Saturday, November 21st, is National Adoption Day. Celebrated every Saturday before Thanksgiving, 54,500 children have been assisted in finding "forever families" through this event, according to nationaladoptionday.org. This year marks the 16th celebration of National Adoption Day, created to not only assist families desiring to adopt, but to "raise awareness of nearly 100,000 children" desiring a permanent family, the website says.
No matter what day an adoption takes place, it is a special event involving special people. At Liberty University, we are blessed to have some of these amazing people as classmates. Here are a few of their stories:
Kyla started her Freshmen year at Liberty this fall.
"I have a unique story. I was not involved in the foster system; I was adopted after my stepmom kicked me out of her house. I was born the youngest of eight, there was a four year gap between me and my sister because I was an accident. My biological mom died when I was five. My dad, who was in the military and away a lot, remarried. I was left alone with my stepmom and sisters when my dad was gone. Then he died when I was ten. My stepmom was bipolar and refused to get help for it. I was abused physically, verbally, and emotionally. I became depressed, suicidal, and dealt with self-hate and anger management. This continued until I was thirteen, when I couldn't take it anymore and ran away from home. I walked four and a half miles to the library, barefoot, where my friend's mom found me and called the police. After that, my stepmom was 'done' with me, telling me I was a terrible person who was never going to change and that she hated me. I was going to kill myself - I had the knife ready, but before I did, I prayed. I knew about God, but after my dad died, leaving me in this situation, I couldn't see how He could be real. But I tried praying one more time, asking God that if He was real, to give me a second chance. That night, I had a dream where I saw my biological mom and my twin sister (who had died at birth); it was a peaceful, happy dream. When I woke up, I knew I couldn't kill myself and that I needed to live, for them. But I was scared to stay at home. So I went to the guidance counselor at my school and told her if I had to stay in the house with my stepmom, I was going to kill myself. I was sent to the psychiatric ward for a week: it was the best week of my life so far. I didn't have to worry about doing something wrong and getting yelled at, since everything I did was wrong to my stepmom. When I got home, though, my stepmom told me she was going to kick me out. She'd said that even when my dad was alive though, so I thought she was bluffing. But two months later, during the last week of school, she told me I only had one more week to live in her house and see my sisters and that I better enjoy it. At the end of that week, I packed only what my stepmom approved of me taking, she drove me to my adoptive parents house, dropped me off, and I haven't seen her since.
"It was really cool how God worked it out, though. My stepmom's sister-in-law told her mother about me, who told her pastor and his wife, and asked them if they would adopt me. They saw my picture, prayed about it for three days, and said yes. I've been with my adoptive parents for five years. Being adopted wasn't easy. I had emotional baggage to overcome. I still struggled with depression, self-hate, and everything else. Plus, I had to detox from my previous situation. Their family functioned differently, and I had to learn how that worked. Now, instead of being the youngest, I'm the second oldest of five. I was just about to turn fourteen, so I had the normal teenager problems, in addition to learning to respect authority and overcoming lots of hurts. I had to realize they weren't going to throw me away. That was my biggest fear, that I would do something wrong and they wouldn't want me anymore. It's also my biggest blessing, because now I know they always have my back - no matter what happens, no matter what I do. I'm in what I always wanted - a 'normal' family. A family who loved, forgave (I needed so much of that), and welcomed me in when I didn't even ask for it. That's huge. Going from being kicked out to being chosen and welcomed in is something I will be forever grateful for. I'm their daughter, a part of the family. When I was adopted, I was in a lot of pain. I couldn't understand how a family could just welcome me in. I started going to church and attending school at LCA (Liberty Christian Academy), and I realized Jesus is the only one who could take away this pain. Now I'm changed. I didn't like the person I was. I heard about being a 'new creation in Christ' and 'transformed by the renewing of your mind,' and I wanted that. There's a song by Family Force 5, and the chorus says:
'Desperation meeting You
Every last breath I breathe for You
Shatter me into a million pieces
Make me new
Crush me, tear me, break me, mold me,
Make me what You want me to be
Because I am Yours and You are You
So take and replace me with You'
"It's like the potter and the clay: re-shaping the clay is not peaceful, it's violent - it hurts, but once it's over God's going to make you into something so much better. For me, it's still painful sometimes, it still hurts, and I'm still going through the process. But it's worth it.
