Archive for the ‘Adoption’ Category


Posted on January 25, 2012 - by

And Finally, A Post

 

After an emergency departure in August, I returned from Uganda with our two new sons, Moses and Jonah nine weeks and countless miracles and trials later. We’ve been home for three months and this is the first blog post I’ve written.

Until now, I had no idea what to say. I have been up to my eyeballs, nearly drowning is the demands of two new children (the laundry, oh, the laundry!), attachment and adjustment issues, and the relentless exhaustion that comes with a lack of sleep and a life change this big.

It has been an extremely difficult journey — much harder than I expected. And, it has also miraculous beyond words. It has required more of me than I could have prepared for. I am certain it is God’s mercy and grace that have sustained us. (more…)


Posted on September 10, 2011 - by

Adoption Update: 4 Weeks In

First, let me apologize for disappearing from blogland without explanation. When I found out four weeks ago that Baby Jonah had been in the hospital for several days with a fever so high he was convulsing, I knew I had to leave for Uganda immediately. In less than 24 hours, I boarded a plane in Atlanta and stepped on Ugandan soil two days later. The whirlwind before and after was epic, and that is no exaggeration.

Thankfully, Jonah has made a complete and miraculous recovery. For the first 7-10 days he didn’t smile, stand, walk or do much of anything except cry and beg to be held—all the time. It was heartbreaking and exhausting. He was so sick. It’s incredible to see him now, smiling all the time and walking everywhere. He is not the same child I met four weeks ago.

Moses came to stay with me only a day after I got here. It was a surprise to us both, since I expected we would get t know one another over several days before he came to be with me full-time. I think it was overwhelming for both of us. (more…)


Posted on August 10, 2011 - by

Adoption Update: 27 days and Counting

Where has the time gone? I have been so consumed with getting ready to leave for Uganda that I haven’t had time or energy to blog. I feel like I am eight months pregnant and the clock is ticking toward the moment when everything changes. I alternate between being excited and overwhelmed, a flurry of activity and flattened by exhaustion.

I can’t believe it. We leave in 27 days. Mommy and Daddy are coming, boys! We are coming.

Fundraising Goal Reached

Earlier this week, we hit an incredible milestone—we reached our fundraising goal of $30,000. It’s utterly humbling to experience God’s faithfulness in such a dramatic way. As I have said over and over, money need not be an obstacle for a family called to adoption. HE will provide.

Our final donation came from author Karen Kingsbury’s One Chance Foundation. As an adoptive mom herself, Karen is passionate about adoption, and delights in helping families bring their children home through her foundation. We could never say thank-you enough to Karen and her precious team for choosing to bless us with this gift. You are truly our angels. (more…)


Posted on July 26, 2011 - by

Passionate About Orphan Care? This Contest is for You

If you are an adoptive parent, prospective adoptive parent, or someone who is fired up about orphan care, this post is for you.

I believe there is no better way to galvanize your commitment, clarify your thinking, and embolden your resolve to care or orphans than by attending an adoption conference. Both the speakers you hear and the relationships you build will be life-changing.

The Conference

I wrote several weeks back about the Together for Adoption Conference in Phoenix on October 21 and 22, 2011.

This conference not only provides practical and timely advice on adoption and orphan care, it is leading a new conversation about the relationship between orphan care and our identity as adopted sons and daughters of Christ.

This perspective will enliven your faith and deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ in a whole new way as you respond to the call to boldly love the fatherless.

The Deal

I am thrilled to announce that for a limited time, Together for Adoption is offering a SUPER early bird special on conference registration through Saturday, July 30, at 11:59 p.m. You don’t want to miss this deal.

Register NOW for just $75 (a $30 savings).

The Contest

And, just for my readers, I will be giving away a pair of tickets to the Together for Adoption Conference this week. Simply leave a comment below and a winner will be chosen at random on Saturday night and announced on Sunday, July 30.

I can’t wait to hear the story of your light-bulb moment at this year’s Together for Adoption Conference.


Posted on July 19, 2011 - by

A Big Grateful Mess

The last week has been an attempt to bring order to chaos. From the moment we found out we had been given court dates for our boys in Uganda, my mind hasn’t stopped racing. Mountains of details seem to tangle themselves up in the corners of my mind like a ball of yarn after a cat has gotten hold of it. Pulling the strands apart is tedious work.

It might seem like we should be ready to walk out the door and onto a plane tomorrow, given all the time we’ve had to get ready, but there are just some things that can’t be done ahead of time. I will be gone for five or six weeks (Joel will join me for ten days in the middle), so I am not only making arrangements for our trip, but also preparing our life here to run without me while I am away.

