Adoption Story: Kenny + Laura

I had the pleasure of walking with Kenny and Laura through the adoption process. Perseverance is the word I would use to describe their character throughout the ups and downs of the journey to their baby girl. Adoption is not for the faint of heart and looking back I'm in awe of how the Lord gave Kenny and Laura the strength and faith to trust Him through the unknowns and uncertainty. Today Laura and Kenny share a bit of their journey that led them to their daughter.

Eighteen months ago we woke up and had our normal breakfast. During breakfast we received the phone call. "Are you ready to adopt?" That was the question we heard from the agency. We had been waiting for a year and 8 months so we were extremely ready and could not believe this was the call! The agency let us know that this expectant mama was in labor and asked us if we could be there that evening. It was about a 4 hr drive to the hospital. After discussing, talking to Kelly Todd, our consultant with Christian Adoption Consultants, we decided to go for it! So, we scrambled and made arrangements for our children and hit the road.

When we arrived at the hospital the nurses came and brought us to meet our baby girl. She was beautiful! After our visit we found a hotel for the night. The next couple of days were up and down. At one point we were told expectant mama had decided to parent. We understood, but were heartbroken. We called our consultant, Kelly, and family to tell them the news. Sadly, we started driving home. Then, hours into our drive we unexpectedly received a call that there was a miscommunication. She did in fact want us as the parents of her baby girl. We turned the car around and drove back as she was about to be released from the hospital and we wanted to make sure we got there as soon as possible.

Talking to Kelly was very helpful during this time to be reminded that God was in control of our situation and we could rest in that truth. It was quite a whirlwind, but through that time Shane and Shane’s song Psalm 130 became a comfort for us. "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope" (Psalm 130:5). This verse in particular brought us peace. We could not put our hope in having this baby girl join our family but we could put our hope in God, who cares and loves us. God was in control and knew what was best for our daughter, birth mom, and our family. We were called to love this baby girl and birth mom the best we could and trust God with the outcome. Our daughter has been an incredible blessing and joy to all of our family. We are thankful that we waited on God's timing and provision. His ways are always best. The waiting was hard at times, but knowing God had a plan made it easier to trust Him.

To families in the wait right now, our advice is to keep your hope in God and trust in His timing. Keep persevering because in the end you will look back and know for certain that the child you are holding in your arms was worth the wait.

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***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: Matt + Laura

I'm so excited to share Matt and Laura's adoption story with you today! I was introduced to this precious couple by one of my other sweet CAC families. When their home study and profile were done, they were ready to start presenting to situations. My heart ached every single time I had to send them an email that said, "I'm so sorry. The expectant mother has decided to move forward with another family." I knew their story. I knew their heart. I knew everything that they had been through and it broke my heart to deliver this news each time. But they never gave up. They continued pressing forward through their fears, doubts, questions- and a pandemic! Their story has been an inspiration to me and I know many others. Today, they share the story that led them to their baby boy.

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When we first started talking about adoption, we really had no idea what to expect. We certainly had preconceived notions of what we thought it would be like. We had friends who were trying to adopt so we reached out to them for advice and guidance. They told us they were using Christian Adoption Consultants and were working with Kelly Todd. Since we really had no idea about consultants we asked them more questions and got a lot of details from them. We also researched some other consulting agencies and made a note of the ones we wanted to speak with.

After talking to various consulting groups we connected with Kelly at CAC. We really enjoyed getting to know her and more about the adoption process. Kelly really helped us along the way with our home study agency, applying with agencies, providing us with adoption education and giving us guidance on different situations that were presented to us.

One of our first steps was getting our home study completed. We were so nervous about this. Was our house big enough, clean enough, safe enough? Would having pets be an issue? Then came the deeper issues - would we be good enough parents? Would having a smaller family group pose issues? All valid things I feel like most adoptive families go through.

Once we were home study approved we could begin showing our beautiful profile book to expectant families. The first situation we presented to was an expectant mom who was due at the end of October. We were so excited about presenting to her and we thought it would be the perfect match. We felt a personal connection to her story and the information that was sent to us. We crafted a personal letter to her and then a couple days later we got the email.

She didn’t pick us.

That was heart wrenching. I cried immediately. And for a day or two. It was hard. It was difficult. It was something we needed to go through. And we did. Many more times.

