Sunday, December 4, 2016
Our Adoption Journey, Step 3: Parent Training
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Our Adoption Journey, Step 2: Orientation & Homestudy
For the most part, the paperwork isn't hard. It's just complicated and a little stressful. Notaries. Background checks. Fingerprints. Financial information. Employment information. Photographs. Birth Certificates. Marriage Certificate. Physicals. If we make a mistake? We have to do it over again. Which costs money. And time. I know that in the end, it will be ALL worth it. Not just because we will be adopting a beautiful, amazing blessing from God. But, because we are learning so much on this journey. Learning to depend on Christ for all our needs. Learning about ourselves and each other. Slowly, carefully, lovingly being molded and shaped into the vessels that God wants us to be.
What's next? We expect this process to take us through the next 4 months. At that time, our paperwork will *hopefully* be complete and shipped to China, where it will be reviewed for the approval of our adoption. Until then, we pray, trust and work.
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Our Adoption Journey: Fundraising
Please think about supporting our adoption and being a part of our exciting journey! If you are interested in contributing a donation, please click HERE to visit our Pure Charity adoption page. Donations should be tax-deductible. Visit Pure Charity's website at: www.purecharity.com for more information.
Monday, September 26, 2016
Our Adoption Journey, Step 1: Application Approved!
But really, it WAS exciting. It is the first time that we have had a "yes" in this whole messy process. It hit me the next day. In this whole mess with infertility, we have spent most of it looking at the broken pieces of the journey, wondering if we would ever have a family. We never had a "yes". Until now. So we celebrated! And ate takeout food. And took cutesy pictures of rocking chairs. And grinned like idiots until our cheeks were sore. And cried the happiest of tears. I know that this will be a rocky journey, with lots of ups and downs, but it is one that I am excited to take!
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Our Adoption Journey: The Beginnings (a post by Leah)
I don't know exactly when God first nudged my heart towards adoption. I just remember thinking that it was something I wanted to do. As we struggled through infertility, we continued to feel that nudging. Stronger and stronger. We watched friends adopt. We read books. We prayed. A lot. In August, after prayer, paying off some debts and research, we started our exciting journey.
Why China? Lots of reasons. We never had the experience of being drawn to adopting from a specific country. We wanted an agency we felt like we could trust. Other friends spoke highly of their agency. We did our research. Our agency has been everything we wanted. Responsive. Ethical. Knowledgeable. Passionate. Kind.
Who? We will be adopting a little boy or girl from China. We don't know anything about her or, more likely, him. Contrary to popular belief there are a lot of boys that are waiting to be adopted in China.
When? We're truly just getting started. There is 6 months of paperwork, called a dossier, to begin. After the paperwork, we wait to be matched with a child. This can take up to 18+ months. There are so many variables, it's impossible to say. Then, we wait 9-12 weeks to travel to China for 2 weeks and adopt our child.
How much? An amount that seems impossible today. But, I believe in a God that spoke, and the world was created. I know that, to Him, this is not the huge thing that it is for me. So, we are blindly trusting. We plan to fundraise, save like crazy, apply for part-time work, write grants and pray like crazy. More information about this in another post.
For those with a thousand more questions, keep them coming. I love talking about our adoption!!!
Sunday, May 1, 2016
It's OK to cry in church (a post by Leah)
After three years of depression, loss, loneliness and suffering, I have begun to allow myself to cry in church. I have had many weeks where I have cried out in hurt and loneliness as I sing about God's love. Some weeks, when I missed my Dad, or mourned for the family that I cannot have that I just cried. I didn't hear the sermons, or even sing the hymns. I just cried with my brothers and sisters in Christ. My Christian family. And I have had weeks of rejoicing. Sometimes, rejoicing in the midst of suffering. Rejoicing at how God has carried me through these tough times. Joy so deep that I can't hold back the tears. So I sing and weep. And let go of my pretenses, to just be me. A sinner, saved by grace.
If we can't cry in front of our brothers and sisters, who can we cry with? Church is not for the ones who have it together. Let's face it, none of us do. Church is for the broken. It's where we can come, as we are, to worship the God who knows our brokenness and still loves us.
So, Christians, let's not be afraid to cry. If you are hurting, cry out to the God who takes care of the suffering. Show your tears and let your family mourn with you. If you are rejoicing, cry out tears of joy for the God who gives unending grace to His children. The Father who never changes, never waivers, never stops loving and caring for His own. What a wonderful family we have in Christ.