David Platt recalls 'surreal' moment meeting adoptive son after years-long delay: 'Hard to put into words'
When David and Heather Platt were finally united with Jeremiah Daniel (J.D.), their adopted son from China, following a years-long delay due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, it was a moment the pastor and bestselling author could only describe as “surreal.”
“I can only describe it as surreal to have prayed for this day for three-and-a-half years, to have longed to be together, to long to love this child in our family, to have talked about it with our other kids,” Platt, pastor of McLean Bible Church near Washington, D.C., told The Christian Post.
“Some of our kids were able to go with us, and we've been talking about and praying for our son and their brother for all these years. And to see it finally happen, it's hard to put into words the depth of emotion, the excitement, the joy, and in one sense, some sadness over having missed three-and-a-half years, but gratitude that we're not going to miss more.”
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The Platts are longtime advocates of adoption; four of their six children are adopted. So, after being matched with a 3-year-old boy several years ago, they were elated by the idea of growing their family.
But in January 2020, just three days before picking him up from China, they were told the adoption was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We were told it would be postponed for a little while due to a strange virus that obviously led to the world being turned upside down in the days ahead, and it led to us waiting for about three-and-a-half years and just praying every day for that door to open up,” Platt recalled.
“Finally it did. I'll never forget when we got the call that we were now able to go and get him. Obviously, a lot had changed during that time, but what had not changed was our love for our son and our desire to go and bring him into our family. There was a lot of tears, a lot of rejoicing, and then a lot of work to do.”
Now, J.D. has been with his forever family for a couple of months, largely thanks to Lifeline Children’s Services, the largest Evangelical adoption agency in the country, which facilitated the adoption.
“We are thankful beyond words for all who were involved in that process, and specifically for Lifeline, their perseverance and the way they intentionally worked with us and with folks in China to help bring children like ours into a family,” Platt said.
Challenges with adoptions from China
Platt’s story highlights not just his family's journey, but the plight of many other adoptive families still in the waiting process.
Herbie Newell, president and executive director of Lifeline, revealed that over the last several months, over 40 children from China have been united with families after a nearly four-year waiting period. Yet, there are still over 300 children who have been matched with families who have yet to arrive home.
Those families, he said, face ongoing challenges.
“The families that have traveled thus far were those that already had a travel approval, as the pandemic was starting,” he said. “A lot of these other families didn't yet have a travel approval, and there's some uncertainty about what the next steps and what the future holds for these children and these families.”
Newell highlighted the geopolitical aspects of adoption, urging waiting parents to engage with policymakers and advocate for their children's cause. He underscored the importance of advocacy at both the national and international levels, encouraging adoptive families to share their stories with policymakers to facilitate change.
Recently, Newell wrote a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson advocating for U.S. families to be united with the children that they have been waiting four years to meet.
“Tell your story, and tell your story to your congressman, your senators and your state, let them know that you're waiting, let them know information about your children,” he advised. “In a lot of ways, this door did open up because families were telling their congressmen or senators their stories, and by God's grace and His movement, He started to soften up hearts, and we started to see this window open for some of these kids that come home to their families.”
In the meantime, Newell said Lifeline continues to prepare for future global disruptions that could affect adoptions. Lifeline's strategy, he said, involves expecting the unexpected and having contingency plans in place.
“There's only One that knows the future, and that's the Lord Himself. And so we have to be ready for what's next,” he said.
Role of the Church
Newell highlighted the role of the Church in caring for orphans and vulnerable children, emphasizing Lifeline's mission to equip local churches in this endeavor.
“We believe that it is the responsibility of the Body of Christ to care for orphans, vulnerable children, families and women,” he said. “And as a ministry, we want to equip the local church to manifest the Gospel in physical and spiritual ways to the most vulnerable in our communities and in our world.
“We really need to pray and advocate for these children who are still waiting in China and that they would be able to come home to their forever family,” he added.
Platt reiterated that the Church plays a critical role in supporting adoptive families. The Church, he said, is a body uniquely designed to care for children in need, not just through the adoption process but as a lifelong journey. He cited James 1:27, which instructs believers to “look after orphans and widows in their distress.”
“When it comes to children who need families, we should be the first to say we'll care for those children,” Platt said.
“That doesn't mean that every single Christian is supposed to adopt or every single Christian is supposed to foster, but it does mean that every single Christian needs to be a part of a Body of Christ where we're caring for children in this way. I am so thankful for the church around my family, and how the church has helped us, cared for us and walked through this whole process. We couldn't do it without the Body of Christ around us, and we're not supposed to. That’s part of the beauty of the Body of Christ, that we are made for this. We're made to care in these ways.”
“This is a lifelong journey, and families and children need the Body of Christ around them through that whole journey.”
To other adoptive families waiting to be united with their children, Platt offered a word of encouragement: "Keep leaning on people like those at Lifeline," he said. "It's helpful to know people are working on behalf of this child you're waiting for and working on behalf and your family and that and they're to help you there to encourage you, there to give you whatever information there is."
His own family's experience, he said, led them to "go to a deeper place of trust" and acknowledge the vital role of caregivers who looked after J.D. during the waiting period.
"Luke 18:1 was particularly helpful to me throughout this process of waiting," he said. "Remember that Jesus tells us to pray and not lose heart. So, don't lose heart. Keep pressing in prayer for your child and for all those who are caring for them. I'm so thankful for all the people who were caring for our son during those three and a half years. I'm so thankful for all the caregivers and all they were doing day in and day out. Even amid the longing and waiting, still be intentional about thanksgiving for the good things that are happening."
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
