The Journey to Adoption with Community.

A courtroom isn’t usually a very exciting place. Save for a Tom Cruise movie or a high profile criminal case, they are usually dry, bureaucratic, and exhausting.

But on one Florida summer morning, the local courthouse security officer was shocked to find a giddy crowd shuffling past him and finding their seats as the hearing was about to begin.

“Only those here for the adoption case may enter!” he kept shouting out. The large care community filled the courtroom, and the doors were finally shut. With a sigh and a quick wipe of his brow, he whispered to Susan, “I’ve never seen this many people here before.”

Looking back on her and her family’s journey of fostering and adopting their daughter, Susan Steitz said that caring for Myea and welcoming her into her family has united the Steitz family in some powerful ways and enlivened their home with joy and love. Susan has watched each of her children embrace their new sister uniquely, from her adult children to her children adopted internationally. “It’s been really neat to see how all my kids have loved her,” she said. “Everybody has their own special way of loving Myea.”

Before Myea came into their family, they fostered another child who was reunited with their biological family. Even though reunification is the ultimate goal of foster care, it is understandably heartbreaking for foster families who abandon self-protection of their hearts and give themselves fully to creating healthy attachments to those they welcome into their home. Susan explained through tears, “Sometimes you have to say goodbye.” 

Amidst the plethora of good gifts that the Steitz’ have received through their love for Myea, one that stands out is the welcome and support from their care community. The same care community from One Family Church that piled into the courtroom for Myea's adoption had also given friendship and support throughout her journey of entering into her new family. They even gathered with the Steitz’ family after church to celebrate the successful adoption. The faithful support that Susan received from her care community at One Family Church enabled her and her family to persevere, and the friends gained through this care community continue to support and love Myea and the Steitz family.