Adoption Story: Melissa + Holden

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I had the immense joy of walking with Holden and Melissa on the journey that led them to their precious TWIN BOYS! The story that led them to their children was not easy, but God was faithful through it all. He provided everything they needed every step of the way. It can be scary stepping into unknown spaces, but they held tight to the truth that God was with them, even at times when they couldn’t see it. Melissa & Holden, thank you for entrusting me to walk with you on this process-it was an honor! Melissa shares their story below, and I know it will be an encouragement to you wherever you are on your adoption journey!

Growing up, I had always loved to think about my future as a wife and mom. To me, they were one and the same…you get married and have children. When my husband and I married, he was in the Marine Corps, so having a child was placed on hold. After five years, we began trying for a baby and quickly realized we needed to seek help. Eventually, we pursued IVF, and God gave us our beautiful baby girl.

Over the next four years, we continued through that process only to suffer loss and miscarriage. When we came to the end of that journey, our hearts were broken. We didn’t understand why God had allowed our heartbreak to continue. Not only did we desire to grow our family, but our daughter was very aware of our most recent loss (I had carried that baby for 9 weeks) and prayed every night for God to give us a child.

My husband had been holding onto the idea of our family adopting, but I was initially hesitant. I had family that had gone through a failed adoption and friends who did foster care. I heard about the heartache they endured, and it initially scared me. But God began to stir my heart and made it clear to me that adoption was His plan for our family.

Not too far from where we live, we noticed two adoption consulting groups, one of which was Christian Adoption Consultants. I contacted them first because I loved that they are faith-based. I was referred to Kelly, and I think we immediately found a bond when she began talking. She showed empathy and concern for our situation right from the start, and that truly spoke volumes to me. When our first call ended, I knew she was sent to us. At that time, I knew our only hiccup would be the financial aspect. We decided that that was something we knew we could trust God with, so it was time to follow through.

I am such a planner, and I can remember just being so overwhelmed from the start of everything that was involved in this process. Kelly was so calming and reassuring as we navigated it together. Every time I’d be about to lose it, she’d be just a call or email away and remind me to take it one step at a time. Once we finally finished the first steps, the agency applications were something I took very seriously. In one of our agency interviews, the lady I spoke with over the phone (having adopted herself) shared a line with me that I repeated to myself more times throughout this process than I could count. She said, “Keep this mindset: It’s not IF you adopt; it’s WHEN you adopt.”

As we began receiving situations and understanding the magnitude of those decisions, we quickly realized how overwhelming this part of the process could be. The constant decisions and prayers…Kelly, again was my backbone throughout. She always guided our thinking by reminding me God knew! He would give peace if it was right, and if He didn’t, then it wasn’t for us. I remember the first no and the grief that came with it. That was followed by many more no’s. As we began to approach the one-year mark with CAC, my heart was truly just broken. All the hopes and dreams were beginning to fade into the questions of if this was really God’s call or just my selfish desires. It’s amazing what Satan can convince us of when we don’t fill our hearts and minds with God’s truths!

At what seemed like the last minute before we’d need to start updating our home study, we received a situation that I really thought was it. Long story short, we received yet another no. Our daughter was about to start school, and we had taken a family trip to the beach to end our summer. While there, I remember just being ready to quit. I was so tired and just had no drive to keep going…but God! God used that time away to renew my heart as I took intentional time with Him. I knew it wasn’t time to give up yet, and I was ready to continue until we got our baby!

Little did I know, just a week later, I’d get a message about twin boys who had just been born. Holden had been hesitant about twins all along, but I had always dreamed of having twins. I didn’t ever want to pressure him into presenting, so I left the decision to him and just prayed. We let Kelly know that night that we wanted to present! That was the beginning of one of the longest months of our lives! Haha! Three weeks later, we had a phone call with their biological mother and were matched! I can remember I sat on the floor during the call because I just couldn’t believe it could be happening. As we spoke with her, she acted as if we were already chosen, and tears streamed down my face throughout the entire call. No words can describe that moment as Holden, and I just sat there in shock, not even knowing if it could really be true!

Over the next three days, there were countless emails, home study updates, attorney calls, packing, shopping, childcare, and travel arrangements, and the list goes on. We left at the end of that week and were able to meet our babies in the NICU the following day. I didn’t know what to expect in those moments, and my emotions were just all over the place. As we sat holding our babies, the reality very slowly began to set in. We had a phone call from the biological father a couple of days after we arrived, and that was another incredible moment of this process. We didn’t really know a lot about him up until that point, but we had such a wonderful conversation, and it definitely was a gift from God. We are grateful for our sons’ Birth Mother and Birth Father. They have entrusted us with their boys forever, and the weight of that decision does not fall lightly on us. We think of them often and pray for them daily.

