The Scott family from Michigan recently brought home their son from Ethiopia. It is an incredible joy to be a small part of what God is doing in families like the Scotts through ABBA Fund. Here is their story:
When I share our adoption story, I tell people that Jenna and I started this process when we first got married almost ten years ago. At some point during that first year, she asked me if adoption would ever be something that I’d consider. I’m not sure exactly what I said, but I must have given the wrong answer; she never brought it up again. Adoption has always been on Jenna’s heart yet not on mine unless we couldn’t have kids. Thankfully, God worked on my heart, and all of that changed.
In 2006, I traveled to Tanzania to help a group of villages on Bumbire Island to tap into a fresh water spring. For the first time I saw the face of poverty and the extremes of life in third-world Africa. I also realized for the first time how wealthy we were, and that with that wealth comes a huge responsibility.
When I came home, my heart had softened. God put adoption on my radar so to speak. Jenna and I began really looking at our life and our financial priorities. We simplified and prepared our home for whatever God had planned. In 2008, God moved in our hearts, and we officially began our adoption journey.
This past July, we brought home Taye from Ethiopia. Ten years ago, I never would have even considered that he would be our fourth child. God knew long ago that we needed Taye in our lives as much as Taye needed us in his. While the process wasn’t always easy, every moment was worth while when we saw his face for the first time. He brings a joy to our family beyond words.
The transition has gone surprisingly well. Our first three children have given Taye all the rights of the youngest brother including everything from fights over toys to hugs over falls. We’ve been amazed at how well our family has bonded with each other. Of course, each day is an adventure, but we wouldn’t miss for the world.
Jenna heard about Abba Fund from friends of ours. We applied for a loan early in our adoption journey as we didn’t know how we were going to pay for the adoption. Thankfully, we were able to finance most of this adoption with cash. However, toward the end the adoption process began to speed up. After passing our court hearing, we had only three weeks to purchase tickets and gather money together for the last of our financial obligations for Taye.
At just the right time, we got a great call from Julie. She told us funds were available. The money was just the right amount we needed. Throughout the remainder of the process, everyone at Abba Fund was so encouraging! We knew they were praying for us each step of our trip to Ethiopia. We will be forever grateful for Abba Fund and their heart for children all over the world.
The ABBA Fund Blog 