Where are they now? [ c l i c k o n a p h o t o t o s e e w h e r e e a c h c h i l d i s n o w ]
For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him.
Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD."
~ 1 Samuel 1:27-28
"Rescue a baby." Although they had four biological children, Shannon and Tricia Brown had been thinking about adoption for a long time.
God brought them to a decision while they were traveling together in October 2004, especially as they heard about
the many Haitian children who became orphans in the wake of
Hurricane Jeanne (Sept.'04).
Shannon has shared their rationale and adoption story in this mp3 titled "God Loves Adoption" (Jan.'07).
On February 27, 2006, they received a referral for a tiny little orphan (watch the video of them receiving the referral
here on Journey to Grace).
They went to China and held little Grace Lu in their arms for the first time on her "Gotcha Day": May 13, 2006. On July 21, 2006, she celebrated her first birthday in the USA with her forever family.
When a kind donor wanted to give toward the Browns' adoption of Grace Lu, Hannah's Heart was able to facilitate that gift as a tax-free deductible gift.
Although we were not established enough at the time to raise additional funds for the Browns, what we were able to do helped to inform and motivate us
for future efforts. Since Gracie's homecoming, the Browns have relocated. Since March of 2007, they have became a part of the congregation of
Morning Star Baptist Church, and their "conspicuous family" has become a part of the Rockford community.
"Meet Chloe Jane."
Mick and Beth Murschell had already adopted three children (Bailey, Andrew, and David) and were praying about one more.
On a Korean website, they saw that a baby girl (born 6/29/04) was living in the same orphanage
where David and Andrew had lived in Seoul, South Korea. They read her information, saw video and pictures,
and knew she was theirs.
The Murschells pursued the adoption of Chloe Jane as far as they could until some financial setbacks put everything on hold.
They had a bed, clothes, and a name for her, but not enough money to bring her home. In fact, they
found themselves facing the likelihood of losing her referral. The opportunity to adopt this little girl
seemed to be slipping away.
Hannah's Heart launched a website to raise awareness about the Murschells' need and to organize
the efforts of their friends and family members so that any donations could be processed in an orderly and
quick way.
The Murschells' friends and family raised over $4,000 to help them secure Chloe's referral and
to enable them to proceed with her adoption. Beth flew alone on Christmas Day 2006 and brought Chloe home
(to Bradenton, Florida at the time) the first week of January 2007.
Chloe Jane has been a blessing and joy to her new family, who describe her as "a very cool person!" June 2008 brought Chloe's 4th birthday, and the Murschells relocated that same month to become a part of
Providence Bible Church,
a new church plant in Denver, Colorado.
Corban's story is a reminder that God's timing is perfect. Some things went very slowly and some very quickly--but the timing was
perfectly engineered. Formerly missionaries to France and Belgium, Bob and Jennie Bixby live now in Rockford, Illinois, where they have ministered since July 2002 with
Morning Star Baptist Church.
Their daughter Patience was born and adopted in March 2001, just a year before their return to live in the States. By the fall of 2006,
the Bixbys had been praying for another child for a long time. Even Patience was praying for a sibling, specifically a little brother.
On November 13, 2006, Bob and Jennie were told about a possible adoption opportunity for a child expected to be born and put up for adoption
in South Carolina in mid-December or so.
Hurriedly, they expedited the necessary home study and paperwork and sought to do whatever it would take to adopt this little one if it was evidently God's will for them to do so.
They arrived in SC in early December. Little did they know that this little boy, whom they hoped to name "Samuel Corban," was not
going to make his appearance until January 9, 2007!
The waiting wasn't the only hard thing about Corban's adoption. The Bixbys had to be away from Rockford for about 8 weeks, and there were some
complications in the adoption process that threatened to un-do what it looked like God had been working out. But Corban finally was born,
the paperwork was signed, and the Bixbys were able to hold him in their arms for the first time on January 10, 2007. There were still legal
proceedings keeping them in SC for a while, but they were able to return home to Rockford with Corban on January 31, 2007. The
Illinois side of the adoption was finalized on February 27, and Samuel Corban officially began his career as the resident comedian-fireball
of the Bixby household.
When Corban was born, there were some concerns about how healthy he would be, and he did have a few scary times early on fighting MRSA (no longer) and some
other illnesses when his immune system was weaker. Aside from his asthma, however, Corban has proven to be quite the healthy and energetic
toddler, well-rounded, ever-popular (he's more shy than Patience at first, but becomes "Mr. Personality" once he gets to know you better).
In addition to a few English words like "hat" and "ball," Corban speaks his own special language fluently, and he loves to dance around and
"sing." The Bixbys are grateful for those who gave of their own resources to help make Corban a permanent part of their family.