This process was truly the perfect reminder of God being the author of our story. It’s so easy in life for us to rush or plan or think we have control. But the reality is that while we can attempt all those things, our  Father is good and has a much better story planned than anything we can arrange, plan or work to accomplish. It put so much of life into perspective! How incredible that our suffering led us to the greatest blessing. These babies have completed my heart and our family. I wouldn’t trade one step in our journey because they all led us here.

If you aren’t quite where we are on your journey, just keep taking the steps God has called you to. I don’t know your ending, but I do know Who does! And I know that I’ll be grateful every day for the rest of my life that we didn’t give up! He gave us our “expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). All those no’s were truly so disheartening, but our yes was worth them all. 

Ready to Learn More?
I’d love to hear your story and help you explore how Christian Adoption Consultants can simplify the adoption process for your family. Send me an email at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com, and we can set up a time to connect. Whether you’re just starting to consider adoption or you’re ready to take the next step, I’m here to guide and encourage you every step of the way!

Adoption Story: Chad + Cori

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I remember my first conversation with Chad and Cori. They were so kind and easy to talk to, it seemed like I was connecting with good friends. We were only a few minutes into chatting and they began sharing their story and what led them to adoption. Shortly after our conversation, they signed on with me at Christian Adoption Consultants. After their home study was finished we had a call to go over their questions, next steps, and what to expect in the upcoming weeks and months. We discussed the wait that comes with the adoption process and the difficulty that can often bring. Little did we know that their wait would be short-lived as they went on to match the very first time they presented! It was such an honor to walk with them on the journey that led them to their son, Isaac. Cori shares a little about their journey below…

This year God has blown away all of our expectations. Working with Kelly and Christian Adoption Consultants provided such helpful information. It was a purposeful choice for Chad and I to foster hope in our hearts despite the risks and the disappointment that we could face. We thought it would be a roller coaster ride, but our experience was more like a wave!

In August, we started the process with Kelly at CAC. After our home study was finished, we began applying to agencies via their multi-agency approach. By January, we were accepted and began seeing situations, and in February, we were matched! It was like being knocked over by a wave of God’s grace and goodness.

Two things we now know about God and adoption that we didn’t know before….

1. We adopted our baby boy Isaac, but we also expanded our family more than we ever would have imagined! We have an open adoption and have built a relationship with his Birthmom and Birthfather. They are so very dear to our hearts!

2. With every obstacle we faced, it was evident that God had gone before and smoothed the way. When we were navigating Isaac’s birth and spending time with his Birth parents, Kelly spoke words of wisdom and encouragement to Chad and I. She pointed us toward a vision of what the future might look like, which was so life-giving. We are so grateful for Kelly and, of course, our bundle of Joy!

Our encouragement for families currently in the wait is to foster hope in your heart despite the “what ifs” because God is gracious, and He loves to surprise us!

If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me to receive a FREE inquiry packet, and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Mandy + Kirk

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It was such a joy working with Kirk and Mandy! I am so grateful that the Lord connected our paths, as it was such an honor to have a front-row seat in their adoption journey! Below they share the story that led them to their two amazing kiddos and how God bonded their hearts with them forever. 

It’s so cliché, but everything happens for a reason. Some people know from the jump that adoption is in their hearts and follow that path. We were not those people. Our 5-year journey to parenthood started in 2013 after we were married. We were placed on the adoption path in 2017 after trying to get pregnant both on our own and then with specialists. 

When we met our daughter, Kenna, for the first time in 2018, it was like the waters parted, and it all made sense. All of the heartbreak over years of negative tests and failed treatments just melted away. We fell in love with her instantly.

Fast forward a few years, and we were ready to grow our family again. We had briefly tossed around the idea of doing one “Hail Mary” round of IVF, but I just didn’t have it in my heart. Adoption had rooted in and taken hold of it. While our first adoption experience was wonderful, once we were “in” the world of adoption, we learned about these people called consultants… and specifically about this wonderful group of people at Christian Adoption Consultants. 

We were connected with Kelly Todd at CAC, and she quickly put us on our path to finding our son. She was there with us every step of the way. From reading letters to prospective birth families to offering prayers and kind words after the disappointments of not being chosen, to the joy after finding out we had matched, and finally, the elation that came with meeting our son, Liam. 

Once again, the minute we saw him, we knew we were meant to be together. Not only did we have those parental feelings of joy, love, and connection, but Kenna immediately fell in love with him as well.

So this is us… Our story isn’t necessarily what we thought it would be, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We could not love our children any more than we do. They amaze us, and we are in awe of them daily. God knew what he was doing when He joined our hearts with theirs. Our path is the path we were always meant to take, and we would do it again in a heartbeat!

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to receive a FREE inquiry packet, and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

CAC's New Embryo Adoption Program

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We are so excited about our Embryo Adoption Program that we recently launched at Chrisitan Adoption Consultants! If you missed the announcement, you can go ahead and read about it here.

What is Embryo Adoption? Embryo Adoption is the term used to describe the legal adoption of embryos that have been frozen and donated by families who have completed IVF (in-vitro fertilization). The Adoptive Family is able to use the donated embryos and carry their adopted child through pregnancy and birth.

