The Johnson Adoption Story
Christina and I were married in August, 2003, and we were very excited about the prospect of starting a family together. After 2-1/2 years had passed by without Christina becoming pregnant, we began to seriously discuss and pray about the possibility of foreign adoption. We looked at several agencies, and we chose Christian World Adoption primarily because they are a Christian agency, and they understand that God is in control of the whole process. As it was explained to us – “CWA bathes the entire process in prayer.”
We started in the Russia program, but after some significant delays, we decided to change to the Ukrainian program, which had recently become very active again. Ludmilla Mikhailova walked us through all of the steps that we would need to change our paperwork. We initiated the change in February 2007. Thanks to Ludmilla’s expert guidance, we were able to complete the necessary changes in just a few weeks.
On May 8th, we received the wonderful news that we had received an appointment date at the Ukrainian State Department for Adoptions (SDAPRC) on July 12th. We started making plans for our travel, and we were so happy in anticipation of meeting our future child.
We arrived in Kiev, Ukraine on July 10th. We were fascinated by the sights and sounds of Kiev. It is quite a beautiful city, and full of history. After resting from the rigors of travel, we walked around on the 11th and enjoyed learning about the lifestyle and culture.
We met with our in-country facilitators in preparation for our meeting at the SDAPRC. We expected to be shown a large binder full of pictures and files, and we thought that the most difficult part would be making a choice. Instead, the psychologist at SDAPRC calmly explained “We have no healthy children in Ukraine that are available for adoption, in the under 24 month age group.” We were caught completely off guard by the statement. She showed us 5 children, all of whom had major developmental issues. She further explained that we could take a look at one of these children, or we could go home and wait for another appointment in a couple of months.
We decided to take a look at one of the 5 children, as there were some conflicting reports about his condition. Sadly, we could not accept his referral. We traveled back to Kiev, very discouraged. Still, we felt in our hearts that God did have a child for us, and if would stick with it, He would show us that child.
Within days, our facilitators contacted us and said they knew of another child that would be available for adoption, and arranged for us to visit the SDAPRC “between appointments.” We were hustled into the office, and saw one file for a little boy named Andrij. His picture was adorable. Somehow, we knew he would be the one for us, and we immediately decided to travel to Vinnytsia to visit him.
We arrived at the orphanage on a Saturday morning, and briefly visited with the orphanage director. Everything sounded really positive about Andrij. Finally, we were taken in to meet him. Out came this beautiful, happy little boy with a big smile on his face. He went straight to Christina and she hugged him. We were amazed about how robust and healthy he appeared to be. We had initially planned on a telephone consultation with our doctor back in the US, but after a visiting for a while, we told our facilitators they could start the paperwork. We had met our new son!
The court date was held the following Friday, July 27th. Marina, our translator, was extremely efficient and had the paperwork in perfect order. The judge asked us a few routine questions. Paul was nervous, and when asked his birth year, he said “one thousand nine hundred and fifty six”. Marina translated it exactly, and the judge was trying hard not to laugh! The judge asked Christina if she realized how hard it would be to raise a child. After a few moments, the judge rendered her decision that it was in Andrij’s best interest for us to become his parents. It was a very emotional moment for both of us.
Next, we settled into a routine of visiting the orphanage twice a day. We had to first wait 10 days for the court decision to be official, and then there were some delays getting a passport for our son, now named John Paul. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally got a call saying “pack your bags, we’re heading to Kiev in two hours!”
We went to the U.S. Embassy on Monday, August 13th, and received our passport and immigrant visa for John Paul. Our flight out was not until the 17th, so we spent the week in Kiev, getting used to taking care of John Paul as his parents. Paul spent one final day sightseeing around Kiev—a magnificent city.
Our final hurdle came on the flight home. We flew from Kiev to Paris, and were going to spend the night in a hotel near the airport. However, we could not get John Paul through the passport control because he was traveling on a Ukrainian passport. We were not able to communicate well enough with the French customs officers to understand what to do, and the terminal closed down at 11PM. We ended up sleeping on the floor at the Paris airport. We felt so sorry for John Paul, but he actually handled this setback very well.
The next day, we flew to Atlanta, and the customs officers checked our paperwork. The words we heard were “Everything is up to snuff”. Those were beautiful words to our ears. John Paul was now an American citizen. We had several hours of flight delays before we could make the final leg home to Dallas. When the wheels touched down, we both cried. And then, we had about 20 family and friends waiting at the baggage claim to greet us. It was one of the happiest moments of our lives—back in the USA with a beautiful, special son! Our heartfelt thanks go to Christian World Adoption for their professional work, their support, and most importantly their prayers as we went through our adoption process. We look forward to a lifetime together as new family!
Paul, Christina, and John Paul Johnson
From Cuba to Ethiopia: A Journey of Faith
Dr. Maria Moore, Bob Harding and Dr. Kelemu discuss plans to provide medical care to children in Ethiopia
Dr. Maria Moore is a member of Christian World Adoption’s Board of Directors. She lives in Hendersonville, NC with her husband of almost 30 years and is the Medical Director for Park Ridge Cancer services.
Dr. Moore’s life story is fascinating and inspirational. Born in Cuba, her family immigrated to the United States when she was five years old. They traveled to the US on the last Eastern Airlines flight departing Cuba under Castro’s regime. Maria recalls carrying her very heavy teddy bear through customs. “My grandfather kept the family savings of gold coins in a jar hidden in a wall at our home,” said Maria. “When we left Cuba, my mother removed the stuffing from my teddy bear and filled it with the gold coins. I carried our family treasure on our journey. These gold coins are what we lived on until we could get established in the US.”
