50 Most Inspiring Adoption Stories with Beauty Revived: Part 9
Beauty Revived has joined with Adoption.com to bring you the 50 Most Inspiring Adoption Stories. We have found 50 amazing photographers with big hearts to donate a session to tell the story of an inspiring adoption story in their community. This is Beauty Revived: Part 9.
Want to learn more about Beauty Revived and see the rest of the pictures? Check it out here and on Instagram.
Photography for this story by Caroljean Strawn of Full Life Photography
Meet Bobby and Michelle Majors. They are Beauty Revived.
Michelle’s interest in international adoption began back in 1995 when she was listening to a story about the plight of Chinese orphans on the radio. “I knew this was the beginning of God placing international adoption on my heart,“ says Michelle. Her husband, on the other hand, was more cautious about the process. However, it didn’t take much for him to change his mind. It wasn’t just Michelle’s persuasiveness that changed his mind, it was also the course of many encounters that confirmed their calling to adopt.
Fast forward two years, and they were overjoyed to receive a picture of their beautiful “China Angel.” Only one month later, a sobbing Chinese foster mother placed Michelle’s almost one-year-old daughter into her arms. “There was obviously so much love and connection between my daughter and her foster family,” says Michelle. “I received something very few families do . . . a letter from the family who had taken care of her. It told of what an incredible baby she had been and how much they loved her. Their whole family was brokenhearted, but knew she would have a better life in America. They had taken incredible care of her, and she was in excellent health.”
Life back in Tennessee was good for the new branch of the Major’s family. Michelle and Bobby were quite content with their one-child family lifestyle, but their “China Angel,” now called, Tiffany, decided she wanted a baby sister. “I told her that if she wanted a baby sister she was going to have to ask God. And she did . . . every night at the end of her prayers, she would say, ‘And if You want me to have a sister, please give me one.’ Those words are etched in my memory forever,” recalls Michelle.
In 2001, Tiffany’s prayers were answered. Bobby and Michelle began the Chinese adoption paperwork for their second Chinese angel. They brought home sweet Ambrianna at only ten-months-old, just two years later. Now Tiffany had the baby sister she had prayed for! Their family was complete . . . or so they thought.
“Three years following the adoption of our last daughter, we felt led to begin fostering children, specifically newborns, and infants. We discussed our feelings with our adoption agency but were still unsure if we should move forward or not. In January of 2007, we received a call from a friend who knew of our thoughts about fostering. She told us about a three-month-old baby boy who was in a body cast who needed immediate placement in foster care. They told us that we could foster the child while we completed our classes to become approved foster parents. How could we say ‘no’ to a three-month-old in a body cast? Later that evening, we had that precious little boy in our home and arms. He wrapped us all around his tiny fingers. It was quite a journey with this little guy. We never intended to adopt again, but God had other plans,” says Michelle.
Bobby and Michelle fostered “the little boy in the body cast” for two and half more years until the birth parents terminated their parental rights. Now their son, Bradley is a thriving, active little boy with two loving older sisters. Together they make a beautiful family of five.
“I could not have given birth and loved a child more than I love my babies. In the adoption community, you will hear people say that their child was born in their hearts, not in their womb. How true!”
Michelle and Bobby say that they know another true thing, “Never tell God that you are done. He will let you know when He is done. You don’t want to miss His blessing.”
We hope you’ve enjoyed this story from Beauty Revived: Part 9.
