Alisha Rusher described the recent adoption of her daughter, Tsehay, as one of the “most exhilarating and most difficult experiences” of her life.

Rusher and her husband, Brian, are part of a mission team in Vienna, Austria, supported by Churches of Christ in the U.S. They plan to return to the States this year with their new daughter.

“Brian and I knew that we wanted to grow our family though adoption long before we were ready to start a family,” Alisha Rusher said. “When we began thinking about starting a family, we researched our options and decided that international adoption was the best fit.”