China
Russia
Vietnam
Dear FTIA,
You really do make dreams come true!
My husband, Jeff, and I struggled to have children. After four years and fertility shots, we were blessed with a healthy baby boy, Duncan Samuel. We knew it would take another miracle to have a second. We tried and were unsuccessful - thank God! I know that
sounds crazy, but had we had another biological child, we may not have
our precious daughter, Ahna Grace.
We decided to pursue adoption through FTIA after talking to friends who had also adopted through FTIA. And, for our own personal reasons, we chose Guatemala.
We will NEVER forget the day (November 22, 2002) that we received our referral. It was the most amazing experience. We saw her little face pop up on our computer and we both started crying! That was OUR daughter! We immediately started praying that God would keep her safe. We also prayed for her birth mother and that she
had peace with her decision.
The updated measurements and pictures were always so exciting to get. We would show her off to everyone! It's amazing how we bonded with her pictures. We were able to communicate with her foster mother through the months, which helped so much! We got to hear Ahna's voice and it gave us peace of mind to know she was well taken care of.
The first time we held her in our arms was so intense - just like the first time we held our son. It was so amazing! We knew immediately what God's plan 
was for us and for Ahna. I wish I could tell the world that it doesn't matter if a child grows in his/her mother's tummy or heart, the intense feeling of love is the same. The overwhelming desire to love and protect her was just the same!
We brought Ahna home March 21, 2003. She was 4½ months old. It was VERY hard for Ahna's foster mother to say good-bye. She truly loves her and we continue to keep in touch.
Ahna turned one in November (her brother turned 4 the day before!) and she is a healthy, happy little girl that is the PERFECT fit for us. I literally forget that she's adopted. She and Duncan fight over toys one minute and hug and kiss one another the
next. Typical siblings!
Thank you FTIA for making our family complete. I highly recommend adoption and FTIA to everyone! People ask me if it's hard to adopt. Hard? No. Timely? Maybe. Worth it? YES! We can't imagine our lives without her!
Jeff, Amy, Duncan and Ahna
