HERE WE GO!

A couple of months ago, I caught a documentary piece on Africa - Lisa Ling's rare inside glimpse into the world of Ghana's "fishing children". The special focused on reuniting African children with parents who had turned them over to work on fishing boats. Many of the boys were between the ages of 4 and 10 years old and worked as many as 10 hours a day. A relief organization worked to reunite the boys, but many were left without homes due to death and the inability to find their families. Thus, these boys were placed in orphanages.

I remember a male reporter who brought in toothbrushes for the boys at the orphanages. The young children carried these toothbrushes around with them and wouldn't put the toothbrush down because it was the only possession they owned. These boys were so "proud" of their toothbrushes and what it represented for them. Weeks later, I still couldn't forget these boys... I felt drawn to them in an unexplainable and unimaginable way. Their resilience and optimism impressed me on many levels.

After sharing my reactions with Todd, we immediately began discussing the possibility of international adoption. We began the journey of researching programs and found The Gladney Adoption Agency. Knowing families who have adopted from Gladney, we automatically felt at home with the decision to work with Gladney.

So...let the paperwork begin:
Orientation
Applications
Background Checks
Homestudy Reports
Fingerprints
Physicals
Dossier
Are we having fun yet?