I have recently met a very special friend via Pinterest and I was delighted to answer a few questions she had for me. I wanted to share this Q & A session with you because I hope it helps my fellow sisters know more about the gift of adoption and more about our story.
Q: How did you and your husband decide that adoption was for you? How did you decide that would be the path to start your family and not another?
A: We asked God to help us decide if we needed to go to more extensive measures of conceiving. The more I looked into the options the more uneasy I felt about putting my body through different treatments and spending more money visiting doctors and clinics. Honestly, I just felt emotionally spent. I didn’t feel like I had enough energy in me to go through fertility treatments. We knew that we wanted a baby. We knew that having a biological baby would be costly from doctor visits and fertility treatments. We prayed and we came up with 2 solutions: 1) We could pour our time, energy, and finances into fertility treatments that could be unsuccessful or 2) We could take those same resources and pour them into rescuing a child from a desperate situation (this option would without a doubt result in us being parents). All of this led us to researching adoption and foster care more extensively. I quickly decided that foster care would not be something that I would be able to do. I believe that it would absolutely rip my heart out every time we would have to give a child back to their parents or the foster care system. Foster care parents are truly gifted by God to fulfill this call on their lives. I just knew that it wouldn’t be something I could handle! We decided that adoption would be the way we would grow our family. We looked at agencies, countries, domestic or international, cost, etc.
We saw that adoption cost SO much money! Honestly, it sort of made me depressed because I began to wonder if I would ever be a mommy! We just began to pray about the cost b/c there were some points where we also decided that adoption was too much for us. The beautiful thing that we began to see was that it was costly for us to become part of the family of God. It cost God His son, Jesus. There was a price that needed to be paid to rescue us and unite us with our Father. Jesus paid that price and we are able to have full fellowship with our Father and we are His children. After much research we found that there are many many ways to fundraise, receive donations, and apply for adoption grants and interest free loans.
We found that God was glorified in every aspect of adoption. We have confidence that if we are following Christ with all of our hearts then He would lead and guide our paths (Prov. 3:5-6). In light of all of these things we found in scripture, we decided we would adopt a child no matter what the cost. This process has been so absolutely beautiful and faith building and my heart is full of joy and peace! Now that we are on the other side of the paperwork and we are waiting to see our child’s face I know that I wouldn’t trade in this experience for anything! So far, God has provided all the money we need for this stage in our adoption journey and he continues to bless us every week! Just last week my husband found a $600 anonymous donation on his desk at work. Every time we get another donation I am reminded of God’s absolute provision and love for not only us but for the child he has chosen to be in our family! We have applied for 3 grants so we will see what happens in the coming months! :)
Q: Which agency did you guys go with? Do you have any suggestions in that aspect?
A: We chose to work with an agency called Children of All Nations based out of Austin, TX. Children of All Nations is a branch of Great Wall China adoption agency. Great Wall has been the leading adoption agency in the US for China adoption. Children of All nations does adoptions for several different countries and we have found them to be EXTREMELY helpful and very knowledgeable about every step of the process. They are also always available to help us when we hit a snag in paperwork!
Q: I have a few friends who have struggled with infertility....some that got pregnant, some who are still in treatments, but none that have chosen to adopt a child. Do you have any suggestions for us?
A: I know the heartache that comes with infertility and my heart aches for the women out there that have felt the loss of a child and the pain that goes with unmet desires. I pray that each of you would experience the love and peace that I have experienced by falling into my Heavenly Father’s arms broken and tired. He has mended me. He has comforted me. And most of all He has loved me through all the hurt and pain and I am coming out of this trial a stronger woman of God. My suggestions: pray, pray, and pray, read scripture and memorize verses that dispel lies from your mind, be an active part of a church family, have Godly women in your life that would be willing to cry with you and pray for you, have open communication with your husband about adoption or about what you feel God is calling you to do to grow your family. Here are some resources of books and a sermon that helped us in our decision: http://www.foreverbygrace.blogspot.com/2012/01/adoption-resources.html.
