The cliff notes version of our family began with Jeremiah and I desiring to adopt separately as teenagers. Then it grew as we talked about it as a young dating couple in college. After getting married, our “plan” was to have a few biological children and then adopt. Spoiler alert:
God had a better plan (not easier, but definitely better for us). There were some hard years in the mix here. We reached a crossroads, where we were told by doctors that they didn’t know why we were not having children, but they believed our only option for biological babies was though IVF. After praying about it, Jeremiah and I felt that at this point we were supposed to start the adoption process. What I strongly believe is that God funnels our hearts at the exact moment to be matched with our specific child in the world. IT’S ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL EXPERIENCES IN LIFE! His faithfulness cannot be exaggerated!
God has laid our children on our hearts and given us names for each of them. We knew without question that Hallee Joy was in India. The one part of her story that we disclose is that she is a first born, and because God brought her into our lives as our first we are honoring that. (She is such a classic first born too! Which I love, since I am a first born too.) We started a second process stepping out in faith that we had a son in Asia. We were not exactly sure where, but after a lot of prayer we chose China. God once again proved that He is the one that is alining us with our children (which helps so much to remember we cannot mess Him up). The pandemic happened and China went on pause and so did we. We were still unmatched (and I pray constantly for those in the matched side of the process that went on pause—the heartbreak they are experiencing is unspeakable!) After several months our agency (Lifeline Children’s Services) reached out to us and asked if we would pray about switching programs to one of their other programs that were not on pause. Thankfully Lifeline allows families to change programs and apply the funds they have already put in to transfer to any of their other country’s programs. Because we believe our son is in Asia, we plan on hopefully revisiting that eventually, and for now we asked God the next child He had laid on our heart.
I will say that this time around has felt differently than the first adoption process. There was not an undeniable country that we felt called to. It is a little overwhelming when the whole world map is an option, and you ask God to narrow it down. Above a specific country we feel God is leading us to have a rainbow family. He is weaving a unique tapestry with our family. He is taking broken humans and knitting them into a family.
After a lot of prayer, we decided that God was leading us to adopt a baby girl from Colombia, South America. We are unmatched still, but Hallee talks EVERYDAY about her baby sister! Pray with us as we step into this second/but kind of third adoption process! Here we go again!
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 “Napier 09521”, to ensure it is credited to our account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744.
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