My Adoption Journey

My name is Lisa Kelly and I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. I am new to Lifeline Children’s Services but, not new to working in and loving adoption.

My journey in adoption began in 2001 when I was a Kindergarten teacher. I taught a beautiful little girl who was adopted from China and instantly fell hard for her. She was bright, inquisitive, funny, beautiful, and oh, so very smart!!

In 2002, the Lord called her home as she was diagnosed with cancer. The tears that were shed, the loss that we all felt, the longing to have her back was indescribable. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of this precious little girl and pray for her family.

In 2003, my husband and I, along with our 2 boys decided that we wanted to adopt a little girl from China. Oh, how I hoped and prayed she would be just like the little girl that I taught in my classroom. Little did I know my prayers were being answered.

In 2004, our family went to China to bring our little girl home. She was healthy, happy, smart, beautiful, and oh so very funny!! We had an instant love and bond that would never be broken-that amazing red thread connection. Was the journey to adopt our daughter long? Was the journey to adopt our daughter hard? Was the adjustment period when we got home challenging? Yes, yes, and yes!! BUT it was all worth every minute of it. As I look into my daughter’s eyes each and every day, I am reminded that God picked her especially for our family. She is a perfect fit and only God can do that. I truly believe that without God there would not be adoption!

Shortly after we brought our daughter home in 2004, I began working in adoption. I have done everything from administrative work, to typing home studies for social workers, to putting entire dossiers together. I have communicated with countries internationally, helped run offices, helped with Hague accreditation, and the list goes on. It didn’t really seem to matter what I was doing in adoption as long as I was doing it. I wanted other families to know and feel that same love that we have been BLESSED with by the adoption of our daughter.

God has opened many doors throughout this journey of adoption for me and now as I join the Lifeline staff, I am truly blessed all over again by this amazing opportunity to help the Lord bring together His children with their forever families. I feel I am joining the most amazing people who are working so very hard for our Lord – doing it all with prayers and to bring glory to His name.

Currently for Lifeline, I will be helping with the Taiwan, China, and Costa Rica programs. I wanted to take the time to list our newest waiting children from Taiwan and ask all of you to pray with us that the Lord bring to Lifeline committed forever families for His precious children!!

Tsung-Ming
Date of Birth April 16, 2002
8 years old
Tsung –Ming means smart and this precious little guy looks very intelligent in his photos where he is showing his artwork. This precious little guy so desires the love of a mother and father. He is physically healthy.

Chi-Kung
Date of Birth September 23, 2002
8 years old
This precious little boy is healthy and lives with a foster family since his birth family is unable to care for him. He has good reports as far as his psychological emotional status, behavioral performance, and schooling. He would love to have a family that would be all his own.

Sibling Group – Li siblings
Yu
Female DOB April 25, 2005
5 years old
Chia-En
Male DOB May 1, 2006
4 years old
These adorable siblings need deserve a family. The living situation was very erratic during their early years and then they were abandoned by their mother in 2008. They have been placed in foster care as they await their forever family. They have a half sister born in 2009 that has been placed for adoption domestically. They are both developmentally delayed but Yu did begin Kindergarten in August of 2010. These children need to be adopted together.

Yun-Ju
Date of Birth January 11, 1998
Almost 13
This beautiful young girl needs a family to love her. Maybe you are the perfect family for this precious child. She has a diagnosis of mild mental deficiency. Yun-Ju also wears glasses to correct nearsightedness and esotropia. She is a kind and considerate girl and is a good helper in her foster family. She lacks self-confidence and needs to have a family that can love her and teach her.

Yu-Chi
Date of Birth February 11, 2008
Almost 3 years old
This very precious and needy little girl was hospitalized in March of 2008 due to suspected child abuse. She is currently in a nursing type home. She has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. She takes medication for a seizure disorder. She needs the love of her own family to help her to grow and thrive.

Yi-Chun
DOB December 26, 2000
Female almost 10 years old
This precious little girl was born the day after Christmas. She is in need of a forever family. She is developing normally but has some delays in learning. She is currently with a foster family and is doing well in their home. She likes to look pretty and is patient when helping with the younger children. She is in need of a family so please pray for her family to find her.

Chun-Yu
DOB June 3, 2004
Male 6 years old
This adorable little boy needs a family. He is currently residing in a foster home. He has developmental delay issues and may also have symptoms of autism. He is very precious and is he said to be kindhearted and he does not bully others. More information is being obtained on this little boy.

Yu-Chen
DOB June 29, 2009
Female 18 months old
This precious little girl desperately needs a family to love her. She has a cleft palate and has been diagnosed with AMC – Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita. There are many discharge notes available on this precious little girl and we are waiting on more reports and photos.
Wei-Chuan
Date of Birth – November 27, 2006
Almost 4 years old
This precious little girl is physically healthy. She has a cognitive, speech and motor developmental delay. She has a diagnosis of autism but it appears to be mild and may be a result of her poor environment prior to being in foster care beginning in March of 2010. She was living previously with her birthmother and grandmother. The environments were not good! She needs a family to love her and care for her and to give her stability! Please pray for a family to sense a calling for her adoption. She a very beautiful little girl.
Ya-Wei
Date of Birth – December 24, 2003
Soon to be 7 years
This precious little girl was born on Christmas Eve. She will be a gift to a family and she so desperately needs a family to love her. She is so adorable. This precious little girl lived in a family where the birthmother was abused by the birthfather. It is thought that she has been abused too. She was hospitalized in 2006 due to suspected neglect. She began living in a foster family at this point and since has been transferred to an institution – March 2010. She wears glasses for mild myopia and strabismus. She has moderate intellectual disability. It is suspected that she had some brain injury due to the abuse. She currently takes medication to control epilepsy. Please pray for her family so that she might be loved and cared for as she so desires and needs.
Siblings:
Ching - Female – Date of Birth – August 19, 2003 (10 years old)
Te – Male – Date of Birth – April 23, 2006 (4 years old)
This precious sibling group is looking for a family to love them. Ching is a beautiful little girl with mild cerebral palsy. She is able to walk very well and simply wears a brace on one foot. She has a normal intelligence. From birth until February of 2010 she lived with her birth family but continually moved. Since February she has been living in a foster family. The little brother has mild language developmental delay and was placed with the foster family in July of 2010. These two precious children need to be adopted together. Please pray for a family for these two precious children.
Please contact Lifeline Children’s Services for more information on these PRECIOUS gifts from the Lord!!

I can’t wait to see what the Lord is up to next in this journey with Lifeline. May HE be glorified in all that we do!!

Love and Prayers to all of you!
Lisa Kelly
Adoption Specialist

“Until All the World May Come to Know HIM…”~ Pastor Stephen from Kenya
lisa.kelly@lifelineadoption.org