Why is there a need for an Embryo Adoption Program (EAP)? There are over 1 million embryos in frozen storage in the United States. We instituted our EAP to advocate for these embryos as a life-affirming solution.

Why are there so many embryos frozen in storage? When couples go through IVF to assist them with growing their family, often, there are remaining embryos. Those embryos are stored until the family decides what to do with them. Then, they are provided four options: the embryos can remain frozen, be given to science, discarded, or donated to an adoptive family.

How does the EAP with Christian Adoption Consultants work? Embryo Adoption can be confusing and overwhelming, and we are here to take some of the heaviness off your plate by walking with you every step of the way! We provide families with education, support, and guidance throughout their journey. With CAC, you are never alone! Our families have access to our CAC Embryo Adoption Guide Book, which encompasses invaluable educational resources, taking families through the entire process from beginning to end. We direct families to reputable home study providers in their state and walk them through what to expect in the upcoming weeks and months. We connect families to the largest, oldest, and most reputable Embryo Adoption Programs and clinics in the United States. Our families have access to a comprehensive list of grants, fundraising, and creative financing ideas available for families pursuing embryo adoption. We assist families in understanding the matching process and openness agreements, as well as provide adoption attorney referrals when needed, and so much more!

What sets Christian Adoption Consultants apart from other services? Although our EAP is new, we are one of the world's oldest and largest adoption consulting companies! We’ve been around since 2006 and, since that time, have helped over 3,700 families with successful adoptions. In addition to our 20+ team members who house over 120 years of adoption experience, we have 2 Licensed Social Workers, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and a Registered Nurse. We also have full representation from the Adoption Triad-2 Birth Mothers, 2 Adoptees, and more than a dozen Adoptive Parents. For our EAP, we have an Adoption Advocate who provides consultations for families. Having walked through Embryo Adoption, she understands the concerns, questions, and complexities that may arise throughout the process.

Can I learn more about your EAP? Yes! We provide a free 30-minute consultation where families can learn more about our Embryo Adoption Program. If you want to schedule a call, please email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com. During our time together, I will walk you through the entire process and answer any questions you have. I will also provide you with an informational packet that gives an overview of our services.

Do you know how I can help? Yes! You can pray, and you can ask that God would help find Adoptive Families for His smallest image bearers. Perhaps, it is your family?

We have embryos currently in frozen storage that we would like to donate. Can you assist? Yes! Please visit our donor page here for more information.


***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to request a FREE information packet!***


7 Reasons Why Families Choose To Work With CAC

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You are ready to start the adoption process, but where do you begin? When my husband and I made the decision to move forward with growing our family through adoption, we were extremely excited! But, as we began researching our options, we realized there was so much about the process that we were completely clueless about!  After a few weeks of unfruitful research and trying to do it on our own, we discovered it was much more complex than we anticipated. We needed a map and a guide to help us navigate our journey.

A few of my friends had worked with Christian Adoption Consultants (CAC), and we had heard amazing reviews about the services and care they provide their families. After speaking on the phone with a consultant, we signed on with CAC the very next day! I tell everyone that working with CAC was by far the easiest and best decision we made in our adoption journey! Now I have the honor and privilege of guiding families through their own adoptive journey.

Here are 7 reasons why families choose to work with CAC:

  1. Multiple Agency Networking– We direct families to apply with trustworthy agencies and attorneys in adoption-friendly states. At CAC, we also receive referrals from adoption agencies and attorneys looking for adoptive families.

  2. Education & Guidance– There is more to adoption than the act itself. There is a lot to be learned along the way. At CAC, we are passionate about adoption education, and so we provide many opportunities for our families to grow in this area. We walk with our families throughout their entire 14-month contract and provide them with a step-by-step Adoptive Parent Guide Book-a resource that takes families through the entire adoption process. Our families are provided with monthly newsletters covering topics such as open adoption, positive adoption language, and encouragement for the wait.

  3. Experienced Professionals– We’ve been around since 2006 and, since that time, have helped over 3,700 families with successful adoptions. We are one of the largest, oldest, and most experienced adoption consulting companies in the world! Our staff at CAC have over 120 years of combined adoption experience. We have two licensed social workers on staff and 8 team members who have experience working at adoption agencies. Our founders have also launched licensed adoption agencies, so they have a broad understanding of adoption, depth of knowledge in regard to licensing requirements, legal processes of adoption, and how agencies operate.

  4. Personal Experience-Most of our staff are adoptive clients and/or former clients of CAC. We have two Adoptees and two Birth Mothers on staff who provide consultations for our families. They have an opportunity to sit with them over the phone, hear their story, learn from their perspective and ask questions. We have a staff that is passionate about adoption and who genuinely care about our clients! We understand the difficulties, joys, and challenges associated with the adoption process because we have walked through some of them ourselves.

