For the last two years, the holidays have been difficult for us. Longing for a child in our home to share this special season with, seeing the endless pictures of families and children enjoying Christmas morning, and even being surrounded by our incredible families and spending precious time with them and wanting our children to share in those memories. Over the last few days, as we have been decorating our home and planning our holiday events, I have been surprised. Those feelings of longing and sadness, have been replaced with joy, hope, and eager anticipation. The last few months, we have been overwhelmed with so much love and support and we are more confident than ever that the Lord has a plan for our family. We thank God for restoring our hearts and filling us with joy. We thank Him for the ways that He has provided and for the people He has placed in our lives that have poured out so much love and encouragement over us.
So here is an update on the adoption:
Fundraising is going amazingly well! The garage sale our mothers organized was a major success and we were able to raise over $1300 from sales alone, and received a number of other very generous donations that day. Our t-shirt sales were also super successful. We were able to pre-sale 150 t-shirts! This not only will be a huge financial help, but will also be a great way to spread the word about our adoption and the Lord's faithfulness. We are almost at 50% of our fundraising goal!!!
Also, super exciting news, our home study will be complete in just TWO WEEKS! We have been working really hard and the process has gone so smoothly. This means that just after Christmas, we will begin the matching process. Let me explain the matching process briefly... Once we are approved, we will begin receiving birth mother profiles. This is a summary of information about a birth mother, her situation, her history, and her expectations for the adoption. We will pray over this profile and discuss whether or not we feel this birth mother will be a good match for us. If we say yes, our profile (a book all about us) will be taken to her, along with the profiles of any other families who would like her to be shown their profile. If she chooses us, then we will be matched. From their, we will follow her through the remainder of her pregnancy, until the baby comes. This all looks very different for every family and birth mother, so there is no real way of knowing how long it will be or the timeline of how things will happen.
So what can you be doing now? PRAY. Pray for us as we finish the home study process and make some big decisions. Pray for our hearts to continually be filled with joy and patience as we wait upon the Lord. Pray for the birth mother, as she makes huge decisions for herself and her child. Pray for her health and salvation. Pray for that sweet baby that will one day be ours. You can also continue to spread the word about our adoption and consider donating financially. We are so thankful for each and every one of you and for the countless ways that you have been a part of this journey with us.
