I thought it good to shew the signs
and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. How great are his signs!
and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
Daniel 4:2-3
Any adoptive parent will tell you, there is always a back-story explaining how God made it clear He wanted you to adopt this child.
We are no different.
In actuality, we are rather blessed that each of our children, from our first to our twenty-first, have beautiful back-stories before becoming our children. Each one is wonderful and amazing!
However, with it being their 10 year anniversary, here is Nathan and Elaina's (with Derick) back-story of their coming into our family....
SIGNS
VBS was in full swing in July 2003. I (Katherine) was in charge of the Mission Moment as well as counting the monies given by the children to purchase bikes for the Gospel for Asia missionaries. Several hundred dollars' worth of change was received, but only one foreign coin was found...a 1986 Philippine 50 cent peso!
Since Bob and I had been married in 1986, it seemed kind of cool. But God used the coin to remind me once again of my childhood prayer and to pray it again. This had happened before in 1998 while reading the book 'Twelve-Part Harmony' about a family who adopted. God had used that book to trigger the memory of my childhood prayer to have Filipino children of my very own one day and I prayed it again in faith. My original prayer was made when I was 12 years old after reading the book about an adoptive family called 'The Family Nobody Wanted'. I had asked God to give me a family like them.
Yet, being in the process of adopting four children from Russia, the 'useless' coin went in my pocket and the memory of it out of my head.
Then in September 2003, right after the four Russians returned to their orphanage from their ten-day hosting visit to our home, the seed for another adoption was planted. It came in a rather unusual way...through a ring.
Four years earlier, four daughters had just been placed in our five member family. The night the last three girls arrived, Cassandra gave me, her new mom, a ring with nine glass 'diamonds' around a large one. She had bought it at a yard sale. It was a gift I held in my heart as a sign from God of their accepting us as their parents and our family being joined as one around Him.
Then in September 2003, right after the four Russians returned to their orphanage from their ten-day hosting visit to our home, the seed for another adoption was planted. It came in a rather unusual way...through a ring.
Four years earlier, four daughters had just been placed in our five member family. The night the last three girls arrived, Cassandra gave me, her new mom, a ring with nine glass 'diamonds' around a large one. She had bought it at a yard sale. It was a gift I held in my heart as a sign from God of their accepting us as their parents and our family being joined as one around Him.
At this point too, a jeweler was closing its store. So for our 13th wedding anniversary Bob decided to replaced my engagement ring which had lost its solitaire diamond in 1997 before leaving Virginia to move to Illinois. He was able to get a great deal on a nine-diamond marque ring representing each member of our new family. And just like Cassandra's ring, it seemed fitting that this 'real' diamond ring would represent the binding of our sweet little family of nine in Christ forever.
But now, with adopting four more children, we needed to add four diamonds to the ring to represent our four Russian children. Try as they may, the
jewelers could not find, or make, an affordable four-stone ring to attach to the nine-diamond ring, so we opted for a
five-stone ring giving us fourteen diamonds. And as I am always looking for the
Lord’s fingerprints on things, I saw this as a sign for one more adoption of a
single child. I immediately shared this impression with Bob in the jewelry store and he could not disagree.
Also at that time, a catalog-bought country plaque hung over our sliding glass door in the kitchen. It said, 'God bless our house and all who enter’. It had a little house and five hills painted on it. The first hill had
two sheep, the second hill three, and the third hill four sheep all factory
painted. This was the exact progression of our family! Upon arriving home from
Russia in November 2003, I painted four more sheep on the fourth hill. An empty fifth hill remained!
However, even with all these signs it was not until October 7, 2003 that we were called to pursue a Philippine adoption.
WONDERS
While paying bills on our now infamous back porch, the Lord spoke to my prayerful heart regarding another adoption, "twin girls three years old, go to the Philippines, and name the boy Nathan." Katherine immediately went to Bob and told him what she had 'heard' in her heart. His response was, we will ask Diane (our social worker with Lifelink) to look into the validity of these girls, but we are going to wait until after the New Year.
We still had not brought our Russian children home yet.
Crazy, we know, but remember the ring!
In November, we went to Russia and brought home our four new children. The day after our arrival home, we broke the news to my parents (who cared for the other seven while we traveled) that the Lord was calling us to go to the Philippines for two girls. Without batting an eye they said, "Great!"
However, even with all these signs it was not until October 7, 2003 that we were called to pursue a Philippine adoption.
WONDERS
While paying bills on our now infamous back porch, the Lord spoke to my prayerful heart regarding another adoption, "twin girls three years old, go to the Philippines, and name the boy Nathan." Katherine immediately went to Bob and told him what she had 'heard' in her heart. His response was, we will ask Diane (our social worker with Lifelink) to look into the validity of these girls, but we are going to wait until after the New Year.
