I always knew that I wanted to be a mom. I went to college, started a career -sort of- but I always knew that my life's focus was going to be about the joys and challenges of motherhood. When I was in my late teens, it was laid on my heart that I was to do more than have my own biological children. At the time, I didn't know if that was to be a surrogate for couples that could not carry their own child or if I was meant to adopt. After getting married to my wonderful husband -Stephen- and having 3 beautiful children, I realized that this calling was for adoption - although I didn't know when or from where we were going to adopt from. I did know that this was going to be an international adoption. Not that there is anything wrong with domestic, it just wasn't my calling. After our second child was born, we looked into Russian adoptions but never felt led to go further down that path. And then the prospect of adoption was put on the proverbial back burner.
Five years later (in October of 2011), we were sitting in church listening to some of our youth members talk about their experience on a recent missions trip to Haiti. Their trip was to an orphanage, run by an American women, that is located on the outskirts of Port Au Prince. Even though Haiti had not been "on my radar" at all, I knew I had to go. The Holy Spirit about knocked me out of my chair, telling me that I must go. I leaned over to Stephen and whispered, "I have to go there". Even though he thought I had lost my mind, he supported me going on my first-ever missions trip in February 2012. What an experience that was! (the whole story of how I was financially able to go is AMAZING too - but that's a story for another time) We see the pictures and hear the stories, but to witness this absolute poverty is life-changing. I learned that it is just by the grace of God that we were born in this wonderful country. Its what we choose to do with the privilege that shows us the person we are. After meeting the people of Haiti, to look into their eyes/souls, you realize that they are no different than you. They have yearnings, dreams, and life ambitions. A mother there loves her child just as much a woman loves her child here in the US. The only difference is that we have the abilities to makes those dreams a reality.
I went on a second missions trip in September 2012. This time, Stephen came with me. Neither of us realized at the time that this was a very important piece of our adoption story. We were able to see the country together. To smell the smells. Meet the people. Fall in love with the children. It was during this trip that we bonded with a very lovable little guy that was at the orphanage who was 2 1/2 years old and already in the process of being adopted. Stephen and I prayed the whole time we were there for God to let us know if this was the path for us. After much prayer, we decided leave our contact information with the director and asked her to contact us if the adoption that he was being processed for didn't happen. Ultimately, the adoption has continued and we are very happy that he is going to a wonderful home, with loving parents and many brothers and sisters to dote on him. There was a plan, we just didn't know if at the time.
But where did that leave us? For the next two months we prayed about that.
I had no doubt that this was the path for me but I needed my partner, my husband, my Stephen to be 100% on board. In the beginning of December, he decided to take that leap of faith. We told our older two children (ages 10 and 7) one night before bedtime - our youngest is 2 and was already fast asleep. Of course they were beyond ECSTATIC but we made sure to talk with them about the big picture... the time involved, the financial obligations for our family, the permanence of this decision. After an hour talking, we went to bed as a family united in the goal of bringing a parent-less child into our home forever.
Enter Davidson...
I contacted the director of the orphanage to let her know that we were still wanting to adopt and that we were interested in a little boy around our youngest child's age. Over the next week or so, we were sent information on four little boys that needed a family to call their own. One of those files was for a little baby that we remembered meeting last September. His name was Davidson and he was about 10 months old when we met him. My memories of him were of a little baby that was very quiet, non-demanding, and content on watching the big kids play. After reviewing his file, my heart ached for this innocent little child that I never saw smile they whole time we were there. He was brought to a local hospital around May or June by a man that may have been his biological father. Davidson was very sick with pneumonia. After spending two weeks in the hospital, he was recovering well but no family came back to get him. He was then processed into the IBESR system (their DCF equivalent) and was issued abandonment papers. It was July 2012 when he arrived at the orphanage.
Our family reviewed, talked and prayed about all of the files that we received but our thoughts always returned to Davidson. We knew that we were the family that could give this little boy the love that he needs to grow up and become the man, I'm sure, his birth mother wanted him to become. He was to be our son.
Since then, it has been a flutter of activity! Telling our friends and family about our new addition, gathering our needed paperwork (oh the amount is staggering!), and preparing for an upcoming trip to see our boy. I can't wait to see him smile and share that with you! But the most fun, for us, has been to choose a new first name for him. Stephens brother is named David and we also wanted him to have a fresh start. We spent a good portion of the holidays talking about what names we liked and which ones would best suit our Haitian son. The kids had a ball! I do believe they suggested every name from Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. After much discussion, we decided on the name Samuel - Sam for short.
Sam Davidson Bordin, born October 22, 2011, will be coming home some time this year. He will be given the love and family that every child longs for and deserves. We will raise him to love God, to have respect for himself, and to be a wonderful member of society. I'm sure that his birth mother had dreams of him having that kind of a life and I am honored to be a part of making that happen.
Is this the best time to be committing our family to the cost of an adoption? Honestly, no. BUT we have no doubt that this was what we are meant to do RIGHT NOW. We have faith that all will be provided for and that Sam will be welcomed with love and that he will be a blessing to our friends and family. We thank you for coming along with us in this journey. To share in our joys, challenges and homecoming!
1 Samuel 1:27 I prayed for this child and the Lord answered my prayer and gave him to me
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