We got to the point where we questioned everything. Are we not good enough? Is there something wrong with us? Should we redo our profile book? What can we do differently? Do we take new pictures? We felt like we just weren’t good enough to be parents. We felt like no one wanted us to be the parents of their precious baby. That hurt.

We were coming up on eight months of being active and we were starting to reach out to our home study agency about updating our home study and beginning that process when we received another situation. We reviewed all the information and thought it would be a good situation for us to apply to. Then, the call came.

The expectant family picked someone else.

We were again disappointed. All those thoughts came back, like they did every time. Why aren’t we good enough?

A few weeks later we received a phone call from an unknown number. We didn’t need any new warranties on our cars so we didn’t answer it. When we listened to the voicemail we found out it was the adoption agency from the previous expectant family. They were calling to tell us that we were picked afterall. The expectant family wanted us to raise their baby. A baby boy that was going to be born in 10 days!

We didn’t have much. Our friends that we mentioned before had given us so many things - a crib, mattress, tons of clothes, swings, mats, toys, etc. But we didn’t have anything else. So we hurried up and got on Amazon and ordered way more than we thought we would need. We drove the 16 hours to the birth family and waited for this beautiful, perfect baby to be born.

Then, a whole new set of questions came. What if she changes her mind? What if she decides she doesn’t want us afterall? What if we don’t get to bring him home?

Two days after he was born we could go see our baby in the hospital. Of course, since it was during Covid we could only go into the hospital one at a time. Matt would spend mornings with him and I would go in the afternoon to see him. After being in the hospital for six days we were finally given the okay to bring him back to our AirBnB. We waited for ICPC to clear (it only took a couple days; it was a holiday weekend, too). Then we headed back home with the newest member of our family.

Adoption has proven over and over to have many ups and downs. We cried. A lot. We had our hearts broken. A lot. We questioned everything. A lot. But in the end we became the parents to this amazing, miracle baby that we love beyond measure. He has become the pride and joy of our days. Covid has done a lot of damage and brought a lot of bad things, but the silver lining in all of it for us is that we brought our baby home. And the kicker - we’ve been doing a lot of working from home so our little guy gets to spend his days with both his mom and dad.

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***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: Jamey + Sydnee

It was an honor to walk with Jamey and Sydnee through their adoption journey. When we first connected I remember Sydnee opening up about their long journey through infertility and loss. She shared her heart and about the journey that led them to this specific place and time. She also shared some of their fears with me about the adoption process, one of them being "too old" to be desirable to an expectant mother. As she was talking I remember thinking to myself, "I'm so glad that God connected my path to these amazing people and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for them." Their journey through the adoption process wasn't easy, but that same journey, the one with ups and downs, the one with disappointment, the one with waiting, led them to their daughter and I know they wouldn't change a thing about it. Jamey and Sydnee, thank you for allowing me to walk with you through the adoption process. I am beyond amazed at the story God wrote for your family! Today Sydnee shares that story:

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I had someone that has only talked to me a handful of times ask me, “what kept you from giving up?” I immediately started crying. She knew our story of adoption, but she didn’t know all of the years that preceded. When she asked me that simple question, my mind was flooded with all the trials and tribulations from many years before that led up to receiving our precious daughter. So many times I wanted to quit, but there was an internal fight that would not let me. I could write about my many years of struggling with severe depression and anxiety wondering if I would ever be a mother. I could write about my husband not wanting children and our journey to come together and grow. I could write about miscarriage and pregnancy loss, or I could write about years of fertility treatments. God brought us to Him and gave us the strength to traverse and overcome each trying situation so that we could eventually become parents.

Oh the waiting! That was always the hardest part of all the troubled waters we navigated. Waiting for God to work on me, on Jamey, and on us. Waiting to hear His answer. Waiting on the outcome so that I could keep going and keep fighting. Waiting on the next attempt at parenthood and starting the process all over again. It truly is God’s waiting room. We had to learn what to do and how to handle our time there. We had to grow and wait on His perfect timing. Meditation, prayer, and music were essential. These lyrics by Tenth Avenue North were comforting in the waiting – 

As I walk this great unknown, Questions come and questions go, Was there purpose for the pain? Did I cry these tears in vain? I don’t want to live in fear, I want to trust that You are near, Trust Your grace can be seen, In both triumph and tragedy. I have this hope, In the depth of my soul, In the flood or the fire, You’re with me and You won’t let go.

