We had plans for our lives to include several children. We were so happy with our wonderful son Truman, but hoped for a little brother or sister. When this didn’t happen after years of extensive reproductive assistance, we were left with heartache and disappointment. Unexplained infertility. While the tens of thousands of dollars was a substantial financial strain, it paled in comparison to what we thought was the loss of our dream -- parenthood. The desire to experience pregnancy and childbirth overshadowed everything. Surrounded by the miracle of biological birth, I could no longer be employed as a labor and delivery nurse -- all of those babies, and none of them ours.Finally when sitting in church a single sentence from Ephesians (1:5) resounded: “Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” For the first time we were able to see the inability to conceive not as unanswered prayers or failure of medical technology, but simply God’s divine plan.
Given a renewed spirit and direction, we enthusiastically began our first adoption. Unaware of EAC, we selected an agency that specialized in Guatemalan adoptions. We ultimately received a healthy and beautiful daughter, Kate, but the agency was poorly managed, long on promises and short on follow through. Messages went unanswered for days, even weeks at a time, and their voicemail box was daily filled. The time frame for the adoption fell through by months, with no communication from the agency.
»Our first [adoption] was "long on promises -- short on delivery"...we never heard from the agency again. Then we found EAC! Adoption of our second daughter with EAC was flawless...
Exactly a year later, an e-mail notified us of a court date in 48 hours. We were to book a flight and wait for instructions at the hotel. Within fifteen minutes of arrival at the hotel, our daughter was there in the arms of her foster mother. There was no translator or agency representative -- a hotel doorman with limited English attempted to translate all the crucial information about Kate’s first year of life.
The next morning we fumbled through the embassy appointment without an escort, attorney or agency assistant. We asked other adoptive parents what we were supposed to do. Two sleepless days and nights later, we landed in the states -- emotionally frazzled, flabbergasted by the agency’s irresponsibility, but amazed to have survived the whole experience, no doubt by the grace of God. We never heard from the agency again. In spite of our horrendous experience, we were thrilled with our sweet Kate.
When we sought out a new agency for our second adoption, we spent six months researching all our options. Wiser, given our previous experience, we gathered information from over 25 agencies and began the elimination process. EAC stood out as our favorite. We were impressed with their high standards, organizational skills, accountability, and impeccable references (not to mention 24 hour phone service). Marti, our caseworker, was great. Every promise made was kept. Our referral at two weeks after our paperwork was complete was even faster than anticipated.
We traveled seven months later (though with instructions!) to Guatemala to bring our daughter, Elizabeth, home. To say that the trip was flawless is an understatement. The bilingual escorts, Ana and Juan Carlos, always accompanied us. The EAC representative walked each and every family through the entire visit (embassy appointments, grocery shopping, sight seeing, great dinners and the foster mother meeting). The EAC hospitality suite was a wonderful place to relax with other families… we continued to be amazed. EAC deserves the fantastic reputation it holds!
Our family has been blessed beyond words through the miracle of adoption. Thank you, EAC, for helping make it a reality. The joy and appreciation that our hearts hold cannot be contained; it overflows readily as we attempt to comprehend how God has chosen such precious angels from heaven for us to love and call our own.