Our Adoption Story

Julia
Julia
We are excited to say that we officially started the adoption process in April 2021! God laid the desire for adoption on both of our hearts even before we got married, so we wait with excited anticipation for the children that God desires to bless us with through this processWe want to hold loosely to any expectations we may have because we know that as we plan our path it is God who will establish our steps (Proverbs 16:9). We are currently listed and an actively waiting family for a domestic adoption, but we have also had a huge desire for adopting internationally. Our hope is that we can start the process for adopting a sibling group through the international programs within this month. Our goal is to be waiting in both programs for our child, or Lord willing our children! (Yes, as you can probably tell…we are wanting a large family!) We will certainly continue to update you as time goes on about the status of starting the new program and any details we can provide to you.
 

What has brought us to adopt? We realize that God’s desire is for children to grow up in a home in which they are cared for, unconditionally loved,  taught His Word, and are encouraged to live out a life of obedient faith dedicated to honoring him as Lord and Savior. Over the years, we often talk about how we desire to fill our quiver with sharp arrows (children) to shoot them off into the world as instrumental witnesses for Christ (Psalm 127:4-5). Early on in our marriage we were unified in our desire to adopt someday, but we did not know when we would actually start For several years now we have been unable to get pregnant, so we felt it was the time to go ahead and start the adoption process now!

We have also had a desire to involve our family, friends, and community in these adoption processes because we know we simply cannot do it alone. We have listed a few ways we would love for you to consider helping us: 
  1. Most importantly, would you pray? 

  1. For the birth family and child’s protection as well as support in their decision to choose abundant life for her child (or children)

  1. For our hearts to be prepared to bring a child or children into our lives and that their hearts would be comforted and nurtured very early on. 

  1. For trust in God’s timing which would result in greater peace and joy in the process as we see Him work in this adoption for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28).

  1. Would you consider giving a tax- deductible donation to help us cover the remaining cost of the adoption fees?  

In our pride it is difficult to ask for prayerful and financial help because we want to feel self-sufficient, but the humbling fact is that we can’t do it on our own. God is fully capable and will provide us with what we need but He often uses people to accomplish His work. We realize that by involving our community of family and friends to come along side us, they too have the opportunity to witness the goodness of God through this process. We have estimated needing about $25-$30,000 more dollars for the domestic adoption, and once we can move forward with the international adoption we estimate the cost being about $36,000. This can seem insurmountable, but we know that God can provide that and more!
 

Thankfully we have received a matching grant for up to $8,000 through Lifesong for Orphans! This means they will match dollar-for-dollar up to $8,000 of what is donated, and through Lifesong 100% of your donations goes directly toward our adoption.  

We have already raised funds through the means of an adoption yard sale, an adoption dinner (both are in the pictures above), and other donations. With this grant, it will put us close to our remaining goal of about $30,000 for the domestic adoption (and we can change our goal accordingly based on the status of the international program). That includes agency fees, legal fees, living and medical expenses for the birth mother. Our goal date to have this money raise is 04/01/2021
 

You can donate via mail (check) or online. 

Please make checks payable to Lifesong for Orphans” and it must include our family #9817 and Skipper on the memo line of the check. Please mail to: PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744. 
 
To give online: Click DONATE button above on this page, or visit https://mystory.lifesongfororphans.org/stories/skipper-adoption/
This journey has constantly reminded us and still teaches us that our plans are not always the same as God’s plans, yet we continue to see how His plan is truly more abundant and greater than we could make for ourselves. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for joining us in these ways and coming along side of us and our family to bring this child (or children) home in the near future. To God’s name be all of the glory!
 

God bless you, 

Josh and Julia  

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 “Skipper 09817”, 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
Read more
Raised to date by 22 people
 of  $30,000
Campaign Ended

My Story

We are excited to say that we officially started the adoption process in April 2021! God laid the desire for adoption on both of our hearts even before we got married, so we wait with excited anticipation for the children that God desires to bless us with through this processWe want to hold loosely to any expectations we may have because we know that as we plan our path it is God who will establish our steps (Proverbs 16:9). We are currently listed and an actively waiting family for a domestic adoption, but we have also had a huge desire for adopting internationally. Our hope is that we can start the process for adopting a sibling group through the international programs within this month. Our goal is to be waiting in both programs for our child, or Lord willing our children! (Yes, as you can probably tell…we are wanting a large family!) We will certainly continue to update you as time goes on about the status of starting the new program and any details we can provide to you.
 

What has brought us to adopt? We realize that God’s desire is for children to grow up in a home in which they are cared for, unconditionally loved,  taught His Word, and are encouraged to live out a life of obedient faith dedicated to honoring him as Lord and Savior. Over the years, we often talk about how we desire to fill our quiver with sharp arrows (children) to shoot them off into the world as instrumental witnesses for Christ (Psalm 127:4-5). Early on in our marriage we were unified in our desire to adopt someday, but we did not know when we would actually start For several years now we have been unable to get pregnant, so we felt it was the time to go ahead and start the adoption process now!

We have also had a desire to involve our family, friends, and community in these adoption processes because we know we simply cannot do it alone. We have listed a few ways we would love for you to consider helping us: 
  1. Most importantly, would you pray? 

  1. For the birth family and child’s protection as well as support in their decision to choose abundant life for her child (or children)

  1. For our hearts to be prepared to bring a child or children into our lives and that their hearts would be comforted and nurtured very early on. 

  1. For trust in God’s timing which would result in greater peace and joy in the process as we see Him work in this adoption for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28).

