OUR DECISION TO ADOPT - PART II

*January 2008- Three days after we got back from the Philippines, Allen came down with terrible flu-like symptoms. After trying to weather this bug out at home, he ended up in the hospital. It wasn't the flu after all, but the Dengue Fever. This virus can only be contracted from a mosquito and can in some cases, be fatal. Well, after spending several days in the hospital, two of which were in the ICU, Allen was released to come home. He was very weak and had lost 12 pounds. I would say that the weeks following our trip to the Philippines were just as life-changing as the trip itself. The girls and I sat, prayed and watched while Allen laid there unable to do one thing to stop this awful thing from happening. We all felt a bit helpless because he is usually the one solving our problems and taking care of everyone else. At any rate, situations like this help you to appreciate each other and bring you closer as a family. That was certainly the case for us and we were so thankful when Allen started to feel better. Meanwhile... there had been no talk of adoption since our homecoming. I think it was a good thing because it gave us some time to digest what we had seen and discussed while we were in the Philippines. The Dengue Fever episode also helped to remind us of what things in life are most important. It's family. It's people. It's relationships. This was not a chapter in our life that we would want to repeat, but it was yet another significant event that moved us closer to our decision to adopt.

*Saturday, January 26 - While Allen was at home recuperating, he and I started to talk about the need to make a decision one way or another. We invited our friends Tim and Barb one evening to talk about adoption issues. This family adopted a sibling group of five from the Philippines a few years back. (And really, they have made raising 9 kids look easy!) They certainly did not try to convince us to choose adoption. However, they were very honest and open about their experiences. At any rate, it was very helpful to talk with them. After they left, I could tell that Allen was SOLD. I really believed that yes, God was calling us to do this, but I wasn't quite ready to take the plunge.

*A Few Days Later - One evening, we decided it was time to call the adoption agency and begin our paperwork. In order for the kids to arrive before the 2008-09 school year, we needed to make that first call and get the ball rolling. I was pretty scared about this first step, but also ready to say "yes" to this calling. So...in the last week of January, we called Crossroads Adoption Agency. We jumped off the cliff that day together.