It was 2010. God had already sewn our hearts to this place called Uganda years before. But now, He was doing a new thing. He was placing the call to adopt on our hearts and we said yes. We didn’t yet know who we were saying yes to bringing into our family, but we knew Who we were saying yes to. Lord, may we always be willing to say yes to you.
Months later we were officially referred a little girl, Laiti (Chloe), who needed a forever family. We scoured over our past photos to see this little girl who could become our daughter. There she was – the girl in the corner. The one not singing, not participating, and not smiling. The one we were told was shy, afraid of white people, and not sociable. We knew God had opened our hearts and home for her.
In 2012, We spent many months in Uganda going through the legal process of bringing our daughter home. Of course, during that time, God also wove our hearts together as we watched sweet Chloe begin to trust, smile, laugh, and begin finding herself within a family. It wasn’t until the last day of 2012 that we were told that even though the courts had given us Legal Guardianship, we would not be given a visa to bring her home.
Sometimes when God calls you to do something, you realize that it is far bigger than your eyes could originally see. Such is the case with our adoption. As we stepped back in prayer and viewed the entire situation, it was evident that He was paving the way for us to move to Uganda – not only to adopt, but also to serve with the ministry that He had used to knit our hearts to this place years before.
Fast forward to today. Chloe has become an inseparable part of our family. For the first time ever, she is thriving, smiling, and loving. She has found her forever family. We now have the opportunity to officially adopt Chloe in her home country of Uganda. This process will legally put on paper what we already know to be true – that Chloe Laiti is a Via. This will legally change our status from guardians to parents, and allow us to apply for a different visa to allow Chloe to be home in both Uganda and America.
Today, we are happy to report that we have filed all the appropriate paperwork, and are awaiting a court date! Hallelujah! Nevertheless, we do have one small hurdle. Our attorney fees are $6,000. We do not have this money, but we are trusting God to provide, and we believe that he will. Would you consider standing with us? We need your support now more than ever. These fees have to be paid in full before the end of November. Please pray with us that God will provide. Lord willing, the next time you receive and update from us, we will be able to announce that Chloe Laiti is officially a Via!
– Smooth & Kelly Via
To donate to Smooth & Kelly’s adoption fees, click here.
