Deborah, Eric, Amanda, and David

Deborah is our oldest child and she loves adventure.  She graduated from the pre-med program with a second major in Spanish from the University of North Florida in 2015.  She  had planned to go to medical school to become a medical missionary but the doors did not open.  She lives in Jacksonville, Florida, attends Trinity Baptist Church, and interprets in their deaf ministry.  She is a very accomplished sign language interpreter and does free-lance work  for various sign language interpreting agencies.  She is also talented in creation and design.

Eric has an upbeat, outgoing personality.  It is hard to believe he has been grown and on his own for three years.  In early childhood, he set his mind on figuring out how things work.  It was no surprise when he chose a career in computer technology after he finished high school.  Now twenty-two, he travels the United States installing servers for large corporations. His newest interest is in flight school and obtaining a pilot’s license. Eventually, he hopes to have his own plane.  He currently resides in Lakeland, Florida, and attends Calvary Baptist Church.

Amanda is fourteen.  We adopted her from Peru in 2012.  She was abandoned as a baby and later found by police.  After a stay in a state hospital, she moved to New Life Children’s home in Lima, operated by Missionaries Mike and Chelene Kennedy. When they noticed Amanda had a speech delay, they had her tested and their suspicion she was deaf was confirmed. They transferred her to Efata Ministries started by Dr. Vernon Miller and now run by Missionaries Joe and Lisa Kotvas in Villa El Salvador of Lima. We are thankful God allowed us to add Amanda to our family and we rejoice as we watch her learn and grow. Amanda has a sweet spirit and has never met a stranger.

David came home from China in June 2015 and has been a delightful addition to our family.  He was found sitting alone on the floor of IKEA crying when he was about three.  Authorities were unable to locate his family and he was brought to an orphanage in Beijing.  He had just turned seven when we finalized his adoption.  He came home knowing four Chinese words and how to count to ten.  He has thrived in a sign-rich environment and is busy trying to get caught up to grade level in school.  He is a sweet little boy with a sensitive heart for God.