Part of God's Provision

God sent us a very special person to help us along on this adoption journey—McLane Layton. We first learned about her in the Spring of 2010 when no visas were being issued for children adopted from Uganda. All of the families stuck in Uganda during that time and those of us waiting for court dates worked with McLane to write letters and make phone calls to our congressmen asking them to take action to get the visa process moving again. It worked, and in May 2010 visas started getting issued again. I thought that would be the end of our contact with McLane.
Fast forward to October 2010 when our own visa crisis started-- we again needed the help of McLane Layton. I emailed her and she immediately called Cody and gave us a plan of action. We pursued dual tracks in an effort to bring Mercy home. Track one was the Ugandan track, led by our attorney there. Track two was the American track, led by McLane. She directed our every step. She told Cody when to call congressmen and when not to. She talked to people at the US State Department, our congressmen, and even congressmen from other states on our behalf. She told Cody what we could make public and what we could not. She told us to be calm when life was decidedly not calm. She was right every time.

McLane and her family

McLane is an attorney in Washington DC. In addition to her practice she also runs an organization called “Equality for Adopted Children” or EACH. The goal of EACH is to make sure that children adopted by American citizens get the same rights as biological children. McLane learned of some of the disparities in the law for adopted children after her and her husband adopted three children of their own. After that experience, she decided to work to change the laws and make the process easier for families. As Legislative Counsel to U.S. Senator Don Nickles, she helped write the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 and has worked on other bills that bring the rights and needs of adopted children to the forefront. She is one of the top legislative voices on adoption. Every American family who adopts internationally today is affected by her work whether they realize it or not. She also works with families like ours that run into complications. She has an amazing track record on helping to resolve visa issues. We were scared we were going to ruin her record. Thank goodness we did not!

McLane worked on emails, letters, and paperwork for us until the wee hours of the night. She laughed and cried with us and even told me a few times she woke up in the middle of the night and prayed for us. It was extra comforting to know that she was not only fighting for us, but praying for us. We would not have made it without her. I also must tell you that she did all of her work for us pro bono. She is a blessing and a perfect example of God’s love and provision for our family this past year.
I encourage you to check out the website for EACH and join her organization: . Get your friends and family members to join too. It’s free to join, and each member gives her more of a voice with Congress and shows our lawmakers that many of us care deeply about orphans and adoption. I would also ask you to consider giving a donation to EACH. It’s easy for us to give directly to orphanages or to relief organizations, but groups like EACH need our help too. It is so important to have people lobbying Congress on behalf of our adopted children and on behalf of the millions of orphans in need around the world. McLane's importance in our adoption journey cannot be overstated. Plain and simple, Mercy and I are home today because of her work.


I know I've posted this pic before, but it's all because of McLane's help!!

McLane is important to families like ours because of both her empathy and her skill. She possesses a formidable knowledge of adoption law, as well as knowledge of the inner workings of different government agencies. Cody and I wish we could donate lots and lots of money to her organization, but that’s not going to happen just yet. But we will give and continue to support her and her work. We love the idea of supporting McLane as she helps another family going through a similar crisis and giving her the resources she needs to make sure the legal rights of all children are protected. Just think of all of the legislative work that could be done if each of us gave $10. It would be a great way for you to help us say thank you to a wonderful woman. Thanks McLane!!