(From the perspective of the Father)
To all of our friends and family and anyone else who came across our page – here is our story!
As many of you already know, we are adopting. This is not something that we were planning but something we know that God is calling us to do. This story starts about 12 years ago after the birth of our second child. We have two biological children – Kathryn (age 15) and Sam (age 12).
My wife always desired to have a third but I did not feel the same way. I stated that “I was good” and that the only way we would have another is if God made it happen. I was very content and did not see a need to change.
If anyone knows anything about the Christian life, is that God does not call us to be content or comfortable and I started to feel that challenge. I felt that God was calling us to do more! I told Laura and told her to be ready for what God was calling us to do. So, we prayed and sought after God and felt that God was telling us to sell our house and car and move to something that could help us focus more on him. I have to tell you – that was not an easy decision! We loved that house but God clearly reminded us that we are not to put anything over him!
Fast forward – we started paying off debt, focusing more on our children, family vacations and mission trips. For a long time, I have felt called to missions. During that first trip, another missionary and I were approached by a little girl and she asked us to adopt her. It broke my heart! But that was about it – we got home and I didn’t think about it too much. More time went on and my wife and I started to help with an adoption ministry that we have at our church (Hearts of Compassion). Soon after we started, little did I know that my wife started to pray more consistently about either having a third child or through adoption.
Hearts of Compassion is something that we are involved with each year and each year we saw more and more families being helped and children finding their ‘forever home’. During this process, I had thought about the idea of adoption but to be totally transparent, it scared me to death. I knew that God has called us all to care for orphans and widows but I didn’t think God was calling us to do that because I hadn’t had my ‘burning bush’ moment. You know that moment when God is speaking clearly to you – that moment when it is written clearly in the sky! I didn’t have that moment so I didn’t do anything. What I did have happen was God’s ‘small, still voice’ and this consistent burden for orphans. I allowed a few more years to pass and we finally decided to go to an informational meeting with an adoption agency. We got alot of information and then we didn’t really do anything with it. We let about another year go by and then it happened.
I still couldn’t get rid of that tug so I had lunch with my pastor and my pastor gave me the best advice, and it is something I am going to challenge you with! If God has put something on your heart, you should ‘ASSUME YES’. If it is in his word and he has placed it on your heart and not given you the freedom to move on – you assume yes. If it is not his will, then he will correct your path. After that lunch, I realized that we WERE adopting so I came home and told Laura. After she and I talked, I felt that we should go in front of the church and tell them that we need prayer for some big decisions we needed to make. We did not state what we were doing but that we needed prayer. After that, Laura and I felt that we would move forward with the adoption application. We would continue to move forward until God brought it to completion or he stopped it. We filled out the adoption application and were accepted - from then on we have been in the adoption process.
A few weeks after we first presented ourselved to the front of the church, I felt that God was telling us to go in front of the church again and let the church know what we were doing. I started to tell God that it wasn’t “necessary” and that “we had already done that”. After that, I told him that if he would like us to present ourselves to the church, for him to have Laura come and tell me that is what we needed to do. It didn’t take 2 minutes and I felt a tap on my shoulder and Laura asking if I think we should tell everyone at the church that we were adopting. That was all I needed to hear and we did just that. Through all of this – we know that God is calling us to do this and this is where we need your help.
How you can help (STEP 1) – Prayer
We need your prayers! This is the most important thing that you can do! God is in this and we need you to continue to lift up me and Laura, Kathryn and Sam and our newest addition. We are feeling called to adopt from China from birth – 2. Not sure if it will be a boy or girl but we know that God knows.
How you can help (STEP 2) – Financial Need
In addition to prayer, we also ask you to join us in this journey through your financial support. The estimated cost for bringing our child home is $35,000.00, this includes travel. That’s certainly money we don’t have, but as we prayed for God’s leading to adopt, God was calling us to trust Him in the whole process, including finances. By God’s grace we have been able to pay the initial adoption expenses – around $4,100. Our church family at Colonial Heights Baptist Church has partnered with Lifesong for Orphans and committed an Adoption Matching Grant of $7000 to help pay our adoption expenses. Will you please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us meet this matching grant and cover the remaining $30,900.00 adoption expenses to bring our child home? Our goal date is December 31, but funds will be accepted towards our adoption until our child is home and/or our adoption is complete.
Please make checks payable to “Lifesong for Orphans”. In the memo, note (Morris/#8529) to assure it goes to the correct account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744. Lifesong has been blessed with a partner that underwrites all U.S. administrative and fund-raising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to the adoption.
Another option is to give online. To pay online click the DONATE button on this page. NOTE: Your donation is processed by STRIPE with a 2.2% + $.30 (3.5% for AMEX) per transaction fee.
In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit organization. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.
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. Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization.
If you want to follow any other updates or prayer requests we do have a blog: www.newbeginnings2love.wordpress.com. I will try to update as much as possible.
We can’t wait for our family to all be together and for you all to meet our newest addition!
To God be the Glory!
Prentiss, Laura, Kathryn and Sam Morris
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 “Morris 08529”, 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.