November is Adoption Awareness Month, and one local family is embracing the process four times over.
The Paul and Lisa
Bowden family of Alexandria, which hosted four Ukrainian orphans for the
month of July this year, has made the long and rewarding commitment to
adopt the siblings.
Not
only will this decision drastically change the Bowdens' lives, but they
also want to encourage others to consider hosting and maybe even
adoption.
Making a decision
The
Bowdens welcomed Vova, Natasha, Yulia and Kolia into their home while
the kids' orphanage was closed for one month. While they were here, they
experienced the love of a family and things ordinary kids would enjoy,
such as riding a bike or buying new shoes.
The kids flew
back to Ukraine on July 29, and the Bowdens had a tough time saying
goodbye. They knew what they needed to do next.
"When we
were driving home, God just made it so clear that they already had been
grafted into our family," Lisa said. "He not only told us that we
needed to bring them back home but that we needed to have a sense of
urgency about it."
The urgency may have to do with the fact that the kids were moved to a different orphanage with even poorer conditions.
"We've
Skyped twice since they got there," Lisa said. "It's been really hard
because the second time we Skyped with them, that connection was not as
strong because they're back in survival mode, and you could really see
that."
Before starting the adoption process, the
Bowdens' first step was to ask their own four children, Preston, Tahlia,
Parker and Briquelle, how they felt about it.
"They're accepting of it. It's a change, and it takes a little time to process," Lisa said.
The orphans also had to say yes, to which they agreed unanimously and are "super excited."
The process
The guardian who accompanied the kids to the U.S. in July referred the Bowdens to Adoption Related Services in Pennsylvania.
The
process began with a home study, which includes an interview with the
agency and a 17-page document about the adoptive family.
Other
steps include getting clearance from immigration, the state and the FBI
and verifying information with the Secretary of State.
"It's
just a lot, and I understand why," Lisa said. "And it's a good thing in
some ways that it's a lot, but in some ways, I wish it didn't have to
be such a big barrier."
Lisa hopes the prospect of many steps doesn't deter others from considering adoption or even hosting.
"I
want to encourage people. You get guided through what to do. You just
do the next step and then the next step," she said. "God pulled us into
adoption through hosting. So had it not been for that ministry, I can't
picture how we would jump into adoption just out of the blue.
"Adoption's
a big commitment, but hosting, people can do that and they can wrap
their brain around it and just for a time pour into a child and know
that they can handle it and don't have to make any long term plans."
Lisa said that she and Paul will likely go to Ukraine in January or February to get the kids and bring them home.
"Giving
the kids a sense of belonging," Lisa said of what she hopes adoption
will bring. "They have no idea how much they are loved. Here we are,
just pursuing them, and I think that's such a picture of God."
Local support
The
Bowdens couldn't have gotten this far in the adoption process without
the help of His Kids Orphan Ministry, a local adoption support ministry
affiliated with Lake Community Church in Alexandria.
According
to Lisa, the ministry is three-fold. It awards grants to families who
are approved through a licensed adoption agency, it provides support and
networking for adoptive families and it has a global initiative to
reach orphans internationally.
His Kids awarded the Bowdens a grant early in the process that allowed them to continue.
Every
year in November for Adoption Awareness Month, the ministry hosts a
fundraiser, and this year, Paul spoke at the event. He reflected on the
biblical topic of adoption and also shared their story.
The
fundraiser was Friday at Lake Community Church. Along with having an
opportunity to support His Kids, attendees could also support the
Bowdens. They had a table at which they sold T-shirts to help with the
financial steps of the adoption.
"I am learning that
adoption is a vision and a calling that everyone can participate in
because not everyone is called to adopt, but in James, it talks about
true religion or true worship is taking care of orphans and widows and
their needs," Lisa said. "I want people to know that by even just buying
a T-shirt, they are part of the adoption team, so to speak."
So whether by hosting, adopting, donating or saying a prayer, everyone can get involved in the process, she said.
"Any way we choose to support kids who need families is important," Lisa said.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий