Ep 27: Love Without Borders: Patty Shropshire on Adoption, Faith & Building a Multicultural Family

Send us Fan MailWhat does it look like to open your heart and your home to children from across the world? In this deeply moving episode of Bench to Bold, Alisa and Marnie sit down with Patty Shropshire, a teacher-turned-realtor, adoptive mother of two, and one of the most quietly bold women we've ever had on the show.Patty's adoption story is actually two stories and they couldn't be more different. First, the miraculous journey that brought five-month-old Kaya home from Korea, complete with a divine sign from the neighbors next door. Then, the unexpected path to adopting 14-year-old Josh from Ethiopia a trip that started as a missions visit and ended with a family.In this episode, we cover:• How Patty felt called to adopt long before she was married — and how that calling eventually became reality• The Korean neighbors who appeared in her front yard on the exact day the agency called — and why their names changed everything• What it's really like to adopt a 14-year-old with trauma — and the two years of counseling that helped Patty become the parent Josh needed• The beauty and challenge of raising a multicultural, multiracial family• Identity, abandonment, and the emotional layers adopted children carry — and how to meet them with love• Seven trips to Ethiopia, reconnecting with Josh's birth family, and why Patty keeps going back• Patty's second bold act: leaving 30 years of teaching to become a top realtor with Ivester Jackson | Christie's International• What she'd say to anyone considering adoption: just do it — but go in with open eyesWhether you've thought about adoption, are in the middle of a bold reinvention of your own, or just need to be reminded that love is bigger than borders — this episode is for you.Connect with Patty:• Instagram: @pattyshropshirerealty• Facebook: @shropshirerealty• Brokerage: Ivester Jackson | Christie's International Real Estate🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Bench to Bold on Apple Podcasts, leave us a review, and share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it.