  1. Would you consider giving a tax- deductible donation to help us cover the remaining cost of the adoption fees?  

In our pride it is difficult to ask for prayerful and financial help because we want to feel self-sufficient, but the humbling fact is that we can’t do it on our own. God is fully capable and will provide us with what we need but He often uses people to accomplish His work. We realize that by involving our community of family and friends to come along side us, they too have the opportunity to witness the goodness of God through this process. We have estimated needing about $25-$30,000 more dollars for the domestic adoption, and once we can move forward with the international adoption we estimate the cost being about $36,000. This can seem insurmountable, but we know that God can provide that and more!
 

Thankfully we have received a matching grant for up to $8,000 through Lifesong for Orphans! This means they will match dollar-for-dollar up to $8,000 of what is donated, and through Lifesong 100% of your donations goes directly toward our adoption.  

We have already raised funds through the means of an adoption yard sale, an adoption dinner (both are in the pictures above), and other donations. With this grant, it will put us close to our remaining goal of about $30,000 for the domestic adoption (and we can change our goal accordingly based on the status of the international program). That includes agency fees, legal fees, living and medical expenses for the birth mother. Our goal date to have this money raise is 04/01/2021
 

You can donate via mail (check) or online. 

Please make checks payable to Lifesong for Orphans” and it must include our family #9817 and Skipper on the memo line of the check. Please mail to: PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744. 
 
To give online: Click DONATE button above on this page, or visit https://mystory.lifesongfororphans.org/stories/skipper-adoption/
This journey has constantly reminded us and still teaches us that our plans are not always the same as God’s plans, yet we continue to see how His plan is truly more abundant and greater than we could make for ourselves. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for joining us in these ways and coming along side of us and our family to bring this child (or children) home in the near future. To God’s name be all of the glory!
 

God bless you, 

Josh and Julia  

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 “Skipper 09817”, 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
Read more

WE MET OUR GOAL!!

May 14, 2022
We are SO excited to share that, by using you, God has provided us with the anticipated funds that we need for our adoption!! We are absolutely blown away and in awe of God’s blessings and provisions to us. We started this process just over a year ago, not fully knowing what to expect, but we knew that we could trust God for what was ahead!
 
We are still working on the paperwork for the Taiwan process and we are very close to the finalization of our home study so that we can move on to working on the specific documents for the international part which will take several months. We are getting closer each day and we are thankful for God’s guidance and care through many frustrating days. He is faithful to those that call Him Father and we pray that the next generation of Skippers will one day experience this same fatherly love.
 
Thank you for your help, prayers, and support to help us reach our financial goal for an adoption. We are truly grateful and so touched by your generosity! 
 
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” -Romans 12:12
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Taiwan

February 24, 2022

For a quick update, and exciting one for us (and hopefully for you reading), is that we have officially started the adoption process from Taiwan. We are so thrilled and feel such peace about this calling to adopted from Taiwan, as we continue to stay in waiting for a domestic adoption. Our desire and goal right now for Taiwan is to adopt a sibling group which is considered a “special needs” situation. 

 

We realize that adopting more than one child at the same time with unknown trauma and most likely with a language barrier is daunting task, but we can’t wait to see the children God has for us. No, we are not ready for this great undertaking and we realize that we probably never will be fully ready, but the agency we are working with is doing their part to prepare and train us well. We also have a great deal of support from our family, friends, and church body.

 

We have seen how this calling has already been a  sanctifying process but we also realize that in making the decision to adopt we have pretty much invited God to repeatedly, and at times intensely, sanctify us for many years to come. Sanctification can at times be scary and God uses many means to accomplish this, such as marriage, parenting, disease, living for righteousness sake, etc. The process of sanctification is usually brought about through trials and sufferings but that is the daily call of the Christian. [Acts 14:22  “…through many hardships we must enter the kingdom of God.”]

 

In wrapping up, we know that this journey will continue to get more difficult but the rewards are greater. Already we have been absolutely blown away by the amount of prayers, support, love, and encouragement we have received from each of you. We wouldn’t be where we are now without your help. So, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and appreciate you coming along side of us on this journey to see what God wants for our family.

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Comments

$10,000

Hidden

Dec 5, 2022

$100

Anne

Feb 25, 2022

“Continuing to pray for you both and the precious children God is preparing for your family!”

$50

Kristie

Feb 25, 2022

$1,900

Hidden

Feb 2, 2022

“May this be a blessing to your adoption efforts! God's grace will be sufficient for you!”

$500

Shelby

Jan 24, 2022

“Because y’all will be the best parents ❤️”

$500

Hidden

Dec 28, 2021

$2,000

Jim

Dec 26, 2021

$300

Anne and Kurt

Dec 26, 2021

“Julia and Josh, Kurt and I are so excited about your adoption journey! We will be praying for God’s continued guidance and provision. You both will be awesome parents!”

$100

Hidden

Dec 22, 2021

$150

Hidden

Dec 18, 2021

$2,000

Matthew

Dec 18, 2021

$25

Gale

Dec 18, 2021

“Blessings to you two.”

$100

Hidden

Dec 18, 2021

$1,500

James

Dec 15, 2021

$750

Hidden

Dec 15, 2021

“We are so hopeful and prayerful about the Family God has always planned for the two of you. We cannot wait and are always here to help as needed!”

$150

Brittany

Dec 14, 2021

“Love you two so dearly!”

$100

Suzanne

Dec 14, 2021

“May God always guide you!”

$150

Vicky

Dec 14, 2021

“You were both a “ lifeline” from God when my family so desperately needed it. May God Bless you and shed his Grace on you and you take this journey Love and Prayers The Porter Family”

$20

Laura

Dec 14, 2021

$103

Tricia

Dec 14, 2021

“Already praying for the precious babies/children God has ordained to be your children. We love you both so much!”

$100

Jack

Dec 14, 2021

$50

Sharon Jill

Dec 13, 2021

“Love and miss you so MUCH. Praying for nothing but the best for you ❤️”