Ladies, please know that you are loved by your Heavenly Father and that He desires to give you good gifts (Matt 7:11). Jeremiah 33:3 says that He will answer us if we call on Him and He will show us great and mighty things! Matthew 7: 7 says that if we seek then we shall find! And if we knock then it shall be opened for us! Romans 8:28 says that God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God to those who are called according to His purpose! May God's blessings flow through your heart today! Be encouraged! :)
A: We asked God to help us decide if we needed to go to more extensive measures of conceiving. The more I looked into the options the more uneasy I felt about putting my body through different treatments and spending more money visiting doctors and clinics. Honestly, I just felt emotionally spent. I didn’t feel like I had enough energy in me to go through fertility treatments. We knew that we wanted a baby. We knew that having a biological baby would be costly from doctor visits and fertility treatments. We prayed and we came up with 2 solutions: 1) We could pour our time, energy, and finances into fertility treatments that could be unsuccessful or 2) We could take those same resources and pour them into rescuing a child from a desperate situation (this option would without a doubt result in us being parents). All of this led us to researching adoption and foster care more extensively. I quickly decided that foster care would not be something that I would be able to do. I believe that it would absolutely rip my heart out every time we would have to give a child back to their parents or the foster care system. Foster care parents are truly gifted by God to fulfill this call on their lives. I just knew that it wouldn’t be something I could handle! We decided that adoption would be the way we would grow our family. We looked at agencies, countries, domestic or international, cost, etc.
We saw that adoption cost SO much money! Honestly, it sort of made me depressed because I began to wonder if I would ever be a mommy! We just began to pray about the cost b/c there were some points where we also decided that adoption was too much for us. The beautiful thing that we began to see was that it was costly for us to become part of the family of God. It cost God His son, Jesus. There was a price that needed to be paid to rescue us and unite us with our Father. Jesus paid that price and we are able to have full fellowship with our Father and we are His children. After much research we found that there are many many ways to fundraise, receive donations, and apply for adoption grants and interest free loans.
We found that God was glorified in every aspect of adoption. We have confidence that if we are following Christ with all of our hearts then He would lead and guide our paths (Prov. 3:5-6). In light of all of these things we found in scripture, we decided we would adopt a child no matter what the cost. This process has been so absolutely beautiful and faith building and my heart is full of joy and peace! Now that we are on the other side of the paperwork and we are waiting to see our child’s face I know that I wouldn’t trade in this experience for anything! So far, God has provided all the money we need for this stage in our adoption journey and he continues to bless us every week! Just last week my husband found a $600 anonymous donation on his desk at work. Every time we get another donation I am reminded of God’s absolute provision and love for not only us but for the child he has chosen to be in our family! We have applied for 3 grants so we will see what happens in the coming months! :)
Q: Which agency did you guys go with? Do you have any suggestions in that aspect?
A: We chose to work with an agency called Children of All Nations based out of Austin, TX. Children of All Nations is a branch of Great Wall China adoption agency. Great Wall has been the leading adoption agency in the US for China adoption. Children of All nations does adoptions for several different countries and we have found them to be EXTREMELY helpful and very knowledgeable about every step of the process. They are also always available to help us when we hit a snag in paperwork!
Q: I have a few friends who have struggled with infertility....some that got pregnant, some who are still in treatments, but none that have chosen to adopt a child. Do you have any suggestions for us?
A: I know the heartache that comes with infertility and my heart aches for the women out there that have felt the loss of a child and the pain that goes with unmet desires. I pray that each of you would experience the love and peace that I have experienced by falling into my Heavenly Father’s arms broken and tired. He has mended me. He has comforted me. And most of all He has loved me through all the hurt and pain and I am coming out of this trial a stronger woman of God. My suggestions: pray, pray, and pray, read scripture and memorize verses that dispel lies from your mind, be an active part of a church family, have Godly women in your life that would be willing to cry with you and pray for you, have open communication with your husband about adoption or about what you feel God is calling you to do to grow your family. Here are some resources of books and a sermon that helped us in our decision: http://www.foreverbygrace.blogspot.com/2012/01/adoption-resources.html.
Ladies, please know that you are loved by your Heavenly Father and that He desires to give you good gifts (Matt 7:11). Jeremiah 33:3 says that He will answer us if we call on Him and He will show us great and mighty things! Matthew 7: 7 says that if we seek then we shall find! And if we knock then it shall be opened for us! Romans 8:28 says that God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God to those who are called according to His purpose! May God's blessings flow through your heart today! Be encouraged! :)
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Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions! :) You've brought so much hope to me the last few days!! :) I can't wait to see what's next for you and your family! :) Your baby is going to be so lucky to be joining your family! Thanks for everything- please keep in touch! :) I hope this touches someone else and helps them as it as helped me!! :)
ReplyDeleteDanielle