WE ARE ADOPTING!
We are so excited to announce that we feel led by God to adopt a child!
Many of you know and have shared in our infertility struggle. When our miscarriage happened last year, I really struggled with why it happened. Now, with adoption so heavy on my heart, I realize that had we not lost our child, we may never have opened our hearts to the possibility of adoption. God has really worked in our lives and opened doors for us that we never expected, like the ability for me to work from home... He has been so good and so faithful to us.
We are so excited to embark on this journey of faith and new adventure as a couple and we so desire to have you join us!
A few quick notes about our adoption and where we are at in the process:
1. We plan to work with a Christian consultation company out of Georgia who will help connect us with a placement agency. We are currently submitting our application to them along with a letter from our pastor.
2. We will be adopting domestically (within the US) and would like to adopt a newborn.
3. Our total adoption costs may range anywhere from $30,000 -$50,000. Each situation is different and we won't have a full understanding of all the costs associated until a match is made. We do plan to do some fundraisers, apply for grants and perhaps look into a loan, if necessary. We wholeheartedly know God has brought us to this decision and He has a plan to carry us through!
4. We do plan to consider an open adoption - meaning we would like to meet and know the birth parents prior to our child's birth. In addition, after our child is born, we may consider contact through our agency with the birth parents. We feel that God will lead and protect in this. He knows best and will hopefully use us to be a testimony to anyone who may not already know Him.
5. We do not yet know our overall timeframe. We are hoping for a placement within a year, but it could take longer.
What you can do for us right now:
1. Pray! We would love for you to become prayer warriors for us and with us. This is such a big step of faith and it does not come without excitement and some nervousness! We ask that you pray for wisdom, guidance, funding and peace. We would also like for you to pray with us for our baby's birth parent's health and salvation and that of our new child! I will update regularly with more defined prayer requests.
2. Support us! We would love to hear from you. Send us messages, fill our inbox and comment queues. We value your encouragement and love hearing your own success stories if you've adopted! Our family has known about our decision for some time and they are excited for us also. Feel free to reach out to them and encourage them as well!
3. Donate. We do have some upfront costs we are working hard toward. That includes our consultation company's $3,500 fee and a home study fee. We are doing our best to scrimp and save, picking up extra work and working overtime but we still need your help. Please prayerfully consider any gift, none is too small. Remember, you are helping to save the life of a child who may not have been wanted or one that a mother simply couldn't care for.
Check back here for regular updates. We want to be as transparent as possible about this journey and hope to educate and encourage you. In addition, we pray that God will use us to be a testimony of His love for the children of this world.
Matthew 18:5