Today, our oldest son Micah turns 10 and we are celebrating the blessing of his life! Amelia and I were not with him on the day he was born. We didn’t even know he had been born until a few weeks later when we received a referral for his adoption. We met him for the first time in January 2006 when he was four months old and spent four wonderful days with him in Guatemala City. It was hard to say goodbye but we knew we would return soon to bring him home with us. Finally, on Friday, May 12, 2006, God filled a hole in our hearts. After a decade of wrestling with infertility, Micah became our first son and changed our lives forever! Athentikos was born through our adoptions and we’re so grateful to continue our relationship with Guatemala!
As I reminisce about our journey, I want to share a blog I wrote right before we received Micah.
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The Day We Have Been Waiting For
Friday, May 12, 2006 – 12 PM
Amelia and I ate breakfast by the pool this morning. I dove right into the black beans and traditional Guatemalan breakfast. Wow, that stuff is just too good. It brought back a lot of good memories of our last visit. On our way to the restaurant, we noticed several families with Guatemalan babies. Honestly, I had to do everything I could to stop bursting into tears. This is such an other-worldly experience. I wasn’t on the verge of tears because of sadness. I was welling up with joy. In only a matter of hours, we would have our precious Micah.
It is now 11:50 on Friday, May 12, 2006. Amelia and I are sitting in our hotel room in Guatemala City, trying to stay calm. We received a phone call a short while ago telling us that Micah will be here at the hotel between 11:30 and 12:00. Having learned our lesson before, we are remain patient knowing that delays are a part of life in Guatemala. Micah will be here when he is here. Right now, we are just breathing…..
I don’t even know how I feel, it is incomparable from anything I have ever experienced. My stomach is in knots like when I was standing at the alter waiting for Amelia to walk down and marry me. It is that combined with what I felt like in high school when my football team won the championship, the butterflies of the time when we bought our first house and didn’t know what to expect, the excitement first time I rode the bus to school as a child – stepping into that big yellow machine and watching the world go by from a new “higher perspective” than I ever saw in a car….The exhilaration of the first time I rode my bicycle without training wheels, the joy and uncertainty of graduating high school and knowing that life was somehow never going to be the same…..it is all of this and more.
Yes, in only a matter of minutes, our lives are about to change forever…for the better. Amelia is so wonderful. I really am thankful to be able to ride through this with her by my side….
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Amelia and I receiving Micah as our son in May 2006.
Some photos of our journey back home with our son Micah in 2006.
Thank you God for our precious son, and for family and friends who have supported and encouraged us in this precious journey!