STORIES
Oluwatoyin’s Adoption Story
Adesoji and his wife, Adeola, were still living in their home country of Nigeria and planning their move to the U.S. when they learned the news of young Oluwatoyin being orphaned in 2004. They immediately agreed that it was their destiny to adopt and include her in their growing family.
As the couple continued their immigration plans to America, they were blessed with three biological children but continued to visit Oluwatoyin and remained in contact via phone and FaceTime.
In 2017, ECFA began the home study for the family to bring Oluwatoyin home to her new family. Through many challenges and obstacles, her immigrant visa was finally approved in 2020.
The day that Oluwatoyin finally arrived was a true day of rejoicing for their family! Along with her new parents, she joined her sister, Ayokanmi and brothers, Irebambo and Eyotayo, who embraced their new sister with love.
Says Adesoji, “It was no coincidence that Adeola and I would be the channel through whom God will use to help Oluwatoyin fulfill God’s ordained destiny on earth for her.”
Sean & Kelly's Adoption Story
We began the adoption process in February of 2020. New to Illinois, we weren’t sure where to begin nor did we have a network of connections built around adoption like we did in our home state. God led us to ECFA, and the interview process was prayerful, thorough and organized. We felt safe and prepared for each new step, everything was explained so well and we were comfortable with everyone we worked with.
Our home-study was completed lovingly and carefully by Joyanna, we had a wonderful experience with her and appreciated all the time she took (especially over covid) to record everything, explain upcoming things we needed to complete, answering our emails/calls so quickly, and helping us with specific things we were experiencing in our case. She gave us so much wisdom from her experience. We also had the privilege of working with Lauren, who facilitated the latter end of our adoption with just as much protection and attention to detail.
We were matched through an adoption consultant (MSAC) within 2 weeks of going active and lots of things needed to move fast once our son was born early, in December of 2020. ECFA was responsive, caring, always helpful with advice when we had questions or needed prayer and truly never left our (virtual) side. We needed to make an addendum to our home-study while in Florida, where Elias was born, and ECFA made everything happen for the signing within hours. Elias had several medical complications and being on the other side of them now, we appreciate deeply having an agency behind us that took such great care of us. Amidst all of the challenges in the adoption process, ECFA remained constant and dependable.
ICPC cleared quickly in both states, we are so thankful for everything ECFA did to make that happen so that we could come home after a month of the NICU/living out of state with our three children during the pandemic. Our post-placement visits were so well done, keeping with ECFA’s reputation of true, genuine care for their families.
We highly recommend ECFA to all of our friends looking to adopt. We are so thankful for everything they did, big and small, to help bring Elias home. So much happens behind the scenes and we praise God for the beautiful souls in the ECFA office who love Jesus, love adoption and love their families
Jake & Marcy's Adoption Story
“We loved working with ECFA – a wonderful, Christ-centered Adoption Agency. We are so very thankful for their diligent work in getting us home study approved. Our social worker offered guidance and wisdom after a fast self-identified adoption opportunity. ECFA’s support during placement and post-placement was excellent. It was a priority to us that our daughter’s birth mom receive support during and post placement, which ECFA’s Pregnancy Support Services team did very well. It was a joy to work with our social worker, Barb, throughout our adoption journey. We are so thankful for all the amazing ways God worked in the last year to bring our daughter into our family.”
Brian & Orenza's Adoption Story
Brian and Orenza waited three years before God placed their daughter in their lives. While the waiting was long, they look back over the process and clearly see how God orchestrated the events. Orenza worked at ECFA in the early 2000s in foster care, later transitioning into another job involving mental health. Her daughter, Isabella, is on the autism spectrum, and Orenza knows that God placed her in their care for a reason due to her background in mental health.
Isabella was just 6 days old when Brian and Orenza brought her home on a Friday, and in 6 months they finalized the adoption. They have a good relationship with Isabella’s birth parents who met with Brian and Orenza and picked them to adopt Isabella. Orenza shares how Barb Hellmer helped the process along and continues to be a support for their family.
They know that for people seeking adoption that the right child is there and that God has a plan. It’s a testimony of God working in our lives, seeing the details, acting on behalf of the children that he created and loves. He knew Isabella’s needs even before she was born, and he put together Brian and Orenza to help meet those needs in their little girl.
Isabella will be 7 years old this year, and she loves the park, puzzles, play dough and other tactile play, and her iPad to name a few things. She’s very active, loves to run, climb, jump and dance.
