The Bowers Family

Harry, born and raised in Ohio, and I met in Southern Africa in 1986 when he came on a six month outreach to serve the Lord through medical missions. I was born in Namibia, raised in South Africa—we moved often because of my Dad’s occupation, then God called our family to full time mission work, serving disabled youth, orphans and “left behind” children. It is in this environment where God showed Harry and myself during separate times that He may have children without parents for us some day!

After an unusual courtship (another 2000 words!), we got married in 1991, I tore myself away from my beloved land and joined Harry in his. After 4 years of hoping and trying to conceive biological children, enduring a year of intense fertility treatments, we reminded each other of that gentle voice whispering “adoption”!

Then: an opportunity to serve God in Zimbabwe, Africa came our way and we accepted. Excited about the new adventure, hoping to still the pain of empty arms and a closed womb, we anticipated a time of re-focusing and healing. After a few weeks, we had to meet with co-workers in Kenya and there, we met an American couple who was waiting on a phone call to go get their little girl from Guatemala! This encounter was obviously from God and on arrival in Zimbabwe, we started searching for organizations through the Internet. Overwhelmed, we requested several information packages and after prayer, making lists of requirements, etc. we contacted CWA to get the process started!

Not knowing what we got ourselves into, working through America from Africa to Russia, was just part of many tests and tribulations! We had to search for a licensed and qualified social worker to complete the home study—after we thought we did, we had to pick her up at her office down town Harare, bring her to our home, provide her with paper and wait for a month to get the documents completed, just to have it rejected after 3 months!! Miraculously, God sent us a very competent English Family Therapist who had all the credentials and we were on our way to success! She immediately advised us to celebrate the last season of just us in our family and Harry surprised me with a wonderful week long trip to Maldives Islands!

On return, we became good friends with “FedEx” and technology became a lifeline! Allison Wierman was our inspiration, motivation and we surely tested her resources, patience and wisdom! After two years, many tears and feelings of defeat, we received that very important phone call!

”I am holding in my hands, the photos of a 16 month old girl and an 12 month old boy. They are both from Irkutsk, Siberia, from different orphanages and not biologically related. I am sending you their videos and we need you to choose names if you decide to accept them!”

Oh, words are still to be created for the emotions and feelings of fear, joy, bliss and it was as though God released just a tiny bit of His glory for that day! We received the videos, prayed before we watched it, held on to each other tight and it was easy! Of course, how can we NOT accept them? They are ours—it was obvious that Benjamin is one tease, secure and a fun baby with a strong personality and vibrant aura! Karmyn was much more cautious, observant and evaluated every move—a sweet and gentle spirit and we immediately felt that they would be a great balance for each other! Benjamin seemed to be in great health, a little pale, but fine! Karmyn was pale and we observed a little lazy eye, but not a problem for her Daddy who is an optometrist! Beyond excitement, we searched for names, after analyzing what the meaning of their birth names were, we looked for complimenting name, since we kept their birth names as second names.

Our daughter, Karmyn Irina Bowers, born on 25 November 1996 and our son, Benjamin Michael Bowers, born on 10 April 1997 was spoken for!

Next, we could finally look at baby things to buy—oh, what an awesome privilege! This was an amazing experience and although the variety was not at all great, I marveled in the blessing of this joy! We kept it to a minimum, knowing that we would go the USA from Russia and hey, we will find what we need then!

When Allison phoned with the following milestone, the COURT DATE, we were beyond ourselves and made the announcement to our family and friends! So, two weeks later, we were on the plane to fetch our babies! After a 3 day lay over in Amsterdam, we arrived in Moscow and was greeted by the wonderful facilitator, Cyril who met us with a grim look. He sat us down, informed us that the problem was that the Russian Department of Education “discovered” our African address and that they will NOT give us the release form for the children to leave the country! He suggested we go home and try again!!! Oh, if ever we were determined, it was showing now! We showed him our passports and plane tickets—had more copies made, then he made a 3 hour trip back to the Government Office, returned as we were boarding for Siberia—without any luck! Faith and trust in God, was what we had now. He informed our facilitators in Irkutsk that we were on our way! We arrived in a very gray, sad Irkutsk and our facilitators were not positive at all, but promised their support and they responded above and beyond the natural and usual requirements! We met our host and her Mother with whom we were going to spend the next 14 days! A tiny apartment with steam heat and the bare necessities!

