Saving Kiara

Follow our Eastern European adoption journey here!

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We've moved our blog! Click the link to stay up-to-date on our adoption journey

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It’s been awhile... Apparently, I’m not the best blogger. We’ve been so busy lately. It’s hard to keep up with keeping everyone else updated. We’ve been working through our paperwork piles. They actually aren’t so daunting anymore. We’ve finished the majority of them. Our first packet was actually sent out today. It will arrive in Kiara’s home country next week! After that, we have to wait for our home study to be written up and approved. Things are moving again!

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Paused

Everything has been on pause for the last couple of days. A space in our last name has caused chaos and wreaked havoc on our paperwork. EVERYTHING has to be redone. Dozens of notarized pages and documents approved to be sent out are all void. Time has been wasted as Kiara unknowingly sits and waits for us to come get her. I think that is what makes me the most upset. We were on a roll. We were ready to finally send in our first dossier packet and had most of the second part finished. Now, Kiara has to wait longer to be part of our family. The chances of her being moved to a different institution are now greater... So, here we are. On pause. We’re going to get rolling again soon. Like today soon so, don’t worry. We’re still in this.

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Beards and Pumpkins

Our fundraisers are in full swing right now! We have a Beard-A-Thon happening until February. Six lucky guys have volunteered to grow their manly beards and collect donations from sponsors. We are auctioning off hand-painted fall pumpkins on Facebook. I’m hosting a LuLaRoe party in a couple weeks. The LLR company is going to be matching what is raised!!! We have more fundraisers planned for the future. Wow...so much going on! Be on the lookout for more updates soon!

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Psalm 2:12

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We're trusting in You!

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Repeat after me

Pray. Wait. Trust. On repeat, everyday. That's all we can really do. God has it under control. Take a breath. Let it go.

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Adoption is expensive, especially international adoption. Kiara's life is worth way more than the amount it takes to save her. And, I do mean SAVE her. She has no hope without adoption. No normal childhood experiences with being adopted. No family. No Mama or Daddy or sister. She deserves to be home with a family that loves her. Our family. Help us save Kiara's life!

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Sideways Glances

We’re going to be the family that gets stared at now. People will wonder what’s wrong with her. Why is she in a wheelchair? Why don’t her legs work? They’re going to think that Joe and I are too young to do this. We barely look legal. How can we raise two young daughters? They’re going to stare at Kiara and feel bad for her...and us. They might ask us questions, make sideways glances, and mumble under their breaths. Our daughters will be treated differently and it won’t be because of their age difference.

I work with clients and their families that go through this. Now that it will be my life too, I am wondering how they react. How do you gracefully tell someone that there is nothing wrong with your child? Their sideways glances must not have captured her smile or the giggle between two sisters. Sure, her legs don’t work like everyone else’s but that doesn’t mean she deserves those stares or secret whispers.

What does a mama do for her babies in this situation? I’ve really thought this through and I’m sure my reactions will vary and tears will come many times. My first option is the one that would come most naturally. I would hold my breath and not say anything. I would walk away, ignore the situation, and pretend like nothing happened. Sometimes this might be appropriate, but as a mother, I have to stick up for my children and be a good example. You see, this won’t be something that occurs just once. It will happen throughout their lives, whether they’re in a wheelchair or not. So, I suppose, I could comment on how everyone is different and God made us that way. That’s what I believe and will be teaching my girls anyways. I might as well teach the adult population that will be asking this demeaning question the same thing.

We will always be the family that gets stared at. I’m hoping it’s for the right reasons. it will be because our children are screaming down the aisles of the grocery store or fighting with each other at church. It will be because we’re so happy, maybe a little chaotic at times, but full of smiles and full of Jesus. So, yes, give us those sideways glances but, please, don’t feel bad for us at all.

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Why Not?

I've been asked "why" a lot lately. Why adopt? Why adopt a child from another country? One with special needs? Why are you doing this to yourselves? I've struggled with answering these questions. I mean, really, why are we doing this? Why are we putting ourselves through the stress, struggles, and sleepless nights? Why are we going to stretch ourselves thin to bring home a child we've never met? Why are we going to deal with the complexities of a medical diagnosis that we've hardly heard of and can barely pronounce? And the only answer I can come up with is, why not? Why not make this child's life 100 times better? Why not help them receive access to services for their needs? Why not give them a home, a mommy and daddy and sister? Someone that will love them unconditionally? Why not turn our lives upside down for a little bit to save hers?

Sure, it will be tough. But, my strength comes from Christ. I just have to remind myself of that a dozen times throughout the day. This chorus from King and Country's song always gives me that reminder:

My help comes from you. You're right here pulling me through. You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness all on Your shoulders.

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So far...

We have dozens of prayer warriors praying for us everyday. Seven supports have donated to save Kiara. Our fundraiser page has been shared over three hundred times. Hundreds, maybe even thousand, of people have read our story and know that we are working to adopt Kiara. They know she needs a home. But, they may not know that if she doesn't get adopted, she will be transferred to a male and female ADULT institution. This four year old girl will be moved into a place that no child should go. We have to work fast to make sure this doesn't happen to her. Please continue to pray. Pray that Kiara is kept safe and isn't transferred. Pray that Joe and I can be patient and strong. Pray that those who follow our story are touched. Pray that our community will be generous and full of support.

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Click here to support Saving Kiara: Our International Adoption

The McAndrew’s are adopting! See our sweet little girl’s face? This is our daughter, whom we have yet to embrace, laugh with, or even see. We are so thrilled to start this journey of adoption for her. This embarkment will lead us through waters not yet crossed, piles of paperwork, unknown amounts...

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I’m a Dweller

I’m a dweller. No, not a city dweller. I actually live in a tiny town of about 3,500 people.. I dwell on things, pictures, events, interactions I’ve had with people. Those things sometimes stick with me. They hold onto me and I replay it in my head. For some reason, God made me this way. He made me a dweller; the type of person that gets headaches from mulling over a topic too long or sometimes gets physically sick from overthinking things.

He made me this way so I could see one post on Facebook and not be able to shake it out of my head. It was a post of a little Eastern European girl. She’s locked away in some orphanage because of her disabilities. Her perfect smile, perfect nose, perfect little body sitting there… She may not be able to use her legs but she had mesmerized me. There she dwelled in my head until I sent her sweet picture to Joe. I didn’t ever expect him to say, “okay, let’s adopt her.” But, he did. My sweet husband said yes to this girl he had never met.

So, here we are. We’ve gone public. We ARE going to adopt Kiara. It’s going to happen. I don’t know how. We don’t have the $25,000 it takes to adopt her. We don’t even have enough to “officially” commit to her through the adoption agency yet. Yet, we are committed in our hearts. We don’t have any knowledge of her medical conditions. We don’t even speak the same language of Kiara. We don’t know what’s in store for us. All we know, is that God is calling us to be her Mommy and Daddy and Lilah to be her sissy.. We just can’t wait to have her home with us!