Going Public

As you can see from our Adoption Timeline, we've been thinking about adopting for quite a while: since before Sept. 2013, when we attended our first information session at a local agency. As we prayed and discerned about moving forward with adoption, we shared our plans and hopes with close friends and our immediate family, but not with many others. This was mainly because there wasn't really that much to share - many, many hopes and dreams, yes, but not a lot of concrete action. Also (as hopefully is understandable) sharing our desire to adopt is very close to our hearts and very personal. It's not really "small talk" material!

But now, in June 2015, we're ready and excited to "go public" with our adoption plans and share much more broadly, by letter, email, word of mouth, and Facebook. Concrete things have started to happen: we've applied to a local agency, been accepted, and begun the home study process. It feels surreal, after months and months of anticipation, to get official emails from our agency starting "Dear Prospective Parents..."! (We wonder if the adoption process is going to feel surreal throughout, maybe until the moment our son and daughter is in our arms.)

"Going public" is both thrilling and kind of terrifying! It's relieving, in a way, to let people in our lives know about something that's been so much a part of our thoughts, dreams, and prayers for the past few years. This is us! We are adopting! And like sharing anything so dear, it also feels vulnerable and kind of scary. We know adoption has impacted the lives of several people we know, and we're now joining that group, "touched by adoption".

We wanted to share our adoption plans broadly now because, for one thing, we really could use your support! Given that we're a distinct minority among our friends and family, as a couple who is adopting, we are very much in need of prayers and encouragement to keep taking steps forward in faith.

We also wanted to share because we feel strongly that this isn't just "our" story. We believe God has led us down this path, and we'd like our story in some small way be a witness to His goodness, generosity, and faithfulness. We hope that by sharing our experiences, with adoption and also with infertility (which has had such a big impact on our lives), we can provide a window into a unique way of sharing Christ's Cross and Resurrection - a path of challenge, but also of joy, hope, and healing.

We really expect nothing from anyone - your interest in us, your friendship, your spiritual and material support, all of it is GIFT, and we are so grateful. This is our story, our little slice of the human experience, and we're excited to share it with whoever may be interested.

"I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ."

- Phil 1:6