Meriam-Webster defines adoption as taking the child of other parents legally as your own. While that may be the legal, literal definition, we see it as bringing one of God's children into our family.
Adoption isn't a foreign idea for us. It's a way of life. Ann is adopted, as is her younger brother, Adam, and two cousins. Shaun has an adopted younger brother. We see first hand that genetics isn't the only thing that makes a family. All adoption stories are different. Ann was adopted domestically through a private adoption. Adam from South Korea. Shaun's brother was adopted out of the foster care system. Each road has it's pros and cons, but each so worth it.
After prayerful consideration, we have decided to follow the road to adopt a domestic infant. Our first instinct was to adopt internationally. We know that the need overseas is great and there are millions of orphans needing a home. One day, we may return to this road. We attended an informational meeting at our adoption agency fully intending to join the international program. After the opening remarks, the group was split into domestic and international sessions. Shaun stood to go to the international information session and looked back at me. When I say it's a "God thing," that's just what I mean. I felt like I was being told to stay and listen to the domestic adoption information. It wasn't our plan, but I sent Shaun to the international meeting and stayed to listen to the domestic information. Doris, the head of the agency began by telling us their goal. "We aren't here to find you children. We are here to find parents for the children God has entrusted us with." That stuck with me. Who was I to tell God what child we wanted or where this child would be from. If God has called us to adopt, he will lead us down the road he chooses. So, there I sat. Listening to the information about domestic adoption. Something I was too afraid to even consider before. Hearing terms like "open adoption," "closed adoption," "birth mother's rights," "legal risk adoption." My stomach was in knots. I'd seen too many horror stories about a birth parent taking the child back, away from the adoptive parents. I knew that international adoption didn't carry those risks. I was letting my fear dictate what I thought I wanted, instead of letting God lead me. The deciding factor that night was when Doris told us that they had two infants that were going to have to go to foster homes because they didn't have anyone to adopt them yet because they weren't white. I was amazed. Who cares if they aren't white? They are God's children in need of a family. We were then told how North Carolina ranks fifth in the nation for adoptions and the need for adoptive families for minority children is growing daily. I thought of my family. Adam is Asian, Shaun's brother, Nickalas, is black. That doesn't make them less of a sibling. That was the moment I closed my eyes and asked God to direct us. For the first time since the meeting began, I had a peace about it. I knew that we had to put our complete faith in God to lead us through this process.
It's not an easy or inexpensive process. We are currently saving to be able to pay for the homestudy. Once the homestudy is competed, we will be able to apply for grants and adoption loans. We are also working on some fundraisers which I will detail more in a later post. I have began selling Jamberry nail wraps as a way to add to our adoption fund, and we are putting together a team for the Chosen Marathon in October.
Please pray for us! Pray that we follow God's will in every step of our journey. Pray that we can raise the money to pay for the homestudy. Pray that once that is completed, we can raise the money for the remainder of the adoption fees.
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