I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who once said, 'Nothing worth having comes easy', and in the case of our adoption in Liberia, he could not have been more right.
Our story begins in early 2020, when inexplicably Kevin and I came across an article discussing adoptions from Liberia. While this seemingly innocent happenstance would typcially have gone unnoticed, that day was different. Covid lockdown was in full swing, and having been together for weeks on end, our three biological children had once again begun their multi-year campaign for younger siblings. Our family had been considering adoption for years, but we had never found a program that seemed to fit. When we heard about Liberia we were excited but cautiously optomistic. Kevin's parents were Missionaries with Lutheran Bible Translators in Liberia, and he grew up in Congotown, just outside of the capital. It took Kevin two short phone calls and a few well placed emails to not only be convinced this was the opportunity we'd been waiting for, but to have the name of a well established and reputable program- 'Americans for African Adoption' or AFAA.
The following year was spent completing a home study in the midst of covid, while also wadding through the mountain of paperwork, collecting all necessary documentation and waiting for Dossier approvals both here in the States and in Liberia. International adoption is not for the faint of heart, or for those who are paperwork adverse.
By the time we were approved to be matched with a waiting child, it was well into 2021 and we then faced the seemingly impossible task of choosing. Our family was approved for up to two children, and after having reviewed the single child files and just not seeing Clark 4.0 we snuck a peek in the sibling files. There they were, two biologial sisters, Rejoice and Philimena.
Fast forward through the longest year and a half of our lives and we were finally able to travel to Africa to formally adopt the girls. All five members of the family went to Liberia to not only see where Kevin grew up and spent his formative years, but so that we could all stand in front of the judge on the day of the adoption and begin our journey as a cohesive family unit. The girls were formally adopted on Thursday, August 18th, 2022 and we officially became 'The Sensational Seven'.
Two weeks later, Kevin returned to the states with the older three children, while I stayed in Monrovia with the girls to wade through the miles of red tape necessary to get adoption decrees, updated birth certificates, passports, immigration forms, visas, medical clearances and approvals from the US Embassy as well as any number of Liberian Ministries so that we could ultimately return home.
Finally, after 42 days in country, and while still recovering from Malaria, the girls and I boarded the first leg of our flight home. Rejoice would later tell me, that the first time she was really scared was when we took off on our flight from Liberia to Belgium. Looking back that amazes me because you'd never have known from looking at her. She stood tall, holding her sisters hand and walked straight into an unknown future with courage and aplomb.
36 hours and three flights later, the girls and I finally arrived in Dallas exhausted but happy to be home. In the weeks and months that have followed, we have begun to settle into a new normal. Every aspect of our lives has changed, and all five children are deftly navigating life with siblings and a much fuller existence.
In closing, I don’t want to give the impression that since returning with the girls our lives have been all sunshine and rainbows. That is utterly untrue and doesn’t do justice to our adoption journey thus far. We have good days and we have bad days. The girls are working hard to adjust to life here in the US and we are working hard to adjust to life with the girls. BUT, they are amazing... And as hard as it is, Benjamin Franklin was correct, 'Nothing worth having comes easy'. I am thankful for all five of our kiddos every single day, and as difficult as it can be, I know this is exactly where we are supposed to be.
Thank you for allowing us to share a wee bit of our adoption journey with you, and please feel free to pop over to our Facebook Page- Clan Clark Adoption Adventures: https://www.facebook.com/groups/728802601772912 for more pictures, updates and the every day meanderings of Clan Clark aka The Sensational Seven!
With hugs and love from Texas,
Kevin, Sarah, Brooke, Gabriel, Elijah, Rejoice and Philimena Clark.
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