Fall clothes must be purchased for our older kids, as the seasons will change while I’m gone. After-school care must be set up, and someone must be found to clean the house and do the laundry. I find myself wondering, how will my husband manage to do it all without me for weeks on end? Should I make two months worth of meals ahead of time? Is that even possible? (more…)


Posted on July 15, 2011 - by

We Have Court Dates!

After much waiting, we  have received court dates for our boys! We will travel to Uganda in September to begin the process of bringing them home. We are so grateful and excited to begin the last phase of our journey (before another adventure as a family of six begins!) and finally have the chance to wrap our arms around our sweet boys.

In the meantime, we are busy getting our ducks in a row. By the time we come home with Moses and Jonah, we will have been in this process for nearly two years (see our timeline here). You would think everything would be done by now, but, it is not.  (more…)


Posted on July 13, 2011 - by

Why is Adoption So Expensive

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post answering the question, “Why does adoption take so long?” Today, I will attempt to answer another question I am asked on a regular basis, “Why is adoption so expensive?”

Behind both of theses question is an underlying question, “If there are so many orphans in the world, and the need is so great, why isn’t it easier, faster, and less expensive for them to be adopted?” I’ve asked this question many times myself.

How Do the Costs of International, Domestic Infant, and Foster Care Adoption Compare?

As I’ve said before, my experience is with international adoption, so I’ll speak mostly about the costs associated with that. From my understanding, adoption through the foster care system costs very little. Domestic infant adoption is generally comparable to the cost of international adoption and sometimes more expensive. The total cost is commonly determined by a sliding scale based on your income.

3 Reasons Why International Adoption Costs So Much

Contrary to popular belief, the cost of international adoption in not due to corrupt governments extorting money from families through bribes, outrageous “fees” and the like. While some countries may be worse than others in this regard, the majority of the costs associated with an international adoption are real, valid expenses. (more…)


Posted on July 1, 2011 - by

Why Does Adoption Take So Long?

Why does adoption take so long? It’s a question I ask myself every day and the one I am asked most often by others.

It’s hard to reconcile how families could be stuck waiting to matched with a child (or wait so long to bring their children home once they have been matched) when there are hundreds of millions of orphans, desperate for families. At first glance, it doesn’t make much sense.

However, adoption is more complicated than simply connecting children in need of families with those willing to open their hearts to an orphan.

Orphan Status Must be Verified

Just because a child appears to have been abandoned, or one or both parents have relinquished that child to an orphanage, does not mean that child can or should be adopted.

In order to ascertain what is in the best interest of a child, a government must determine that:

  • the child is a true orphan
  • there are no other relatives able or willing to care for the child on a permanent basis
  • family reunification through sponsorship, mentoring, etc. is impossible
  • no indigenous families are willing to adopt the child (more…)

Posted on June 29, 2011 - by

Come Together for Adoption

On October 21-22, 2011, I will live blog the Together for Adoption Conference in Phoenix and I want to invite you to join me there.

I am so excited to share this conference with you through my blog and I hope to have the chance to meet many of you in person. It will encourage us to love boldly as we seek to serve orphans whether through adoption or other orphan care initiatives, leading us deeper into the heart of the Gospel as we do it.

Why Go to an Adoption Conference

Two reasons: education and relationships. Adoption and orphan care are amazing gifts to the families they touch, but the come with a cost. We need to be intentional about getting the kind of support we need to help us go the distance. Through speakers and workshop facilitators, this conference brings together the most helpful information available with those who need it most—us!

An adoption conference also gives us the chance to meet parents and ministry workers just like ourselves, forging meaningful relationhips that can last a lifetime. As we share our stories with those who really undestand, we leave encouraged, refreshed, and strengthened for the road ahead.

What Makes Together for Adoption Unique

As I’ve gotten to know the Together for Adoption founders Dan Cruver and Jason Kovacs, I’ve been impressed by their gospel-centered approach to the subject of adoption and orphan care. (more…)


Posted on June 17, 2011 - by

Happy Birthday, Jonah

Tomorrow, our littlest Ugandan son turns one. For months, we hoped and prayed to be with Jonah on his birthday, but it was not meant to be. While there is a certain sadness knowing that we will miss his birthday, I cannot help but feel incredible gratitude and joy as I think about his life.

Joel and I are humbled that God is giving us the chance to be Jonah’s family. It’s an astounding blessing and a huge responsibility. We don’t know what God intends for him, but we know he has made him for great things. We love him so much already and can’t imagine how our love will continue to grow when we are finally united in the same place, on the same continent. (more…)


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