She came to us broken. The pain in her eyes was real, the laughter just a facade. God's love is healing her, and we are His hands and feet. It doesn't mean the road isn't hard, but the blessings have far outweighed the pain and struggle.

We had been married for seven years and had been content spending time together, just the two of us. Out of the blue, we felt led to adopt from China. After learning of the long wait, we felt there was something else we could do with regard to adoption. It was foster care with the intent to adopt.

We went through the eight-week course for certification. The day we were approved, our foster daughter Payton came into our home. We know that God wanted her in our home, as He has given us love, strength, and knowledge beyond ourselves. She has been a truly amazing addition to our family.

People wonder if they would be able to love an adopted child as much as they would love a biological one. I have to say that we love Payton with all of our hearts, and she isn't even adopted yet. She is a child of our heart and always will be. I cry every time I write or talk to someone about this love we have for her, because I can't imagine our life without her. She needed parents to love her; we didn't even realize it, but we needed her, too.

The best part of this experience has been seeing what God has done in this little girl. As I said before, she was broken. The seasoned social workers thought she was a lost cause. They hadn't given up, but they never thought they could get her back. They couldn't. God did!! She is a blessing beyond words. God has given her a second chance.

God has also done a wonderful work in us. I have come so much closer to my Father because of this new untraveled road. I thought I believed in answered prayers; now I know do. We have seen miracle upon miracle happen in Payton's case, and I have grown ever closer to Him. When you have to depend on Him daily, it's hard to let Him go, even for a moment.

Update: Justin and Tracy adopted Payton in November 2009. They became foster parents again in December 2009 to an infant boy.

Unlike most adoptions, our second experience with foster care was completely unplanned and unexpected in every way. Others who do foster care may be able to relate. You get the call out of the blue, there's a child who needs a place to go. A family to love him.

When your heart is consumed with helping children how do you say no? We had planned to take some time after our daughter, Payton Elizabeth, was adopted from foster care before we took in another child. We took a one month sabbatical, if that's what you want to call it. We got the call, and the next day a new baby entered our family.

Only three-and-a-half months old, this little boy, aptly named Jeremiah, needed a home. There was no one else to take him. Later we found out the disheartening truth: no one else wanted him. His family has health concerns that made others apprehensive.

There were more than enough struggles to make us wonder what we were doing. Enough to make us cry out to God for help. Once again our Father ushered this child and us through trying times, always shining His light on us as a family. What a truly amazing little boy He has blessed us with! We thank God for him. His sweet and loving demeanor touches us at our core. He is now able to play by himself and is content in our family. He knows from where his comfort comes. He knows that he will be nurtured and not neglected, left to suffer. He knows where his true home is.

As for Payton, our adopted daughter, we have been blessed beyond words with a most gentle and loving big sister for Jeremiah. Right now she is his "foster sister," but she is left unaware of this fact. She has helped lift our spirits when all seems lost, and she treats him as if he were her own. She has been his friend since the beginning.

Jeremiah is his given name, which means "sent from God." Sure, most adoptive and biological parents feel their children were sent from Him. However, I am utterly amazed at what God has shown me through both my adopted daughter and now through Jeremiah. He has revealed how He can transform devastation into something consummately beautiful. We can see God's miracles all around us. How powerful His miracles are in those He's made in His own image!

After completing the certification process with the Department of Human Services, we received our first little girl, who only stayed with us a couple of months. The next phone call we received from DHS came at 3:30 in the morning. An hour later, Nicholas came to our home asleep in his car seat. He was eight months old. After months of visits with his birth parents, parental rights were terminated. We adopted Nicholas when he was two years old.

The process has been challenging. We have experienced attachment issues, behavior problems, and testing of our patience like nothing we have ever experienced. Our three older biological children have had to learn how to handle difficult situations and show great patience. But God has been faithful through it all.

Nicholas knows and loves Jesus and tells other children about Him. We can already see his evangelistic giftings. We spend lots of time on our knees where God reminds us what Nicholas' life would have been like had he not come to live with us, and we are thankful.

Update: Bob and Tamar continue the process of adopting a little girl from China. They have been in the Chinese adoption program for more than four years.