Maria goes on to describe the difficult conditions under which she grew up. “My mother raised my brother, sister and me. It was tough because my sister had cerebral palsy. My mother was a schoolteacher in Cuba, but when we came to the US, she had to do laundry for our neighbors just to make ends meet. We also lived on government assistance. During this time I realized I needed to do well in school so I could get a good job when I grew up.”
As a young girl, Maria was invited to a local church. She enjoyed the experience and remembers how warm and loving the people of that church were. “They would come by and pick up my brother and me. We were excited to get out of the house! Then, during a youth night at church, I professed my faith in Christ. I remember walking up to the altar and God said to me, ‘Maria, you’re going to be a cancer doctor.’ I went home and told my Mom what happened. I recall telling my Mom that this wouldn’t be possible, because we didn’t have any money. My Mom said, “Maria, if that’s what God told you to do, He will provide the way.’”
And God did provide the way. Through hard work, perseverance and with strength provided by God, Maria went on to fulfill her calling. She studied at Mercer University and the University of Miami and after 14 years of training, Maria became an oncologist. “Even though I didn’t know what oncology was all about at age 12, I found myself falling in love with this area of medicine the more I studied.”
In addition to her calling to be an oncologist, Maria has always felt a calling to help children. “I’ve always had a heart for kids,” she says. “My husband and I have been foster parents and have done lots of volunteer work with children. We also started an orphanage in Honduras.”
Dr. Moore met Bob Harding in the midst of her work with the orphanage in Honduras. “Bob, Tomilee and I were hoping CWA could begin adoptions from Honduras. We traveled there to investigate the possibilities. While we were never able to start facilitating adoptions from Honduras, this interaction with CWA led to my service on the Board of Directors.”
When asked what CWA projects she is particularly passionate about, Maria says, “I have a tremendous interest in helping improve medical care for children in Ethiopia. So many people are stricken with diseases and infections that are easy to cure if they have the right medications and the proper care. CWA can make a tremendous difference in the lives of children through our work with the hospital and the medical clinic at Acacia Village. I want to help establish the medical clinic at Acacia Village and see that it has the proper equipment, medicines and trained staff.”
Dr. Moore wants all CWA parents to realize the important opportunity they have to make a difference in the lives of orphans waiting to be adopted. “You will be blessed by thinking outside of your day to day world,” she notes. “You will become global in your faith and see the world as Christ sees the world. When you step out in faith, you see God opening doors. If you don’t step out and allow God to use you – you will never have this joy and will miss out on what God is doing. Becoming involved with CWA’s humanitarian efforts gives you an opportunity to become involved with projects that will live longer than you will. Helping these children is an eternal blessing. We never know when God will call us home. So while we’re here, we need to work for God’s glory.”
CWA wishes to thank Dr. Maria Moore for her service on CWA’s Board of Directors and her passion to help the children of the world. Be sure to look in future newsletters for details about CWA’s Acacia Village in Ethiopia and how you can become involved in this important ministry.
Call to Action: Guatemala 5000
Dear Families,
As you are aware, Guatemala is making plans to enter into the Hague Convention on January 1, 2008. To advocate for adoption cases already in process at that time, Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) has created an initiative called “Guatemala 5000.” These efforts, if done on a wide scale, could be extremely effective and give peace of mind to families with cases already in process and ensure that each of these children gets the permanent family that they need.
Please read the following information (click on the Guatemala 5000 link below) and participate on October 9-11 with phone calls, faxes and letters. We here at CWA will be participating as well. We also ask that you pass this along to friends and families who are passionate about adoption and willing to participate.
Many thanks,
CWA’s Guatemala Staff
Go to Guatemala 5000 page »
Interview with Fiona Sanderson
 Fiona Sanderson has been with CWA since 2003. She works in our Charleston, SC office as Executive Assistant and as assistant for the Guatemala program.
What was your background before CWA?
I worked in retail, hospital admissions, and banking.
What led you to CWA?
Virginia Zanger told me about an opening at CWA. This opportunity came at a time in my life when I was ready for a change. When I interviewed with Tomilee Harding for the position of Executive Assistant her enthusiasm was contagious. It was so obvious she had such passion for adoption and a vision for helping orphans around the world. Then I knew I really wanted to work with CWA!
What is your favorite part of working for CWA?
I LOVE getting “we’re home” emails and pictures from families once their adoption is complete. It’s so fulfilling seeing the referral photos first and then seeing their smiling faces at home with their forever families. There is a special personal connection that comes with working with families on their adoption journey. I also had the opportunity to travel to Guatemala to meet people working directly with the children waiting to be adopted. This experience made me feel even closer to the program because I got to see firsthand the children, the country and the caregivers.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
The greatest challenge is trying to get photos and medical information about the children being adopted on a regular basis. Limited resources in Guatemala sometimes make it difficult to get all of the information adoptive parents want. In America, we’re so used to having information at our fingertips so often it is frustrating when photos and information come slowly. Having said that, the attorneys in Guatemala who facilitate adoptions do a great job making sure the children have the care they need.
Tell us about your family...
My husband, Dow, is an Episcopal priest serving here in Charleston. We’ve been married 24 years and have two sons ages 22 and 21. We have a golden retriever and two cats.
What is your favorite free time activity?
I enjoy spending time with my family and reading. This summer while on vacation I read Where Trouble Sleeps, Sweetwater Creek, The Summons and The Eye of the Needle. Currently I’m reading Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton. My husband and I also love to travel and are always looking forward to our next travel adventure.
What is your prayer for CWA?
That we can continue working in countries like Guatemala where we have programs established and that this will expand and develop into new programs so we can help as many children as possible.
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