The following essay was written by Acadia Osborne for a class assignment:

Dreams Endure

Eric and Kristi Bond have a dream. In pursuing their dream, they have met obstacles, despair, and triumph. Their dream is not one of material objects or one of selfishness. It has been accomplished by love, sacrifice, support, hope, and prayer. The Bond's dream is to have a family. They want to nurture, cherish, and love a child.

Eric and Kristi have been married for 11 1/2 years. They are caring people with good hearts and a strong faith. What characteristics can better define good parents? But biologically, that was not an option. After many hours of meditation, prayers, and thought, they reached a decision. They decided to go to a specialist to try and use other methods of having a child. This was covered by their insurance...but only to a point. These treatments brought no good news, so it was time to move on and pursue their dream along a different path. Path 1: progress to expensive treatments or Path 2: visit an adoption agency.

Choosing the first option was one of the hardest decisions they have ever made. Waiting for and participating in these programs was even harder. Over a year and a half later, the crushing news that they weren't responding to treatment reached them. Despite the heart-breaking news, they feel the trials brought them closer. They didn't give up or lose heart, because they had a dream. In June, just over two years ago, they met with someone from the local Adoption Agency. To get into the program and be eligible adoptive-parents, they first had to go through classes, training, and get a Foster Care License. The agency told the classes would start in September. The next April, Eric and Kristi finally began the schooling. Waiting for the classes was extra difficult because they had no control over time. In the class, they watched videos, read, and had discussions to prepare themselves. The final step was to make a portfolio about their family to give to the Adoption Agency. The birth mother chooses the family that she wants to parent her child from the portfolios the Agency has. Another long, hard year passed before the Bonds were told that they had been chosen.

On December 3, 2004, after 11 years of waiting, Micah Bond came home. The Bond family is the best example that I know of of perseverance, persistence, faith, and hope. Their dream could've been lost or discarded, but they held onto it. Difficulty challenged them, money, relationships, patience. They overcame. Now they strive to help Micah keep a good relationship with his birth family so he can see all the parts of who he is. Their dream will never end. Love endures. Dreams endure. kristi says that having a family isn't only an automatic thing, but "wanting to have a family is a goal for our lives."

Every Sunday morning in church, friends come over to coo or pinch Micah's cheek. Now 5 months old, he is a child who's existence is defined by love. He is the center of his parents' love, hears, and life. He is not just a baby boy. He is a prayer answered. He is a dream come true.