Beginnings

In 1996, my husband Jeff and I journeyed to Bulgaria to complete the adoption of an infant boy whom we named Kooper. Upon our arrival, passage to the orphanage was delayed by two consecutive flat tires.  Impatiently we waited knowing the son we prayed and prepared for was so close yet still beyond reach.  The following day, our friend and adoption coordinator, Dr. Bojin “Doc” Pandurov, succeeded in replacing the tires and delivering us to the children’s orphanage of Turgovishte, Bulgaria. 

My memories of arriving at the orphanage still seem like a dream in stills. Prior to our arrival in Bulgaria, a friend said God impressed on her heart that we would be celebrating two things when we picked up Kooper. In the emotion of our journey, we had forgotten about that promise. However, it was brought swiftly to our minds as the orphanage director greeted us with tears in her eyes. Kooper’s birth parents had a baby girl the very day we landed in Europe. Just that morning, the hospital had called to notify the orphanage that their parents had signed for her release. The hand of God dabbled in the tire business to ensure a perfectly timed blessing. His plans and promises are amazing; we would soon have a little girl.

The elation of the new arrival was tempered by a tour of the orphanage that led us past rows of metal cribs holding little lives growing up alone . . . each one so precious to God.  Our hearts were filled with both joy and concern.  God had so blessed us . . . what was our responsibility with that blessing in light of the needs we were seeing?

Returning home, we waited impatiently for pictures of the newborn baby girl we named Kylie Renee. Meanwhile, members of our extended family felt called to help the orphans and began processing international adoptions.  Our refrigerator door turned into a photo gallery. Jeff and I enjoyed having Kooper home and completed paperwork for Kylie, when we were delivered with a shocking twist in God’s plan.

Months earlier, AGCI had approached us about adopting from Macedonia. They informed us that because we were one of the first families in a non-established program, there were no guidelines and no guarantees. Determined not to manually shut a door God had divinely opened, we submitted our documents to the Macedonian government.  However, they denied our file and refused to grant us a referral. We laid that disappointment in the hands of God and with great anticipation turned to the day we would be united with Kylie.  Months later the Macedonian government changed their decision two weeks prior to the expiration of our INS paperwork and wanted us to pick up our child immediately. Three days later, Jeff and I clung to the picture of a beautiful two-year-old girl as we boarded an airplane for Skopje, Macedonia.

Upon our arrival, we were immediately escorted to meet our daughter Dariana. Her sweet face represented another perfectly timed miracle. Days later our content trio traveled from Macedonia into Bulgaria to visit Kylie in Turgovishte, plus Ivanca and Charlie who were being adopted by members of our extended family. We were thrilled to visit these precious ones and broken to leave them. God again performed a miracle in allaying our tears allowing us to leave them in His hands and walk out of their orphanages in peace. Yet a small tugging in our hearts stretched beyond adoption and to the children that crowded around us as we visited each orphanage.   We were surrounded by pleading eyes that sought attention and love.

During this trip the War on Kosovo erupted.  The airlines would not acquiesce to an earlier departure due to war related flight restrictions. We found ourselves with excess days in Bulgaria. God had other plans for the remainder of our week.  Jan Beazely of AGCI had arrived in Bulgaria to establish a Hannah’s Hope program at the children’s hospital in Buzovgrad.  Jeff, Dariana and I had the privilege of working alongside the staff of AGCI to create a beautiful children’s bedroom and playroom. We were blessed by the ability to serve in a personal and practical way.  These children were shown the love and grace of God through creativity and hard work that offered them the gifts their heavenly Father intended for them. They were accustomed to scraps, but the Lord used our efforts to deliver them the best.  We couldn’t help but feel God had a purpose for this experience beyond that one project.

The following year we again traveled to Bulgaria to bring our daughter Kylie home.  This journey was interjected with three days in India to help establish an adoption program there.  On that trip we walked both the alleys of New Delhi and the byways of Bulgaria.  Again our hearts were torn by the children roaming the streets, crowding orphanages and begging for compassion.  Everywhere the children waited.  As our departing airplane lifted off the runway my husband reached across our sleeping baby girl, grasped my hand and said “you know we will be back, right?” 

The first Global Orphan Project launched to Bulgaria in 1998 and has continued annually, registering thousands of frequent flyer miles, distributing countless bundles of relief and reaching scores of children.  Never did we think, plan or believe that the adoption of one child would so transform our lives, ministry and calling.  In the ensuing years we have adopted a total of seven children and welcomed a surprise homegrown son as well.  In all, our extended family has adopted over twenty children internationally.  Our first journey opened our eyes to the immense needs in orphanages worldwide.  Our lack of bunk bed space prohibits us from adopting them all.  However, we can work together and bring mercy to their circumstances.  It is our hope to join with you and extend mercy to every child we are able to reach.  It ultimately comes down to an individual choosing to use their life to impact another . . . One life can make a difference, one child at a time.