Lydiah’s Story
While we were engaged, Marvin and I (Andrea) discussed our desire to adopt one day whether or not we could have children biologically. We both believed adoption is a great way of fulfilling James 1:27, taking care of orphans. Soon after we were married we had a son, Judah, and not long after that another son, Isaiah.
When Isaiah was a few months old, Marvin and I decided that our family did not feel complete yet but that we wanted to adopt our next child.
We knew there were many babies in need of families so rather then have another child biologically we wanted to adopt one. Marvin called a friend through Modern Day Missions, Randy Bohlender, who had adopted several children himself and was starting his own adoption agency, Zoe’s House, in Kansas City. We asked him a bunch of questions to learn about the adoption process.
A year later, we applied through two Christian adoption agencies, Zoe’s House and Loving Alternative.
Because we already had two sons, we did specify that we wanted a girl. We were so excited when we finally had all of our paperwork done, had fundraised for the expenses, and were officially eligible to adopt. Daily we hoped for a call from one of the agencies saying they had matched us with a birth mom and we were going to have a daughter.
As we prayed and waited, a year went by and we had not been matched. Then another year passed and as we were nearing the end of the third year we had become discouraged, wondering if we would ever get the call. Each year we had to go through the laborious and expensive process of re-doing paperwork, health exams, background checks, and home studies to remain eligible.
As we were approaching the time to renew all of that for the third year, we prayed that God would make it clear to us whether to continue trying to adopt. Then just a few days before Christmas 2019 we received a call from Zoe’s House and they had found us a match!
Our long-awaited baby girl was due at the end of January.
Marvin and I chose the name Lydiah for our daughter, after the story of Lydia in Acts 10. Our Lydiah’s story is full of God’s faithfulness. There are too many amazing details to write here, but the ways the Lord used a pregnancy resource center and Zoe’s House to impact the birth mom’s life and bring Lydiah to our family is a true “beauty-from-ashes” miracle.
We had the blessing of getting custody of Lydiah in the hospital immediately after she was born. Our lawyer got us into court the day after we were released from the hospital, and the whole adoption was legally finalized only a month after Lydiah was born, which happened to be days before our home study was about to expire and we would’ve had to renew all of that paperwork again.
Although we had to wait longer then we anticipated to see our dream fulfilled, once it happened it was full of God’s favor and miracles. Lydiah is almost a year old now and she brings us so much joy! Every day we thank God for her and for her birth mother. We can’t imagine our lives without them.
