Since they have both same religious beliefs, The young couple Rachel and Aaron Halbert have decided early on in their relationship that they would adopt children.
The couple strongly believes in adoption as a part of their faith, but what makes this couple more different than others is that they specifically decided not to adopt white children since they are more likely to be chosen by prospective parents. They also considered it as a sign from God since they are not able to conceive naturally. It was a decision that was to turned their lives in the most heartwarming way imaginable.
Aaron grew up with his missionary parents in Honduras, where he says he was a ‘blue-eyed, cotton-topped white kid who stuck out like a sore thumb. This helped him feel more comfortable around people of other races. His wife, Rachel, in the other hand, who grew up in The Mississippi delta, wasn’t that overly exposed to other races, but she had always that compassion towards them.
The pair adopted two African-American kids, and found their lives changing in a magical way.
The couple was happy to learn a lot from their multicultural family.. “There is also something wonderful in the relationship that is built as my wife asks a black friend on Facebook how to care for our little biracial daughter’s hair.”
‘The beauty of a multi-ethnic family is found there, in the fact that the differences are the very thing that make ours richer and fuller. It forces you to think in a new way about the way you think, speak, act and live.’
The Halbert couple had not thought about extending their family. However, when they heard about the National Embryo Donation Center Christian embryo bank that accepts frozen embryos that are created during a couple’s IVF treatment. They were more than happy to give it a try.
Normally, those embryos are given or destroyed once their biological donors implant one. But Christian centers accept ‘donations’ that can then be ‘adopted’ by couples having trouble conceiving.
After implanting two embryos last fall, they were informed at a hospital in Honduras — where they are working as missionaries — that one of the embryos split off, giving the couple triplets instead of twins.
And so Rachel gave birth to three sweet babies!
As remarkable as this couple’s story is, they often face criticism from the community. Some people are appalled by their decision to have raised children who are of a different race and the disparagement comes from both blacks and whites.
Of course, not every person looks at this family negatively. Many others are moved by the Halberts choice to have a large multicultural family.
You can learn more about the Halberts very special journey in the video below:
