An Interview with author and America World social services client, Megan Portman Moore Nothing can truly prepare someone for parenthood, and becoming a parent through adoption is no exception. However, when Megan Portman Moore was going through the adoption process, she tried to prepare herself as much as possible. She says, “During that time, I… The post The Adoption Book She Had Been Looking for appeared first on America World ..read more

By Jonathan Jackson, Owner and Operator of BOOM Fireworks, which benefits Bete Hosanna Jonathan and Danielle Jackson We adopted our son, Henry, from China through America World in 2017. We were very moved by the experience of seeing so many orphans in his orphanage, and Danielle decided to return to volunteer for a couple of weeks at the orphanage. Shortly before she left, America World informed her that China had canceled the opportunity for the trip but that a similar one was going to Ethiopia. God allowed Danielle to be present at an Ethiopian orphanage on the very day the girls who had ..read more

An interview with Sarabeth Wheeler, an America World Affiliate Board Member Meet Sarabeth Wheeler and her son, Maverick! Sarabeth and her husband, John, adopted Maverick from South Korea through Holt International in 2019. They used America World to do their home study and fulfill their post-adoption requirements. Like the Wheelers, many of the families we work with are in what we call the “social services only” category, which most commonly means they are adopting through another Hague-accredited agency not licensed in the state where they live. Because we are licensed in 19 states, our adop ..read more

By Debby DeRosa, America World Marketing and Social Media Manager It’s been a while since I’ve asked your opinion, so I was wondering if you could help me out! Answer my short, anonymous survey so I can better understand: Who is reading this blog What stories interest you What kinds of local events you might attend What giving opportunities you find exciting That’s it! Do you have just a few minutes to share your opinion with me? Thank you SO MUCH for your help! The post What Interests You? appeared first on America World ..read more

“I just always wanted to be a dad,” said Rick.* Unfortunately, he and his wife, Anna,* tried to have children but couldn’t. They visited doctors, and no one could give them an explanation for why they couldn’t conceive. Rick prayed every day for 12 years – until he couldn’t pray anymore. Then, he told God, “I’m done praying about this. Hopefully, someday, it will make sense.” Adoption is not God’s plan B. In 2006, a friend invited him to an America World adoption seminar. Rick bawled through the whole talk, especially when our co-founder, Brian Luwis, said, “Adoption is not God’s plan B.” Ric ..read more

By Amanda Oakes, America World Adoptive Mom Jason and I started talking about adoption during the first year of our marriage, and we started talking about it more seriously around our 10-year wedding anniversary. Our two daughters were three and five at the time. Because I am Native American, we started a process with my tribe, but we had to move out of state. That door closed. We never considered international adoption because of the cost. Our Adoption Story After we moved, the church we joined had a few other families going through international adoption processes. This church greatly expan ..read more

Interview with Julie Akin, America World adoptive mom If you follow our Facebook or Instagram pages, you may have seen the beautiful music video of “Wish You Could See Her Today” we shared on Saturday for Birth Mother’s Day. The song was written by Nick Akin, one of our adoptive dads, to honor his daughter’s birth mom. If you missed the video, watch it below… and be sure to have a tissue handy! We loved it so much that we interviewed Nick’s wife, Julie, for more of the story. Keep reading for some inspiration! How did you decide to adopt? Adoption was always something we had talked about doi ..read more

By Angela Bobo, America World Mission Trip Team Leader As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, my intention on this earth is to be Jesus’s hands and feet and live out the command, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). My first mission trip was in the Spring of 2018 to India. During this trip with my 14-year-old daughter, I fell in love with a different culture and children who do not live in or come from the most ideal situations. A desire was placed in my heart to love orphans and to ..read more

An Interview with America World Adoptive Mom, Althea Miller If you’ve been following the news, you know that the situation in Haiti continues to be devastating. Thank you to everyone who has answered our calls to sign petitions advocating for the children matched to families. We are so grateful to God that some children have been able to come home, and we pray for the matched families who are still anxiously waiting to be united with their children.    Today, we are excited to share an adoption interview from Althea Miller. She and her husband, Ryan, adopted their twi ..read more

An Interview with America World Adoptive Mom Debbie Burns Meet Emily Burns! Steve and Debbie Burns adopted her in 2006 when she was 12 months old through our China program. She is now 19, and she has blossomed into a gorgeous young woman who has held many pageant titles, including Miss Missouri! She uses her pageant platform to provide toothbrushes to orphanages, and she has sent 5,000 toothbrushes to China, Africa, and India so far through her initiative, Project Smile. As you know, we love to hear how our adoptees are doing, so we interviewed Emily’s mom, Debbie, so we could share this stor ..read more