MEET WHITNEY AND JEREMIAH NAPIER: they said yes to adoption and believe it is the most powerful love on Earth.
What led you to choose adoption?
My husband and I sat in the doctor’s office with its white walls and harsh florescent lighting. This was it, this was when we were going to finally get some answers. We would “fix it.” We felt hopeful, wondering if the Lord would miraculously remedy our situation? After experiencing five years of infertility, and standing by while younger siblings easily started their families, Jeremiah and I were finally ready to put to rest the maybes. Maybe if we tried a fertility doctor? Maybe if we tried medication? Maybe if we tried a more extensive procedure? But after all of that, here we sat, feeling uncertain but hopeful, because through all of this God had led us to a place of resting in His leading. It had not been easy. I had cried a lot, Jeremiah had held me, feeling my pain with me. Together we had cried out to our Lord Jesus. Now here we were in a good place. God had slowly taught us to enjoy our present. The struggle of longing for a baby didn’t go away, but it lessened as we stopped letting infertility define us. Then the doctor entered the room and said this sentence: “There’s no reason why you are not pregnant.”
We walked away from that office, feeling— surprisingly free. There was more we could do, more procedures to invest in, but we both felt the Lord drawing us in a different direction. Adoption. It had been something we had dreamed about as college kids when we were dating. Then as newlyweds we had discussed it more in-depth. We had prayed about it separately and come back together with a list of where— a little girl from India was at the top of both of our lists. India. Now, we watched as God began opening the path before us so clearly. There just happened to be a webinar about India adoption that week put out by the agency I always said I wanted to adopt through. We set up an interview with the India director at Lifeline Children’s Services. When we got home from the interest interview I could not stop crying. Jeremiah hugged me, “Do you feel that if we do not go through with this right now, we could lose her? Our baby girl?” YES!!! He perfectly interpreted my emotions. “Then let’s do this. Let’s go find our girl
The adoption journey is a long one. We do not have our sweetheart home yet. We just received NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the Indian Government. Our caseworker estimates a hopeful February or March travel date. We are praying we have her home by her first birthday! Which is in February! (Pray with us please!) We currently have about $11,000 left to raise for our adoption. Each step has been a stretch of faith and finances, but it has been overwhelming to watch God supply right when we need it!
God writes the best stories! We are in awe about how He picked us out of the whole world to get to be Hallee Joy’s parents!
What led you to decide to adopt from India?
India. When I hear the word I instantly smell curry and cardamom, I hear the ring and thump of Bollywood music, but what was it that first drew our hearts to this vast, complex country? As newlyweds, I remember my husband and I sitting on our living room couch, snow falling silently outside the window, when we casually began discussing adoption. We decided to pray separately and then voice the answer laid on each of our hearts. We were actually surprised when we both came back with India, because we had never even mentioned it to each other before!
“When you picture it, do you see a little girl or boy?” I asked my husband. “A little girl!” He said with certainty. “Me too!” I smiled. It was like we were finally voicing a desire that had been in our hearts for a while. Almost like the Lord had AirDropped this calling and we were just now opening the file!
Fast-forward a few years (five to be exact), after walking the path of infertility and learning what it means to have God be enough (which we never stop learning), this idea of adopting from India came up again. We followed some dear friends as they adopted through Lifeline, that led us to following Lifeline on social media. They just happened to have a webinar on India adoption. Jeremiah was out of town, and I watched it. Taking pages of notes to be able to tell him all that I learned! I expected him to say we would start looking into it next year, but he said, “set up a meeting.” We met with Meredith Campbell that next Thursday (November 17, 2017) a significant day to me because God took the call of adopting from India and made it specific. I felt my daughter so strongly! I knew that she was there, and we needed to begin the process. I literally cried until my eyes were swollen that day after meeting with Meredith. Jeremiah perfectly put into words what I was feeling, he asked, “Do you feel that if we do not start the process right now that we could lose her?” That precious little girl that God had laid on our hearts years before she was even born. “Yes!”
“Then let’s go find our daughter.” Out of 20,000,000+ orphaned and abandoned children God was leading us to one specific little girl.
What’s one way God has used this adoption process to change you?
Oh wow! Talk about a loaded question. First of all, God has taught us that we are NOT the rescuers in the story!! We are the rescued, and because of that we are able to share in that place of adoption with our daughter. Jesus Christ is our Savior! This message will be proclaimed every time we speak her name—Hallelujah Joy (“All praise to Jesus Messiah”). Our baby girl’s background and story is powerful, she was born severely premature, and she is a little warrior! God did well to give her life.
How has God used you through the adoption process?
God has showed us that He is a God of action who calls His followers to stillness and awe. What a hard lesson, that I cannot accomplish anything with my worry and fear, but in rest, trust, and stillness my God works on my behalf! He says, “Be still and know that I am God.” So in the looong adoption waiting God is continuing to teach us the beauty of stillness. And that is a powerful change.
Do you have advice for other families considering adoption?
If you hear the whisper of God calling you into this sacred journey, run into it! One of the greatest worship experiences this side of Heaven is the love found in adoption! I believe it is the most powerful love on earth. You get to observe God provide at every turn: financially, emotionally, and spiritually! There’s no obstacle that can stand in your way!
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