A Lycan Family Story: “Why India?”
Look at your globe. There are almost 200 countries among seven continents. It’s a pretty big world! And do you know how many orphans there are worldwide? Most sources provide different figures, but according to UNICEF, roughly 153 million children have lost one or both parents. HIV/AIDS alone has orphaned 17.9 million children! There are over 7 million children worldwide in institutions. These statistics are overwhelming.
So, it’s a big world full of helpless children in need. We can only adopt one or maybe two, so where do we even start? How do you choose?
We chose India.
In 2013, I visited my Grandma shortly before she passed away. I was perusing some of her Christian news magazines. I came across an article about the plight of women in India and China. The article expressed how some women will even abort their baby if the gender is revealed as female. That awful fact really struck me. And I suppose that was the moment God focused the view of my lens in on these two countries.
A couple months later when David and I began discussing our plans to adopt, our first step was choosing a program, or country. We talked about India and China. After some research, we learned that we were too young to adopt from China, so we looked into India. We met all the requirements! We found this amazing Christian adoption agency, America World Adoption (AWAA), that had an India program, so we applied.
I know it might sound cliché, but India just seemed right for our family. I’m so glad God gave us a passion for this ONE country.
One terrifying and exciting thing about adopting is the opportunity for God to work a miracle. The India program comes with a few unique guidelines including a preference for families not to break birth order. That means they would prefer for us to adopt a child younger than our youngest child. Our youngest child, Brooks, who is now 2 years old, was in my womb when we first joined the India program. So we knew it was seriously going to take a miracle for India to approve us to adopt.
We were considered a “high risk family†for the India program. Because of this and out of fear, we actually switched to the Ethiopia program for about a year. We worried- What if we spent thousands upon thousands of dollars only to be told, “No you cannot adopt from India.� Ethiopia seemed like a much safer program for us. But, we were quickly convicted about our desire to control our adoption plan.
AWAA offered a special transfer opportunity from the Ethiopia to the India program We both knew immediately that we should go back to India. In some ways it would be easier for us to adopt from Ethiopia–those kids are also super cute, and there are so many in need. But, we were not called to adopt from Ethiopia. And God gently reminded us He is sovereign over this adoption, so it was okay to take the risk with Him in control.
Since switching back to the India program we have seen God work out so many details to His glory as He has accomplished this adoption. We completed our dossier in the midst of an overseas move, received CARA’s approval shortly thereafter, and soon were matched with the most adorable baby girl. And yes, she is younger than our son! Currently, we are anxiously awaiting our NOC approval and court date. We have also seen huge changes in the India program to make the adoption process simpler and more expedient.
God knew our daughter would be in India, and I’m so thankful He brought us back.
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.â€
Job 42:2
-The Lycans (Soon to be family of five!)
Considering Adoption from India?