After more than two years, Elizabeth has made her way home to Steve and Nikki Shamblin and the rest of the family.
The Shamblins have been hard at work since 2018 trying to adopt now 15-year-old Elizabeth from an orphanage in Colombia, South America.
Their hard work paid off in late August 2020 when they were finally able to travel to the country and complete the adoption.
Once there, the couple was required to quarantine for two weeks.
The adoption process took another four weeks before they were able to head back to the states.
Due to COVID-19 closures, which were also prominent in the country, hindered the process a bit, Steve Shamblin said, but ultimately, things were successful.
The Shamblin’s journey with Elizabeth began years prior when they hosted Elizabeth and her older sister Cindy in the Shamblin’s home through a program with their adoption agency, Nightlight Christian Adoptions.
After the girls returned to the orphanage, a response from the girls was received by the Shamblins weeks later in which Elizabeth expressed a desire to be adopted by the family.
On the other hand, Cindy desired to go to a family with no other children.
The Shamblins have five other children: Thomas, Emily, Sadie, Reed and Lydia, who was adopted from China years ago.
As for how Elizabeth is adjusting, Steve Shamblin said her 15th birthday, which was November 16, was a tough week for her as she wasn’t able to celebrate with friends, but overall, she is adjusting well at home and in school.
The Shamblins extended a special thanks to everyone in the community for the donations and support they received to make their and Elizabeth’s dreams come true.