{"id":242913,"date":"2021-04-09T09:36:41","date_gmt":"2021-04-09T14:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=242913"},"modified":"2021-04-16T17:38:22","modified_gmt":"2021-04-16T22:38:22","slug":"adopted-13-children-always-room-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/adopted-13-children-always-room-more\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Always room for more’: Adopting 13 children has made life one giant adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Everywhere we go, we attract attention. Maybe it\u2019s because there are so many of us (17 when we are all together). Maybe it\u2019s because there are so many races represented in our family. Maybe it\u2019s unusual to see so many boys with hand differences or a family with two children who use wheelchairs. Maybe it\u2019s just the fact that we travel everywhere in a big ol\u2019 rattling shuttle bus!<\/span><\/p>\n

The staring used to bother me. Now I see it as an opportunity. I smile, nod, and will usually attempt to start up a conversation with the ones who stare. Most people want to ask questions but don\u2019t want to offend or embarrass us. I would prefer questions over stares, and I think most of our children would agree.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The question that my husband Dale and I are asked most often is \u201c<\/span>Why?<\/b><\/em>\u201d People don\u2019t understand <\/span>why<\/b> we would want 15 children (two biological and 13 adopted). They don\u2019t understand why we would give up the life we could have to be parents to all these kids. Most people in our age group are busy traveling the world, pursuing interesting hobbies, or enjoying an empty nest. People don\u2019t understand why we would willingly choose to adopt\/parent children who will need lifelong care and constant medical attention. They don\u2019t see or understand the beauty in serving and obeying. They feel like we are missing out on what the world has to offer us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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An older photo of the McKinney family (some family members not pictured)<\/p><\/div>\n

READ:\u00a0Daley was predicted to die before her first birthday, but this family adopted her anyway<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dale and I have several answers to that \u201cwhy\u201d question. First of all, we do love children. They bring us joy (except when they all have homework at the same time) and we truly love the constant interaction and activity of a large family. We don\u2019t ever have to worry about being bored in our household! But the biggest reason our family looks the way it does is because it represents an act of obedience to our Lord Jesus. We truly believe that each child in our family was destined to be with us. God called us to step out in faith and pursue these children. Our family would not be complete with even one of them missing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adopting so many children has stretched our faith, tested our patience, and pushed our perseverance to the very limit. And it certainly has put a strain on our budget! But the realization that our crazy family is pleasing to the Lord is reward enough,\u00a0and the smiles and joy our children bring us is a bonus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our family, the family God created, has given us the opportunity to share Christ with total strangers. It has encouraged others to adopt, and many orphans have come home to forever families because of the influence of my beautiful children.\u00a0 And because of our family \u2014 considering the places we have been and the activities in which we have participated \u2014 our life has been one giant adventure. My life is fuller and more exciting than I ever dreamed it would be. I should also add that I have done more laundry and changed more diapers than I ever thought was humanly possible! But I\u2019ve enjoyed (almost) every minute of it!<\/span><\/p>\n

My prayer is that all Christians would seek God\u2019s will for their lives in regard to the children without a family.\u00a0 I challenge you to seek information about how many orphaned children are in our world. Look up the staggering statistics. I also recommend the video, “Hope is Fading.” It will wreck you, but it is truth. The orphaned children in this world don\u2019t just need your donations, your hand-me-downs, your short-term mission trip visits \u2014 they need a FAMILY.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n