Similarly, children may feel strengthened and encouraged to know that once they are baptized and confirmed a member of the Church, they are entitled to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. That the Holy Ghost is also known as “Comforter” may be an especially important point to emphasize with older kids who’ve suffered heartbreak. After baptism, the Holy Ghost can comfort them, inspire them, protect them, help them discern truth from falsehood and right from wrong, and help them to gain understanding. All of the “jobs” of the Holy Ghost can translate... more

Once a child has had time to get acclimated, parents may wish to bring the missionaries into their home for formal lessons. (It’s hard for me not to call them “discussions” anymore!) If the child speaks English, this is a relatively simple thing to accomplish and can easily be incorporated as the family’s weekly Family Home Evening, for example. If the child does not speak English, or has very limited English, you really have just two options: one, wait six months or so until the child’s English skills are more established, or two, find a translator. ... more

Children who are adopted before the age of eight can be prepared for baptism in the usual fashion, but children who are older than eight at the time of adoption must be taught by the missionaries if they desire to be baptized, just as any other investigating person would do. Obviously, baptism isn’t a topic that’s necessarily addressed by adoption experts, so I thought I’d offer some advice and information based my own experiences and the experiences of others.

Many adoptive families are anxious to achieve the earthly pinnacle of their family-building... more

This story is short and sweet, but I really love it because it illustrates the "catching" effect of adoption. :) It's amazing to me that the Worsleys and so many family members all made the decision to adopt from Romania. I sure wish I could talk my three sisters into adopting all at once!

Fortunately, we have the next best thing in our little ward. Three sets of close friends are all in varying stages of Haitian adoptions, and we look forward to the day when our kids, too, will have "cousins" nearby.

All of a Kind Family (Romania)

Ensign, Dec. 1993, 57

Cheryl and Steve Worsley of the Santa Anita Ward, Arcadia California... more

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This was the first of several major operations our little son, whom we named Derek Kim, would endure over the next few years. He survived each one with the help of blessings, special prayers, and fasting in his behalf. The high medical costs of these surgeries brought a change in our life-style. We sold our luxurious home and other material things to pay the bills. My counseling career was replaced by nursing classes at our local college as I slipped into my new role as a home health-care provider. Many friends could not understand how we could give up so many of our material possessions. My feeble attempts to explain that worldly goods didn’t mean that much to... more

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Before long, word came that the orphanage would soon send the baby. A few days later, we received word that the baby was on his way. But when the flight arrived, he was not aboard. Our hearts sank as a flight attendant informed us that the baby had taken a turn for the worse and the airlines would not allow him on board until he could be stabilized. So we waited. Then another flight was arranged; the baby would arrive at midnight. Again we waited. Finally the announcement came that the Korean jet had been delayed but would land at 1:40 A.M.

As the passengers stepped from the plane, the tension mounted. The last of the passengers walked past us. After what... more

Who Will Adopt a Dying Child? (Korea)

By Carole W. Hankal, Ensign, Oct. 1989, 62

A tiny, abused, and badly burned infant lay dying in a Korean orphanage—a forgotten child. He was the unwanted child of an Asian mother and an American serviceman: the product of two cultures, but accepted by neither because of the great prejudice in that country against mixed blood.

Several thousand miles away in America, I drove on a warm summer’s evening to join my husband at a board of directors’ meeting for Heal the Children. This nonprofit organization relied upon hospitals, medical specialists, and volunteer families to help poverty-stricken children... more

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April 30, Brian’s birthday, dawned bright and clear. Brian rose early and came running downstairs to find his new sister. With tears in my eyes, I told him that she wasn’t here. Sensing my distress, he wrapped his arms around my neck and said, “Don’t worry, Mommy. My party isn’t until this afternoon.”

Feeling the need for some support, I telephoned my husband at work, but he was performing a surgery. “He should be out in about 15 minutes,” his nurse said. “I’ll have him call you.”

When the phone rang, I grabbed it and burst out, “Chuck, I need you to talk to Brian. He’s really expecting a baby sister today.”

After a short silence, a woman’s... more

When we were waiting to adopt our first daughter from China, it occured to me to search through the Church magazine archives to see if I could find any articles or stories about adoption. I found several, and they buoyed me up and kept me going when I felt discouraged or frustrated. Over the years, I've compiled a fairly comprehensive listing of them and decided to share some of them here. Some are recent stories, some are rather old. They deal with domestic adoption, international adoption, special needs adoption, sibling group adoption, transracial adoption, newborn adoption - you name it. No matter what kind of adoption you may find yourself involved in, you can be blessed by those... more

I wonder, though, if some of these arguments are actually moot, and maybe the “competition” isn’t as stiff as some might think. I know MANY adoptive families – far more than the average Joe – and I can’t think of a single one who is able to have biological children (meaning perfectly fertile and without medical complications that might make pregnancy risky) and has adopted the proverbial HWN just because they wanted to choose adoption first (or instead.) Families like this may certainly exist, but I’ve yet to meet one. No, most of the families I’ve encountered with biological and adopted children, or only adopted children (but who could have biological children) have been made up of children... more