"If you're considering adoption, make sure you are wiling to love whoever you adopt with all your heart, because every kid will have to deal with not feeling wanted or needed. Be sure you can give them the unconditional love they need, or you will make their scars worse.
"If you are adopted, count your blessings. Be grateful. You were chosen. Blood relations don't matter, but if you love them with all your heart, you'll always be family. My mom has a saying, 'You may not have been born from my womb, but you were born from the love of my heart.' We're all adopted by God and one big family anyways, so we're all brothers and sisters. One day, we're going to have a big family reunion in Heaven, and there will be no pain, or anything like that anymore."
This is the Laperche family. Alysha (left) is a Sophomore here at Liberty.
"My parents were new believers, with two young children when they felt called to adopt through their pastor's sermons. A verse that really spoke to them was 'take care of the widows and orphans.' They worked to become a foster family because my parents knew they wanted to adopt from the foster system. It took six months. They had to have a home study, where the social worker comes in and makes sure there is a place for the child to stay and everything is safe, and a family case study, where my older brother and I got to talk about how excited we were for new siblings. I was six, and I wanted a little sister. We got called for an emergency placement of a girl who was about my age, and I loved having her there. But I didn't understand her background or her feelings; I didn't understand why she wasn't as excited as I was that she was staying with us. Often times, foster children want love, but ask for it in the wrong ways, or think and say they don't want it. I watched my parents work with her, and saw how they showed her unconditional love. David came to us when he was two weeks old. I loved him the moment I saw him, and I loved helping mom take care of him. Eventually, we got to adopt David. When he was about eighteen months old, his biological sister was born. I got to help name Hannah because we knew right away we wanted to adopt her too. We adopted Hannah on National Adoption Day when I was nine, and my older brother and I got to participate instead of just sitting in the courtroom waiting for the decision. David and Hannah are my real siblings. Blood isn't what makes a family. They're a gift from God. Because of them, I've been able to develop a nurturing spirit; otherwise, I would have been the youngest, so I don't know where that would have gone. I was spurred on to be a better friend, since I understand not all children are given the love they need, and I know some of what they're going through. This process also built up my respect for foster families; it's hard. It's hard for biological parents too, because they still love their children. David and Hannah's mom still loved them, she loved them enough to give up her rights. They've never known anything else, but now they are old enough to understand two sets of parents love them so much and it's God's will for their lives. Both of them are some of the most compassionate people I've ever met. Hannah is empathetic, and David notices people most of us walk by without realizing or stopping to think about them. Adoption is contagious. I would like to adopt one day, if that's what God has for me, and so would David and Hannah. Adoption is a calling Christians have. Not every family is called to adopt, but everyone can support those who are. Through your ability to change someone else's course in life, it allows God to really shape your heart."
Moriah Miller is a Freshman at Liberty this year.
"My biological mom found out she was pregnant with me when she was sixteen, and my biological dad was eighteen. She was going to have an abortion, but her mother talked her out of it. I was put up for adoption the moment I was born. My adoptive parents first saw me when I was four weeks old, but it took three and a half months for the adoption to go through. It was an international adoption; I was born in South Korea. Growing up, my parents always told me I was adopted, but they also affirmed it was God's plan for me. I knew I came to parents who were loving; it was cool my biological mom loved me enough to put me up for adoption, giving me a better life here than she could have given me in Korea. One time when I was younger, a classmate said because I was adopted I didn't have a family. It made me mad, because I do. My parents have been loving and sacrificed a lot for me... a lot of who I am has been shaped by my parents and my sister. At first, my sister and I used to not get along, but now we're really close. She came to Liberty first, actually. My dad was the one who lead me to Christ, and he even baptized me. Being adopted has made me not take things for granted. I want to try new things and do everything I can for others. It's also made me more accepting. Because I was adopted so young, it wasn't a scarring experience for me, or anything like that. I'm glad that my parents were able to adopt me as an infant, we had all that time together until I left for college.
"I get it that women who have had sex outside of marriage don't want to have the baby because the baby is a reminder of their shame and embarrassment. But there always is another way out than just killing a baby. Give the baby a chance to live life. Who are you to dictate who gets to live and not to live? Give the baby the opportunity to live another life and not make the same mistakes." 
These three special individuals give just a glimpse into how adoption has affected students at Liberty University. Obviously, adoption is important. It heals hearts, creates families, and gives children a better life. And what could be more wonderful than that?
