Families look a lot different now than they did just 50 years ago. Interracial marriage is widely accepted, adoption and foster care means that children with bad home lives are given hope in a forever family, and it’s not uncommon for a family to be made up of parents and children of different ethnicities and skin types!
Aaron and Rachel Halbert are strong believers that the racial turmoil in our country—and predominantly where they are from in the south—should never mean sacrificing a child’s opportunity at having a family. After struggling for years to conceive, Rachel and Aaron turned to a different method of creating a family: adoption. They proudly welcomed a little boy and a little girl—both with darker skin—into their forever family.
“We knew, especially in the South, that a white couple with non-white children would draw a myriad of different reactions,” Aaron explains. “There will always be the older white woman in Walmart who stared at us with sheer disgust, or the African-American mother who looked at us and just shook her head.”
But love conquers all, and the couple loved everything about their little family. As missionaries serving in Honduras, the Christian couple was eager to bring more lives into their family. A short time later, they learned about embryo adoption. It’s where embryos that have been frozen in a Christian embryo bank for a number of years—in this case 15 years—are implanted in the mother, giving embryo babies a fair chance at life.
If Christians—or others—really believe life begins at conception, it follows that we should respond by being willing to support embryo adoption and even take part in it ourselves,” Aaron explains. Rachel and Aaron decided it would be great to be able to break the racial stigma and have their new babies “match” their siblings rather than their white parents.
They adopted two frozen African American embryos, and implanted them as directed. Inside the womb however, one of the embryos split, and six weeks later the couple learned they were pregnant with triplets! The triplets, three girls, were born in April. “It’s been heartening to see virtually all of our friends and family express overwhelming support for our family and the unusual ways we’ve built it,” Aaron says.
“In our minds, we’re just living out our fantasies.” A desire that, while not typical of the average family, we are grateful may come true in light of our country’s history.” “But oh, how thankful we are for God providing us with these lovely young ones He has placed in our care,” Aaron says of his and Rachel’s family, which was not what they had envisioned 12 years ago when they were dating and discussed adoption.
“I recall a buddy going through the adoption process telling me that he had always imagined his family looking like a little United Nations.” When I look at my growing family, I like to go a step farther, daring to dream that our family portrait is a small glimpse of Heaven.” The expression on this proud papa’s face as he cuddles their three children tells it all.
While the glances and criticism for their interracial family have been hard at times, the couple couldn’t be happier with their decision. Not only is it wonderful that Rachel was finally able to have a baby, but the Halbert family of seven is a living example of what God has called us to as brothers and sisters in Christ.
“We think that when you look into the eyes of any human, you are looking into the face of a God-bearer—into the eyes of a person whose soul is immortal,” Aaron adds. “While that is the common thread that connects all humanity, it does not diminish the significance of our ethnic differences.” We perceive the physical traits of the human family as amazing reminders of God’s creative ingenuity.”
Though they were aware that some would judge them for their contentious and somewhat culturally taboo decision, the couple knew it was the correct one for them. It’s not every day that a white mother gives birth to three black infants, but Rachel was willing to face the scrutiny with her supporting husband by her side.