My Adoption Story

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

James 1:27

Hello. My name is Annalise Metzger. I am 18 years old and am the oldest of 8 children and the first of in my family to be adopted. This is my family’s story of how God added to our family through adoption.

In 2002 my Daddy and Mommy set off on the adventure of adoption. They wanted desperately to adopt a 10 year old girl from Kazakhstan – ME! They first discovered my photo on an internet site with photos of children from around the world who needed forever families.

God’s hands were already on the process, even before it began, because my Mommy had specifically searched for a child who was closer to their own biological children’s ages. They were thinking of a child that would have been maybe three years old or younger. I was 9 years old at the time, yet God had this “older child” come up in my Mother’s search for 2-3 year olds. After going to bed that night that she could not get me out of her mind, so the next day she requested a video from the adoption agency.

The video was eye opening and heart-wrenching for my parents to watch! The only things I said I wanted for Christmas was a bucket of raspberries and a mother who would love me.

My Daddy and Mommy married during my Father’s last semester of college. They found out they were pregnant with Kaitlyn when they had been married a little over a month. When Kaitlyn was 6 months old, they found out that we were expecting a son - Ethan. Daddy had started a new career right out of college, which requires years to build up a client base, so they learned to pinch many pennies. They had only been married for a little over 4 years, and had no savings, when God sent me into my family’s picture. My parents were unsure as to how they could afford the price tag of $27,000 for a Kazakhstan adoption. After praying, they felt the Lord’s gentle guidance and decided that it was the Lord’s Will to take a leap of faith. So, they started their home study.

Upon making this gigantic decision, my parents humbly shared their plans, as well as their needs, with their friends, family and Sunday school. They shared their hearts and their financial need, without being specific. During this time, they prayed fervently and asked others for prayer. Their specific prayer was for doors to be opened or shut according to God’s perfect Will. They sincerely desired God’s plans to come about for them and for me, who was thousands of miles away.

The Lord constantly proved His faithfulness by providing the money needed for each home study payment, agency payment, passport fee and INS fees. One day my Daddy and Mommy desperately needed $200 for a home study payment, which was due that afternoon. When they opened the front door, there was a check for $200 from their neighbors! Again, when it was time to travel, they had no money for airline tickets to fly over to Kazakhstan, to meet and pick me up. My grandparents were provided by God with extra tithe and offering money to be able to pay for those plane tickets. God worked again and again like this! It was amazing for them to see God working through others during this time!

The Saturday before my Daddy, Mommy, Kaitlyn and Ethan left for Kazakhstan, my parents’ Sunday school class gathered at a member’s house for a get-together. After laying hands on them and praying for their journey, they handed them an envelope for the trip with a lot of extra cash. At that time, my parents did not really see a need for this money since everything was already provided for financially for the entire trip. However, the Lord could see much farther down the road! Our family ended up with an unexpected stay in Kazakhstan of 36 days due to some problems with my visa. If it were not for this extra money that we received, they would have had no extra cash for food and lodging while in Kazakhstan. They would have been in a strange country, with no interpreter, knowing only a few words of Russian, unable to communicate with me, in below zero weather with no lodging and no food. God saw the need even before they did and met it before they even left to venture out into the unknown! He provided for all of us and saw us through!

God provided for my family through each step of my adoption. The money was not there a day later than when they needed it throughout the process! And when they did need it sooner, He provided then, too! His perfect Will was carried out through willing vessels that trusted in God, prayed and waited for God’s timing!

I asked Jesus to be my personal Savior shortly after learning English! I, now, want to go back to Kazakhstan someday as a missionary to the orphans. If my parents had not been willing vessels; if they had not asked for and obeyed God’s perfect Will and had not taken leaps of faith; if they had trusted in their own power, instead of His; if they had not waited on HIS timing; if they had not prayed and asked for prayer, I might not be who I am today!

God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the right and proper thing to consider if you were not living a life of faith; but if you are, you will JOYFULLY waive your right and leave God to choose for you.

~ Oswald Chambers ~

Since my adoption in 2002, our family has welcomed Julia, Ellie and Judah through birth, adopted two brothers from Missouri - Trey and Jake - in 2007! We are absolutely THRILLED in the Lord's working in this! What a plan He has for us all!

~ Annalise

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name."

John 15:16