  5. Shorter Wait Time– The average wait time for a match after a family’s home study is complete is 7-12 months. Some families match sooner than the average time, while other families take longer. Using a multi-agency approach and a personal advocate is the best way to cast a wider net of opportunities in the adoption process.

  6. Personal Advocate– As a consultant, we assist families in finding the right agency and adoption situation for their family. Additionally, we will help our clients navigate the warning signs to reduce the levels of risks associated with the adoption process. I love being a part of a team that prays consistently for not only the hopeful adoptive parents but the expectant mamas and birth families, as well.

  7. Financial Advice– Adoption can be expensive. We provide families with resources and tools on how to fund their adoption through grants, loans, tax benefits, and fundraising.

From the moment we signed on with CAC, it’s as if a heavy weight was lifted off of our shoulders. We knew where the final destination was, but we were clueless about how to get there. CAC provided us with the map we needed and guided us every step of the way. 

If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to receive a FREE inquiry packet, and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***



Adoption Story: Molly + John

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As an adoption consultant, I have a front-row seat in watching God’s plans unfold for amazing couples, just like John & Molly. A few questions I often ask families inquiring about our services here at Christian Adoption Consultants is, “What led you down this path? What brought you here?” I will never forget the sheer vulnerability that poured from Molly’s heart when she answered those questions. There was not a dry eye on the phone. As Molly shares below, their adoption story did not pan out as they expected it would, but God did not waste their wait. He never does. Molly and John, it was an honor to assist you on the journey to your beautiful baby girl!

As far back as when I was a 12-year-old little girl, I remember being somewhat aware of the topic of adoption. I had a cousin who was adopted, and the thought of adopting was planted in my heart. Fast forward many years later, and the topic of adoption came up again. My husband and I welcomed twin boys. During my labor, I had very serious complications that eventually led to me not being able to have any more biological children. I brought the topic of adoption up to my husband, but at the time, he was not on board. This conversation continued to happen over many years. I still felt the tug of adoption on my heart, but my husband just wasn't feeling the same way. I continued to pray over and over that the Lord would either change my husband's heart or mine. It was the year 2020 when I first saw my husband's heart change. That fall, he came up to me and said, "I'm ready.” And thus, we began our journey to adopt.

I knew from the get-go that I wanted to work with an adoption consultant. The world of adoption felt overwhelming and confusing. I wanted someone who could help guide us along the way and pray for us. I had heard of CAC in my research, and I reached out to them for more information. We were immediately set up with an informational call with Kelly. After asking a few questions, I knew this was the route I wanted to take. We quickly signed up to work with Kelly, and we are so thankful we did.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it, the process was tough-mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Even though I tried to prepare myself for how hard it was going to be, there is just nothing one could do to totally prepare for what it is going to be like. From the Home Study paperwork, the tough conversations you have to have as a couple, to the rejection you feel when you are not picked by a birth mom-it's just difficult. There were so many times I had to surrender everything to God and choose to praise Him despite feeling defeated.

Everyone always tells you that "waiting" is the hardest part and it's true. In my head, I thought our wait would be quick. In every case that we would present, we couldn't help but get our hopes up. "Maybe this is the ONE," I would think to myself. I would begin to envision how our family would change, how I would prepare for the baby, etc. And then when we would get the email. "I'm sorry, the expecting mom has chosen to go with another family.” All those dreams came crashing down. I would allow myself to be sad about it for a while. I didn't know how not to be sad when not chosen. I knew that I trusted God, but that didn't make it any less sad for me.

Throughout all the ups and downs, Kelly was always there to lend a listening and comforting ear. She would pray for us when we were frustrated. She would encourage us when we were down. I can't tell you how much this meant to me during all the hard waiting times of adoption. She was also there to answer the numerous questions that would arise during this time. Each agency is so different and so there are always things that we would run past Kelly when we were unclear about something. She was quick to reply and always so patient with us.

During our time of waiting, we just kept reminding ourselves that God was in control. That HE knew what was best for our family and that we would trust him with that.

When we first read about our daughter's situation, we felt excited but also kept our excitement at bay. We were drawn to the case, but we had learned from past experience that nothing is a sure thing. We told the agency that yes, we wanted to be presented. The day I got the call was the day after Mother's Day and the day before our twins' birthday. I remember looking at my caller ID and seeing a state listed, and it was the same state as the agency where we presented. My heart immediately started beating faster. I remember the person from the agency telling me that we matched, and I immediately started crying. It felt surreal! I was elated, excited, nervous, happy, all the emotions! I immediately face timed my husband at work, and he could tell just by looking at my face that I was calling with great news. We were both just so excited! I then made the calls to some of my dear friends who had been praying for us for such a long time on this journey. Their joy was palpable!