After a shower, we went to Benjamin’s orphanage to meet him! Oh, oh, oh! He came to us immediately—smiled, giggled at our attention and play. He loved touching Harry’s mustache and we felt a very strange and strong bond with him immediately—he made it so easy! Then off to Karmyn’s orphanage where she met us with her care giver and she was dressed up with a white bow in her short dark hair. She was timid, shy and I felt her walls of self protection up high! She made one attempt to smile and although she did not respond much to our attention, I felt her at one point snuggling in my lap—oh, my heart leapt and I had to withhold the tears of hope and joy! It was so difficult to leave them behind, but it made us more determined to pray with a new dedication!

The days dragged by and finally on day 4, we had our court case—with very little sleep and ready to go too early, we met with the judge, facilitator and the children’s care givers. One of the few sentences we did understand was when the social worker tried to convince the judge that the children need to be adopted, because they need the space for three new babies! My heart missed a beat—oh! The judge got her (expensive) flowers—we smiled just a little too wide and then left—to be informed that all went well and that the children were given to us with the condition that the release form is received before we may take them out of the country!

We rushed to the apartment, grabbed their clothes and blankets, went to Benjamin and when he sat on his Daddy’s lap for the first time, our hearts melted with thankfulness! Then 3 hours later, we fetched Karmyn, changed her into her new outfit, leaving the still warm clothes behind for the next little girl ... thanked everyone and arrived in the apartment with our arms full—full of love, joy and emotion! Still, the journey is not complete! The next 10 days, God melted our hearts together, we simply bonded, got to know each other, the children started relaxing and although Benjamin was teething with great difficulty, it was as though we have had them all this time before!? We did sight seeing and took long walks in the gray of a depressed and sad country—we learned so much of the children’s heritage and our facilitator’s knowledge was a wonderful advantage to our stay. The days drew near for us to leave, still no release letter and the facilitator made an appointment to visit with us at 9pm before we were to depart the next day! Our facilitator motivated us to set up appointments in the USA with our physicians to care for Karmyn’s eye and dislocated hip. We were positive that a miracle was about to take place, but the enemy did try to place fear in our hearts at times. At 9pm, our facilitator did not arrive yet, but the phone rang—she was delayed, because of a fax from the Department of Education, sending the ... RELEASE FORM!!! We celebrated with Siberian ice cream and a shot of Vodka (which seems to be used for just about every occasion!)

We boarded the plane, I turned around, looked back over the city and whispered to our babies in my arms: “you are now free!” Cyril met us in Moscow—with shiny eyes, we embraced and we knew that God showed up in Siberia! After a visit from the physician at the hotel, the children were declared “healthy” and we boarded the plane to Amsterdam! The tulip festival was in full swing, we could not find a hotel—no room at any Inn and we had a 10 hour lay over before boarding the last leg of our journey to the USA! The children’s diapers became a welcome mattress in a quiet spot on the floor and we held our babies on our chests as we all tried to catch up on very needed sleep!

Totally overwhelmed, exhausted and very, very satisfied, we arrived in the USA on our 6 week furlough before going back to Zimbabwe to spend 6 glorious months with our new babies! Family and friends shared in our joy with so much for the children, both in the USA and Zimbabwe! We have now been back in the USA after political and economical unrest and God withdrew us from yet another marvelous experience! Karmyn and Benjamin are now both 4 years old and have developed so very well! They speak Afrikaans and English and a little French, Karmyn loves her ballet classes and Benjamin can’t wait for his next gymnastics class. They enjoy ice skating in winter and we spend every minute outside when the weather allows! Yes, it is like raising twins and they are such good friends—protecting each other—maybe too much at times! God is so very good! All praises and thanks to Him!

Thank you to CWA-staff for your hearts, dedication and compassion! May you experience more and more of Jesus through every child being released into the hearts and hands of loving families!

Stephne Bowers