Formal Paperwork

Today (which happens to be the anniversary of Sedah's adoption day when she finally became a Betron) we have sent in our formal paperwork for our next adoption.  In the big scheme of things, this is only step number four of many more steps.  The entire application process takes about four months with the conclusion of our home study.  The paperwork we sent in today includes background information, copies of birth certificates, insurance papers, proof of will, pet vaccinations, copy of our marriage license, permission for background check, etc.  One of the things we've learned about adoption is that when it's all said and done, the agency knows more about you than you know about yourself. 

Specific ways to pray now:
- Pray for the birthmother who is considering an adoption plan for the child she is carrying.
- Pray that we would be patient as we move forward through this journey.
- Pray that the resources we need for this would come together to keep us moving through the different stages.  This formal paperwork is $300.  An upcoming seminar is $300.  A formal interview is $500.  An installment of $2000 follows our home study.  This is all due before placement. 
- Pray that our formal paperwork would be accepted by the agency and without any hitches.

Thank you for praying,

Jeremiah, Amanda, and Hesedah

Fundraising Through Pure Charity

We are starting down the road of raising funds for adoption.  This is a very difficult part of the adoption process, but it's also very exciting.  Our fundraising efforts are being hosted through an organization called Pure Charity.  We were directed to this agency through ABBA Fund, a Christian ministry assisting families with adoption grants and loans.  Pure Charity provides a platform for many people and organizations to raise money for things like missions, adoption, travel, and many other needs.  We like Pure Charity for a couple reasons.  For one, any gifts you give toward our adoption will go directly to our adoption agency, Buckner Child & Family Services.  This means that your gifts will be tax-deductible since they never pass through our hands.  Secondly, as you visit our Pure Charity fundraising page, you'll see that not only can you make a donation, but you can assist us in fundraising by becoming a field partner, sharing on Facebook and Twitter, or by embedding a widget on your blog.  Click the "Pure Charity" link in the sidebar on the right or the link below to reach our fundraising page.

CLICK HERE: Jeremiah & Amanda's Adoption

Thanks for praying,

Jeremiah, Amanda, & Hesedah

Orientation Meeting

We attended our orientation meeting yesterday at the Buckner office in Longview.  We were in the company of three other couples for 3.5 hours.  The meeting went by quickly and made us even more excited about adding a child to our family. 

Since we've been through the adoption process before, it seems sort of redundant to have to go through all of these meetings again.  As we sat at lunch before the meeting, we both said that we kind of feel like we know what it's all about.  However, it is important for us to go to these meetings, especially since we adopted Sedah in a different state and with a different agency.  A lot of the information is the same, but we also learned a lot of new things.  

We walked away from this meeting thinking about the baby that God is preparing for us.  As we watched a video of some parents talking about open adoption, the mother made a great statement.  She said, "We are advocates for open adoption because it's grounded in truth.  There are no secrets to hide.  Secrets are based on fear."  For both Sedah and the little one we will bring home, we believe that open adoption will provide a well-balanced sense of identity as they grow older. 

A second child is a long way off (18-24 months).  We did hear that there are only five couples in Buckner's system for domestic infant adoption, so we are coming in at a good time.  Our next step is to begin filling out a lot of paperwork - applications, fingerprints, interviews, and reference checks.  We'll also be starting our fundraising.  We will be selling wooden flower pots that Jeremiah will be making.  We'll post more info about that soon.

If you get a chance, check out Buckner's website at www.buckner.org. 

Thanks for praying,

Jeremiah, Amanda, and Hesedah

Our Journey Continues

On December 27, 2010, we started down the road on a journey toward adoption.  It was a journey that caused us to grow in our faith, trusting God for incredible things as He prepared us for the arrival of a child into our family.  It was a short seven months later that we met Hesedah.  We arrived at the hospital after she was born and fell in love with her as soon as we laid eyes on her.  The first leg of our journey has been incredibly rewarding and we often say we would do it a thousand times again.

On December 23, 2013 (just three weeks ago), we met with Buckner International, a foster and adoption agency in East Texas, to begin our second journey of adoption.  Our first application has been submitted and we will be attending an adoption orientation this week.  We are thrilled to be on this journey again.  Hesedah will be such a great big sister.  We are excited to be growing our family through adoption.

To give you a little background, our plans for having a family haven't been easy.  We've been through two miscarriages and have had plenty of infertility treatments.  From a medical perspective, everything appears to be fine and we should be able to conceive.  However, it does not appear that it is in the Lord's plans for us to have biological children.  As we reflect on how this has all worked out, we realize that if we had biological children, we probably would not have Hesedah.  The same is true now.  There's a baby that only God knows and we are looking forward to adding him/her to our family. 

As we think about this journey, our prayers are for a child out there somewhere.  We are also praying for a birthmother who is contemplating a plan for adoption for the child she is carrying.  Once again, we are trusting the Lord and asking you to pray with us. 

This blog will chronicle our journey of life and hope.  Please pray for us and follow our story.  Also, feel free to pass our story on to others.  Something that really helps the adoption process is networking, connecting with others who might know of an adoption opportunity.  The more people you tell, the better we will be connected.

Some ways to pray:
- Pray for the birthmother who is making a plan for her unborn child, especially that she will make a plan for adoption.
- Pray for our meeting with the adoption agency on January 16.
- Pray for our financial needs as we gather our resources for this journey.