We have been married for almost 15 years. Over the course of our marriage, we discussed adoption as an option for our family and have thought and prayed about it for many years. Despite years of infertility, we are blessed with one daughter, who has brought us so much joy. We felt that God was leading us to adoption, and even though we were nervous about moving forward, we took a leap of faith and began our adoption journey about one year ago. We have been working with an adoption consultant since October 2022. We are very excited to share that recently we were matched with an expectant mother. What does that mean? She is making an adoption plan for her baby, and she chose our family for her baby! We are so thankful for this opportunity. The baby is due on April 20th!
Some other exciting news…we have graciously been awarded a matching grant of $9,000 from our church, CFC, and Lifesong for Orphans. We are so grateful for this opportunity. You might be asking, what does that mean? The grant will match any funds raised, up to $9,000, essentially doubling our efforts. This is a huge answer to prayer!
Why is adoption so expensive?
There is a lot of hard work behind the scenes, that goes into making an adoption plan happen. Some of the fees include: Match fees, agency fees, social work fees, legal fees, birth mother expenses, and post placement visit fees. The total cost of our adoption is roughly $44,000. We have just about half of the funds we need so far. We are prayerfully hopeful that we will meet the remainder of our needs with the assistance of this grant, fundraisers and our own savings. We know and believe that God has a plan for us, and we trust that!
We thank each one of you who contributes to our adoption and we are extremely grateful for your support and prayers!
Love, Michael, Abby and Nina
Psalm 59:17 “You are my stregnth, I sing praise to you, you God are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”
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 “Shaw 10429”, 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