We’d never met them, yet Mark and I watched their incredible adoption video approximately 30 times. Weird? Probably.
But for us, who had applied and were waiting not so patiently to adopt, their “Table for 7” DVD felt like the gift of liquid encouragement. They’d shared it with other waiting families, and we’d scored a bootleg copy.
We didn’t yet know anyone who’d adopted, and never watched an adoption video, so we drank in every detail of their packed bags, arrival in China, four sweet, excited older brothers and awe-inspiring adoption moment. It was gold. We got teary when they did and were elated when they were.
It gave us hope that this mysterious adoption might actually happen. It confirmed our decision and made us giddy with excitement. That, friends, is the power of a story. I’m so grateful that the Coston family has so generously shared their story, right from the start.
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Meet the Costons. I asked my friend Stephanie, this beautiful, kind-hearted adoptive mom that I’ve looked up to for so long, to answer three questions about their experience.
Domestic or International Adoption?
International adoption from Hefei, Anhui Province, China
Best part of your adoption experience?
Besides the beautiful gift of raising our precious daughter, the best part about adoption for our family, the part we didn’t anticipate, is the community of other adoptive families we have come to know and love. Not just the group we traveled with in China, although some of them remain our dearest friends, but the layers and layers of people who we might have never met had we not had this common bond.
3 adjectives to describe your adoption experience?
Holy
I’m not meaning “biblical”. Our daily walk in the adoption process felt covered by the Holy Spirit in every moment, in a tangible, powerful way I’ve not often experienced.
Treasured
The wait, the anticipation, the travel, the first photo, the first touch.
The new family. Treasured memories and experiences.
Complete
We were a family of 6 when we left for China, but we were not complete until we made it a Table for 7.