When Rush Came Home

When we decided adoption was God's plan for us. It took a weight off of our shoulders. Literally, our prayers changed from please let us get pregnant to please find our baby. We researched and prayed and God placed the country of Russia on our hearts, and our plan was to adopt siblings. Children in orphanages that age out without a family will likely end up in prostitution or drug rings. We knew we had to help at least two of these kids from that future. We did all the necessary steps and found the right Agency for us. December 2010 our home study was finalized, and in the summer of 2011 we got the call that we had a referral for a brother and sister!

With Russian adoption 3 trips are required. The first to meet your child, the second for court, and the third to bring them home. In September of 2011 we traveled to Kaliningrad, Russia to meet our kids. We meet, we played, we hugged, we took walks, we blew bubbles....we knew we could fall in love with these beautiful children. We signed the papers for adoption, and we flew home on cloud 9. This was it, We worked to get the house ready and everything they would need. Our friends and coworkers threw us wonderful baby showers. Two days before we fly back we get the call. "I'm so sorry Michael and Samantha this never happens. The Aunt of the children was contacted and she has decided to keep the children. Again this never happens, but we will fix this. We don't have any children available right now but you have to go ahead and fly over to appear in court to stop the adoption." We were floored. I was devastated. I was so angry at the situation, at God. Why would He do this to us! Michael had to drag me on that plane two days later, and that sets the scene for our little bundle of joy!

We flew to Russia again. By this time our agency said they had a girl that was available for us to visit, but that is not what God promised me. Our oldest would be a boy, I just knew it. We flew back blindly as to what was ahead. When we arrived we had to appear in court and tell the judge that we wished to stop the adoption in order to visit other children. Might I add how nice everyone there was to us. They were all very sorry it didn't work out. Waiting to leave the courtroom we were approached by the orphanage director. A wonderful, sweet woman that we couldn't understand! She brought us and our translator in close and said something we didn't get until our translator told us "She says she has picked you out a baby boy that looks just like dad!" Come to find out that was our Rush boy! We were able to visit him that afternoon, and the moment I lied eyes on that 10 month old scared little boy the depth of love that I felt could have flew me around the world a thousand times. We knew this was our boy! We knew God had provided, but God was not finished. We still had a little girl to visit, and to make a very big decision. We went the next day to visit Sophia. She was beautiful, only 5 months older than Rush, and we knew we couldn't leave her behind. The decision had to be made the next evening. Did we want to adopt both or only one of the kids?

We were tore by the decision. We knew Rush was ours, but how could we leave Sophia behind? As our agency worker left the room she said she would return after talking to another couple and needed an answer when she returned. An overwhelming peace come over us that Sophia was not our daughter, and I had Michael go next door to tell her before we changed our minds. At that very moment our agency worker was in the next room telling a couple that their adoption had fallen through. Michael knocked on that door unknowing and told her that Rush was meant to be ours, not Sophia. That couple met Sophia the next day and fell in love with her. We picked up our kids at the same time, traveled to the US embassy together, and still have contact with them today.

Looking back now God didn't just Get Rush out of that orphanage, He didn't just get two siblings out of that orphanage, He got 4 kids out of the orphanage. He doubled our expectations. Our first 2 kids went to be with family in Russia (who in 2 years had never visited them until we came along). Sophia went with her forever family, and Rush is right were he belongs. We were able to celebrate Rush's 1st birthday with him at the orphanage. We made 4 trips instead of the normal 3. We spent way more money than we had. Yes, this adoption had it's share of ups and downs but the experiences Michael and I shared have grown our marriage and our faith.