We still had not brought our Russian children home yet.
Crazy, we know, but remember the ring!
In November, we went to Russia and brought home our four new children. The day after our arrival home, we broke the news to my parents (who cared for the other seven while we traveled) that the Lord was calling us to go to the Philippines for two girls. Without batting an eye they said, "Great!"
One year later, October 2003, the Lord calls their real parents to begin the process to bring them home!
After spending quite some time with us for a post-placement visit on February 20, 2004, Bob told our social worker that
we would like to "request her services again". Diane stood up, put her things in her chattel, and then stated emphatically, "If it was anyone else I would say no, but since it is you, I will look into it."
The first wall down!
On March 4, 2004, I wrote in my journal:
If it is to come to pass that we should adopt from the Philippines it shall be likened unto the Bible story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho. For there are thick walls preventing us from reaching our children: family size, money, foster licensing, and local adoption in USA courts. We must be silent and let the Lord fight for us, but keep marching forward doing his work each day.
What a march it was to be...as there were four more walls that needed to come down!!
Family Size -
Lifelink’s Director for their Philippine program ‘did not feel that the Philippines would accept a family with eleven children already in the home.’ However, Diane did not quite agree. She sent us looking for another agency, but told us she would do our home study update.
(Diane was our greatest advocate and supporter through this whole process. She knew our family and knew our calling was true because of having observed our family for years. Without her this adoption would have never happened.)
April 12, 2004 - With my husband's blessing, I called Christian Adoption Services (CAS) in North Carolina. I was connected to the director, Jim Woodward. At first, he told me that by law he could not help us as we needed to find an agency in IL. I responded that our Lifelink social worker told us their Philippine Director would not take our case because of the size of our family and to find another agency. And I shared that we felt the Lord was calling us to adopt two sisters and maybe a brother. He said in the case of ‘waiting children’ he may be able to help us. We needed to send a letter stating who we were, a sort of overview of our home study by email, and he would forward it to the Philippines.
Lifelink’s Director for their Philippine program ‘did not feel that the Philippines would accept a family with eleven children already in the home.’ However, Diane did not quite agree. She sent us looking for another agency, but told us she would do our home study update.
(Diane was our greatest advocate and supporter through this whole process. She knew our family and knew our calling was true because of having observed our family for years. Without her this adoption would have never happened.)
April 12, 2004 - With my husband's blessing, I called Christian Adoption Services (CAS) in North Carolina. I was connected to the director, Jim Woodward. At first, he told me that by law he could not help us as we needed to find an agency in IL. I responded that our Lifelink social worker told us their Philippine Director would not take our case because of the size of our family and to find another agency. And I shared that we felt the Lord was calling us to adopt two sisters and maybe a brother. He said in the case of ‘waiting children’ he may be able to help us. We needed to send a letter stating who we were, a sort of overview of our home study by email, and he would forward it to the Philippines.
A wall crumbling?
April 21, 2004 - Mr. Woodward informs us he has "sent an inquiry to the Executive Director of the Philippines Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB) regarding our desire to adopt a young sibling group of two children."
June 18, 2004 - The Philippine ICAB approved us to adopt ‘waiting older children’ with Dr. Laraya stating, "We truly commend this couple’s commitment to sharing their home and family with a young sibling group from the Philippines. We would truly love to work with this couple but we are afraid that ... The Sanfords will have to wait for a considerable time to be allocated with children in accordance with their child preference - i.e. a young sibling group of two children. May we know if they are willing to consider an older sibling group?"
We responded we were! Out of a list of 10 sibling groups given to us that afternoon, we prayerfully considered and asked for the Tumlos siblings.
August 13, 2004 - The ICAB sends an email stating "That the above named children (Tumlos siblings) have a possible family who are interested in adopting them. We look forward to receiving the adoption application and dossier of Robert and Katherine Sanford."
Large family wall down!
Learned when we traveled to the Philippines:
May 18, 2005 - Beth, at ICAB, shared that in January 2005 she went to
the ICAB
Matching Committee with the expectation of getting approval for the match that
day. They asked her why she had not written up a referral for the match, first to be
reviewed by the committee and at some later dated voted on for approval. They
also asked the question as to why ICAB should even consider this family since
they already have 11 children. Beth told them that because of the Disruption no
family anywhere in the world has been willing to accept these children for a referral
in two years, this family wants them. And she told them, "I believe they should be
matched, so I didn't even bother with writing a referral."
Matching Committee with the expectation of getting approval for the match that
day. They asked her why she had not written up a referral for the match, first to be
reviewed by the committee and at some later dated voted on for approval. They
also asked the question as to why ICAB should even consider this family since
they already have 11 children. Beth told them that because of the Disruption no
family anywhere in the world has been willing to accept these children for a referral
in two years, this family wants them. And she told them, "I believe they should be
matched, so I didn't even bother with writing a referral."