We matched with our daughter’s Birth Mom in May, and our daughter was due a few months later. We immediately started to plan a time when we could meet our daughter’s Birth Mom. I was, of course, nervous and excited. What would it be like? How would the conversation go?  It was very neat because I had immense peace on the day of the meeting. I felt a sense of calm, and I know it was because we had so many people praying for us.  When we arrived to meet her, I immediately gave her a hug. I'm a hugger, so I told her that, and she smiled and gladly hugged me back. It was so neat to have dinner with her and her family. The conversation just flowed. My heart just felt so much peace and happiness.

Fast forward a few months, and it was the end of July. We had just hung out with some friends that day and got home in the evening. I heard my phone ring, but I missed the call. I went to get it and immediately saw that the call was from our social worker. I looked at my husband and said, "It's baby time; I just know it.” I called the social worker back, and she told me that, yes, our birth mom was in labor. Cue the adrenaline spike! At this point, it was 8:30 pm, and we had a 10 hr drive ahead of us. I already had a bag packed for the baby, but we still had to pack ourselves. We rushed around, called our friend to come and stay with our boys, and then called my parents so they could come and stay with the boys until we could return.

We had been invited to attend the birth, and we weren't sure we were going to make it. All the while, we were receiving updates from the social worker. It became clear that we weren't going to make it for the birth. Although disappointed, we knew it was out of our hands. Our social worker was great at sending us updates. We got the text at around 4:00 am that our daughter was born! We couldn’t wait to meet her!

When we got to the hospital, I remember slowly walking into the room and seeing our daughter in that little hospital bassinet. She was starting to wake up and fuss a bit, so I asked if I could hold her. I scooped her up and just stared at her precious little face. I couldn't believe that after all the years of prayer and longing, I was holding my daughter. My heart could burst. I was so happy. I remember looking at her and thinking, "You are the one we have prayed for all of these years.” I also remember thinking, "God, you are so so good.”

We are so thankful that we have an open adoption with our daughter's birth mother. That was something that was very important for our daughter’s Birth Mom and us as well. We communicate very regularly via text. We also facetime occasionally and will see her around the time of our daughter's first birthday. We want our daughter to know how loved she is by her Birth Mom! The fact that she is in our lives and can tell her that as she grows up is so amazing!

This process definitely taught me a lot about trusting God and surrendering my plans to Him. I, of course, had the perfect idea of when it would be ideal to match.  And while it didn't go badly, it definitely took longer than I thought it would. This process really taught me to not only say I trusted God but showed me how to trust God. With every "no" we got, I had to surrender that plan or dream to God and say, "I don't understand, but I trust you, God.” That was really hard. But it grew my faith and taught me to surrender my plans for His.

No one can really prepare you for the ups and downs that come with this journey. You can read every blog or every story, but just know yours will be unique to you. My advice would be not to have timeline expectations on when your match will happen. Make sure you and your spouse talk through how you're doing emotionally and mentally throughout the process. My husband and I dealt with disappointment in this journey very differently, and that was hard at times. I would also encourage you to have a support system. Share with your friends and family so that they can pray for you. Prayer is huge during this journey and very needed. There were many times I wanted to give up, or I was emotionally exhausted, and it was because of prayer and encouragement from friends and family that we were able to keep going. My other piece of advice sounds so cliche, but it's true. Trust God along the process. You may hear some hard "no's," but trust God that this is not the child for your family.

Professional Photos by Tiffany Brubaker Photography


***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to request a FREE information packet!***

Adoption Story: Josh + Rachel

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I had the joy of walking with Josh and Rachel through the adoption journey that led them to their sweet boy, Shepp! Although the story to growing their family was not easy, they never gave up and continued to place their trust in God, despite their circumstances. It’s my prayer that Rachel’s words would be an encouragement to you today!

Once we both decided to move forward with pursuing adoption, I was full steam ahead. I never imagined how much the next year would change me. I was so quick with filling out our adoption agency application, getting home study documents submitted and then filling out the questionnaire asking our preferences. I remember us both thinking we wanted a closed adoption-after all that’s what most people who are clueless about adoption think it is. After we had our home study approved and were an active and waiting couple I felt so lost-I needed to be doing something. I switched from listening to my usual podcasts to all adoption story podcasts. It really changed my perspective on open adoption completely. It made me realize it wasn’t just about us-this will be a part of our child and their birth families life forever too. It took Josh a little longer to come along to understanding the importance of this-he has changed through first hand seeing how true this is.

I struggled so much with the wait. I had such consuming anxiety about just wanting it to happen and not knowing when it would. We quickly got the nursery all set up and after about a month into our wait I started going into the nursery every night after work and reading the Bible and praying about our journey. I prayed every day for our child's Birth Mother-that she would know without a doubt that we were the right family when she saw our profile and that God would protect them both. I clung to knowing that God is in control.

A few months into our wait I was praying to God to help me know if we were on the right path. As I was praying I got a message on my phone. I looked at it and a family member had sent me a link to a blog post that one of her friends wrote about refinement in the waiting room-talking about how God was working through the wait. I knew this was true, I had already seen how much I had changed and my perspective on adoption had changed. The blog post was written by Kelly at Christian Adoption Consultants. The next week I signed on with CAC and got to work signing on with additional agencies.

