Friday, April 24, 2015

We Have A Secret To Share


I have a secret to share with you all today. Something near and dear to my heart and an announcement I have wanted to make for a long time.

We are in the adoption process to adopt a newborn baby. We've chosen an agency, have completed the formal application, pre-study documents, attended adoption training and are waiting for the next step of completing the home study.

We have started a blog to share updates on the process. It will be a central location for friends and family to check in and see what the latest info is. It is still private at this time but I will share the link here as soon as we have it ready for the public. :-)

Adoption has been on our hearts for many years. We have wanted to pursue it several times over the course of our marriage but always felt like it was not the time. Last summer as we continued to pray, we began to hear from the Lord that now was the time to take that leap of faith and start the process.

For several months we prayed, researched the different types of adoption, agencies, talked with adoptive families whose stories are all very different, getting as much information as we could.

In January of this year, we began the process with a Christian agency. It is exciting and somewhat terrifying all at the same time.

We have no idea of what all lies ahead but we know Who already has the plans laid out. We ask for your prayers as we continue on this journey.

And as most everyone is aware, adoption is a costly process. We will be doing a lot of fundraising and will make our friends and family aware of financial needs as they arise and how contributions can be made. We will be doing this via our adoption blog as well as on this blog sometimes.

God has provided abundantly already so early in the process and we look forward to all He has in store.




10 comments:

Wendi said...

Squeal! I am so so happy for you!! I had often wondered if adoption might be an option for you. I almost asked you at one point, but it isn't an easy subject to approach.

We had talked and prayed about adoption for a while before we jumped in. We started really with a hope and a prayer. We didn't have the money and really weren't sure where it would come from. All we knew is that we felt peace about the decision. Every step of the way our financial needs were meet. Along the way there was a job loss and a health issue. Any one of those things could have stopped the process, but God had a plan. The moments that sticks out to me the most is that at the end of our adoption we needed $2000 to complete our last payment to the agency that included travel cost. At that point I had lost my job and we didn't know how we would come up with it. My father-in-law called me during the day and asked to stop by. (Something that was out of character for him.) He came in and sat at the kitchen table and after chatting for a bit he pulled out an envelope. He laid it on the table and said that he hoped it would help out with our adoption. There was exactly $2000 in that envelope! Chuck and I often talk about how many things should have prevented us from bringing Megan home. It is only by the grace of God that she is our girl. I guess what am trying to say is have faith through all the trials that come with adoption as God will provide.

I am super excited for you and Andy! I will be praying for your adoption journey.

Melanie said...

Oh, what exciting news, Mary Ann! I pray all will go smoothly for you and that all the necessary funds will come in. You will be a great mom! :-)

Bevy @ Treasured Up and Pondered said...

Congratulations - to the both of you. How special of a time in your lives. We'll be praying for you as you continue to walk the path through this process.

Rhonda said...

Sweet and exciting news! You will be wonderful parents and any baby will be so blessed to be placed in a loving home like yours. I'll be anxious to hear updates

Monica Wilkinson said...

Yay! Yay! Yay! This made my heart do a little jump for you!!!!! I'm so excited :) Praying alongside you!!

Debbie J said...

Great news! Looking forward to hearing your progress!

Theresa said...

What wonderful news. Congrats!

Jill said...

Congratulations!!! Wishing you all the very best!

Blessings
,Jill

gail said...

so happy for you and your hubby! i haven't been reading blogs for so long, so i'm glad i just happened to check in on yours!! congrats!!!

~katie~ said...

Oh, I have tears, Mary Ann!!! Praise God! What loving and amazing parents you and Andy will be to the little one the Lord has picked out for you.

I will keep this before the Lord in prayer ~ for the whole process and for the blessed new journey ahead.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful news! Keep us posted!

Congratulations!