Money-
November 23, 2004 - The Manna Group Foundation (now Lifesong for Orphans) had agreed to give us a matching grant to help raise money for the adoption. They had already helped us with bringing our four Russian children home. And Andy Lehman was more than happy to help us again. So we drafted a letter to send to all our extended family and friends sharing God’s call on our lives to adopt three siblings from the Philippines; inviting them to be a part of bringing them home by matching the TMG grant.
November 23, 2004 - The Manna Group Foundation (now Lifesong for Orphans) had agreed to give us a matching grant to help raise money for the adoption. They had already helped us with bringing our four Russian children home. And Andy Lehman was more than happy to help us again. So we drafted a letter to send to all our extended family and friends sharing God’s call on our lives to adopt three siblings from the Philippines; inviting them to be a part of bringing them home by matching the TMG grant.
January 20, 2005 - Bob receives an email from CAS stating that the grant had been matched as well as informing him that the contributions had exceeded the expected amount. Bob realized then, that through people’s wonderful and gracious generosity, our airfare was also going to be covered. The Lord is so good and does abundantly more than we could ask or imagine!
Money wall down!
Foster Licensing-
August 2, 2004 - There is a concern with Lifelink's directors on updating our home study (family size, house size, heart size). Diane our gallant advocate received 'conditional approval' to move forward with the update if the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) would foster license our family.
August 2, 2004 - There is a concern with Lifelink's directors on updating our home study (family size, house size, heart size). Diane our gallant advocate received 'conditional approval' to move forward with the update if the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) would foster license our family.
August 9, 2004 - Diane writes that DCFS gives "the go ahead to license your home even with the number of children."
Another wall down....or so we
thought!
I had written in my journal that day:
My
first reaction should be one of horror, but it is truly nothing more than an "Oh,
hum, the Lord is on it." The news, though
formidable, was in the Lord's hands. Yesterday the letter was written by Diane
approved by Mary Donnelly of Inter-Country Adoptions. A work of art it was! Today it goes to Mr. Samuels, director of DCFS.
He does not support or believe in large
families. A product of the system himself, he felt neglected in a large foster
family. The Lord in his providence did not reveal
this as a need until after our home study was done, dossier sent, referral given,
and legal documents received and sent, along with I-600's, to
BCIS (USCIS today). If the request had been made at the initial time of our home study update
it may not have gotten approval. The Lord is
faithful. This is his adoption. We are on the other side of the Jordan River
where the Lord fights for us. 'The Battle is the
Lord's!'"
Licensing wall down!
In the meantime, remember those twin girls the Lord called us to adopt? We saw the girls from the side of the road when they were on display at our bank. We walked over to see one in particular and learned she had a twin. The Humane Society would not separate them, if we wanted the one we had to take the other. It was an easy decision! Betsy and Gertie, three year old beagle litter twins, became ours in July 2004!
Also, remember the name we were to give. That decision, as to which of our two new Philippine sons were to receive the name 'Nathan', had been made easy by the Lord. The oldest boy's birth-name was Jonathan and we could not give him 'Nathan' as an adopted name, so we gave him the name Derick; a shortened version of my Dad's name Frederick. Therefore, the chosen name of the Lord went to 'Nathan Jay-R'.
From my journal:
Local Adoption -
May 24, 2005 - Bob emails our lawyer, Tom Wilson, who is handling our Russian adoption saying, "My wife and I traveled to the Philippines last week to bring home three more children. The purpose of my email is to ask you if you would consider helping us with this adoption as well." Mr. Wilson sends a one sentence response, "Send me the documents."
Adoption wall down!
I once again write in my journal:
May 25, 2005 - All the walls are down. We
have taken the city and our 'Rahabs' are safely home. It was eleven months to
the day from when we were given confirmation by the Philippines to pursue the
adoption of the Tumlos siblings to when they were officially placed in our
care, June 18, 2004 - May 18, 2005. (Though they were placed with us May 17,
2005, it was not made official until the 18th when ICAB gave us their papers.)
The children had known we wanted them since July 2004! Yet, this protected their
hearts as they lived that year with their new foster parents; the bonding was
limited because they knew they had a mommy and daddy coming from America. And
just like Rahab of old, in the lineage of Jesus, our children are embracing
their new family and our God. The elect of Christ are all home!! Are there more
to come? I do not know, but I and my husband are the Lord's servants; it will be
as He wills.
We were the proud parents of 14 children: 7 boys and 7 girls!
And the prayer of a 12 year old girl had fully been answered...or so we thought at the time!
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in
vain that build it...
Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of
the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man: so are
children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.
Psalm 127:1,3-5a
