This year at Colour Conference, we heard the story of Anneli and Jurgens Humer’s journey to adoption. Today, on World Adoption Day, we celebrate with them as Anneli vulnerably shares her story, one year on from the day their baby came home.

On the 1st of November, we celebrated one year with our baby, Jesse. We didn’t realise how much more of a connection we would feel to the anniversary of his home-coming day than to his 1st birthday back in August. In hindsight though, it makes so much sense, because it’s the date he was birthed into our little family through the wonderful process of adoption. It was the day our years of waiting came to a sudden end, and the most joy-filled journey began.

Thinking back on our story now, it’s almost hard to remember the eight years of infertility; the ups and downs that came with hormone and fertility treatments, the copious amounts of tears, month after month after month of ‘not yets’ whilst friends and family announced their pregnancies. Most times I was genuinely excited to celebrate with them. Other times it would break my heart into a million pieces because, in my pain, I saw it as one massive reminder of my unmet desire. Sometimes I was filled with courage to keep going and encourage others through my journey and point to Jesus. Other days I ignored God’s ever-present and sustaining strength and blamed myself because my body wouldn’t do what it was created to do. All I ever wanted was to be a mother. I remember the pain in my husband’s eyes, but also his unconditional love and support and how he never blamed me once. God was always there, but in my humanness I felt the pain infertility brought.

The journey of infertility is something I never want anyone else to have to experience, but I know so many do. And yet, in the same breath, I’m sitting this side of that journey now and really had to dig deep to remember the pain of those years. Because that is the goodness and kindness of our God.

Through adoption, He has brought His ‘MORE THAN’ into our lives. My daily conversation with God goes along the lines of, ‘What have we done to deserve your greatest gift?’ because our little Jesse is a piece of Heaven.

Jesse loves to kiss my tummy for some reason. Maybe because he imitates us kissing him after bath time. But every time he does, it’s a beautiful reminder that God has brought the most wonderful healing to my brokenness, and Jesse is the one who gets to seal it with a Heavenly kiss that reminds me, God had a much better plan.

* Anneli Humer, Hillsong South Africa