It feels surreal and vulnerable to be announcing this…almost like when you start telling people you are pregnant again, right when you find out, instead of waiting until after the first trimester. So much is unknown. So much could happen. And you are certain that many people think you are totally loco for adding more. But here it is:
We have started the process of international adoption!
Here are answers to a few questions that some of you might be wondering about:
~First and foremost: WHY?
Garrick and I are followers of Christ, and we have felt God’s calling to care and love the vulnerable in this way. We have talked about adoption from the very beginning of our relationship. After four biological blessings, Garrick volunteering as a guardian ad litem, and my involvement helping other families raise funds for their adoptions through Noonday, we’ve still felt God’s strong pull in our hearts towards this. We are surrounded by so many blessings, and God invites us to share this with others. And it is our joy to do so!
I used to work in the adoption field. We are not naive. This isn’t glamorous. It’s messy. We have no desire to glamorize a child’s heartache. We also don’t feel like God has called us to live comfortable lives, accumulate wealth and gripe about the injustices in the world. He calls us to action. He promises to redeem and restore life to the broken-hearted, and He desires to use His people to do this. And it’s hard and beautiful and worth it. Our God is One who brings beauty from ashes, and Garrick & I are humbled and excited to partner with Him in the work that only He can do.
We know this journey will challenge and stretch our family in ways that we can prepare for but also in ways that might be completely unpredictable. We know it involves sacrifice. Saying Yes to something involves saying No to other things. But thankfully we don’t believe we are called to do this alone. Where God calls, He equips. And we are heavily relying on our incredible community to come around our family with support, encouragement, prayers, and giving financially. Many of you already have, and it truly means the world to us! We need all of this and will continue to need it throughout this process.
~Where did you come up with this number?
We have been approved for two $4,000 matching grants through Lifesong for Orphans. Every donation given will be immediately matched and available for us to use towards adoption expenses until $8,000 has been given and matched making a total of $16,000 in our adoption fund. This will help us tremendously to be able to keep the process moving in 2024! We are currently still working on the first huge step- the home study process. This takes months of meetings, paperwork, background checks, evaluations, etc. After we have a completed home study, that opens doors for applying for other grants and funding to help with the additional adoption expenses as the total will be much higher than what this matching grant will provide. If you are interested in the breakdown of expenses, I am happy to pass that along to you. This whole process will likely take around 3 years, though there is a lot of unpredictability.
~Why international adoption?
Foster Care is the route taken in the United States for caring for children in need in the age ranges that we feel is the best fit for our family. For many reasons I’d be happy to talk with you about over coffee, we don’t think foster care would be a good fit for our family at this time. We know there is a huge need in this area as well and are so very thankful for our friends and family who have answered the call to foster care. We desire to support and encourage them however we can! Is it ideal for a child to be able to be cared for by their birth family and raised in their birth country? Of course. But sadly sometimes that is not possible. We can lament the sadness of how many orphans there are around the globe or we can be part of the solution. Like with any children, we are not guaranteed any particular results. We are just called to be faithful to do our part. And to surrender the rest.
I also felt like God was not done using Spanish in my life and wanted to use it again for good. I think that could be a great comfort to a child going through such a huge transition to be welcomed into a family that can communicate with them from the very start. Garrick and I need to refresh on it for sure because it has been a hot minute, and the kids desire to learn. We feel like it would be best for our family to maintain the current birth order for now, and Colombia currently has a program with children in need of families in that age range. So that’s what we are pursuing at this time. If things change, we’ll certainly let our community of supporters know!
~Why is it so expensive and so hard to adopt?
This is a complicated answer, another discussion better had over coffee, but a large part of the answer is simply because this isn’t about us. It’s about what’s in the best interest of children. Children need to be protected and lots of steps have to be taken throughout the process to ensure that everything being done is truly what’s in the best interest of that child. And all the people doing those jobs and investigations and education and care deserve to be paid for this incredibly important work.
For any of you who read this far and made it to the last paragraph, wow, even that means a lot! For all those willing and able to give here and join us in our adoption journey in this way, we are so humbled and grateful! And for those who have already supported us thus far in our adoption journey, we appreciate you more than you know! Thank you!!
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 “O’Malley 10775”, 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
