We’re so proud of and thankful for each and every one of our families, we thought we’d give them the chance to show off a bit. We enjoy shining the spotlight on families by letting them introduce themselves and tell us a little about why and how they got involved with adoption.
This month we’re letting the Thompson Family tell their story.
Introduce your family:
We are Sean and Candice, and our Son Isaiah Thompson from Indiana.
What led you to adoption and international adoption?
Sean and Candice have both been involved in working with children here in North America and around the world since jr.high/high school and have been touched by children who do not have families. A seed was planted in both of our hearts for adoption even before we knew one another. When we were dating we talked about adoption and felt God’s lead to have adoption be a part of our family.
What country did you choose to adopt from and why did you choose that country?
We spent 2 months working with a Medical Mission Hospital in the Republic of Congo in 2008. We were deeply touched and changed for the experience. In 2010 when we began researching adoption more actively we found MLJ and saw they had a connection with the Democratic Republic of Congo (which is not the same country, but they have similar cultures as they are neighbors, and many of the missionaries we worked with and became close to in the hospital were from the DRC) Our hearts leapt into our throats when we saw “Congo” on the web page. It was a reaction you don’t expect, and we knew that the doors were opening so we needed to begin walking through them!
Why did you choose to work with MLJ through your international adoption process?
After our first meeting with MLJ we were impressed with their care and personal approach to the process.
How long did the adoption take you?
We started gathering documents for our home study in January, but that was not finished until October. Once we received our 171-H, it was only 2 weeks before we received a referral, and five months before travel dates were set and our son flew into our arms!
How has international adoption been different than you expected?
Well…it’s been awesome…it has transformed us…it literally has brought a whole new meaning to love, patience, self-control, kindness…we were stretched and grown and given opportunities to grow in awesome ways…a special addition to becoming a parent!
How has international adoption impacted your family?
We have had the opportunity to share God’s story of bringing Isaiah into our family with others who now are considering and acting upon how they can be involved in the care of children who are in need both domestically, and internationally.
What was adjustment like for your family?
The adjustment has been amazing… seeing him reach for us when he’s uncomfortable, sing, dance, yell, laugh… it’s amazing. He loves to be carried and our experience in Republic of Congo showed us how babies are worn most of the time. He has a fair amount of floor time, but we “wear” him often, which is a great bonding experience for all of us! Sleep was hard at first, and still is occasionally, but that’s parenting!
What do you wish you could tell other families that are adopting or considering international adoption?
The process is just that, a process. That takes time, energy, patience, and self-control. You encounter many opportunities to make choices…will I be patient, will I be anxious, will I be frustrated, will I be stressed, will I laugh, will I love my spouse more and more through this, will I accept help, will I humble myself. It’s an amazing opportunity to grow…and an awesome opportunity to practice being intentional…even intentional about waiting…and no, that’s not easy, but most things that are worth it, they aren’t easy…we learned to embrace the process, as we are continually learning how to embrace life!
Is there a special story about your adoption that you would like to share?
During the time between signing our contract with MLJ and getting started hardcore on our home study we took some time to just pray for affirmation that this wasn’t just OUR idea, and OUR plan. We wanted to follow God’s lead. Well about 2 weeks into that waiting time, we heard from 2 different couple friends: We are close to both of these families, these families did not know each other, and within 1 week they both told us that they were also beginning their families through adoption, and they both were adopting from DRC, and they both were working with MLJ. Now that was some affirmation… we now hang out with both families and all 3 of our children…God’s awesome.
For more information about MLJ Adoptions’ international adoption programs, please click here. If you would like to be featured in our Family Spotlight please email Sheri.
MLJ Adoptions
MLJ Adoptions is a Non-Profit, Hague-Accredited adoption service provider located in Indianapolis, Indiana, working in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Pacific Isles. We are passionate about serving children in need.
MLJ Adoptions
MLJ Adoptions is a Non-Profit, Hague-Accredited adoption service provider located in Indianapolis, Indiana, working in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Pacific Isles. We are passionate about serving children in need.