SILVER LAKE - In Gary and Debbie Smalley's living room on top of the television set sits a little wooden star that reads, "Miracles happen to those who believe."

After about 11 months of a rigorous and often difficult adoption process, the Smalleys adopted Milagro de Maria. Her name means "Miracle of Mary." She arrived at their Silver Lake home Aug. 22.

The Smalleys first learned of Milagro when Gary and Debbie's oldest daughter, Brooke, 17, returned from a missionary trip to Panama in July 1997. Brooke told her parents that she saw her "sister" in Panama.

Gary and Debbie went to the orphanage in Panama a month later. They did not go on Brooke's suggestion alone. Gary had a dream of Milagro about a week before Brooke arrived home from Panama, Debbie said.

Once Gary saw Milagro at the orphanage, he knew she was the one in his dream. Her scars weren't so bad in his dream as they were in person, but Gary knew Milagro was the one.

Milagro had been in the Panama orphanage for five months when the Smalleys encountered her. She was scarred from having been in a fire. She was an abandoned child. There is no other background information on Milagro.

Initially, the Smalleys weren't sure why they were going to Panama.

"We went to see if this was a test of faith or if we were supposed to adopt her," Debbie said.

"We didn't even tell our parents at first," Gary said.

The Smalleys were able to find the orphanage and Milagro because of the Panamanian contacts that Brooke made while on her missionary trip.

At the time, Gary was also facing the fact that he was about to be laid off from Zimmer. But the Smalleys knew they were supposed to adopt Milagro and, apparently, so did everyone around them.

"Everything just fell into place," Debbie said.

She said money arrived in the mailbox. They met people who were willing to help them. Everything was going fine. While laid off from Zimmer, Hand Industries Inc. hired Gary. Hand Industries was very supportive to the Smalleys in giving Gary time off for trips and other adoption-related needs, Debbie said.

The Smalleys adopted Milagro June 24 in Panama.

And then the difficulties began.

The Smalleys took their new daughter to the hotel and then to get her visa and passport the next day. Panama only gives out 40 passports per day. The Smalleys arrived at the Panamanian offices at 5:20 a.m. and received the passport at 12:35 p.m. It seemed to be going smoothly on Panama's side, but it was the American government that caused the trouble, the Smalleys said.

"The American government wouldn't give us a visa for her," Debbie said.

The ironic thing was that if the Smalleys had not adopted her, they could have brought her to the United States on a visitor's visa. But if they hadn't adopted her, Panama wouldn't have let the Smalleys take her out of the country.

"Panama would not have let her leave because there's no treaty between Panama and the U.S.," Debbie said.

The Smalleys returned to the United States July 3 to work out the problems. They had to leave Milagro in Panama.

"We had to hire the orphanage to take care of her," Debbie said.

Upon returning to the United States, the Smalleys discovered the local immigration officer would not file the visa paperwork for her because he did not consider her an orphan, since the Smalleys had adopted her in Panama.

"He was very stubborn. He said he wouldn't hurt our case but he wouldn't help us either."

The Panama government and the nuns at the orphanage pleaded the Smalley's case, Debbie said, but the immigration official wouldn't budge.

Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar and Suzanne Brouilette, a state employee, helped turn their case around.

"Things would not have moved. They were extra helpful," Debbie said. She said that local officials who were also very helpful included Mark Townsend and Jean Northener.

The Smalleys also hired an attorney, though Debbie said they should never have had to.

"She was very good," Debbie said.

The U.S. government offered the Smalley two choices. They could disavow the adoption, and risk giving up the rights to their daughter. Or the family could move to Panama for two years to prove they weren't kidnappers.

They did neither one. Eventually, after Debbie wrote letters to the local immigration officer's supervisors, he gave in. The Smalleys underwent intense home study again, and FBI records and fingerprints were made of them.

"It was very expensive on this end," Debbie said.

"She's worth it. All the heartache, she's worth it," Debbie said.

The Smalleys spent about four and a half weeks over 11 months, on three different trips, to adopt Milagro. And, finally, after all this and after other heartaches along the way, Milagro Maria Ann Smalley arrived. She joins sister Brooke, brother Dane, 15, and sister Brandi, 13.

"We had a huge homecoming," Debbie said.

Gary was also called back to work at Zimmer Aug. 24.

As for going through it again, Gary said, "I didn't plan to do it the first time."

Debbie said, "God would have to make it as clear (as it was the first time). You couldn't do it without the intervention of God." [[In-content Ad]]