Thankful Thursday - Caleb's Story

This thankful Thursday I want to share how our adoption of our little guy came about. Enjoy Caleb's story. I am thankful to be able to share it with you.

I guess Caleb's story started when we adopted Claire. Gary and I just knew that she would not be the last child for us. God really took our desire for more children and turned it into a heart for orphans. Due to this heart for orphans, I would check the photo listing on Rainbow Kids occasionally and I saw several Korean children through Holt International. So I started occasionally checking Holt’s site, they also have a photo listing of waiting children. We decided with the upcoming move to Alabama we would just wait especially since we will only be in Alabama for less than a year. Well, God had other plans. On a side note, Brianna had said several months ago “I think we need to adopt a little boy from Korea and I have the perfect name for him. Do you want to hear it? His name is Caleb.” When she said this we were still thinking Uganda would be where we would adopt from next. However, the seed had been planted. I started feeling nudges that we were supposed to pursue Korea first before Uganda (I don’t know if Uganda will ever happen but the desire is there). Well, on May 13, I felt like we needed to apply for the waiting child program through Holt. With Holt, you can apply and pay $50 and that will allow you to view children’s files and see the photos on the password protected sites. There was a photo of a little baby boy that I was sure was ours so when I sent the application I requested his file. The next evening, Gary and I went to an Agape Pregnancy Center fundraiser and while the speaker was talking I suddenly had a strange sensation and a little boy’s picture flashed through my mind. I almost started crying because I was so overwhelmed with what had just happened. The picture wasn’t of the little boy whose file I had requested but of another little boy that I hadn’t even considered before. When I told Gary on the way home he said you know what that means, we need to ask for his file. I immediately emailed Holt when we got home and requested his file. We received the files of both boys the next day. We both felt such peace about pursuing Caleb (Korean name is Ho-min). He has significant special needs (at least more than Claire has) and we have talked with a doctor several times but nothing we heard changed our mind about pursuing him. The following week we let Holt know we wanted to pursue him. We then had to fill out questionnaires so our family could go before the committee to be selected as his family. As you know, we found out June 4 that we were approved. Korea doesn’t require a dossier just an approved home study. Once we have an approved home study, we can get him usually 3-5 months later. We are so close to finishing our home study. Our social worker comes for our home visit on Monday!! God has faithfully provided the funds thus far for his adoption and we are trusting Him to provide the rest of the money needed. We are also considering some fundraising ideas. If any of you know of any successful fundraising ideas please let me know. His full name is going to be Caleb Joseph Ho-min. Caleb means faithful and I really think God has been faithful in finding a family for him, he has been waiting almost 2 years and Joseph means God will add and God really did add him to our family. This little boy wasn’t even on our radar screen until May 14 and June 4 we find out he will be ours, only God could do that. We have both felt God saying to us, “Are you going to trust me on this, he is my child, will you step out in faith and bring him home.” How could we say no to that? Could you pray that we bring Caleb home soon? He has been hospitalized several times since June related to his special need. We need to get him home and seen by doctors here and started on consistant medicine and therapy.

Since I can't show you his face yet. Here is his adorable hands and feet!!

Another side note, Brianna told me she had a dream this week that we were at the hospital picking up a new baby. She said we named him Benjamin! This girl is scaring me!!