***UPDATE 11-9-23 -- WE HAVE A MATCH!!!!! We've been matched with a five year old little girl!! We still have some big adoption expenses so we are so grateful for your support!***
Fourteen years ago, before Brock and I were dating, we went on a mission trip to Haiti. We were both moved by the beauty of the country, love for the people, and extreme poverty in Haiti. The song “Hosanna” by Hillsong United has a line in that says “break our hearts for what breaks yours”. That became our heart cry. We instantly knew in our hearts that God was calling us to adopt from Haiti someday. Fast forward a bit, Brock and I got married in 2011 and that calling was still something we knew God was calling us to someday. However, Haiti’s laws stated that a parent must be 30 and/or you must be married for ten years before you can begin the process. So, we started our family but that passion to adopt was constantly in the back of our minds and in our hearts.
In January of 2019, we were participating in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting at our local church. This is a period when we set aside time to intentionally seek God every day in prayer as we believe for Him to move in powerful ways. Brock was 29 at the time, but we felt so strongly that God was calling us to begin our adoption process. We were not quite sure what that meant at the time, but we began researching agencies and figuring out the details of what this dream looked like practically for us. God led us to an amazing adoption agency where we were matched with our incredible case worker. While 2020 looked hopeless for many reasons, it was the year when our case worker gave us the green light to apply! By the grace of God, we were accepted and we began working on all of our paperwork to compile our dossier. In May of 2021, we officially entered IBSER. Currently, we are approved by IBSER for two female siblings that are between 0-6 years of age. We are praying and believing for that day when we get that phone call with a match. In the meantime, we are praying and believing that God will provide the resources that we need. When we do receive that phone call, we need to be prepared to submit a payment for $16,000 for our girls.
We have had our dossier completed since 2021, we renew our I-800A yearly, and we continue to have our yearly home study with Holt International. In the waiting, we have been praying for our girls. Our boys refer to our girls as their “sisters” and they draw their “sisters” in their family pictures at school. Having started this process when our boys were just 2 and 4 years old (now 6 and 8), they have been alongside us every step of the way in this faith journey. We often talk about how crazy it seems to love two little girls so much, not having any idea who they are. We know there are two girls that God has hand-selected to be a part of our forever family. Until we get to meet them, we will continue to pray diligently for them, for their caretakers, for their parents, for protection and blessing over them, and for God to provide the resources to bring them home to us.
In January of 2023, we really felt like God told us to begin taking bigger steps to prepare financially for our girls. We understand that the cost is high to adopt. However, we also know and believe by faith that God will provide everything we need as we pursue this calling that He’s placed on our hearts. We are completely humbled that Lifesong has offered us two matching grants totaling $8,000. This means that when we raise $8,000, they will match that and we will have the $16,000 that we need when we receive the phone call from Haiti that we have a match.
All donations are tax-exempt when submitted to Lifesong, and 100% of the proceeds will go directly to our adoption fund! There are a few easy ways to give…
– If you pay by card, there will be an online processing fee (2.2% + .30 cents per transaction). Your donations will be decreased by this amount.
– If you prefer to pay by check, please make checks payable to “Lifesong for Orphans”. In the memo line, please write “Blankenship 10522” to ensure it is credited to our account. Mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744.
STRIPE charges an online processing fee (2.2% +.30 USD per transaction)*. Your donations will be decreased by this amount. You may also send a check payable to “Lifesong for Orphans”. In the memo line please write “Blankenship 10522”, to ensure it is credited to our account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744.
Lifesong has been blessed with partners who underwrite all U.S. administrative and fundraising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to the adoption.
- In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to Lifesong for Orphans. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.
- Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. Individual donations of $50 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request.
- *3.5% fee for donations given with an American Express card