It has been a long time since I posted an update and for that I am sorry. Life has been hectic and at times it was difficult to find the words to write. The past months have brought job changes, heartache, and surprises. It was a job change for Aaron that brings us to this update.
In January of this year, Aaron was made a full-time minister at our church. For the first time since answering the call to ministry almost a decade ago, Aaron only has one job and it is in a church. This ministry position has been such a blessing to our family. This position is something we have prayed for and God's timing in answering our prayers is always perfect. And this time, God's timing brought a realization in the most unexpected situation.
Aaron's new position means we will no longer be doing our own taxes because of the nuances that come with a full time pastoral position and also to be above board with our finances. Recently we met with the couple who would be taking over our taxes moving forward. Eventually the conversation turned to our desire to adopt and while discussing tax credits and such, Aaron started looking at the bank account. He looked at me and said, "I think we have enough money to do the home study." It took me a few moments to fully grasp what he was saying and then my eyes filled with tears. I asked him multiple times if he was serious and he assured me that he was. I just couldn't believe that we were finally in the position to take our first real step towards adoption.
I honestly thought that it would take a donor stepping in to make a large contribution before our dream of adoption could begin. I never, in a million years, thought that the bulk of the money for this step would come from us. But through God's providence, the timing of paychecks came at a time that after bills were paid there was enough left over to almost fully fund our first goal. Reaching this new stage has also brought a change to our plans.
When we first started this process, our goal was to be in a position to be able to say "yes" to adoption should the situation present itself. Then, once we realized we had the money to fund our home study, it became clear that our desire was more than just being able to say yes, but to actively seek out our child. We decided that we wanted to pursue an agency that would help match us up with a child, not just provide a home study. So we started researching and reaching out to different agencies.
In the back of my mind I assumed that we would pursue a domestic adoption. In my head, I envisioned we would complete our home study and then almost immediately receive a call that a child somewhere near by was suddenly in need of a home, and BAM we would be parents again. However, as we reached out to agencies and expressed our desire to adopt a child with special needs, we began to feel a pull in a different direction. The agencies we spoke to about domestic adoption were set up to match us with a birth mother to bring home an infant, and we just didn't feel peace that this was going to be the right path for us.
Then I saw a post about a little girl in Asia with Downs Syndrome who is waiting for her forever family. I went to the website and saw countless other precious children with Downs Syndrome all over the world who were waiting to be adopted, many of them who had been abandoned because of their special needs. Aaron and I talked and realized that given our desire to adopt a child with special needs, specifically a child with Downs Syndrome, the path for us may actually be international adoption.
This lead me to reach out to one of the agencies that we had been emailing with about domestic adoption and ask them about international adoption. The difference in responses was unbelievable. When our interest was in domestic adoption, we were given lots of information and told that most birth mothers wanted adoptive parents who didn't already have children. The response was little discouraging to be honest. But when we expressed a desire to adopt internationally and that we wanted to adopt a child with Downs Syndrome, I could feel the enthusiasm through the email I got in response. I have already had questions answered and I can feel their desire to help us on this journey. It feels like we are finally on the right path.
So what happens next?
We are filling out the application for adoption services!!! We hope to have the application filled out and returned in the next few days. Once the application has been submitted, we will hopefully begin the home study process shortly thereafter. We also have to get passports so we can make the necessary trips to birth country of our future child. We will be reaching out to an organization called Reece's Rainbow that advocates for orphans with Downs Syndrome and other special needs around the world to inquire about some of the waiting children and how we can pursue adopting one of them. After the home study is complete, we will be applying for grants and other assistance, along with fundraising, to cover the costs associated with international adoption.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us get to this stage. Pray for us as we proceed - specifically for the child who God intends for us, that he or she will be protected and cared for until the time he or she can join our family. Pray for us to have patience and realistic expectations. Pray for the financial aspect of this next stage to be met. Pray for a smooth process and safe travel when the time comes.
God is so good. We are excited. We are hopeful. We are ready!
In January of this year, Aaron was made a full-time minister at our church. For the first time since answering the call to ministry almost a decade ago, Aaron only has one job and it is in a church. This ministry position has been such a blessing to our family. This position is something we have prayed for and God's timing in answering our prayers is always perfect. And this time, God's timing brought a realization in the most unexpected situation.
Aaron's new position means we will no longer be doing our own taxes because of the nuances that come with a full time pastoral position and also to be above board with our finances. Recently we met with the couple who would be taking over our taxes moving forward. Eventually the conversation turned to our desire to adopt and while discussing tax credits and such, Aaron started looking at the bank account. He looked at me and said, "I think we have enough money to do the home study." It took me a few moments to fully grasp what he was saying and then my eyes filled with tears. I asked him multiple times if he was serious and he assured me that he was. I just couldn't believe that we were finally in the position to take our first real step towards adoption.
I honestly thought that it would take a donor stepping in to make a large contribution before our dream of adoption could begin. I never, in a million years, thought that the bulk of the money for this step would come from us. But through God's providence, the timing of paychecks came at a time that after bills were paid there was enough left over to almost fully fund our first goal. Reaching this new stage has also brought a change to our plans.
When we first started this process, our goal was to be in a position to be able to say "yes" to adoption should the situation present itself. Then, once we realized we had the money to fund our home study, it became clear that our desire was more than just being able to say yes, but to actively seek out our child. We decided that we wanted to pursue an agency that would help match us up with a child, not just provide a home study. So we started researching and reaching out to different agencies.
In the back of my mind I assumed that we would pursue a domestic adoption. In my head, I envisioned we would complete our home study and then almost immediately receive a call that a child somewhere near by was suddenly in need of a home, and BAM we would be parents again. However, as we reached out to agencies and expressed our desire to adopt a child with special needs, we began to feel a pull in a different direction. The agencies we spoke to about domestic adoption were set up to match us with a birth mother to bring home an infant, and we just didn't feel peace that this was going to be the right path for us.
Then I saw a post about a little girl in Asia with Downs Syndrome who is waiting for her forever family. I went to the website and saw countless other precious children with Downs Syndrome all over the world who were waiting to be adopted, many of them who had been abandoned because of their special needs. Aaron and I talked and realized that given our desire to adopt a child with special needs, specifically a child with Downs Syndrome, the path for us may actually be international adoption.
This lead me to reach out to one of the agencies that we had been emailing with about domestic adoption and ask them about international adoption. The difference in responses was unbelievable. When our interest was in domestic adoption, we were given lots of information and told that most birth mothers wanted adoptive parents who didn't already have children. The response was little discouraging to be honest. But when we expressed a desire to adopt internationally and that we wanted to adopt a child with Downs Syndrome, I could feel the enthusiasm through the email I got in response. I have already had questions answered and I can feel their desire to help us on this journey. It feels like we are finally on the right path.
So what happens next?
We are filling out the application for adoption services!!! We hope to have the application filled out and returned in the next few days. Once the application has been submitted, we will hopefully begin the home study process shortly thereafter. We also have to get passports so we can make the necessary trips to birth country of our future child. We will be reaching out to an organization called Reece's Rainbow that advocates for orphans with Downs Syndrome and other special needs around the world to inquire about some of the waiting children and how we can pursue adopting one of them. After the home study is complete, we will be applying for grants and other assistance, along with fundraising, to cover the costs associated with international adoption.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us get to this stage. Pray for us as we proceed - specifically for the child who God intends for us, that he or she will be protected and cared for until the time he or she can join our family. Pray for us to have patience and realistic expectations. Pray for the financial aspect of this next stage to be met. Pray for a smooth process and safe travel when the time comes.
God is so good. We are excited. We are hopeful. We are ready!
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