We're ADOPTING!!!!
Since we are so far away from most of you, we've started this blog as a way to record and share our journey and keep everyone up to date on the process as we go.
We are so excited to finally be able to share this news publicly. To those that have known for a little while - thank you for your prayers and support. To those that are just finding out, we are thrilled to share this with you, too.
Why are we adopting in the first place? Some friends of ours who have their own adoption story shared with that, "God's family is diverse and we want our family to show the diversity of His church."
There are are many reasons that families choose to adopt, and while we certainly echo many of those, we also strongly believe that because God has adopted us into His family through Christ, we can show that same kind of unconditional love to a child who needs a family and a home. Families come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, but it is the love of God in our hearts that knits us together. Love is stronger than blood. Love is what makes a family. That is why we are adopting.
So, where are we at in the process?
We are happy to say that we completed our home study back in December were accepted as clients to our adoption agency this month (January). This means we are officially on their waiting list to become active clients, and the wait for that is around 4 months, more or less. Once we are on active status we can start waiting to be matched with a birth mom.
We are choosing adopt an infant by going the route of independent adoption through Quiver Full Adoptions, Inc. based out of Greenville, South Carolina. The agency was co-founded by two Christian women with their adoption stories, which has been inspiring and encouraging! Independent adoption means that we hire our own social worker, adoption attorneys, etc. and Quiver Full guides us through the process, helping us learn as much as we can before we bring baby home. They also help create our adoptive parent (can't believe we are using that word in conjunction with ourselves!) profile to share with birth mom's considering adoptive parents. Going this route will also help to keep costs down by eliminating "the middle man", as it were.
The adoption journey has not definitive time lines, but we know that it will arrive exactly when and where God intends it to, and we are trusting Him in this every step of the way.
Would you like to support us on our journey? There are several ways that your support would make a huge impact:
First, please consider praying for the following:
- That we would have patience as we wait with no specific deadlines.
- That we would be able to raise funds to cover our adoption fees.
- That we would have wisdom in deciding to move into on-post housing (we're currently in an apartment).
- And most importantly, for the birth-mom that will choose us and for our future baby.
Second, we are also working to raise money to help cover the costs of some of our fees. You can support us financially by:
- Heading over to our YouCaring fundraiser page and making a donation. You can find the link to our fundraiser here. (Please note that the company that processes donations does take 2.9% + .30).
- Our dear friend Mallory has designed an AMAZING logo for us to use to sell merchandise as a fundraiser. Stay tuned for more on that, but for now, here's the gorgeous design.
- Sierra Vista friends, stay tuned for another fundraising opportunity in the coming months!
- Fayetteville friends, stay tuned for our yard-sale fundraising dates coming very soon!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and celebrate this exciting journey with us. We know the road will probably be long, but we are so excited for where God is leading.
Until the next update,
Ari and Casey 🖤