A few weeks into our time with CAC I got received a message from an expecting mother who found us online. After talking back and forth for awhile, she said she wanted to place her baby boy with us. Although we knew self-matching was riskier, we felt peace about moving forward. We spent a lot of time talking and getting to know her. Although she ended up choosing to parent, we understood. We actually have become friends and are still in contact to this day!

We were back to waiting! As I was struggling so much with the wait, one thing Kelly said in an email really stuck with me and got me through. She said “Nothing you do can mess up what God has planned.” (Or don’t do). It’s so hard knowing what cases to apply to and if you get something wrong the impact it could have, but it really helped me get back to reality that God had a plan. it was January when I got an email from Kelly recommending another agency for us to apply with. We signed on with them and just about a month after being active with them we received the long awaited phone call saying we had been chosen and baby was due exactly a month from that day! Everyone always says the call will come when you least expect it, which is so frustrating when literally all you do is think about getting the call- but I really was home from work sick in bed when I got the call, so maybe there is some truth to i!

The following day she had an ultrasound and found out she was having a baby boy. I just knew that was little Shepp!

Kelly was such a great person to help and lean on throughout our time with CAC. We had a very stressful few days after Shepp was born and she was a great source of encouragement and prayers! We have such a heart for Shepp’s Birth Mother and are so grateful to her for making us parents together. Although it was the hardest year of my life, God changed us and our hearts so much during that time. It's our deepest prayer that Shepp will always know how deeply loved he is by God, us and his Birth Family!

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to request a FREE information packet!***

Adoption Story: Rachel + Adam

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As an Adoption Consultant with CAC, I have the honor and joy of guiding families through the adoption process. It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly! I’ve had the opportunity to meet the most amazing families and share with them in their joys and losses. The adoption process is not for the faint of heart. Adam and Rachel’s story to their son is a testimony to that! Their perspective throughout the ups and downs of this process was truly inspiring. God’s grace shined through their entire journey even when things did not unfold as they planned. I pray Rachel’s words would be an encouragement to you today!

Even before we adopted our son, adoption was already a big part of our life. My faith journey and growing up years were significantly impacted by the adoption of my sisters. They joined our family when I was 12 years old. My husband was interested in it as well, but not sure of the timing. Staring secondary infertility in the face took a few years to come to grips with. This was not the way we saw things working out.

Once God made it clear to us adoption was in fact His plan for us, it was by the recommendation of a very sweet couple who had adopted previously that shared how necessary and helpful Christian Adoption Consults was! We quickly looked into their suggestion. How thankful we are we did! Kelly Todd was and has been a pure blessing! From helping to navigate the adoption world, being a constant encouragement in the many "not yets", failed matches, and a fellow believer in Christ who has walked through hard things herself, Kelly was phenomenal! We are so thankful we had her care and expertise along the journey!  

Shortly after we signed on with CAC, we matched with an expecting mother! We were thrilled and in disbelief that it had happened so soon! Not too long after she chose us, the agency called to let us know that she had miscarried.  We mourned the loss for her and with her. Our hearts were broken. Although it was not easy, we continued moving forward in the adoption process. We walked through 2 more interrupted adoptions where the expecting mamas chose to parent. Although we trusted God had purposes for these matches, there was so much we didn't understand. We continually entrusted it all to the only One who does. If God had used us to provide needed support, love, and prayers for birth families in hard places, it had to be worth it all in God's economy. We knew for sure God had radically increased our dependency upon Him, as well as, created a greater compassion for the needs, and lostness of birth families. If this was growing more into the likeness of Christ, we wanted it. However, it was nothing we would have ever chosen! We never expected it to be this hard.

I'll never forget the phone call we received on July 19th. We were matched with a precious mother due in a month. The tears of disbelief, fear, and excitement filled my eyes.As we continued living cautiously, yet hopeful, we received a call our son's birth mother was admitted to the hospital two weeks early. Everything was OK, but we needed to travel many states away as soon as possible! We drove all night and arrived to our destination! If there is anything we had learned along our adoption journey, it's that God's plans are not our own (Isaiah 55:8-9). Just as we were about to communicate with the agency that we were ready to meet this precious child and birth mother, we were told the birth mother wanted the night with the baby to herself. We understood.  We also had been through a few other matches and this was sounding all too familiar. After some prayer, some tears, and rest we accepted that if we could come alongside a struggling mother, we had done just what God wanted. In fact, we weren't sure we could continue on emotionally and financially, but if this was the end of the journey, our reward was in Heaven. It was going to be ok.

