We have a 5-year-old biological daughter named Sarah. Since giving birth to Sarah, we have experienced unexplained secondary infertility and have been unable to have more biological children. We had the opportunity to be foster parents for a precious baby boy from the time he was born until shortly after his 1st birthday. We are now looking to permanently add to our family through private domestic adoption. Adoption is something that has been on our hearts and minds for over a decade before we even knew each other. When we started to get serious about our relationship and talk about the future, we both expressed a desire to adopt one day. Adoption is a consistent theme within the narrative of the Bible. God chose Israel among all the nations to adopt as His own. In Christ, God has also chosen to adopt us into His family and make us coheirs with Christ. The love that God has expressed to us in our spiritual adoption and redemption has been a consistent motivation for our desire to adopt. We believe that God has used our infertility journey to affirm our desire to adopt. We believe that earthly adoption is a way to mirror God’s gift of adopting us into His family.
As you can imagine, the financial cost associated with adoption can feel daunting, but we feel confident that God has called us to do this, so we are stepping out in faith and believing that He will provide. We have been able to make the initial payments through personal savings. We have applied for a handful of adoption grants and are waiting to hear back from most of them, but so far we have been awarded a $3,500 matching grant from Wellspring Baptist Fellowship's Adoption Fund administered by LifeSong for Orphans. What that means is that this grant will be able to double our initial gifts received, turning $3,500 into $7,000! We are very thankful for this gift!
We have completed our home study and are currently on our adoption agency’s list of families waiting to adopt. We are unsure of the exact timeframe moving forward, but we look forward to sharing updates with you as we go on this journey. We appreciate your support through prayers and financial gifts so much!
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 “Varner 09237”, 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.