God's providence was especially evident in Alex's story. Initially, he wasn't even supposed to come to the USA; his name got attached to
another child's paperwork "accidentally." Ed and Robin Foster believe God did it. They had been thinking and praying about
adoption for many years. They also have seven biological children (Sarah, Joel, Nancy, Kelly
and Clara, and Travis and Tyler). In April '07, the Fosters heard about "Lyosha" (Alexsey Olegovich Kharlamov), a Russian orphan who had
been brought to the USA for medical treatment as a candidate for prosthetics. Through the generosity of doctors and others
affiliated with The Hope Project in South Carolina, Alex's legs were amputated to facilitate his movement. He was also given dental attention and braces,
and a generous company donated a top-of-the-line TiLite wheelchair for him. He is not able to wear prosthetics, but he is
doing very well and his trip to the States also connected him with an adoptive family! He was 11 years old in May 2007 when he went
to stay with the Fosters in Rockford, Illinois. He began attending
Morning Star Baptist Church
with them.
Alex was able to live with the Fosters for nearly a year while his adoption process was underway. With a dad, mom, and seven siblings who love
to talk, and being quite chatty himself, Alex's English has improved dramatically in the last year and a half. In October 2007, he celebrated
his first truly "Happy Birthday" ever. He has enjoyed the changes of the seasons and joins the rest of the kids in getting excited to
discover after a church meeting that snow has been piling up around the building.
Before he came to the USA, Alex's trouble (James 1:27) was very real. Because of his special medical needs, he had lived in two
different orphanages, the second of which was for handicapped children. If he had remained in Russia till he was 16 years old, he very
likely would have been placed in an insane asylum. As the Fosters said, "He is only one of many, but he is one, and is providentially in our
home and hearts. We are committed to helping him."
In March of 2008, Ed and Robin took Alex to Russia to finalize his adoption. They spent time in Moscow and in the Penza region of
Russia, where Alex's orphanage was. There were many unknowns and hurdles to overcome, but God provided much grace and spurred
many of His people to support the Fosters through prayer and financial gifts. When they returned to the USA, it was official: Alex was a Foster!
Read more about
Alex's story, and/or view more photos of Alex with his new family here in an online "photo album"
on the Global Grace blog.
"Meet Chloe Jane." Mick and Beth Murschell had already adopted three children (Bailey, Andrew, and David) and were praying about one more. On a Korean website, they saw that a baby girl (born 6/29/04) was living in the same orphanage where David and Andrew had lived in Seoul, South Korea. They read her information, saw video and pictures, and knew she was theirs.
The waiting wasn't the only hard thing about Corban's adoption. The Bixbys had to be away from Rockford for about 8 weeks, and there were some complications in the adoption process that threatened to un-do what it looked like God had been working out. But Corban finally was born, the paperwork was signed, and the Bixbys were able to hold him in their arms for the first time on January 10, 2007. There were still legal proceedings keeping them in SC for a while, but they were able to return home to Rockford with Corban on January 31, 2007. The Illinois side of the adoption was finalized on February 27, and Samuel Corban officially began his career as the resident comedian-fireball of the Bixby household.
When Corban was born, there were some concerns about how healthy he would be, and he did have a few scary times early on fighting MRSA (no longer) and some other illnesses when his immune system was weaker. Aside from his asthma, however, Corban has proven to be quite the healthy and energetic toddler, well-rounded, ever-popular (he's more shy than Patience at first, but becomes "Mr. Personality" once he gets to know you better). In addition to a few English words like "hat" and "ball," Corban speaks his own special language fluently, and he loves to dance around and "sing." The Bixbys are grateful for those who gave of their own resources to help make Corban a permanent part of their family.
God's providence was especially evident in Alex's story. Initially, he wasn't even supposed to come to the USA; his name got attached to another child's paperwork "accidentally." Ed and Robin Foster believe God did it. They had been thinking and praying about adoption for many years. They also have seven biological children (Sarah, Joel, Nancy, Kelly and Clara, and Travis and Tyler). In April '07, the Fosters heard about "Lyosha" (Alexsey Olegovich Kharlamov), a Russian orphan who had been brought to the USA for medical treatment as a candidate for prosthetics. Through the generosity of doctors and others affiliated with The Hope Project in South Carolina, Alex's legs were amputated to facilitate his movement. He was also given dental attention and braces, and a generous company donated a top-of-the-line TiLite wheelchair for him. He is not able to wear prosthetics, but he is doing very well and his trip to the States also connected him with an adoptive family! He was 11 years old in May 2007 when he went to stay with the Fosters in Rockford, Illinois. He began attending Morning Star Baptist Church with them.
Alex was able to live with the Fosters for nearly a year while his adoption process was underway. With a dad, mom, and seven siblings who love to talk, and being quite chatty himself, Alex's English has improved dramatically in the last year and a half. In October 2007, he celebrated his first truly "Happy Birthday" ever. He has enjoyed the changes of the seasons and joins the rest of the kids in getting excited to discover after a church meeting that snow has been piling up around the building.
