Testimonial 3

THANK YOU, ADOPTIONWORX!

Words cannot adequately convey our heartfelt gratitude to the Adoptionworx staff for their role in uniting us with our precious daughter, Christina Anxhela.

When we first embarked on our adoption journey, we were nervous and apprehensive about the entire process. We worried about the care and health of the children in Albanian orphanages. We also worried about our own safety and direction, while in a foreign country. Nevertheless, we put our trust in our adoption agency and its knowledgeable Executive Director, Victoria O’Toole. It was a leap of faith that proved to be the best decision that we ever made.

Adoptionworx led us through every step of the process in preparing for meeting and receiving our daughter. Initially, we were presented with videos of children in typical orphanages and later introduced to many of the sights and accommodations that we would experience while in Albania. Victoria instructed us, in a number of timely seminars, on the culture, traditions, language and customs of a proud country. Adoptionworx provided us with travel guides, maps, packing checklists and other detailed and pertinent information. In fact, they prepared us so well for our impending adoption experience that we felt confident and at ease, and we were able to focus our attention solely in the thrill of meeting and bonding with our daughter.

We were assured that in Albania, all children are considered precious, and are loved and treasured above all else. Still, we were surprised at just how well cared for our daughter had been at her orphanage. We could not have imagined that the caregivers would have so lovingly treated each child as their own, and yet have selflessly prepared that child for his or her eventual adoption into a family. We fully appreciated all the singing, hugging and kissing, and all the stimulating activities that the children would engage in on a regular basis, and we saw first-hand how lovingly they were all taught about families and parental relationships. We were pleased that Christina’s caregivers had prepared her so well for us, her new Mami and Babi, and that we were always made to feel welcome during our frequent visits to the orphanage. As well, we were impressed by the overall facilities and the cleanliness of her orphanage in Sauk, just outside of Tirana, Albania’s capital. It was comforting to know that Christina’s first home had been so well run and well staffed by caregivers, groundskeepers, an on-site doctor and social worker, and a kind orphanage director who encouraged our daily visit and granted us the privacy to interact and bond with our daughter alone.

Throughout our stay in Albania, we were made to feel as comfortable and as safe as if we were back in our own home town. We were pleased at how instantly welcoming everyone was, and how readily we were accepted by all those with whom we came into contact. We experienced such genuine concern and care from them that we almost felt as though they considered us to be members of their own extended family simply visiting from overseas! We certainly did not expect to form such special bonds and to establish the strong friendships that have happily become life-long. We were impressed by the hospitality of the apartment owner, who first greeted us at the airport and catered to our needs. The apartment had been arranged through Adoptionworx. Our roomy apartment in Tirana was equipped with the latest amenities and cleaned for us daily. It should be noted, however, that the electricity and water could sometimes be sporadic in Albania, but it rarely amounted to more than a small inconvenience. The apartment’s central location near the foreign embassies was ideal, so that we were never more than a short walk away from various shops, popular cafes and restaurants, banking institutions and travel agencies. We were very fortunate that Christina’s orphanage was a mere 15 minutes from the apartment.

We were also extremely impressed by Adoptionworx’s staff, we were led through the maze of extensive document preparations, court appearances and all related paperwork. For a process that had run almost too smoothly for the better part of it, at the end there were stress-filled days when time constraints and procedural dilemmas and challenges were clearly evident. During this time, we received daily calls, suggestions and assurances from Victoria in Toronto, whether we were in the apartment or on the road, on the cell phone which she had provided to us. She was in constant touch with the authorities and her staff. We left Albania, as anticipated, and on time, with our daughter.

As we now sit comfortably at home and enjoy our precious new daughter Christina, we can hardly remember the time in our lives before she became part of our family. Still, we can’t forget the incredible experience that brought her to us or the wonderful people that made it all happen. We are most grateful to Adoptonworx’s Executive Director, Victoria O’Toole, whose presence guided us through every stage of this emotional process, and whose own adoption experience made her our "expert" role model. She diligently worked around the clock for us, to ensure that our little girl Christina, could come home with her loving parents. We feel that we are the luckiest two people in the world with her in our lives, and can’t imagine how we ever lived without her. Christina is a beautiful, healthy, perceptive, intelligent and loving little angel. She bonded with us, it seemed, from the moment that she laid eyes on us, and has adjusted well to her new surroundings. As for us, it was instant love, and we somehow knew that she was meant to be with us all along.

Victoria O’Toole and the entire Adoptionworx staff have helped us realize our life-long dream. For this, we can’t ever repay them or even adequately thank them! They truly care about the orphaned children of Albania, and the lucky Canadian families that they serve…Eternally grateful to you for helping to do God’s work,

Tony and Laura
Woodbridge, Ontario
Canada