Leini

I always have music on. Always. It keeps me focused. One of my all time favorite songs is "Kings and Queens" by Audio Adrenaline. It's my adoption song.

Adoption is a big part of my family. God blessed me with three incredible and gorgeous nieces by means of adoption., and let me just tell you, they are some of my life's greatest joys. Ever since the concept of adoption was introduced in to my life, I haven't been the same. It stirred up something in my heart. It was something that tugged at a teeny tiny corner of my heart.

Fast forward two years. I'm at this awesome concert with my youth group. There was a presentation about adoptions and a speaker who discussed how it changed his life for the better. The tug got stronger. God whispered to my heart, and in that moment I knew that adoption would be part of my future.

Fast forward to this past September. I was at a Casting Crowns concert when Mark Hall (CC lead singer) started talking about Compassion International, and how it changed his life. Compassion International child sponsorship is something I'd considered and prayed on and off about for a while. But hearing about it this time was different. That tug in my heart grew too strong to ignore. I felt a pull when they were asking for sponsors for children.

What happens next could only be a God thing. I got up and walked toward the Compassion booth. I felt pulled, beyond my control. I (being the frugal college student I am) first checked the price of it. $38 a month. The exact amount I spend on Starbucks or pedicures or something frivolous a month. For that, I could change a life. How selfish would I be to let this opportunity pass by? (In hindsight, I am not proud of myself for checking the price. How could I put a price on a child's life? But God used my ignorance to show me a sign.)

A sweet volunteer handed me a packet before I could request a country or anything. But God knows my heart so well. He had a better plan than I could have ever imagined. I looked at my packet and saw the most beautiful little girl. I was instantly in love with this 5 year old halfway around the world. There were so many little signs that this couldn't be coincidence or fate. I know God planned all along for me to sponsor her, and for us to change each other's lives.

Sponsorship is the most wonderful choice I could've made. I am so blessed by my sweet Leini. I am so grateful for her, and can't wait to see the story God wrote for us unfold. <3