By Byron Mason II
Even through a computer screen over Zoom, it’s easy to see that there is never a dull moment in the Peter household. Michael and Shannon Peter of Omaha, Nebraska are sitting at a table in their living room. On either side of them are their adoptive daughters, Yuri and Emily. Originally from Colombia, the sisters have found a new home with the Peters. As the family reflects on their early days together, they recall the surreal experience of the girls arriving in the United States for their Kidsave Summer Miracles stay.
“We had the phone call before,” Michael shares. “So, we met digitally, but it’s always different when you first meet.”
When Yuri and Emily stepped off the plane, the moment was filled with equal parts nerves and excitement. They arrived in a completely new country and had to adapt quickly. Meanwhile, Michael and Shannon, who were already parents to a two-year-old, Willa, and a four-year-old, Victor, were getting teenagers overnight.
From the beginning, the question lingered: how do we make this work?
Shannon remembers how quiet Yuri and Emily were at first. How hard they tried to be helpful and not take up space. Willa immediately started crying after strangers arrived at their home. Adjustments took time. The girls had to navigate the culture shock of a new landscape, a foreign language, even the mannerisms of the Midwest. Shannon recalled how Yuri and Emily had to get used to the directness of their soon-to-be adoptive parents.
“At first the girls were like, ‘Is she mad?’” Shannon explains. But eventually, they learned how their new parents communicate.
Then came the moment where everything felt real.
Shannon recalled an incident sparked by the family dog, who loved tomatoes and would eat them whenever she could. One day, the family was out in the yard and suddenly, Yuri came running over screaming in Spanish— “The dog is at the neighbor’s house eating their tomatoes!” Kids were yelling. Adults were scrambling. It was chaos. But Shannon remembered thinking these were the little moments she’d been longing for.
Another realization that Yuri and Emily were truly becoming part of the family came during a quieter afternoon. Shannon noticed how silent the house had become and went to investigate. In the back room, all the kids—Yuri, Emily, Willa, and Victor—were playing together peacefully.
“No one has yelled,” Shannon remembered thinking. “No one has needed me. Everyone is fitting really well.”
Michael recounted a time from Victor’s 5th birthday. It was the end of the hosting period for Yuri and Emily and Michael were tucking Victor into bed.
Suddenly, Victor looked up at him and said, “This is one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had.”
Yuri and Emily drew him pictures that they had taken careful and intentional time to design.
Seeing Victor glowing and the kids all working together signaled a shift in the family dynamic. At a different event, Yuri and Emily got into an argument. Shannon diffused the situation and helped them work it out. Later that night, Shannon told Michael, “I think I can do this.”
Michael went on to add, “We can do this.”
Lessons were learned. Some easy, some hard. The Peters are honest about the learning curve.
“There is no ideal,” Michael explains. “Being able to adapt. Being open and choosing adaptability has helped me a lot.”
Shannon reflected on how motherhood has changed her.
“I think I learned a lot as a mom to wait before I respond,” she says. “Adoption in general is a lot of ‘both-and.’ It’s like tragedy and joy, an end, and a beginning. Every holiday is a first holiday, but the end of what is familiar to Yuri and Emily. Everyone is always doing the best they can from where they are.”
From laughing over six-seven jokes to playing volleyball games and attending community gatherings together, connection has become universal in the Peter home.
“If it’s on your heart, take the risk,” Michael says of adopting older children. “There will be hardships, but you won’t be disappointed. You don’t recognize how much being in the lives of these adoptees will change you and change your entire outlook on life.”
To learn more or apply to host an older orphan from Colombia, visit our Summer Miracles page.
