American couple feels blessed by 'a beautiful mess' after adopting eight African siblings
Adopting one child is a major undertaking that involves lots of red tape and sleepless nights. So, imagine adopting a family of eight siblings from another country. That's the challenge Hayley and Mike Jones took on when the couple from Thompson's Station, Tennessee, decided to adopt an orphan family from Sierra Leone in West Africa.
"We had always talked about adoption even when we were dating and had always known that we wanted to adopt from the continent of Africa," says Hayley. "We always thought we would adopt a little boy."
However, on visiting the orphanage in Sierra Leone, the plight of the eight siblings struck a chord. Their father had been killed in a boating accident, and they faced the real possibility of being separated until Mike fell in love with the idea of adopting them.
"The weight of eight was just so much. So, just had to really pray and seek God's guidance on it. And he just clearly told me that the eight was what we had to do."
The Jones already had two children of their own, so the prospect of adopting eight more would involve a complete change of lifestyle. That included transforming their house from a home for four into a home for twelve!
"We felt like Noah building the Ark," says Hayley. "We had people from church come and help us, like build some rooms out in the basement of our house. We re-did our kitchen. We did all of this, just preparing for the children."
After three years of traveling to and from Sierra Leone trying to complete the adoption, Mike and Hayley were finally able to welcome the children onto U.S. soil.
Watch the video to see how tragedy became a triumph for 8 orphaned siblings.
"It was a big adjustment," says Mike. “But it all worked out really well. I mean, they're great kids. They bless us, I always tell people, more than we bless them."
One way the boys acclimatized to the American way of life was through soccer. It began with the eldest boy, Michael. He'd played in the streets occasionally back in Sierra Leone but had never played organized soccer.
"It was a big adjustment because not knowing the goals of soccer or anything was really hard for me," says Michael. "And then not able to talk to the coaches about how to play the game because of English. Also, I was like, man, my feet are light. And then I put on the cleats; they're so heavy on my feet. So, I told my dad, I was like, "Hey, dad, is there a way I can take off these cleats and just play barefoot?"
Michael eventually came to terms with soccer, American style, and became a key player on the team at Grace Christian Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. In fact, he started a Jones soccer dynasty, as the rest of his siblings followed suit to become star players at the school, which recently won a state championship.
"Whenever one of our siblings have games, we are always there cheering them on and just bonding together as a family," says Michael. "Because these are times you have to cherish."
Michael is now in college, getting his master's degree while still playing and coaching. His siblings have also continued with soccer, notably his brothers Malachi and Levi, who've just joined the soccer program at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Meanwhile, back at home, it's business as usual for Hayley and Mike. Since they adopted the siblings from Africa, they've had another child of their own, increasing the size of their family to 13!
"It's a beautiful mess," says Hayley. "It's full of sacrifice, but at the same time, it's full of blessings."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eight African siblings live the American dream after being adopted
