Sam and Kari Bruce
are adopting 2 children from Liberia
After our 2020 adoption from Madagascar, we decided that a second adoption was possible for us. After much research and prayer, we decided to pursue an adoption from Liberia! Our journey began with much excitement and anticipation for what was ahead. In September of 2022 we got the call for a referral for not one, but a sibling group of two sisters, who were in need of a family. The immediate tears and joy were palpable on that stormy morning. Were we ready to bring two older children home? We spoke to friends and family, and prayed fervently to make sure we were not being foolish in taking this step. A few days later, we said yes.
Unfortunately after a quick beginning, we began hearing rumors of delays in the Liberia program. Many of you have followed along on our journey. Last year we had high hopes that we were close to the end, so we traveled to Liberia on our way back from the mission field. We met the girls for the first time, wrapped our minds around the issues at hand and ended up staying 3 months in Liberia. We visited the orphanage multiple times a week, prayed for good news, met with every possible connection we could find and constantly visited the Ministry of Gender and Social Services to check in and ask for a report. Leaving was extremely difficult but we didn't have enough hope that things were moving in the right direction. Our adoption agency had been suspended, the police were investigating, and no one had good news for us.
Finally, a full year later, we got the news we were waiting for and we can now begin preparations to finally bring our girls home.
The costs associated with this adoption have been piling up as we have had additional travel, lawyer fees, and ongoing pre-adoptive care for our girls as they are still living in the orphanage while they wait.
We will continue to update this page as we journey through. Thank you for your prayers and love gifts to our family. Any amount is appreciated and a big encouragement to us.
We know that God goes before us and loves those girls even more than us. May He move the mountains that are before us so our family can be together soon.
Please share with your small groups, churches, family and friends!
To give a personal gift via Venmo: @samuel-bruce-9
Adoption Status
Adoption Agency
Updates
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Update 4
Court Date Set!!!
June 7, 2025After we got our embassy appointment date, the next step was to request a court hearing with a Liberian judge. We waited over a week and we were starting to get antsy and worried that something bad was going to happen (as it has tended to do). Yesterday, we breathed a sigh of relief as we got email confirmation that our court hearing is set for June 30th!!!
We have made the decision to leave our "at home" kids with my parents in VA. Sam and I will leave Virginia on June 28th and get to Liberia the day before we take custody of the girls. We are getting is excited!
To top it all off, today we got our Liberian Visas in the mail.
Thank you to those who have given to our needs!! We are so humbled by your giving!! Our church family has stepped up and provided us with comforters for the girls, suitcases, backpacks and a space heater to keep them warm when they get to Michigan (yes, even summer will feel cold!).
Please pray we can find a safe, yet affordable place to stay in Liberia. We are still following some leads and looking into Airbnb's. We don't anticipating being able to afford an extended stay at a hotel, though we plan to at the very end as a celebration of finalizing everything! Things are getting very real all of a sudden ❤️
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Update 3
The girls still don't know....
May 23, 2025Many of you have asked if the girls know the good news yet. Yesterday we had planned a call to finally give them the news, however we were advised by the orphanage director to not tell them until we are there in person. If there are any more delays, it would be difficult for the girls to understand, so we agree that this is wise.
However, yesterday we were still able to call them and inform them that Sam and I (or initially just Sam) are going to come for a visit to see them in about a month!! You should have seen their smiles! We can't wait to hug them again. We expressed our love for them and how much we miss them, and they responded in turn.
Please pray for them!! Asking the Lord to keep opening the doors and paving the way for them to come home ❤️
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Update 2
SUSPENSION IS LIFTED!!!
May 21, 2025Finally, FINALLY! We received word on May 1st that the suspension has officially been lifted and Small World has been legally cleared of all wrong-doing. We were thrilled to get this news, and admittedly still skeptical! But here we are today and it's still true :)
Our family is first on the list to request our i-600 visa appointment with the US Embassy in Liberia. Yesterday, May 20th we got a response from them and we have set our appointment for the earliest date they could do it: July 9th!!! While it's not as soon as we would have hoped (it never is :)), this gives us time to gear up, raise some funds, and get through the crazy month of June.
I am still pinching myself.
We are working with our adoption agency and their lawyer in Liberia to set up a court appointment for about a week before the Embassy appointment. The court appointment is where we go before the judge and legally become L and H's parents! Then we work through lots of paperwork and prepare for the Embassy appointment where we officially request for them to immigrate to the US. We need lots of prayer, friends.
Financially, we have drained all of our previous grant money on the monthly orphanage care expense which was $500 per month for both girls. The last of the grant money went towards the whopping foreign program fee which totalled $18,000. We had $3000 of grant money remaining and spend $15,000 out of pocket.
Yesterday, we mailed in our applications for our Liberian visas. We anticipate about $1000 for legal and processing fees in-country. And of course the big expenses will be the cost of tickets, accommodations, and in-country travel/food.
If you feel led to give towards these needs, we would be so grateful for your support! We plan to keep this page updated as things progress.
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Update 1
An unfortunate decision
May 17, 2024Sadly, we have made the unfortunate decision to leave Liberia without the girls for the time being. We have agonized over this and prayed that God would make it clear. Thankful that our church family is helping cover the costs of tickets. But living here is too expensive to stay for an indefinite amount of time. We don't know what the future holds but we trust the One who is bigger than all of it to guide and direct our steps. While this feels like defeat, we know this adoption will happen, just not on our timeline.
Pray with us for a breakthrough!!! The plan right now is to wait it out in America, spend time with family and regroup. Our kids at home have been such troopers and I'm so glad they've been able to experience Liberia with us.
Donations 29
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Jacelyn Spagnuolo gave an undisclosed amountPrayers continue for your family. Such a joyous time.
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Gary Post gave an undisclosed amountGod bless you and your family for adopting these girls. You will change the trajectory of their entire lives.
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The National Christian Foundation gave $25,000
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Anonymous gave an undisclosed amountBlessings!
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Anonymous gave an undisclosed amountLove and prayers that all goes well with your adoption. God bless you!
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Jacob Toews gave $50🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
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Anonymous gave $500Praying for open doors and a smooth process. Time to bring our nieces home! :). C&B
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Jon and Jill Knox gave an undisclosed amount
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Jaime Hartges gave $100Praying that the process would go quickly and that your family I’ll be back together soon. Blessings, Jaime Hartges
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Anonymous gave $1,000We're looking forward to meeting these beautiful young ladies! We will continue to lift this entire process and each of you up in prayer! T&C.