The beginning...

Kelli, Bethany and Jeremy Johnson

Jeremy and I  have always dreamed of a big family with lots of kids and chaos.  We were thrilled when we became pregnant 8 years ago and had our biological daughter Bethany.  After a few years she started asking for a little brother or sister and we agreed it was time. But it eventually became apparent that our dream for a big family wasn't going to happen for us the way we had dreamed. We grieved and questioned and searched for help from fertility specialists who said that they may be able to help with expensive treatments but chances were slim.  When prayer over this situation did not lead to a peace with the options we had been given, we decided to wait.  We have learned that when you petition the Almighty, you must be prepared for His answer. We heard His "no", and came to a place in our hearts that some would call acceptance but we call surrender.  Surrender is much harder fought than acceptance, and much messier. But in that surrender we finally could hear not just the "no" but instead "no, but..."  

I (Kelli) have had a picture of a little Asian face with pigtails in my head for a long time.  As I read Mary Beth Chapmans book, where she so openly and eloquently shared her personal joy and heartbreak with China adoption, that picture became more real.  At the same time as I read Mary Beth's book, Jeremy was reading a book called "Radical" which talks about the call of Jesus to be missional minded in a world filled with need.  Jeremy has always had heart for missions and the book prompted a call on his heart for our family to do something "radical" to serve in some way.  Bethany just wanted  a little sister to love and faithfully prayed every night for God to send her a sibling. One night God brought these dreams together and put us on a journey to adopt our little one from China.  How much more radical can you get than to open your home to someone who needs one? 

Some say we are going to change her life...we know she has already begun to change ours.  We can't wait to meet her.