Big News!

We are adopting!

When Mitch and I were dating, almost 10 years ago, we attended a church who shared about the need for believers in Christ to meet the needs of orphans and widows.  (James 1:27)  I am sure that I had heard this message before, but I can remember at that time, these words hanging very heavily on my heart. I shared my convictions with Mitch, and seeds were planted that have grown into the decision we are making today.  We know and understand that this calling to aid and care for orphans, will not look the same from person to person as to how you aid and surely there are many different ways to help and minister to these children and people. Yet deep down, I felt the calling to care for an orphan in the literal sense, and to one day adopt a child into my home.  I continued to pray that if this was the Lord's will, that he would unify Mitch and I, and place this same calling on his heart as well.  God was faithful over the years to cover our fears with faith and bring us to the same calling in beautiful ways that only He can.  He has continually and graciously reminded us of our own adoption as a son and daughter through faith in Christ (Romans 8:14-29, 1 John 3:2, Galatians 3:26-29, Titus 3:7, Ephesians 1:4-6, Ephesians 5:8, Ephesians 2:19).

After we were married and started to discuss when to try to have kids, we had said if we were unable to conceive we would take that as an encouragement to move forward with adoption.  By the grace of God, we have been blessed with two amazing, precious biological sons.  There are times now when I start to see glimpses into God's plan and how he used (and is still using) our early parenthood years for our necessary growth and humbling.  Mitch and I both have learned a lot in parenting our sons, Carter (almost 5) and Micah (almost 2).  Because of our weaknesses, I think we needed that time to learn more about the deep love the Father has for us, and to become better at sharing that love with our children, seeking to understand our vast responsibilities as parents. All of this, to prepare and equip us for, one day, loving a child who was not born from our flesh, but born in our hearts.  And furthermore, to extend grace and compassion to a courageous birth mother who will likely be in the most difficult and complex season of her life.  God continues to refine us and teach us things through parenthood, and I am sure he will be faithful to do so as our children grow.

After much prayer and research over the past few years, we have decided to adopt an infant domestically in the United States. While we know there is a need everywhere and share the desire for all orphan children to be in a loving family, we do feel led to specifically adopt a girl. We do not know what race our child will be or what her specific background will be, but we anticipate that she will be between 0-6 months of age. Please be in prayer for us, for our birth mother, and for the little one that we will, God willing, bring home one day.  We are thrilled to be finally beginning this journey and have felt the Lord's hand already at work as we seek to be obedient to His calling. We hope to give this child unconditional love, a supportive extended family, and a secure home to grow up in.

We plan to utilize some fundraising efforts in the future as our journey continues and will post updates as we can throughout this process.  We have enlisted the help of Christian Adoption Consultants (http://www.christianadoptionconsultants.com) to help guide and counsel us with wisdom and biblical encouragement in the world of adoption. CAC works with families and birth mothers in almost every state in the US and also works with special needs and international adoptions. At this point in the process, we have completed the paperwork requirements of a domestic home study, and have been officially approved to adopt! We are now applying to agencies, and waiting to be matched with a possible birth mother.

Please be in prayer for us, through all the ups and downs that we are sure to experience along the way.  Please pray for our birth mother, her difficult situation, and the precious child who we do not know yet. Please pray that we would all allow God to write this story in a beautiful way that only He can, for His glory and our good.  There will always be many reasons to be fearful of this path, but because of Christ's work in our lives, we feel confident that He has called us to represent the gospel this way.  He has already adopted us, welcomed us in, made us His own children, and we know He will be with all of us, every step of the way.  Thank you for taking the time to read this.  We are so grateful for you, as part of the community this child will grow up in, and we cannot wait to introduce you to our newest family member one day!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

If you would like to visit our fundraising page, please feel free to do so at https://adopttogether.org/families/?fundraiser=terry-family-adoption-3 where you can read more about our adoption and consider making a tax deductible donation.