Family Friday: Keith and Tana

Meet Keith and Tana and their four little ones (three of which are within 15 months of each other!!!)

Aliyah Faith (Ludmia) and Christela Hope came home to Denver, CO from Haiti last January... 12 days after the earthquake.  In the midst of sorrow and devastation, God chose to work good for two precious little girls, who otherwise would have waited for another 1-3 years to come home to their forever family.

Today, instead of waiting for a home, Aliyah and Christela are thriving with two brothers and a mommy and daddy who LOVE them!

We want to thank Lifesong for Orphans again for your support of us in our adoption process!  

We are so thankful to have our girls home... to see their smiles and laughs.  And we know that the Lord has given them such a life of hope now... and a family that loves them.  

Your support was huge for us... both financially and as a confirmation that we were hearing the Lord correctly.  Even though we didn't have the funds to bring these two precious girls home, He did!  And He provided!

Keith and Tana

Thanks, Keith and Tana!  We at Lifesong are blessed to be a part of your story!

 

Family Friday: meet James and Ellen

It's time for

Meet James and Ellen... and their MIGHTY clan!

4th row (yes, this family takes up 4 rows!): David, Ryan, James, Ellen

3rd row: Christy, Molly, Emily, Will, Kelly

2nd row: Amy, Kate

1st row: Meg, Ahna

Hello! (Ellen speaking)

James and I prayed for a year and a half wondering if the Lord wanted us to adopt again.  We had already adopted seven children and five had special needs including hearing impairments, cleft lips and palates, ADHD, and a learning disability.  By the world's standards, we had already done more than our share.

However, after learning about the plight of children in Russia, we decided to pursue a sibling group of two children.  Long story short, the Lord had other plans.   

Another agency told us about a group of five children.  Five children?  Did they think we were crazy?  But James asked me to request the pictures, so I did.  The children were beautiful, but there were so many of them!  In addition, the eldest boy had Dandy-Walker Syndrome resulting in water on the brain.

Our process to adopt these kids was difficult from the beginning.  One of the boys wanted us to adopt him, but was afraid of America.  He asked us to move to Russia.  Though we couldn't do that we fought to adopt him, but the courts denied our request.   We knew, however, that God was the advocate for all of us, so we continued with the adoption of the other four.

Our adoptions became finalized six days before adoptions ended in Russia.  I ended up traveling to Russia alone, not knowing the language, and in an extremely frightening environment.   It wasn't a good situation.  The little girls also struggled with a lot of anger and would hit and kick me every chance they could.  It was an extremely difficult time and I couldn't wait to get home.

A few months after bringing the children home, our new son required emergency brain surgery for a failed shunt.  He should have gone blind, been paralyzed, or died.  But he didn't.  The Lord spared his life.  

Our great God provided a future and hope through the donations that you provided.  We were totally out of money and had no idea how we could have ever found $100,000.00 to pay for the expenses. 

We still have loans to pay off, but without your generosity, there would have been four more children dumped onto the streets of Russia. 

Together, we snatched children out of the hand of the enemy.  To God be the glory!!!"

Wow!  James and Ellen, you guys are amazing!  The journey you have chosen has not been easy, and I'm sure there will continue to be some great challenges in the future, but praise the Lord for His faithfulness and thank you for your obedience to His calling!  The staff here at Lifesong is blessed to be a part of your story!

Family Friday: Joel and Kristie

 

Both being raised in strong family environments, Joel and Kristie knew they wanted to someday have a family of their own.  But almost eight years into their marriage, after numerous treatments, surgeries, and miscarriages they were unable to have children biologically.

Kristie refers back to this difficult time in their lives:

I now believe that God has allowed me to experience such great pain and loss, so that I may better understand the pain and loss that these orphans experience."

Once their decision to adoption became a reality, they faced the struggle that so many other couples face in their situation: Cost.  Lifesong for Orphans was able to provide them with fundraising support and just this past month Joel and Kristie were able to pick up their little boy... born halfway across the world, selected by God to be their son.  What a reason for rejoicing!

We are back from the Congo with our sweet little guy, Kaden.  He is adjusting really well, although nap time is still the enemy.  Here's a picture our little one that you helped bring home.  

Thanks for all you do!"

-Joel

Thank you, Joel and Kristie!  The staff at Lifesong is blessed to be a part of your story!

Family Friday: the Creasy's

Our adoption journey began two years ago almost to the day that we brought our daughter home. My wife and I knew without a doubt that God had called us to begin our family through the blessing of adoption, but we were also keenly aware of the various challenges and complications that lay before us. However, we put our faith in knowing that what God had called us to, He would give us the strength and ability to achieve.

One of the largest obstacles in adoption is the financial obligation, and as a bi-vocational minister, we simply were incapable of funding the entire adoption out of pocket. This is when we heard of Lifesong for Orphans.  We knew it would be by God’s grace through Lifesong for Orphans that we would reach our goal.

We began praying Christmas of 09 that we would bring our child home before Christmas the following year. Not only were we matched and our baby born, but we were able to return home on Christmas Eve! We prayed that God would fund the adoption, and through gracious organizations such as Lifesong, He answered that prayer. Looking over the past two years, we are amazed to see the hand of God through our adoption journey. He continues to be faithful.

I love how personal our God is about answering our prayers... that they brought their little girl home on Christmas Eve is awesome!

Thank you, Logan and Melody, for letting us be a part of your journey!

Resources4Adoption

If you are in the midst of the adoption process or are considering adoption here is a great resource.  Resources4Adoption provides answers to numerous question and updated information on many different resources.  Here's a word from the founder, Cherri Walrod: 

Resources4Adoption.com has been a vision of mine for more than nine years.

My husband and I knew we wanted to adopt, but when I began searching for financial resources, I became frustrated by the lack of information. But we were committed and determined to make our adoption dream a reality. After literally hundreds of hours of research, countless emails, dozens of phone calls, stacks upon stacks of paperwork and an out-pour of support from friends and family, we were blessed with three wonderful adopted children.

Adoption is such a beautiful experience, and I wanted to make it more feasible and eliminate some of the stress involved, so more moms and dad could bring their children home. My goal was to create one comprehensive site so parents would not have to repeat my experience, trying to navigate through broken links and outdated information to find resources to help them (yes, there are resources that can help you!)

 It took nine years of information-gathering and careful planning, but alas, Resources4Adoption.com is here! It offers a wealth of knowledge that can only be obtained through hundreds of dedicated hours, first-hand experience and a passion for adoption.

 As you venture on your adoption journey, I hope you find Resources4Adoption.com to be beneficial. If it helps you—if even in the slightest—bring home your son or daughter, I have succeeded. Use the information on Resources4Adoption, and never, ever lose sight of your dream. With hope, determination and the right knowledge, your adoption dreams CAN and WILL become a reality!

 ~Cherri Walrod, founder

Thank you, Cherri, for your support of Lifesong for Orphans, your research on behalf of adoptive parents everywhere, and your heart for the fatherless!