Like;many;homeschooling;par- ents, Jeff and Lona Gorman are aware;of;the;double-takes;their family sometimes attracts in
public places. Once there were more than
two children in their family, well-meaning people began questioning the Gormans’ decisions—and sanity. “I’m sur-prised;by;the;ones;who;think;it’s;crazy,”
Lona;says.;“We;have;gone;into;Walmart,”
Jeff begins, adding that they have been
asked;if;they;are;.;.;.;a;daycare.;This;is;a;fa-miliar scenario for many homeschooling
families but unique in one way for the
Gormans: The Gorman children—all six
of them—were welcomed into the family
not through birth, but through adoption.
Playing Hide-and-Seek
It was very hard, Jeff says. His wife had
wanted;a;large;family,;“and;she;talked;me
into;wanting;one;too,”;he;smiles.;But;they
found;out;quickly;that;they;would;not
have a family the way they had planned:
“Why would God give us this desire and
then;take;away;the;ability?”
The Gormans began searching for a
way;to;adopt;a;child.;“My;wife;worked
at;a;law;firm,”;Jeff;remembers,;“and;got
a;call;from;an;attorney;asking;if;someone
would;‘take;this;baby;now.’;”;The;Gor-
mans;brought;Bethany;home;through;a
private,;domestic;adoption;in;1990.
Several years later, the Gormans were ex-
ploring the adoption route again. This time,
they began to sense that God was leading
them to adopt from another country, de-
spite;the;unknowns;of;international;adop-
tion;(“I;had;never;been;out;of;the;country,”
Jeff says.) Family friends brought home
twin boys from Haiti. “We were around
them;all;the;time,”;Lona;remembers.;“I;just
never thought about the fact that they were
black;and;we;were;white.”
One day they received an information
package;about;an;adoption;program;start-
ing;in;Cambodia.;“Cambodia—we;didn’t
even;know;where;it;was,”;Lona;says.
Hannah-Grace was 7 months old
when she came home in 1998. Two
years later, the Gormans brought home
4-month-old;Anna,;also;from;Cambo-
dia, but Anna would be one of the last
Cambodian children adopted by Americans for many years, as Cambodia closed
their;international;adoption;program for
American;couples.;What would;be;next
for the Gormans?
“Whenever;God;talks;to;us;about;‘it’s
time;to;do;this;again,’;we;never;know
where,” Lona says. Jeff and Lona have
never felt it was right for both of them
to travel internationally to adopt a child,
a requirement held by many countries.
However,;Chinese;officials;allowed;one
of them to stay home with their other
children. One-year-old Eden came home
from;China;in;2005.;In;2009,;the;Gor-
mans returned to domestic adoption,
bringing;home;their;first;son,;Micah,;as;a
newborn. Three years later, Isaiah joined
the family, also through domestic infant
adoption.
Jeff;enjoys;finding;creative;ways;to;talk
about;their;family.;“I;tell;my;kids;that,;for
some people, God puts babies in their lap,
but;we;have;to;play;a;little;hide-and-seek.”
The Greatest Fit
“I;don’t;think;I;could;bring;these;kids;home
and;send;them;away;to;school,” Lona;says.
Bethany has been homeschooled since
second;grade,;and;the;rest of;the;Gor-
man children have been homeschooled
since;kindergarten.;Jeff;points;out;that;as
with many adoptions, some of their chil-
dren;have;struggled;with bonding,;effects
from prenatal drug exposure, and various
physical and emotional issues. The long-
term relationship provided by home-
schooling;gives;the;family;time;to;work
through those issues together. Through
homeschooling, the Gormans are able to
spend;more;time;studying;countries;like
Cambodia, bringing each child’s ethnic
heritage into their daily life. “Chinese
New;Year;is;as;big;as;Thanksgiving;and
Christmas;for;us,”;Lona;says,;adding;that
Cambodia also celebrates the holiday. “I
think homeschooling and adoption are
the;greatest;fit.”
Through;the;years,;the;Gormans’;older
children have deepened in their under-
standing of adoption and what it means
for;their;family.;“They’ve;walked;through
this;with;us,”;Lona;explains.;With;each
adoption,;the;children;realize;their;lives
will;change,;but;they;seem;to;think;it;is
worth;it.;“They;want;us;to;have;more,”
Lona;says,;recounting;7-year-old Eden’s
suggestion that they have two more boys
to;even;things;out.;“I;told;her,;‘You’re;go-
ing;to;have;to;talk;to;God;about;that;one.’”
Maybe God will surprise them again.
Surprises and Fears
“We think that after we’ve done a few
adoptions,;we;kind;of;understand;the;pro-
cess—there;won’t;be;that;many;surprises,”
Lona shares, “but there are always surpri-
ses.;God;takes;us;to;‘Will;you;trust;Me?’;”
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
Adoption
By;Lauren;Dunn
“. . . but there are always
surprises.;God;takes;us
to;‘Will;you;trust;Me?’;”
If We Do That
