Here is our Adoption Journey so far…
We are adopting River (age 8 and her little sister, Sadie (age 6) from Liberia, Africa.
These 2 precious kids will complete our family of 7.
We chose Liberia because we are impressed by Liberia’s resilience and progress as a war torn country that is healing from so much. Liberia works hard to allow adoptions when necessary and to reunite families whenever possible. We are grateful Liberia is allowing us to adopt our daughters, and hopeful as we watch Liberia grow as a country.
We started this journey in April of 2022.
In May of 2023, with the help of our friends and family, church, community, and organizations like Noonday Collection, Phill the Box, Funds2Orgs, and Adopt Together, we reached our fundraising goals to make our adoption possible. At that time, we anticipated our Liberian daughters would be joining our family in 3-6 months time.
We did not get any solid updates for months, until November of 2023, when adoptions for multiple agencies, including our agency, were suspended in Liberia.
There are multiple political conflicts that brought adoptions to a halt in November of 2023. Although these political conflicts put Liberian children at risk, the layers of the conflicts are multifaceted and complicated beyond the adoption process itself.
At this time, there are no adoptions (domestic or international) progressing in Liberian until these political conflicts are resolved. This was a decision made by Liberian governmental leadership.
In February of 2024, we decided to travel to Liberia as a family and do some real-time fact finding on what barriers prevent our family from being together.
We have met with multiple Liberian government officials and multiple individuals who play a role in working in adoptions here. We have spoken with multiple US congressional offices, and have reached out to anyone in the adoption realm that can give insight and advice in a way forward for our children. We continue to hope the US embassy in Liberia will assist us, but have not been able to get a meeting with them to discuss our concerns.
We have visited our children’s orphanage multiple times a week. We have done multiple fundraisers to keep the doors of our daughters’ orphanage open, keep the children’s needs met, and support the staff that cares for them. We have physically done all we can to assist the orphanage in maintaining quality, safety and health for the children. We have discussed our case with experts near and far.
We have been in Liberia for over 3 months, and are sadly running out of funds to remain here.
We fear if we leave, our encouragement and our persistence to represent American families will be lost with our departure. We fear if we leave, the support we have recruited for the kids here will fade. We fear if we leave, the Liberian government will be less motivated to remember our children’s case.
Thanks to each of you and the words of encouragement, financial donations, textile donations and actions of noonday purchasing power to move mountains this past year. We hope you will help us push one more mountain of money out of our way to complete our family.
We continue to humbly ask for any assistance that can be found to support our family in this quest for safety for more than just our 2 Liberian daughters, but a quest to provide a safe way home for them and their peers that wait in orphanages in Liberia.
Number of Days Living in Liberia: 114
Number of Days of Daily Videos: 158
Number of Days Adopting from Liberia: 801
Number of Days in Orphan Care: 1,141
YouTube link to subscribe:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhvmF_X0zoUuAwUF7WzqlfZaskzIBmns2&si=0SE6xFYPJoXfkGIY
Shop Noonday AND assist with our adoption expenses by just clicking here: https://bit.ly/ADOPTIONINLIBERIA
Click here to make a tax deductible donation to assist with our adoption expenses: https://bit.ly/adoptfaster
Venmo option to give to our adoption expenses:
@Rachel-Smith-964
To learn about other matched families whose children wait with our daughters in their orphanage, click a link below:
Bruce Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-bruces
Butler Family:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-butlers-1
Coffman Family:
http://www.adopttogether.org/families/the-coffman-s
Godfrey Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-godfreys
Lipe Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-lipes
McGafee:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-mcgaffees
Smith Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-smith-s
Whitney Family:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-whitneys
Number of Days Living in Liberia: 112
Number of Days of Daily Videos: 156
Number of Days Adopting from Liberia: 799
Number of Days in Orphan Care: 1,139
YouTube link to subscribe:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhvmF_X0zoUuAwUF7WzqlfZaskzIBmns2&si=0SE6xFYPJoXfkGIY
Shop Noonday AND assist with our adoption expenses by just clicking here: https://bit.ly/ADOPTIONINLIBERIA
Click here to make a tax deductible donation to assist with our adoption expenses: https://bit.ly/adoptfaster
To learn about other matched families whose children wait with our daughters in their orphanage, click a link below:
Bruce Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-bruces
Butler Family:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-butlers-1
Coffman Family:
http://www.adopttogether.org/families/the-coffman-s
Godfrey Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-godfreys
Lipe Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-lipes
McGafee:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-mcgaffees
Smith Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-smith-s
Whitney Family:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-whitneys
Number of Days Living in Liberia: 111
Number of Days of Daily Videos: 155
Number of Days Adopting from Liberia: 798
Number of Days in Orphan Care: 1,138
YouTube link to subscribe:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhvmF_X0zoUuAwUF7WzqlfZaskzIBmns2&si=0SE6xFYPJoXfkGIY
Shop Noonday AND assist with our adoption expenses by just clicking here: https://bit.ly/ADOPTIONINLIBERIA
Click here to make a tax deductible donation to assist with our adoption expenses: https://bit.ly/adoptfaster
To learn about other matched families whose children wait with our daughters in their orphanage, click a link below:
Bruce Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-bruces
Butler Family:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-butlers-1
Godfrey Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-godfreys
Lipe Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-lipes
McGafee:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-mcgaffees
Smith Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-smith-s
Whitney Family:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-whitneys
Dear Adoption Supporter,
My family and I began the journey of adoption from Liberia over 2 years ago. We are partnered with Small World Adoption Agency based in Tennessee. In truth, we began our relationship with Liberia 9 years ago, when my dear friend, Devon Crews, connected with a 6 year old little girl named Blessing, who needed a family. At that time, Blessing resided in an orphanage unable to complete her adoption to the United States. There were no agencies performing adoptions from Liberia to the United States at that time. But, a law had just been passed in Liberia to open the doors for the avenue of international adoption. I referred my friend, Devon, to Jim Savley, who was the best expert on international adoption I could think of. Jim partnered with Albert Ballah in Liberia, and they worked tirelessly to diplomatically open the doors for adoption between Liberia and the U.S. Their efforts were a great success. Blessing is 15 years old now, lives in Centerville, TN, and is surrounded by a wonderful family.
