It was just before the service began one Sunday night when she approached me.  A very kind woman with whom we went to church wanted to express her happiness at the news of our unexpected pregnancy.  Supposedly biological children were not an option for us and God had already begun building our family through the domestic adoption of our daughter facilitated through Buckner.  I know she didn’t mean harm, but she said “I know you’ll be glad to have one that is …”  her voice  trailed off, she paused and walked away.  Read More

Almost 11 years ago my wife and I decided, through much prayer and guidance of the Holy Spirit, that we were going to adopt a baby. Although Nathan has just turned 10, the early beginnings of orientation and training are still very fresh in my mind and heart. I remember being taught many things that have helped me tremendously in raising my two kids.

Before I began this process I used to think, “How could someone give away a baby to me?” I remember asking many people over the year who had adopted how someone could give away a child.

I learned that no child is ever given away. I realized that behind every child that is adopted, there was someone who made a plan for their life. This was a very special plan that involved giving this child life—-even allowing them a full life. Read More

While Julia had no family in Russia, she had her classmates at Children’s Home #47. She had Viktor, Katya and their teachers. She knew how snow crunched under her boots, and how warm she felt in her favorite royal blue jacket. How her black bread and oatmeal tasted. She knew which tiny bed among 42 others was hers, and what she’d be doing the next day. And the next. And the next.

Last fall, she mourned those dimming slices of the familiar. And I’m sure she will again.

You can only miss what you’ve had. And now – just lately – she’s twice expressed what she’s missing here. Read More

By Jenny Pope
Buckner International

The Duncan twins couldn’t be more different.

Aaron, 2, is mechanical and hands-on. He loves taking things apart and putting them back together, playing outside and snuggling with his mom. Eva is an academic. She loves books, watching TV and is very independent. If you put food on her spoon, she is known to wipe it clean in order to feed herself.

With such unique personalities, first-time parents Mandy and Will Duncan from Dallas need all the help they can get from their extended family – including the twins’ birth mom, Jordan, and birth grandparents Jerry and Judy Dixon of Mesquite, Texas. Read More

Several years ago, I felt led to participate in a FamilyLife-sponsored mission trip to Guatemala where I visited orphanages and my heart was broken for the 100 million orphans in our world.

This led to the beginning of our family’s adoption journey—-a journey that would stretch our faith and finances and take us to the very limits of ourselves. As we waited three and a half years to bring our precious Maria home, watching her grow up in pictures without her family, we often questioned God’s purposes. Read More

By Jenny Pope
Buckner International

MIDLAND, Texas – The Ewing family does everything together – they wash dishes, go grocery shopping, and spend hours play Wii games in the living room.

“We’ve got to do everything together. If we don’t, we won’t have time together,” Robert said. Read More

By Chelsea Quackenbush
Buckner International

The first time Sarah and Kevin Dildine met their 4-year-old son Jasper in a Russian orphanage, he sat and played with a toy truck, not making any noises or sound effects like most kids. He rarely spoke.

Now, according to his mother, Jasper dances and bounces everywhere he goes.

“When I watch him, I think, ‘This neat little personality was in there all this time, but we are just now getting to see it. He is just now realizing that he can play and be a kid and be the person he is,’” Sarah Dildine said.

The Dildines, who live in Hughes Springs, Texas, brought Jasper home May 6. They started the process in June 2010 with case workers from Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services. Although for many families the adoption process can take years, Russian adoptions currently move faster than other international countries, said Debbie Wynne, director of Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services. Read More

Department of State Adoption Notice:
Information regarding processing of Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, Filed at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa
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In January, April and September, 2011, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, the Office of Children’s Issues of the Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted public meetings for adoption service providers (ASPs), adoptive parents, and other stakeholders to address concerns about the quality and completeness of intercountry adoption cases presented in Ethiopia. To ensure prompt adjudication and avoid concerns about possible malfeasance, it is important that I-600 petitions (Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative) and accompanying evidence be fully and carefully prepared before presentation to the Embassy.

Read More

Reprinted from the Amarillo Globe-News, Oct. 4, 2011

It’s not that Tim and December Barcroft wouldn’t love to be in Washington, D.C., Wednesday. They would be among 150 others nationally to be honored at a gala as part of the Angels in Adoption awards through the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

It’s just they can’t.

Tim has a route to run delivering tortillas around the area for J&T Distributing. December, who not surprisingly, was born in December, can’t afford to miss class at West Texas A&M University, where she’s studying to be a teacher. Then there are the girls — Genie, Heavenly and Kelsey — what to do about them? Read More

Jacquie Craggett
Rowlett, Texas

 “Why should we adopt these two little girls?”  We wrestled with this question.  We already have four biological daughters and two adopted sons and are supposed to be “empty nesters.”  

Is it because: We love children so much? We want to rescue kids that are at risk? God loves orphans and we should too? Other people are adopting? We want to stretch ourselves so we will be more like Christ?  We want to stay busy and active? Is it about us? Is it about the children?  Read More