In the fall of 2004 we embarked on a journey we had dreamed of for many years: to grow our family through international adoption. At the time we made this decision, I can honestly say, we didn’t have any idea what the experience would come to mean for us, and how profoundly it would change our lives. When we began, we thought we would adopt a healthy infant girl, but somehow as we made the first few steps down this path, we felt called to go a different way and bring home a “waiting child”. We adopted a little boy almost 3 years old with a limb difference; that little boy is our son Kai, who many of you have had the opportunity to meet, either in person, or through our blog. And now, just as for the speaker in Robert Frost’s poem “A Path Diverged Into a Wood”, for us, this has made all the difference. 

We quickly became very involved with the world of international adoption, and advocating for waiting and special needs children. We also knew we wanted to open our home to another child. We are currently in the process of adopting another little boy from China with a limb difference. His name is YuHeng (the meaning of his name in English is Eternal Rain), he’s three years old and is living in the Child Welfare Institute in the city of Xi’an. 

Adopting from China has many associated expenses including agency fees, home study costs, local, state and federal background checks, document acquisition, notary fees, translation fees, immigration fees, as well as travel and airfare costs.
 
One of the expenses in adopting from China is a required $3000 donation to the social welfare institute that has provided care to the child being adopted. This money helps the institute to provide care for the children who continue to live there. Because of this money, we have witnessed great improvements in the lives of children in these orphanages. And this is where we would like to ask for your help.
 
I know that all of us are frequently called on to contribute to many worthy causes, so I don't assume for a minute that you are short on opportunities to give financial help to others. Still, I am hoping that you might consider assisting us. Rather than asking you to buy overpriced magazine subscriptions, extra-thin wrapping paper, or chocolate of questionable quality, I am asking you to consider making a financial gift of any amount you like by clicking on the Chipin Button at the top of this page. Chipin provides a safe secure way for you to donate money via a credit card or through PayPal. Your gift will go towards helping us in the process of bringing home our son Shen.

Thank you very much for taking the time to consider our request. If you are interested in other ways of providing financial assistance to children living in orphanages in China please visit the websites of these excellent charitable organizations:

Love Without Boundaries

Half The Sky

Starfish Foster Home