know what will
happen to her - she loves his tenderness. She will soon age out and
have to be moved to the institution in that area. When I asked (with
my usual American optimism) if the conditions in that institution
are improving, as they are in the baby orphanage, the staff
replied, "We don't know. All the kids we've sent there have died.
Maybe the older ones steal food from the younger and weaker ones, we
don't know. Or maybe it is because they were sick children when we
sent them, but we kept each of them for four years none of them died
here. Only there." It was enough to make me want to be sick, hearing
this. May GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU who are adopting or considering
adopting one of these children. You are giving them the one thing no
one else will - a chance to live, to be loved. This little girl has
such potential, she is so beautiful. We just pray that God will send
her a family before it is too late."

-I spent the day crying and praying for her to find a family, thinking, "It couldn't be us, John isn't ready yet". I will never John calling me that day from work, after reading the email. He said, "I want her, do you?" YES! I DO! We spent the evening praying just to be sure, and I will never forget the joy I felt seeing her little profile with the words, "I found my forever family" written across it...OUR family! (June 13, 2007)
-Started home study, fundraising, lots and lots and lots of paperwork, background checks and fingerprinting, and answering questions that seemed very silly but I'm sure they're for a good reason.
-And now we wait and wait and wait for a travel date to finally meet this little girl who our lives have revolved around for so many months!