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Jonathan and Leanne have known each other for as long as they can remember and have loved each other for over half of their lives. They were high school sweethearts which mostly consisted of passing notes to each other at church. They impatiently waited until Leanne was in college before they were allowed to officially date/court each other. After several challenging yet wonderful years, Jonathan and Leanne were able to get married while Jonathan was in college at Texas A&M and Leanne was teaching at a local elementary school.

The summer after Jonathan’s graduation and commissioning into the US Air Force, Leanne gave birth to their oldest daughter, Emily. Soon after her birth, they moved to Germany, and Jonathan started work as a second lieutenant. After almost ten years married and seven years in the military, Jonathan and Leanne have three biological children: Emily (age 7), Michael (age 5), and Ellen (age 3). Through adoption, they hope to add to their family very soon!

They are an active military family who have been blessed with adventures all over the world including (but not limited to) Texas, Germany, Alaska, and New Mexico. In 2013, they began their adoption journey with several attempts (international and through the foster system). Each ended with God closing the door. During this time, God opened their hearts to becoming foster parents. They have been licensed foster parents in both Alaska and New Mexico. Right after they became licensed in New Mexico in June 2019, they found out that they qualified to adopt Daniel (an eight year old boy from China with Down syndrome) who they had already tried to adopt the previous year. After several heartbreaking months of thinking it would be impossible to adopt Daniel, God miraculously re-opened this door! They are so excited to finally be moving forward with this adoption! With only months to go, they don’t want finances to be what delays them from going to adopt him and bring him home. God has provided exactly what they need so far, and they are thankful that you are considering being part of Daniel’s amazing adoption story!

10/13/2021 — AWAITING TRAVEL APPROVAL SINCE 2020

$1,621.81 has been donated towards the cost of our adoption!

Make the most of your gift, consider sending a check! Online donations to children with committed families incur a 3% PayPal transaction fee.

Danny has received a $5,000 Older Child Grant.

lillylevi

Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at www.longingforlillyandlevi.blogspot.com

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2016

2016

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Ukraine

 

Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog thebowlingfamilyadopts.blogspot.com

Danny FSP wayne 1

China

Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at whereyouwantmetogo.blogspot.com

Finn (Wayne) 2015

Finn (Wayne) 2015

Jake (Danny) 2015

Jake (Danny) 2015

olenajune2008-3matteaandmommyUKRAINE

With nineteen children between us, we had thought our family was complete, but Heavenly Father knew differently. Last summer I was drawn to all of the beautiful children on the Reece’s Rainbow website and inquired about a few of the older boys. For one reason or another, none of them worked out. Finally one day in August, Andrea emailed me, “How about Olena?” This was a very tiny six-year-old girl in Ukraine with an unrepaired heart condition as well as Down Syndrome and no one knew, with her serious medical condition, just what her prognosis would be. After I consulted with a pediatric cardiologist, I hesitantly presented her profile to my husband. Both of us knew with a certainty that this little girl needed a family and that family was us.

 

We fast-tracked our paperwork, and with a very pro-active social worker and USCIS officer, a few months later our dossier was submitted. We traveled for the first time before Christmas to meet the little girl we would name Mattea and my heart broke to see her even smaller than my 2-year-old son, and only 23 pounds.. Since my husband was over the age limit, I was adopting her as a “married individual” and we worried that this would complicate the case, but our wonderful facilitators got us through court without a hitch. I traveled back in January to bring our new little daughter home. When we first met her she was not walking independently and needed to be fed chopped food from a spoon. She had no idea how to put food in her own mouth. She had spent six years of her life in a playpen. After only three months at home, she is blossoming like a little flower. She is now walking on her own and is able to finger-feed with soft foods. She is social and seeks out affection. She now weighs 31 pounds, and today she had her very first haircut. Her health is much better and we are hoping to be able to have her heart fixed. We are so blessed to have her in our family. We believe the words of Jeremiah— “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)