5. How do you manage individual time with each of the children?
It is difficult and lots of times just does not happen. However the kids never mind. Each one does get to go out to breakfast with just momma and daddy on their b-day. We often go out with just one or 2 or 3 or a zilliion :) Often we have a teen or 2 on our bed at nite just wanting to talk... I do go over school work with each one at least once a week by themselves... to be honest though they might like more one on one but they don't seem to . Maybe just being in this large family without more one on one time is just wonderful to them and just what they want.... I have not seen really any of them "needing" it by their behaviors. Usually if they are acting up ... some time in my cozy chair or on my lap in a rocker helps.
6. How does one ever afford 50,000 dollars to adopt overseas?
One never does... or at least we do not. For all 19 of our adoptions we have had to be obedient to the Lord's call and step out in faith. We have not ever done any fundraising for the adoptions... we are not against anyone doing that at all. Just the Lord has not ever asked us to yet. When we have said yes to the adoption the Lord has provided... and it has been an amazing journey to have been asked to be a part of. It also has helped that Paul works for a company that has a 10,000 per child, per adoption benefit. So when we have adopted 5 children at once ... about 4 weeks after they came home we were reimbursed 50,000 dollars by his company as long as we had receipts to show we had spent that much... for that adoption the total was 53,000. So for our 5 children it cost us only 3,000... now we have to come up with that full amount at first but we know that we will be reimbursed some. It also does help if you want to ... to adopt more than one at once and we have been able to get some grant money for some of our kids adoptions .
Thank you for the kind words... ladybug....It is really all to the Lord's glory that we can inspire. Thank you.
7. Do you have trouble finding a social worker to approve your adoptions? Especially the adoptions of 2 children at once?
We have never had any issues with our social workers or agencies approving us to adopt. We have used several diff. agencies and several social workers as well... so we can't be accused of having an "in" with the social worker. We have even had one ask if she could move in with us ? We actually have heard of many of our children through our social workers or agencies when they were trying to find a family to adopt this child that no one wanted.... so we feel honored that they would ask us... and you know the best part ...we are so greatful to the Lord that no one wanted them....because the children the Lord have brought to us have been a blessing and then some.
The number of children we have been approved for has not been an issue as well. Our home has the space, has passed all of our state's requirements and then some. We are able financially to adopt and always the social workers have approved us for the number we needed to be. Even last year when we adopted 5 children at once from Ukraine. Now the USCIS have scrutinized us but that was ok too... except for the time when they lied... but in the end we got to adopt our 5 from Ukriane... because the Lord wanted us to.
8. Things you feel should be present in a home to not only raise a large family but to adopt more than one.
I would not say it is about "things" but about your heart and your faith. At least that is the only way we can do what we do. Our heart is full of love given to us by the Lord. I could not get thru my day if I did not have this love placed in my heart for my family. There has to be forgiveness because we all will make mistakes and need to be forgiven....a commitment to serving the Lord...because our life is intense. That is the best word that describes our family... intense feelings of frustration at times, intense feelings of overcoming the past and overcoming what we were born with in our sometimes not perfect bodies, but always intense feelings of love... shared thru our deep faith.
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