One Family's Story
May 2002

We are Ulf and Sabine from Germany, adoptive parents of three little children. We are thirty-five years old and our adoption journey started four years ago, when we had to learn that adopting kids in Germany is nearly impossible. So we decided to adopt children from a foreign country. Sabine's Mum's best friend is a doctor in Colombia. When she visited us here we asked her for help. Then we waited twenty months without any reaction to our application. In the meantime, we heard about A.S.A. Our friends who adopted two children with A.S.A. eight and six years ago told us to try an adoption in Texas because it will surely come to success. Last year in June we accepted our first A.S.A. case. We were excited and made a lot of plans. The baby should be delivered in October. Six weeks later our Colombian lawyer mailed us and proposed the adoption of Colombian twins.

We were shocked! Children had always been our dream, but three kids within three months? Would we be able to get along with that? It not, which case would be the right one? At last we decided to show courage and accept both offers. Ten days later we arrived in Bogata. With the help of the monastery and our lawyer, we received the twins, Jacob and Maria. Sabine had to stay for eight weeks in Colombia. Ulf returned to Germany and kept in touch with A.S.A When all the paperwork was done Sabine and the twins returned back home.

We immediately tried to prepare for our next journey. But, unfortunately, the birth mother decided to keep the baby. Of course we were disappointed, but reviewing the situation from today we know that God made the right decision for us.

Six weeks later A.S.A. offered us a new case which was due in April. After the first disappointment we were not sure what to do, but after two days we decided to take a risk again. But in vain. After four full months of telephone calls, packages, etc., the birthmother was sent to jail and her mother wanted to keep the baby. What luck to have our beautiful twins. We were so frustrated that we were thinking about giving up our plans with A.S.A. we were wondering if our financial and emotional capacity would be enough to go ahead. After a positive decision we asked A.S.A. to fasten the process and to shorten our waiting period.

One evening in August A.S.A. proposed a new situation. Both of us knew it would be our last case. Little Ricarda was already born and we only had to wait thirty days to pick her up. The horrible terror attacks in New York and Washington DC forced us to wait, but then we finally could travel to Texas. Of course the twins accompanied their parents to meet their little sister. Before, we had been a lucky family, but now we are complete - thank God.

Now we know it is true what our friends told us: It is hard to wait, but it will surely come to success. --Ulf and Sabine