We are thrilled to be able to share with our family and friends that we are adopting from Haiti! We have long known that adoption would be part of our family journey; it was never if, but when. In an effort to maintain birth order and keep the kids close in age, we decided to start the process around Christmas 2020. Starting this process during the COVID pandemic posed some unique challenges—the most significant being delays in processing documents for our home study. But through God’s grace, we finished and submitted our dossier (the full packet of initial paperwork) in April, 2022! Our adoption agency, All God’s Children International, is now reviewing and finalizing our dossier and will be sending it to Haiti soon. Once our dossier is with the officials in Haiti, we will wait for a match—a process that often takes over 2 years. In the meantime we wait…
But we want to wait well. That means preparing ourselves to be the best adoptive family we can be, surrounding ourselves with supportive community (if you’re reading this, that’s you!), and navigating the financial commitment involved with adopting.
Regarding our family, we’ve enjoyed talking about adoption with Molly and Zeke. They understand just enough to share in our excitement! In fact, when Rachel mentioned the word “adoption” on a recent phone call, Zeke perked up and asked “Is that Haiti on the phone?!” We’re also enjoying reading about the rich history and culture of Haiti and how to navigate being a multi-racial family (although we’ve had some practice with this one!).
Regarding our community, we are learning that adopting truly “takes a village.” From friends writing recommendation letters to neighbors completing reference forms to small group members prayerfully supporting us, we are humbled by the support we’ve received so far.
Finally, adopting requires a significant financial commitment. The estimated cost of our adoption is $40,000 – $45,000. We are trusting in God as we look for ways to cover these costs, and we are excited about the doors He has been opening! Namely, we were just awarded an $8,000 matching grant from Lifesong and We Care for Orphans. If you would like to join us in this journey by supporting our adoption financially, every dollar you give will be matched through this generous grant! If giving financially is not viable, we would so appreciate the gift of your prayers and encouragement. Either way, we continue to feel blessed by our community and we look forward to keeping you updated throughout our journey.
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 “Hedden 10030”, 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