Why Colombia?

As Alec and I were researching adoption, we learned we have about three options: foster to adopt, domestic infant adoption, or international adoption.

Foster to Adopt: In the foster system the number one goal is to reunite the child with their biological parents. With this in mind, Alec and I would have to expect that most children we would take into our home would eventually be taken back to their mother/parents. Although, Alec and I admire those who have chosen this route, we do not feel God is calling us to be foster parents at this time.

Domestic Infant Adoption: Domestic Infant Adoption happens when a birth mother in America decides, for whatever reason, that she wants to place her baby up for adoption. The mother would then reach out to an agency where she would be shown profiles of potential adoptive families. It could take years to be chosen, and in the worst case scenario, never chosen at all. On top of this the majority of Domestic Infant Adoptions are open adoptions, meaning the birth parents would stay connected with the adopted child to some degree. Alec and I understand how this could work for some families but we do not believe this would be what's best for us.

International Adoption: International Adoption is any adoption that happens outside of the U.S. There is a global orphan crisis happening today. Every 18 seconds another child becomes an orphan. We feel that God has placed a love for these children in our hearts.

So Why Colombia?

Once Alec and I found an adoption agency that fit really well with what we were looking for we were limited to the specific countries that they work with, about 19. Each country has it's own requirements for who is qualified to adopt a child from their country, such as age & length of marriage. Some of the 19 we didn't qualify for, so that helped rule some out.

As we were looking and praying through the list, we kept coming back to Colombia. Out of all the countries we could choose from, it was the only one we had a connection to: Alec's grandmother, Georgette (Ita) Escutia, was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia.

If God blesses us with the ability to adopt from anywhere, Alec and I want to be intentional about teaching the child about their birth country and their native language. Having this family connection, and many family members who know and speak Spanish, Colombia seemed like the natural fit!