I would like to say something for adoption. Two years ago, a desire was born in me to adopt a deaf child. I am fluent in American Sign Language and my husband also signs. However, I had a hard time finding an agency that could help me. We tried local agencies and even other states, but could not locater a deaf child, preferably a girl. We were looking for an older child, maybe about 6 to 8 years old.
In 2002, I attended the international conference called "Deaf Way II" in Washington D.C. hosted by Gallaudet University. It was an amazing conference. While there, I attended two seminars about deaf adoptions. I was informed of a website which would connect me with an agency that specializes in deaf adoptions. I went home and my husband and I talked. Well, the biggest barrier was money-at least $18,000.000. That cheap you say? And that was one and 1.2 year trip. So much to do. First, I contacted the agency and the next day I was sent a picture of a deaf child in China. The agency named her Amanda, which means "worth of love". That fit just right.
Amanda arrived in the United States December 18, 2003. Amanda did not want to come to us when we first met her in China. But when we began to sign to her, even though she did not know American Sign Language, she understood that we could sign and that was all she needed. We used pantomime and classifiers to communicate. It was love from that moment on. When it was time for us to come here, she was very excited to meet her sisters and see her dad again, who had left China early.
When we landed, we began to introduce Amanda to many people who were anxious to meet her. What was really interesting was that most of the people she met could sign. So I think Amanda thought everyone in America can sign! Well, we didn't know if she would like American food, so I bought a rice cooker. What we didn't know was that Amanda does not like rice! So we tried different foods. She was unsure of Pizza, because of the way it looked to her, but one bite and she loved it. Her favorite food now is spaghetti and chicken fingers with French fries.
Amanda loves America and has learned American Sign Language extremely fast. Now we can sign normally to her. When she arrived I had to struggle to find a way to explain so many things because she only knew Chinese sign language. Amanda is so smart and her two adopted sisters learned sign language with her. Now her hearing sisters interpret for her in church and in other situations, because they have learned to sign so well.
Amanda is a normal 10 year old and loves her family. She loves to cuddle with mom on a recliner when we watch a movie. She LOVES wrestling with Dad on Saturday mornings with the rest of the girls. She shares a room with her 12 year old sister, Amber and loves to complain about Amber and how messy she is. Amanda is a very neat person and likes her things in the right place. And no one had better touch anything that is hers!
Thank you so much for helping us adopt Amanda. She is our dream come true and I believe we are also her dream
Sincerely, Rev. and Mrs. Dennis A.
Krog
Faith
Jamie
Amber Amanda
