Chris Johnstone and Heather Miller met when they were teachers in the Peace Corps in Lesotho, a small nation near the southern tip of Africa, in the mid-1990s. After marrying, they returned and decided to adopt. They knew that the AIDS epidemic created a generation of orphans needing homes. They visited an orphanage in Maseru, the capital.



Chris Johnstone and Heather Miller met when they were teachers in the Peace Corps in Lesotho, a small nation near the southern tip of Africa, in the mid-1990s. After marrying, they returned and decided to adopt. They knew that the AIDS epidemic created a generation of orphans needing homes. They visited an orphanage in Maseru, the capital.

Once orphans, now family

Adopted from around the world, children gather with their new parents to celebrate a Minnesota Christmas.

BY JIM RAGSDALE

Pioneer Press

[Excerpt]

Chris Johnstone and Heather Miller do not have to look far to find the meaning of the holiday season.

She sits in front of them, in a scarlet jumper with images of gingerbread men and Christmas trees, her hair tied in ponytails.

Acacia Limpho Johnstone, born a year ago today in the African nation of Lesotho, abandoned in a wrecked car and consigned to an orphanage, now lights up Christmas at the Johnstone-Miller home in Minneapolis.

"I don't know how to put it into words,'' Miller said on Saturday, sitting on a carpeted floor in downtown St. Paul with her daughter at a gathering of families with complicated, around-the-globe adoptions.

"She's brought so much to our life,'' Johnstone said. "She's the best thing that ever happened to us.''

The couple met when they were teachers in the Peace Corps in Lesotho, a small nation near the southern tip of Africa, in the mid-1990s. After marrying, they returned and decided to adopt. They knew that the AIDS epidemic created a generation of orphans needing homes. They visited an orphanage in Maseru, the capital.

"She got put in my lap,'' Miller recalled. "I don't know what happened. … I said, 'Chris, that's my daughter.' " The name given her in the orphanage was "Limpho,'' meaning "gifts.'' They chose "Acacia,'' a flowering tree common in Lesotho.

They began the adoption process in February. But before they could bring their flowering gift home, there were complications. "The FBI lost our fingerprints,'' Johnstone said. No prints, no entrance back into the United States.

Enter the office of U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman.

Fast work by Jayne Jones, senior case worker on the Minnesota Republican's staff, led to the right guy at the FBI, who had the parents make a new set of prints and send them to him by e-mail. The new family arrived home in May.

When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Changing of the Guard With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.

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December 18, 2004: This Week's Top Stories RPCV remembers Deborah Gardner's murder in Tonga 17 Dec Maoist insurgents in Nepal release Swiss aid worker 17 Dec RPCV Alison Williams exhibits portraits of Malian people 16 Dec Former Brazil Medical Director convicted of drug charges 16 Dec RPCV Joseph Opala researched slave trade in RI 15 Dec Vasquez sees resurgent interest in PC 14 Dec Senator who wanted duel with RPCV joins Fox 14 Dec NPCA planning National Day of Action for PC funding 13 Dec RPCV "Harry" Chandler votes in Electoral College 13 Dec Critic says Moyers delivered neo-Marxist propaganda 13 Dec Micronesia RPCV Walter Cavanagh has 1,496 credit cards 13 Dec PC "Survivor" Julie Berry headed for California 11 Dec more top stories...

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Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes Take our new poll. NPCA members begin voting this week on bylaw changes to streamline NPCA's Board of Directors. NPCA Chair Ken Hill, the President's Forum and other RPCVs endorse the changes. Mail in your ballot or vote online (after Dec 1), then see on how RPCVs are voting.

Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here.

Your vote makes a difference Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.

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