Family Friday: "Adoption is hard...and worth it"

We find ourselves at yet another Family Friday! Please join me in praise with Greg & Charisa and their growing family and as they share the pure FAITHFULNESS God has shown them in their journey...

This adoption was an adoption of faith almost from day one!  We signed on with our agency in February and were excited to again add to our family through the miracle of adoption. Greg found out that his position was being cut and he would lose his job, along with the $5000 adoption credit his company would give. Yikes!

There were so many questions at that time—where would he find a job? Would we have to move? What about the adoption? Did we hear God wrong?  We chose to have faith and believe God had something in store for us and He did! Greg was offered our job with our local food bank which lines up with his heart for helping the vulnerable! We were blessed as he only had to go two weeks without a job.  

In March we received the referral of a beautiful baby boy whose name means “Praise.” We were excited and quickly fell in love.  The Monday of the week we were leaving, I received that DREADED phone call.  Our little one’s mother came to court and changed her mind and took him home.  My first emotional reaction? I am done. Adoption is too hard. I can’t stand the emotional roller coaster anymore.  I AM DONE!  

Even in the midst of this God was working and moving. My caseworker called my husband first and told him to come home. We cried, prayed, asked many why’s and just sat in silence.  

As we continued to pray God asked me, “Who is adoption about? You or the child that needs a home?”  I began to realize, (I knew it down deep but it finally rose to the surface of my heart) that this was a good thing.   If this little baby’s mom changed her mind and could raise him—than that is who he should be with! How could I be upset with that?  Was I grieving?  Yes—for the loss of the child who we thought would be our son. However, I was so happy that this child could be raised by the mother that carried him, named him, and loved him.  

Fast forward a couple of days and we received another referral of a tiny little boy, Teshale, whose name means “Better One.” I can’t even begin to tell you how that confirmed everything for us. God has blessed us immensely and looking back we can see how everything worked according to His plan.  

July 15th we were in Ethiopia for court and met our son. He was our son! The bond was immediate and we knew this was the child God had for our family. We came home September 10^th 2011 and are doing well. We are more than blessed.

Adoption is hard. It is emotional.  It is full of bumps, curves, and road blocks. It is worth it. 

I now have so much more of a picture of what Christ endured for me.  I have a glimpse of His heartache and passion.  As I sat and cried over that first little boy I imagined how God weeps over those that He longs to have as His children.

Thank you Lifesong for being part of our story. Your encouragement and affirmation played a vital role in our adoption journey.  We appreciate you so much!

-Greg & Charisa

Family Friday: Craig & Tessy

Listen in to the powerful adoption testimony from Craig & Tessy as they adopted Zalen Moise from the Democratic Republic of Congo...

Adoption changed my life.  I will never be the same.  Our family will never be the same.  I am so thankful.

Through the process of adoption it was as if I was allowed to peek into the mystery of how much my God loves me.  The lengths of love and sacrifice that He is willing to go through to make us His children.  His deep desire to adopt each of us no matter where we are at or what we have been through. 

I remember at times being overwhelmed with the piles of paperwork and red tape required to get my son home.  I remember the countless fundraisers as we attempted to meet the financial deadlines looming before us.  I recall the beautiful blessing of relief when a letter would arrive in the mailbox with a donation that was in the exact amount that we needed to meet our current financial need.  One of those letters was from "Lifesong for Orphans" right before we traveled. 

Our adoption didn't follow the normal pattern of "wait..wait..wait" that many have to endure.  Our paperwork moved quickly and travel time was upon us before we were ready.  There was no time to host another fundraiser, it was time to travel.  An answered prayer arrived just in time.  A few weeks before we needed to make travel plans we received a generous, just the amount needed, grant from Lifesong.

This happened throughout our journey, God supplying our every need just in time. It was many times through the body of Christ who sacrificed time and money to demonstrate the wonderful love of Christ to our family.  It was overwhelming.  It was a blessing.  It was an answer to our prayers.

-Craig & Tessy, Adoptive Parents

Family Friday: Bruce & Karen

Bruce and Karen have a story of patience, faithfulness and perseverance. Through pregnancy difficulties and adoption hurdles and heartbreak, God had slowly been preparing their heart and home for what He had planned for them. 

Through the hard times, Bruce and Karen thought maybe God didn't want them to have children of their own.  But things changed on Mother's Day 2011.  A friend from their church told them of a little boy who was deaf in Hungary who needed a forever family. AMAZINGLY, Bruce and Karen had both been learning sign language because they believed God was calling them to start a deaf ministry at their church!  After much praying, fasting and wisdom-seeking, they believed God was opening this door for them.  Even though it was scary to think of the challenges ahead, they chose to walk through it!

Through a matching grant from the James Fund (Partnered with Lifesong for Orphans), Bruce & Karen were able to raise the funds they needed to complete their adoption.

First meeting with their new son, Marcell.

First official family picture!

We were blessed to find Lifesong and to be accepted for a matching grant.  Our friends and family donated over $3,000 and James Fund/Lifesong matched every penny of it!  Receiving the checks from Lifesong was an added encouragement to us as we continued on our adoption journey. The costs of adopting internationally are so large that at times we felt overwhelmed. But knowing Lifesong was behind us, and people there were praying for us, helped us continue on our journey.

-Bruce & Karen

Family Friday: Robert & Tammy

Robert and Tammy had been discussing the idea adoption since they were first married.  In fact, early on they started saving, preparing for the cost of adoption. 

After having two daughters biologically, Robert and Tammy started researching and looking into the specifics of adoption.  God was obviously at work in their hearts as he moved their eyes and ears to the cry of the orphan in our own country of America. 

As they stepped deeper into their adoption journey, they were surprised by the high costs involved in adoption. Realizing they hadn't saved near enough, they began to sell some of their belongings, hosted yard sales, and picked up odd jobs to offset their deficit.  They also partnered with us at Lifesong for Orphans and set up a fundraising account for their friends and family to give in a way that was safe and tax-deductible. 

Through several twists and unexpected turns, they were finally matched with a little girl, Gabriella Faith. 

It is such an honor to be chosen to be her family. Adoption, for us, was a glimpse into the ultimate love…God’s love. It wasn’t easy, but we would do it ten times over to get our Gabby.

I hold our little girl, and I am so thankful that Gabriella is a part of our family. She so easily could be an orphan cared for in foster care. She so easily could have been an abortion statistic. Instead, she is our precious baby girl that adored. Her two big sisters love her so much. None of us can imagine our family without her. It amazes us all how God put our family together so perfectly. 

-Robert & Tammy

Family Friday: Joshua & Shayla

I love Family Fridays. It's hard to top seeing God fulfill His promise of placing the lonely into families.

This week, allow me to introduce to you Joshua and Shayla. Knowing that their Father God had spiritually adopted them, they felt God's prompting through James 1:27 to adopt a child into their forever family.  This spring God perfect orchestrated their journey to their little girl, Zola, this spring. 

 Everyone at Lifesong was super friendly and responsive. They would get back to me very quickly. It was very stress-free; it was one of the only 'easy' [parts about adoption.  When we got the "call" that our baby was born and ready for us in Florida, we had already had tickets bought for the next morning to Florida for a vacation! Such a God thing!

-Joshua & Shayla 

Please join us in rejoicing with this family by leaving them a comment!