Against all odds, she was still willing to meet us! Due to regulations at the time, only one person was allowed to visit. The following morning at 10 am I was so honored to be invited to visit! The visit was one of the best days of my life too! Blessing a mother with gifts and flowers, holding her baby, (which I would not have ever dreamed of asking to do, but she immediately offered), and being able to verbally tell her of our care for her, that we trusted God knew exactly where her child should be placed, and her bravery to carry a child in a less than ideal circumstance was exhilarating! We were happy cheering her on even without becoming the adopted parents of her child. God had given us peace and joy in this all.

Honestly feeling the door was closed for adoption with this particular situation, we made plans to visit a dear missionary family a few hours away. It was a grand treat to get this opportunity! There was good God was providing for us!

Later that evening as we pulled into the parking garage, we received a phone call from the agency. This brave and loving mother decided to continue on with her adoption plan! We were stunned. We didn't tell any family or friends, just to see what might develop as we had to wait until the following morning for the agency and social worker to meet with her.

The next morning on August 15, 2021, after many logistical changes, waiting, and more waiting, our son joined our family! We kept pinching ourselves this was for real! Video chatting with our daughter to show her her new brother was amazing! God had finally provided a sibling!  We were in awe of all God had done! His faithfulness to lead us through what felt so purposeless, hard, and lonely at times gave way to the preparation He had done in our hearts and minds for our son, his birth mother, and adoption in general. The wait was difficult, but God’s provisions on the other side were so much better than we could have ever hoped for! God was intimately involved, even when it looked like so much was constantly falling apart! We were reminded that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” James 1:17. 


***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to request a FREE information packet!***

Adoption Story: Ryan + Lauren

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I will never forget when Ryan and Lauren called and expressed their desire to pursue adoption. They signed on with me at CAC just a few short months after our initial call. The journey to their daughter was not easy, but as they share, every mountain they climbed to get to her was well worth the wait. Through all of the no’s, through all of delays and setbacks, through COVID and in the middle of a Texas ice storm…they never gave up! Ryan and Lauren, it was an honor to walk with you guys through the adoption process. What a joy it has been to see your story unfold! God’s grace is so very evident over every detail.

If you have been in the adoption journey for a while, then you already know.  If you are just starting, then you will quickly learn. This process is one of the most challenging things that your marriage and faith may ever go through.  But the ways God will work in your heart throughout this journey are absolutely amazing.  If you can push aside the distractions of the enemy, you quickly see that your relationship and faith will be stronger. Our story was about to end with us quitting. But God intervened. 

We had been struggling to conceive a child for several years prior.  My wife and I both had health issues that were contributing factors. After unsuccessful procedures and a couple major health scares, we decided that having children biologically was probably not going to happen. 

At that point, the thought of adoption was not on our minds yet. We had not even considered it.  Then, God placed a little girl in our lives.  She was staying with a family, which we are good friends with.  Her mother had been struggling with drug use and she was going to stay with our friends until her mother got better. We immediately developed a relationship with this little girl. We grew to love this little girl and as our love grew for her, God laid adoption on our hearts. 

In 2018 we signed on with Kelly at Christian Adoption Consultants and we jumped right into our adoption journey. I would say our journey for the most part was pretty typical.  We finished our home study and profile book. We applied to adoption agencies and attorneys. Situations would become available to present our profile; we would apply and then they would say we were not selected. Then, we would have another; we would apply and then they would say we were not selected. Then another, and another, and another and then the questions started popping up in our head.  “Is there something wrong with us?", "Do we need to be trying something different?",  or the dreaded, “Should we be doing this at all?”.  

Every time we were not selected for a situation our minds would turn it into a big NO!  Believe me after so many of those, it really started to hurt.  We were starting to feel the struggle of it mentally and we allowed some of the questions to get to us.  All the way to the point of giving ourselves a date of no more. We renewed our contracts with CAC and our Home Study Agency, and we told ourselves this was the last time. The enemy had finally gotten to us, and we were going to quit.  BUT THEN GOD.

At the end of January we received a phone call from one of the adoption agencies that we had been working with. They told us about a mother who was choosing adoption for her baby. Something felt different about this situation, but we didn’t know what it was, so we asked them to give us a few moments and think it over.  We got off the phone, talked to each other and contacted Kelly, our Adoption Consultant. After speaking with her, we felt good about moving forward. We called the adoption agency back and told them that we would love to present our profile. She immediately said she was glad we had decided to move forward, as the expecting mother wanted the agency to choose and they had chosen us. We immediately felt a  flood of emotions!  All of the years of waiting, years of "no's" that we had interpreted as rejection, years of not feeling adequate, had ended with a simple, YES! 

The agency shared with us that the expecting mother would like to name her child. We asked if they knew what she would like to name her.  “Yes, she would like for her name to be Angeline.” We were amazed and shocked! A couple months before my wife had lost her Aunt Angie.  Angie was the one that gave my wife her middle name, Nichole.  Angeline fit perfectly-Angeline Nichole, it was. 

Her due date was March 2nd so we started planning quickly! But we didn't get too far with it because she came about a month early! She was born in Texas. We live in Illinois- a short 16.5 hours drive if conditions are good. But we drove through an ice storm that shut down Texas. Once again, God took control of the situation and saw us through. We made it to Texas in great time, considering the conditions.  

