Claire Miller
Reporter
February 18, 2005
After a lengthy and expensive adoption process, Marty Shirley, men’s head soccer coach, and his wife, Heidi, will become the parents of Nicole Fu Lin Shirley.
The Shirleys left Tuesday on their trek to China. They will officially adopt their daughter on Monday in Chon-gqing.
Currently, the 1-year-old girl’s name is Ai Xi Fu. Fu refers to the name of the orphanage, Ai is loosely translated to “eternally grateful to the orphanage” and Xi is the child’s current first name. Shirley said it refers to her bubbly nature.
The couple worked with America World Adoption Association, a company that is sponsored and partially run through Steven Curtis Chapman Ministries. America World’s Web site states that the organization exists to help American families and orphans around the world “experience the love of God in Jesus through the ‘Spirit of Adoption.’”
The approval process usually takes around eight months, said Shirley. The process includes paperwork, a home study including home visits from a counselor and state approval. “You find out a lot about yourself that you really didn't realize,” Shirley said of the approval process.
Next, the adoption agency puts everything together and sends the documents to the Chinese Embassy. “It takes seven months until they respond,” said Shirley. “Then China wants paperwork, which you have to get in within two weeks.”
After the Shirleys completed this process, they were sent a picture of Ai Xi Fu and given three days to decide whether or not they would accept her.
“We'd been praying,” said Shirley. “We’d decided that we were going to say yes to her.”
The couple wanted to adopt because, as Shirley said, “At this particular time in our life, my wife and I are unable to have children of our own, and we have a strong desire to have children, so that's next step that you would logically take.”
They decided to adopt a baby from China because of their desire for a girl. Ninety percent of orphans in China are female. In addition, the babies are usually adopted at around one year of age, which is what the Shirleys were looking for.
“This will give her an opportunity to come to know God instead of becoming a Buddhist,” said Shirley.
Both father and mother to-be traveled to China for the adoption since both have to be present for a legitimate adoption according to Chinese rule. If only one parent had gone, the Shirleys would have needed to readopt Nicole again in the United States.
Shirley will return to Milligan after spring break.