Sherry and Larry Majewski never had any intention of having children of their own, let alone adopting one.
When they got married back in 1995, they were enjoyed the freedoms that come along with being childless. Sherry explained, “We decided we were just going to live the good life. We traveled, ate out all the time, no strings attached.”
But God had other plans in mind, far bigger, better and at least 8 times more chaotic and busy than their kid-free lifestyle. Everything changed during one evening of some simple channel surfing.
They settled on a TV news special about adopting children from Eastern Europe. For Sherry, the show felt like a calling. She said, “I was really moved by it. I asked Larry if he would ever consider something like that.”
But for as intrigued as she was, Larry’s answer was a firm no. It wasn’t until some time had gone by that, for reasons he can’t exactly explain, he started having a change of heart and softened to the idea. He told his wife he’d be willing to check out a local international adoption meeting.
At the presentation, Larry slipped Sherry this note: “I’m thinking about China,” a reference made to where he would adopt a child. She replied, “So am I”. And after that moment, the couple started their adoption journey. In 2000, the Majewski’s went to China to pick up their first child, 8-month-old Mya.
Shortly after Mya, the couple realized they wanted their daughter to have a sister, so they adopted Maylin.
Larry said, “every two or three years they felt the call to adopt again. We just prayed about it, and each adoption was a step of faith. We just trusted God that He could lead us in the right direction.”
Quite a radical departure from the couple who once thrived on eating out and traveling. But they were just getting started.
After the first three adoptions, the couple decided to adopt children with special needs.
Three of the youngest children have spinal bifida, a “common permanently disabling birth defect,” the Spina Bifida Association reported. Sherry told Monroe News that her little girls suffer from various levels of this condition.
Sherry also stressed that, “All of the girls can walk but most have bowel and bladder issues which are common with spinal bifida.” In addition to this, the couple celebrates their daughters Chinese heritage.
As a family, they celebrate Chinese holidays, play Chinese music, eat Chinese food with chopsticks and host Chinese students attending the local University of Toledo in Ohio. The reason? She explains that”part of their life is lost” and it is part of the adoptive parents job to give that back to them.
The couple says faith and support from their church and the children’s school has helped them on through this challenging process. Challenging, but one they wouldn’t trade for all the vacations in the world.
If you are interested in learning more about adoption, consider learning more about international adoption and the process consider checking out: All God’s Children.
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(H/T: Monroe News)
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