An Adoption Story: The Rowan Family’s Journey to Kyrgyzstan
The following was provided to America World from one of our Kyrgyzstan families, Daniel & Kelsey Rowan. Take a moment to read their story, which is not quite done yet. They expect to be home with their son in the spring. Here is their story:
Kyrgyzstan, the Switzerland of Central Asia, will forever be etched in our hearts. But how could a small country so far away achieve such a feat?
Well, it all started over 12 years ago when my husband, Daniel, and I started dating. From the very beginning of our relationship we both knew that when the time was right, we would grow our family through adoption. We were married in July of 2008 and enjoyed 5 years of marriage, just the two of us.
In the Fall of 2013, Daniel and I decided to begin our journey toward the missing piece of our family. We met with a local adoption agency but our expectations were met with dead ends and closed doors. We were devastated and heartbroken. After much thought and prayer, we felt God leading us to wait and trust in His timing. Daniel and I went our separate ways on the subject but decided to pray and seek God in the year ahead. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall came and went.
It wasn’t until the last week of 2014 that Daniel and I decided to revisit the subject of adoption. Little did I know, Daniel was ready to pursue the arduous adventure months earlier. His patient heart waited until mine too was ready. We were very meticulous in our research of adoption agencies. Knowing that we would be working closely with them for 2 years or more, we wanted to make sure that we chose the right one that fit our family the best.
This time, we went into our adoption journey with no expectations, no country in mind and no strict timeline imagined. What we did bring with us is a trusting heart and a desire to follow God’s plan for our lives, wherever that may lead. We were blessed to find America World Adoption Association (AWAA) and found their website bursting with information that left our hearts comforted.
Questions we asked ourselves for years were uniquely answered specific to each country. After completing the pre-application we rang in the New Year (2015) with so much hope for the future. A few days later our family coordinator called us and said, “Congratulations! You have been approved for the Kyrgyzstan program.” Our hearts were overjoyed!
We knew the adoption journey would be bumpy but we have been nothing but encouraged and supported by AWAA. True, the journey is long and can be met with unforeseen hurdles, so why go the distance? Why make the sacrifice? I believe the answer can be found in Jeremiah 29:11. I learned this Scripture as a child and found comfort in it many times.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
This journey could have been redirected or halted altogether and that would have been okay because I know as long as my trust is in God, His plans for me will always be just that—HIS plans for me.
Since the start of our exciting 3-year journey, Daniel and I have been extremely blessed to receive a referral from Kyrgyzstan for a very smart and energetic little boy. His smile can light up the darkest room and warms the deepest parts of my heart. He is, in fact, a joyous gift from God that I could never have planned or expected.
First, I am so very grateful that God’s ways are indeed higher than my ways and His thoughts than my thoughts. Next, we would like to thank our family, church family and countless friends that have prayed for us and supported our dreams of a family. We could not have done this without them.
Lastly, we could not go without thanking God for leading us to AWAA. Their dependable staff helped us navigate the sharp twists and turns of this adventure and helped to bring our son home to us. Thank you!
If God’s plan is to grow your family through adoption, America World would be honored to walk beside you on that wonderful journey. Begin with our adoption programs and reviewing all of the information on our website. Contact us with any questions at Info@awaa.org or call 800-429-3369. If you are ready to begin the process, simply fill out an ONLINE APPLICATION or a FREE PRE-APPLICATION if you have questions about requirements.