It was 10 years ago that Teresa and I received one of the most unexpected phone calls ever: we were told that there were 2 year old twins (a brother and sister) waiting in New Jersey, who came from Romania 6 months earlier. We were told that if we wanted to adopt them (even though we had not filled out any paperwork or sent any money), that we could come to New Jersey and go through the process to adopt them. That was an unbelievable phone call. A couple months later, we brought them home to Florida as our own children.
Last week, we received another phone call, which was also very unexpected and almost as surprising. Friends of ours who are planning to move to Romania to minister to street children, called to give us the news: We have family we didn't know existed, living in Idaho! And yesterday, we met them face to face for the first time. How did this all come about?
When we adopted Alex and Isabella, we knew there was a birth father, and some brothers and sisters living in Romania. Our understanding was that most of them were much older than our two, and were married with their own children. We have come to find out that Alex and Isabella are the 2 youngest out of 9 children, ranging from age 13 (that is what they turn on Sunday) to age 37!
One of our friends going to Romania grew up in Romania, still has family and contacts there. It "just so happens" (by God's providence, we believe) that contact was able to be made with the father and brothers and sisters there. So, we sent pictures of Alex and Isabella, intending to wait and see if the family there would respond in any way. But, that is not what the phone call was about.
The phone call was to inform us that Alex and Isabella have a brother (1 of the 9) who was adopted by a family who lived in California, and have since moved to Idaho! We had no idea. Their brother, Michael, was adopted by Dennis and Sammy, a very loving couple, soon after he was born in Romania. One of the interesting facts is that Michael is just 17, a little over 4 years older than Alex and Isabella. We really didn't know Michael existed, and were overwhelmed to find out that he was close to their age and living in the States!
The news got better. When we received the phone call, the family from Idaho, including Michael, was over in Romania, visiting the birth father and all the brothers and sisters. They saw the pictures we sent, and the Michael and his parents found out for the first time where Alex and Isabella where. They knew they were born 12 years ago, but did not know who had adopted them or where they lived. There was now this incredible connection, for them, with the entire family.
Dennis and Sammy were soon on the phone with us, telling us what they were finding out about Alex and Isabella's birth family and the place they were from. They were also able, after our invitation, to change their flight plans, and fly into Cleveland late Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Alex and Isabella were finally able to meet one of their brothers, the one they never even knew about. It was awesome.
The family brought us a ton of pictures and lots of good stories that helped us connect some dots from our children's past. We can see God's hand in how everything has worked out, from before Alex and Isabella were born and up until today. We know God has been at work since before the foundation of the world, but it is pretty cool once we mere mortals get a little view of what He has been doing!
We always wondered what Alex and Isabella's lives would have been like if we had not adopted them. We now know even more of how God has protected them and the incredible miracle He has performed in bringing them safely to us. We are also very excited to not only have Michael in Idaho but more opportunities to communicate with Alex and Isabella's birth father and brothers and sisters still in Romania.
And today, the new family from Idaho shared a wonderful blessing with us. As God provided financially for them to travel last week to Romania, they would like to financially provide for our family to go over to Romania to meet the remainder of the family. Isn't God awesome! We are humbled and grateful for our new additional family members, and looking forward to future opportunities God may give us to be together.
Take a hard look around you and see the wonderful things God is doing in your life today.
Last week, we received another phone call, which was also very unexpected and almost as surprising. Friends of ours who are planning to move to Romania to minister to street children, called to give us the news: We have family we didn't know existed, living in Idaho! And yesterday, we met them face to face for the first time. How did this all come about?
When we adopted Alex and Isabella, we knew there was a birth father, and some brothers and sisters living in Romania. Our understanding was that most of them were much older than our two, and were married with their own children. We have come to find out that Alex and Isabella are the 2 youngest out of 9 children, ranging from age 13 (that is what they turn on Sunday) to age 37!
One of our friends going to Romania grew up in Romania, still has family and contacts there. It "just so happens" (by God's providence, we believe) that contact was able to be made with the father and brothers and sisters there. So, we sent pictures of Alex and Isabella, intending to wait and see if the family there would respond in any way. But, that is not what the phone call was about.
The phone call was to inform us that Alex and Isabella have a brother (1 of the 9) who was adopted by a family who lived in California, and have since moved to Idaho! We had no idea. Their brother, Michael, was adopted by Dennis and Sammy, a very loving couple, soon after he was born in Romania. One of the interesting facts is that Michael is just 17, a little over 4 years older than Alex and Isabella. We really didn't know Michael existed, and were overwhelmed to find out that he was close to their age and living in the States!
The news got better. When we received the phone call, the family from Idaho, including Michael, was over in Romania, visiting the birth father and all the brothers and sisters. They saw the pictures we sent, and the Michael and his parents found out for the first time where Alex and Isabella where. They knew they were born 12 years ago, but did not know who had adopted them or where they lived. There was now this incredible connection, for them, with the entire family.
Dennis and Sammy were soon on the phone with us, telling us what they were finding out about Alex and Isabella's birth family and the place they were from. They were also able, after our invitation, to change their flight plans, and fly into Cleveland late Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Alex and Isabella were finally able to meet one of their brothers, the one they never even knew about. It was awesome.
The family brought us a ton of pictures and lots of good stories that helped us connect some dots from our children's past. We can see God's hand in how everything has worked out, from before Alex and Isabella were born and up until today. We know God has been at work since before the foundation of the world, but it is pretty cool once we mere mortals get a little view of what He has been doing!
We always wondered what Alex and Isabella's lives would have been like if we had not adopted them. We now know even more of how God has protected them and the incredible miracle He has performed in bringing them safely to us. We are also very excited to not only have Michael in Idaho but more opportunities to communicate with Alex and Isabella's birth father and brothers and sisters still in Romania.
And today, the new family from Idaho shared a wonderful blessing with us. As God provided financially for them to travel last week to Romania, they would like to financially provide for our family to go over to Romania to meet the remainder of the family. Isn't God awesome! We are humbled and grateful for our new additional family members, and looking forward to future opportunities God may give us to be together.
Take a hard look around you and see the wonderful things God is doing in your life today.
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