In the fall, the Palmeri family welcomed their daughter, Abijah Jasmine, home from Bihar, India. Her arrival was a beautiful reminder of the miracle of adoption, a story written by God through months of waiting, praying, and trusting, now fulfilled in the tender moment she is held in their arms.

Their story shines as a testament to God’s faithfulness, reminding us that every step, even the difficult ones, is woven into His greater plan. Adoption is not only a process but a miracle, and the Palmeris’ journey is a powerful example of the gift of love and belonging that adoption creates.

We rejoice with them as they begin this new chapter together and give thanks for the way God has brought another child into the arms of a loving family!

In Their Own Words

We were privileged to walk alongside this family in their adoption journey. But no words capture it quite like their own. Below, they share the beautiful and life-changing moment they first met their daughter:

“We had a six-hour drive to get to the orphanage. As we pulled into the orphanage, we were flooded with emotion. This was the moment! We felt as prepared as we could, while having eyes wide open to experience this brand-new process for the first time. With great anticipation in our hearts and heads about meeting our daughter for the very first time in person, we found our way to the small office at the orphanage, where there were two women who seemed to be in charge. They were very cordial to both of us and greeted us, inviting us to take a seat at their desk in the office. Our America World guide, Abigail, exchanged some words with them in Hindi, and we began to have some conversation with the social worker at the orphanage, expressing our gratitude and joy to be there.
“We spent the next 20 minutes or so completing the final paperwork, clarifying documents, and asking some questions about Abi.
“Then, all of a sudden, one of the caretakers came into the room holding Abi! Here she was! She was visibly hesitant to come to us, so one of the caretakers had her on her lap for several minutes as we took it very slow, exchanging eye contact, and some smiles and waves. She did not interact with us much and was clearly bonded to her caretakers, which made the initial adjustment process challenging. She was crying a lot as we spent the first hour with her. That being said, we recognize that it was a great sign that she had such a strong attachment to her caretakers, and we were so appreciative that this was the case for Abi.
“Several of the orphanage workers came over and helped cheer her up, and were very supportive of the initial attachment process as we walked around the orphanage plaza with Abi.”

After sharing the unforgettable moment they met their child, the family expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the America World guides who supported them in India.

“Please express our deepest gratitude to both Abigail and Gloria. We can’t say it enough, they were absolutely fantastic in the way they served us and were so punctual and accurate with the information they provided. They explained each part of the process ahead of time to ensure we had as much certainty as possible as we took on each appointment. Adoption is a true labor of love, and while there were a couple of extra pieces with the country travel we had to do and some uncertainty in waiting for Abijah’s passport to be completed, because of the power of prayer and God‘s faithfulness, along with wise counsel and tireless work of our in-country guides, everything went very smoothly.
“Gloria was so wise and knowledgeable. Abigail also helped us feel right at home and was a wonderful companion and tour guide. They were very flexible and communicated so effectively and in a timely manner.”

Thank you for sharing your experience, Palmeri family! It brings us such joy to know that Abi is flourishing and surrounded by her loving family.

If the Palmeris’ story has inspired you and you dream of welcoming a child into your family as they did with Abi, we’d love to walk with you on that journey. Visit our Learn About Adoption page to take your first step today!

Learn About Adoption

Also, check out more beautiful photos showing this family’s story!