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Last Thursday was a very special day for 11-year-old Ivan and 12-year-old Jesus as they were officially adopted into the Sanchez family. 

Marcos and Veronica Sanchez from Mercedes, Texas, came to Buckner because they knew they wanted to grow their family. They decided to pursue adoption through the Waiting Texas Children program, but they waited six months before being matched with Jesus and Ivan. When they met the boys, it was obvious why they'd waited so long - they were waiting for Jesus and Ivan. 

"It was a long wait that involved a lot of tears and prayer," shares Buckner case worker Marienma Valencia.

The four met last year at a picnic held by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (TDFPS), and they quickly hit it off. After several fun visits, including one to a local bowling alley, the boys were placed into Marcos and Veronica's home in September. 

While the wait for their boys wasn't easy, the Sanchez family are now grateful for it. Because not only did it bring them Jesus and Ivan, it also opened their hearts to foster care.

"During the wait time, we asked the Sanchez family if they could provide respite care for a 2-year-old for a few days," Marienma says. They'd originally chosen to forgo foster care because "their biggest fear was saying goodbye to a child they loved whose parental rights were not terminated."

They agreed to provide respite care for the child, and a few weeks later, they called Buckner to request a change to their license. They wanted to become a foster-to-adopt family, too.

"It was a Wednesday in June when they put all their fears [about saying goodbye to child] into God's hands and opened their hearts to a foster child," shares Marienma. "And then that same week, they received a call that they were officially selected to be Jesus' and Ivan's parents."

The Sanchezes are now a happy family of five, with hopes of adopting their two-year-old foster child soon.

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