God’s Faithfulness at Work: The Jefferson Family’s Adoption Story

God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. – Psalm 68:6

Photographer and Just One Fair Trade entrepreneur, Krista Jefferson, joins us this week on See Hear Love to talk about the beautiful story of her daughter’s adoption from Haiti.

Adoption holds a special place in scripture. Galatians 4:4-8 outlines how God adopts “all of us as His very own children.” When it comes to placing children with families, God does some of his most magnificent work.

God first placed the idea of adoption on Krista’s heart in high school when she heard the story of China’s one child policy. She knew that when she grew up she wanted to adopt. In 2011, after much prayer and discussion, Krista, her husband Mark, and their two young daughters, Madison and Eden, decided that they wanted to add to their family through adoption. In May of 2011, they started the lengthy process.

After almost two years of mandatory parenting classes, home study, and paperwork, in February of 2013, they received notification that God’s Littlest Angels, an orphanage in Haiti would be happy to help them adopt a child.

And then they prepared to wait.

On their adoption blog, Krista and Mark posted the words of Charles Stanley, based on Isaiah 64:4: “Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on the object we’re waiting for.”

2013, 2014, and 2015 passed by, but they remained faithful.

And then in late July of 2016, they got the call. There was a little girl who was waiting for them in Haiti. She was two and a half years old, and her name was Abigaille. Her name meant giver of joy.

1,933 days after they prayed over their application, the Jeffersons boarded a plane to Haiti to meet their daughter. And meeting was such sweet joy. And they fell in love with her immediately.

But in August, they had to leave. There was still an official process to be followed. And saying goodbye made it impossibly hard. Author Elizabeth Stone wrote: “Making the decision to have a child – it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ” And when the child you love is in another country, this is particularly true.

Krista and Mark’s faith was particularly tested when hurricane Matthew hit the island a month after they left. Abigaille and the people of Haiti were now part of their family and had a piece of their hearts.

Mercifully, while the orphanage sustained damaged, everybody was safe.

And in April 2017, the adoption become official.

And this past July, Abby finally came home.

God had stretched his arms across the oceans and the legal obstacles and the mountains of paperwork, and had placed Abby in the arms of the perfect family for her.

***

To view Krista’s beautiful photographs, to read their adoption story, or to see the beautiful Fair Trade handmade jewellery pieces she sells through Just One, go to kristajefferson.com.