As a family, we supported the Crews’ journey to Blessing. We were intimately involved in the obstacles and the delays that Blessing’s family endured on this rocky road of adoption for Liberian orphans to make their way to the United States. This rocky road was paved by the relentless efforts of Devon Crews, Jim Savley and Albert Ballah. Once we saw the mountains moved to bring Blessing to the safety of her family, we chose to follow that same road, and partnered in April of 2022 with Small World Adoption Agency to adopt a sibling set of sisters, needing a family.
To date, 65 children have been adopted through Small World, and reside in the United States. On December 21, 2023, Small World Adoption Agency was suspended in Liberia and investigated. The accusations were vague, but involved the way the children enter the home. The investigation has lasted 5 months and has not revealed any wrongdoings by Small World Adoption Agency. There are 15 children matched with families that are unable to complete their adoptions to immigrate to the United States, due to the ongoing (unfounded) suspension.
Our 2 Liberian daughters are among the 15 children caught in what can only be described as a chaotic political conflict with no end in sight.
In an effort to find out the truth, and to be near our children during this time of uncertainty, we chose to come to Liberia on February 13, 2024, to see if we could uncover what could be done to resolve this issue. We are still working on that resolution, and progress is painfully slow.
One thing we have been able to do is find ways to support the orphanage and the adoption agency directly with fundraising solutions to cover rent on the property where the orphanage stands, solar panels to give reliable and affordable electricity, healthcare and medications for the children, shoes and backpacks for the children in school, repairs at the orphanage and partial salary solutions for the caregivers at the orphanage. We have exhausted all resources over the last 4 months of living in Liberia with our family. We have exhausted our financial resources and all of our savings. Small World Adoption Agency recently hired a new lawyer that is finally taking action on behalf of the children and families caught in this chaos. According to Liberian law, this ongoing suspension is illegal and Small World’s lawyer is now taking assertive legal action to get the suspension lifted. We anticipate this progress to also be slow, but hopefully an answer to our heartache.
The purpose of this letter is to make a desperate plea for more funding. The attorney fees are $3500. The cost of maintaining the orphanage to feed the children, compensate the staff, and cover operating expenses to continue to fight this battle is another $3500.
Without $7000, this ministry is in real danger of complete collapse. All adoptions in Liberia for all agencies, both international and domestic are now suspended. As we continue to plead with diplomatic channels for rescue of this process, we need $7000 in the next 30 days to breathe life back into this adoption program.
We are desperate for any available funding and any fundraising program to support these children while we press the government officials both in Liberia and the United States to act within the guidelines of the laws and foreign policies written long ago to keep this process smooth.
As a mother of two of the 15 orphans caught in this crisis, I am exhausted with grief at the days these children have lost while separated from their permanent families. There are also 20 children at the orphanage who are “unmatched” without families promised to them. My fears that these 20 will remain unmatched are becoming a reality. We visit the orphanage often, and each goodbye gets harder. As we have come to know all 35 orphans so well, my heart aches that each time we visit, we represent hope that one day their families will come for them as well. At this point, I fear that hope is false. Staring down a budget crisis with no real answer but the good intentions of friends and strangers is always a last resort. You are our last resort. I hope that this letter finds good hearts with good intentions and a rainy day fund ready to save these kids lives and futures.
With gratitude,
Rachel Smith
Online Donations (select Small World’s Children’s Home):
https://smallworldadoption.com/donate-today/
Mail Checks to:Small World Adoption Agency/ Liberia program
PO Box 1109
Mount Juliet, TN 37121
Venmo option: @Rachel-Smith-964
Adopt Together Profiles for Individual Families in this program:
Bruce Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-bruces
Butler Family:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-butlers-1
Godfrey Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-godfreys
Lipe Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-lipes
McGafee:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-mcgaffees
Smith Family:
https://adopttogether.herokuapp.com/families/the-smith-s
Whitney Family:
http://adopttogether.org/families/the-whitneys
Number of Days Living in Liberia: 108
Number of Days of Daily Videos: 152
Number of Days Adopting from Liberia: 795
Number of Days in Orphan Care: 1,135
YouTube link to subscribe:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhvmF_X0zoUuAwUF7WzqlfZaskzIBmns2&si=0SE6xFYPJoXfkGIY
Shop Noonday AND assist with our adoption expenses by just clicking here: https://bit.ly/livinginliberia
Click here to make a tax deductible donation to assist with our adoption expenses: https://bit.ly/adoptfaster
To join our greeting card fundraiser shopping group, click here:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/1133294727899840/?ref=share
Matched by Devon
