Our daughter, Dannah, was four years old when we found EAC. We had attempted to have another child through the trials and disappointments of infertility and domestic adoption. Once we attended an EAC seminar, we knew a Russian adoption was right for us. Little did we know that God had even bigger and better plans for our family!

We began the adoption process with EAC and a local home study agency, and only five months later, in March 2002, we returned home from Russia with our twenty-month-old daughter, Gracie, and our nine month old son, Joshua.

Our experience with EAC had been very positive and I felt very strongly about sharing our story with others. Finding a trustworthy agency is not an easy thing to do. I knew our family had an impact on other families seeking to adopt, so we began attending EAC seminars in California to share our story. It was rewarding to see the hope in soon-to-be parent's eyes and hear the excitement in their voices. It was even more exciting to see them later with their children at other EAC events!

Four years later, in the fall of 2004, God whispered to my heart that there was a three or four year old little boy waiting for our family in Russia. I knew, without any doubt, that we had another son waiting on the other side of the world. The rest of the family was not so sure! We had thought that we were complete as a family of five and had not planned on having more children at that time. After much prayer and discussion, all five of us knew that a little boy was waiting and we needed to bring him home! I called EAC and we began our third adoption.

EAC explained to us the many changes with Russia since our previous adoptions. We were prepared for a longer wait and more paperwork. I actually found it easier this time, and the adoption was completed in only five months!

We received our referral very quickly, and traveled to Russia in March of 2006 to meet our Benjamin. He was in the same orphanage that Gracie and Joshua had lived! We were excited to see the improvements that had been made to the orphanage in the last four years. It had freshly painted walls, more colorful murals, more small pets, and the outside play yard had been redone. There seemed to be more women working at the orphanage as well. It was wonderful to see the difference that Project Sunshine and EAC families have made.

Our visit with Benjamin began with a serious and reluctant little boy. Within a few minutes he was smiling and laughing with us! When it was time to say "Goodbye," he wrapped himself around Duncan's leg. Duncan told him gently that it was okay -- we would be back. He slowly let go and went with his caregiver to join his friends in a music class.

We returned to Russia four weeks later for our court appearance with the same judge we had in 2002, and, surprisingly, he remembered us! The next day we returned to Moscow and stayed three days before we traveled home with our new three year old son. The next morning he met his new brother and sisters.

He is a delightful, affectionate, loving little boy who brings much joy and love into our family. Dannah, Gracie, and Joshua love and adore their little brother. It has been eight months since we arrived home with Benjamin, yet it seems like he has always been here.

Duncan and I could never have imagined the blessings we would receive from having four children. We love each of them so much and there is no difference in our hearts between our child through birth and our children through adoption. They are all gifts from God, and we thank Him for creating a family for us. Thank you, EAC, for helping us find each other.

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