The Story of Peter Hinrichs
My husband and I brought home our son Peter from
Magadan, Russia on April 20th of this year. We are so grateful to A
Child Waits for their help made it possible
to bring Peter home.
Many would say we had no business adopting another
child -- especially one who has cerebral palsy and fetal alcohol effects. We have
five biological children. Our youngest biological child, Hawken, is severely disabled.
Today, September 6, is his sixth birthday, and he still cannot talk, walk, sit,
use his hands, feed himself, etc. Some see him and wonder why God allowed him
to be born as he was. We know why. He has changed many people's lives and it is
because of him that our two adopted children were brought home.
I must
tell you our first adopted child's story because it is woven with Peter's story
and they cannot be separated without doing an injustice to the process.
In
September 2002 my husband and I brought home three llamas. Llamas communicate
by humming. The male llama walked to our fence where Hawken was sitting in his
swing. He at that time was three years old. Well, the llama walked to the fence
and hummed. Hawken hummed back. They "talked" back and forth for a minute
or more. And my husband and I were amazed. Hawken hadn't communicated with anyone
prior to that conversation with the llama.
I
rushed inside and emailed a friend who I know would love this story. She has llamas
and children. In the email I told her Hawken had special needs. She mentioned
a website in her reply that featured special needs orphans from around the world
that needed homes desperately.
My husband and I had never talked about
adoption, but I love children and I went to the website. I just wanted to see
the beautiful children. But in that one click our lives were changed forever.
The world of adoption and all the need in that world opened up to us. I saw a
little girl from Eastern Europe who broke my heart. I emailed the organization
and the next day received a couple of emails that said we were an answer to prayer.
We had no money for an adoption. But, this little girl had no one else even
ask about her. She couldn't walk and her medical report sounded so grim. She would
be institutionalized very soon.
Well, after receiving her video my husband
said he couldn't say no to her. We truly felt that God said if we would agree
to be her parents he would provide the money for her.
And he did in ways
I would never have imagined. It took a long time for her to come home. We had
to prove to the government of her country that we could parent her even though
we had a son in wheelchair.
And before she came home we again fell in
love with a child. His name was Peter and he was in Russia. He too would be institutionalized
because of his cerebral palsy. We hesitated about saying yes because we weren't
sure if we could handle two children in wheelchairs. But, our son Ryan asked about
him frequently. He would pray for him every night to get a home. Peter's smile
drew us all in.
Months
later, we heard Peter had begun to take some steps and we knew we had to bring
him home. No one else wanted him. I think maybe sometimes other families are scared
to take on needs that might prove to challenging. And that is okay. But we knew
we could do it.
His adoption would cost
more than our daughter Maggie's. We still hadn't brought her home but we would
start another adoption. Timing was everything. Just getting a family to agree
to possibly adopt Peter kept him in the good orphanage he was at.
We
had no money whatsoever to put toward his adoption. But we believed it would happen.
God cares more for these orphans than we ever could. He didn't want Peter put
away. Peter was created for something special -- like all children are.
Our
adoption specialist asked us several times how we were raising money. I really
didn't have an answer. We were able to pay for paperwork, but the big expenses
we couldn't do. We just kept believing.
And then we found websites where
grants were given. We applied and got a small one. Then we got a grant through
the ministry where we first saw Peter. A little money came in here and there.
And then we were told about A Child Waits
Foundation. And our application was accepted and approved. After securing
the funds with A Child Waits,
other money started coming in. We had one family give us a huge financial gift
for the adoption. We had another family give frequent flyer miles which covered
my plane ticket to Magadan for the first trip. It was amazing to see the money
come when it was needed.
The first several months of the child being
home with the family can be very challenging. I have been stretched a lot by little
Peter. His progress has been incredible. He is now walking on his own with braces
-- though he prefers to use the walker right now. He speaks English so well. He
understands everything we say to him and he speaks in seven word sentences already.
He has become an integral part of the family. He and Maggie (our other adopted
child) have bonded so well. He is her "Petey" she says. He loves to
laugh. He loves to tease us and joke with us. He is totally potty-trained now.
He continues to thrive and get better all the time.
The
people at his orphanage loved him and kept him at the orphanage almost a year
past what was routine. They held him there in hopes he would come home to a family.
I thank them for believing he would get a family and for loving him. They are
dear, dear people.
One of the amazing things about adoption is how it
affects the entire family. Our biological children have grown emotionally and
spiritually through the adoptions. People who were so against these adoptions
because they thought we already had enough to do have had changed hearts.
Adoption is a beautiful thing! Thank you "A
Child Waits" for making it possible for Peter Hinrichs to have
a home with us.
Sincerely,
Jane Hinrichs