Tuesday, April 27, 2010

A Different Twist on Adoption

Some people adopt babies, some older children…we adopt adults. It started 5 years ago I believe. A young man, a sailor, stationed on the aircraft carrier at Everett Naval Station came to church. He came and sat alone. It was Memorial Day Sunday and the following day we were having a little family party. We invited Joel to join us. I understand that he almost didn’t, but his parents encouraged him and he did. That was the moment…the Providential moment for all of us. He began staying the weekends with us, and became like a son to us. Since then he has married our precious niece and is our actual nephew. That’s how it all started.

Since then we have had two of our sons friends live with us for a few months, sadly we don’t see them much. Our parting was difficult.

The next – a wayward, Texan youth intern. He, his wife Natalie, and baby Tristan are our Texas kids. Daryn was a handful, but God used us to help grow him up, and him to teach us many things as well. I will never forget the first day he arrived. He was covered in tattoos, spoke like a skateboarding longshoreman, and flirted flagrantly with our waitress at Outback. The laundry hanging out of the dryer, the cups with chewing tobacco spew, and using the bathroom with the door open were just a few of the challenges we had with Daryn. He came to us rough around the edges, irreverent, hilarious, unwise, fun, foolish, but honest. He’s a totally different man now. He married his girlfriend, and became a father to his child. He works hard, loves his wife and child. We are proud of him, and so thankful for the evident hand of God in his life.

Kelly, our Canadian daughter came as a youth intern as well. She is a lovely, adventurous young woman, fun, serious, thoughtful, kind, and caring. Disciplined and focused she worked very hard with the youth at Westminster. She volunteered her time feeding and clothing the poor, she invested in the lives of the young women around her, and she brightened our household. Her grace and wisdom beyond her years inspires. We are so thankful that God brought her into our lives. Our “Kelly Girl” is currently home for a visit before she goes to Pakistan for the summer to teach English as a second language with missionaries there.

Timothy, Hannah and Peter at different times have been involved with Fishnet Theater – a Christian traveling theater group. This involvement has brought many people into our lives…one of whom is Esther. She is a precious, sensitive, eager young woman. A nanny of two, she currently stars in the Fishnet play “Conquest of the Pirate Ship Reclaim” as a pirate, mother of three. We believe that God brought Esther to us to help us to guide her down new paths, push her out of her comfort zones, and help her to become all that God intends her to be. Alone, and lonely she had buried herself in her rented room in someone else’s house, no plan, no goals, no forward motion. Esther needed family, she needed to be loved, encouraged, and given hope. What God has done in her is amazing. She is currently taking classes to become a Phlebotomist, she is planning for the future, and working hard toward her goals. We are proud of our newest daughter and feel blessed to have her in our family.

Jon, our newest member is 19, his parents have recently divorced which has left him in a very difficult awkward position. He is a very talented theater rat. He works with several community theaters stage managing, creating sets and props, and is involved with sound as well. Shy, and gentle, Jon is still coming out of his shell. I don’t know fully what God has in mind for him, but he is a delight, and I can’t wait to see.

God has blessed us greatly! J.

1 comment:

  1. This made me cry! I, too, thank God for bringing all of these people into your lives, especially Joel of course. ;) Thank God that He always has an amazing plan for each of our lives and that everything works out according to His plan! :)

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