Victoria Justice Jordan

I want to start out apologizing for not updating this blog earlier. I have actually written it more than once but computer issues have prevented me from posting it. I do not want to appear like the 10 lepers that Jesus healed and only 1 came back to say "thank you." So, although this post is not as eloquent as I would like, it is a post of Thanksgiving for all that God has done in our lives.

Victoria Justice Jordan is officially a JORDAN!!!! 

Wow, what an incredible journey it has been. 

I know God has orchestrated our lives to belong together & only He sees the finished product... the beautiful tapestry that is woven through the threads of our lives.

We started attending foster care training classes in July 2011. Later that month, on July 26, 2011, Victoria was born (we didn't know who she was at the time). We finished our initial classes the same weekend she was placed into foster care with her foster mom. We would spend the next year completing our home study, providing respite care for foster youth & being passed over for child after child. It was a very long, emotional process.

But finally, the Delaware Family Court system chose us on October 25, 2012 (the day after my birthday) to be the foster-to-adopt parents to a frightened 15-month-old baby girl.

She was 18 lbs, not walking, not talking, not feeding herself, not responding much to the world around her. She started her visits with us in November 2012. We were all so excited to bring her home to love on our little girl to be. Within a week, she was walking. Within a few more weeks she was feeding herself & using a sippy-cup. We taught her sign language and she learned quickly how to communicate her needs & many of her wants. Her brothers waited on her & she learned to trust us.

In December 2012, there was a mix-up about how long she could ‘visit’ with us while her Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) agreement was being finalized. An ICPC is needed for a cross-state foster placement or adoption. We were actually asked by our agency (KidsPeace) to send her back home the day after Christmas for possibly 6-9 months while we waited on paperwork.

 That was devastating for me. I felt like all the progress we made with her would be lost.

 My heart ached for my boys who might not see their sister for 6 months due to a technicality. Praise be to God DJ had some friends in high places that were able to find our ICPC paperwork (it was sent to DC instead of DE!) & expedite her foster care placement with us so we did NOT have to take her back to her previous foster home.

January through May 2013 we would make biweekly visits to Delaware for Tori to visit with her birth parents. Although I didn’t appreciate driving back and forth so often (my foot/leg was better but I remained in a chronic state of pain) & the trauma it caused Tori to have to visit with people she did not “know” was difficult at best, I was able to see God’s plan through that storm. I was able to visit with my dear sister-in-law, Donna Taylor, & sweet nieces often as they had just moved to Delaware. Donna’s family had over 50 foster children in their home & adopted 7 of them. 

As a sibling to foster & adopted children, Donna provided me with more knowledge than a library of books & countless social workers ever could have. 

I was able to encourage her as she was in a new place with young kids, working on building a strong, healthy marriage & family. It truly was exactly what we both needed.

Tori’s parental rights were finally terminated on May 7th at the Delaware Family Court & she was legally free to adopt at that time. We still needed to wait 6 months for her adoption (this is another foster-to-adopt rule). Although she came to us in November 2012, her official placement wasn’t until February 2013, pushing her adoption back to August 2013. We also had monthly visits with a social worker from our agency, KidsPeace. KidsPeace is a therapeutic foster care agency that doesn’t typically do adoptions, but they did work with our family & cared for us in a special way that we will always be grateful for.

We had a few hiccups in August 2013 (the month our adoption was supposed to be finalized). In addition, we moved to a new house at the end of August, Trey started a private middle school 2 days after we moved, & I started homeschooling the other 3 kids a few weeks later. We still owned our home in Columbia & we were working to rent it out. DJ was starting his last semester in grad school at Johns Hopkins & he was appointed to a state wide board. We had a ton going on.

Our adoption paperwork got lost, wasn’t filed, etc, etc, etc but it all got worked out. Victoria Justice Jordan's adoption was official on September 12, 2013. On October 19th, we had a child dedication service for her at our new home in Woodbridge, VA with many friends & family gathered & my father in law, Darrell Jordan Sr, blessing her. 

We received a special letter from the Governor of Virginia that I read with tears of joy that so succinctly said all that I had hoped & prayed for over the past few years. It read,

"Dear Tori, I was very happy to hear about your adoption. Your story is a beautiful one, & I am glad that you & the Jordan family found each other. Your mom & dad love you very much, and are very lucky to have you as their daughter. I know you will be a good sister to Trey, Tyson, & Taylor too. I believe God has a great plan for your life. I look forward to hearing about how you are doing at home & at school. Best wishes to you on this great milestone!” 

Warm Regards, Governor Bob McDonnell 

The adoption of Tori is complete, but her story is only beginning. I know that God has amazing things in store for Victoria Justice Jordan. Because of Tori’s young age, we were given the option to name her (since her plan from 6 weeks old was adoption, she was called “Baby” by her original foster mom for most of her first 15 months of life). We let Trey help name his little sister. He choose Victoria Justice Jordan & we would call her Tori. We really liked his choice & the very next day, Pastor Mitchel Lee from Grace Community Church in Fulton, MD preached on justice. Here is his definition of biblical justice, which we pray Victoria is able to live out.

Biblical Justice- “Acting out the heart of God by obeying God, to bring about the deliverance and protection of God, to people made in the image of God, all for the glory of God!”

We are so very thankful for our baby girl (now 3 feet tall & 30 lbs!), our family & friends who have prayed for us, encouraged us, brought us meals, clothes, gifts & walked with us down this incredible road. The journey has only begun & we still covet your prayers, friendship & support. We love you.

Giving God Glory for He is Worthy,

~DJ, Glorya, Trey, Tyson, Taylor & Tori Jordan~