Once we got to our destination, we settled into our hotel room and started figuring out when we could go see our baby girl. The agency informed us that she was in NICU because she was not eating on her own just yet. Due to COVID restrictions they were only allowing one visitor at a time. Our first thought was, "How are we supposed to bond with our child one at a time, for a small window, once every 24 hours?"  But God had other plans. He placed amazing nurses in our path that pushed for the Medical Director to allow us more time with her.

When she was eating better we were finally able to take her back to our hotel. Twice during the first few nights that we had her with us we lost power for several hours. Typically, being in  Texas, you wouldn’t be worried about this. But the weather conditions weren't favorable, as this black out was caused by a record setting winter storm.  Stores started running out of food, fuel was becoming limited, but God put us in a place where people did not cause more chaos. This town came together and helped each other.  The hotel made sure the people that stayed there had at least 2 meals a day. The surrounding gas stations made sure people stayed orderly and everyone had a fair chance at getting fuel. Even when people told us something was going to be a big roadblock, God made a way.

When we began the interstate paperwork for the adoption, we were warned that it could possibly take twice as long as normal due to everything that had been going on with COVID and the storm.  Typically, it should take anywhere from 7-10 business days for it to process. They told us we should be prepared for over 14 days. It took only 4. God was with us in every detail. 

Our story is a reminder to us of God's faithfulness. Angeline came into our lives February 10th.  It was the day we were meant to become parents.  All of the waiting, heartache, struggle and frustration all disappeared. This is the day we had been waiting for. It gives a new meaning to, “This is the day that the Lord has made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to request a FREE information packet!***

Adoption Story: Steven + Annie

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I had the wonderful privilege of walking with Steven and Annie through their adoption journey. I was amazed by their strength and faith throughout this entire process. Today they share the story that led them to their beautiful daughter. I pray their words serve as a means of encouragement to anyone who is in a season of waiting. God isn’t finished with your story.

We will never forget waiting in the car in a thunderstorm for four hours to be let into the hospital through protocols and signatures to see our daughter. You hear all the time “patience is a virtue.” Our journey through adoption definitely tested our patience, but we wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

Our story starts like many others; boy meets girl, they get married, decide they want children together, and then bam! – a brick wall to get through. We struggled with getting pregnant and after many years of trying, fertility treatments, and praying, we moved forward with adoption. 

The first chapter in our adoption journey started with the long road of fostering to adopt. After completing the intense training program and being approved to foster, we were never given the opportunity to foster someone outside of an emergency situation. And even then, because of calling multiple families at once, someone had already committed before we could. As the length between situations kept increasing with fewer and fewer calls, we turned to prayer once again for guidance on what we should do. Was this a sign we were not meant to do this or is it a sign to pray harder?

Fast forward a few months later, it was a toss up between more expensive fertility options or adoption outside of foster care. This is when the great team at Christian Adoption Consultants came into our lives. We were so thankful to have Kelly Todd as our Consultant. Her guidance throughout the entire process was invaluable to us and without her support we may have given up. 

Once you get approved to present to situations you get this feeling that you made a great decision by working with a consultancy as everyone is on top of their game and very attentive. Although Kelly and her team were phenomenal, the process of presenting to situations just seemed to take the air out from under our wings. And then, “patience is a virtue” comes back. We presented over and over, feeling like “this is meant to be” each time. With each new exciting situation and potential match, we were met with “the mother selected a different family”. This became quite discouraging as we progressed deeper into our journey.

We had many sleepless nights, tears of sadness, and the feeling that our prayers were going unanswered. The thought came each time, “maybe we are not meant to do this?” We had many conversations with Kelly where she stayed positive, encouraged us to keep our faith, and to keep moving forward. She always helped us put everything into perspective and to continue praying just as she was doing. 

After presenting more times than we could keep track of, we were matched with sweet expecting parents. The excitement and joy that came over us was nothing we had ever experienced before. The baby was due in six weeks and the expecting parents wanted to meet with us prior to the birth. As nervous as it was to drive to a different state and meet the birth parents of our future daughter, the experience couldn’t have been any better than it was. We had a wonderful time getting to know each other and everything just felt right. For the first time in the presenting process, we finally got feedback as to why we were selected and it was completely overwhelming. 

From here we knew that there was a reason God had us wait so long to be matched. We were waiting for our daughter. From the moment we presented to the day we met, it felt like it was meant to be. Through the entire array of emotions, the many years of pushing through, and the countless prayers from everyone that knew of our story, we are forever thankful to our daughter’s birth parents, the agency used to complete the process, the team at Christian Adoption Consultants, and to God for bringing us such a sweet baby girl that has completely filled our hearts with joy. 

Stay positive in your journey, don’t lose your faith, and know that God has a plan for how your story will be told.

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to request a FREE information packet!***