When we decided it was time to give our all to adoption, I remember finding Christian Adoption Consultant’s website and calling from a conference room at work. Kelly answered and talked to me about CAC, her journey and listened to our story. Luckily, I had a handkerchief with me. I immediately knew that we needed to work with her and CAC! And, just to mention that I had already talked to 3 other consultant groups before talking to Kelly. Working with CAC and Kelly was the best decision we made! She guided us every step of the way, and prayed with us and for us! We’re beyond grateful for CAC and for all that Kelly did to help us find our way to our daughter!

Jamey was always on board with adoption, but he never wanted biological children. I always knew I wanted to adopt, but my dream was to have a biological child and adopt a child. It took a lot of work on our part and on God’s part for us to come together even after 20 years of marriage, but we did and are closer and stronger than ever before. When we started this journey, memories from my early childhood came back. I remember my mother telling me stories about when I would have a child, and I would correct her and tell her I wasn’t having children that I was going to adopt. We did end up trying everything possible to have a biological child but that was not God’s plan.

The song that helped during this time is by Lauren Daigle – Letting go of every single dream, I lay each one down at Your feet, Every moment of my wandering, Never changes what You see, I’ve tried to win this war, I confess, My hands are weary, I need Your rest, Mighty warrior, King of the fight, No matter what I face, You’re by my side. When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move, When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through, When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You, I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You.

The adoption journey is not an easy one, but every single time, God shows up and there is grace, mercy, and beauty beyond comprehension. We presented to expectant mothers several times and were not chosen, which was so hard. It was tempting to ask why, wondering what was wrong with us, but instead we would shift and pray for God’s will and trust in His plan and His timing. We presented to a situation where the baby was due in just 10 days and we were chosen. We were beyond excited and so hopeful! We met the expectant mother twice before her delivery and felt so purposefully connected to her. Since this was only a couple of hours from our home, we arrived at the hospital before this baby girl was born. We visited with the family and were so elated to meet and love on this sweet baby. We also spent the next day at the hospital. On the 3rd day, we arrived in the morning expecting to bring our baby girl home and we were asked to leave the hospital because the mother was struggling. We went to a park and prayed for help and guidance, until we received the call that the mother had decided to parent. Feeling completely devastated, we drove back to the hospital to give her the car seat, so that she could bring her baby home. We had to process this loss and grieve this baby girl. I do believe that this happened for a reason and that we played a part in this birth mother’s difficult decision. We immediately loved her unconditionally and continue to pray for her and her baby girl.   

This song by Hillary Scott helped during this time – I believe that You are God alone, But sometimes I still try to take control, ‘Cause I get scared when I can’t see the end, And all You want from me is to let go. You’re parting waters, Making a rain for me, You’re moving mountains that I don’t even see, You’ve answered my prayer before I even speak, All You need for me to be is still.

Two and a half months later, we felt ready to present our profile and we were once again chosen. Though we were excited, we were cautious with our emotions. We spoke to the expectant mother on the phone and found out that it was going to be a baby boy. She went into labor about 3 weeks after we were matched, and we got the call to go home and pack since this was several states away. We waited to hear that we could head that way, and that call never came. The news we heard was that the baby was born and the mother was struggling with her decision.  At the end of the week, we heard that she decided to parent. We had to pick ourselves up once again and find strength to keep going. 

The song I listened to after this was by Danny Gokey – I’ve been running through rain, That I thought would never end, Trying to make it on faith, In a struggle against the wind, I’ve seen the dark and the broken places, But I know in my soul, No matter how bad it gets, I’ll be alright. There’s a hope in front of me, There’s a light, I still see it, There’s a hand still holding me, Even when I don’t believe it, I might be down but I’m not dead, There’s better days still up ahead, Even after all I’ve seen, There’s a hope in front of me.

I was finding it harder and harder to hold on to the fight, but God kept reminding us to not give up. On October 16, I was especially struggling, so I went to mass at Noon and prayed that if we were not meant to be parents, for God to please send me a clear sign because I was so tired. I went back to work and was headed to the gym that afternoon when I received a call from an agency. I was told that there was a baby girl born 2 days prior and that our profile was shown to the birth mother and father and that we were chosen! She said she needed to know right away because the baby could be discharged that day. We were on a plane the next morning! We had to pack, buy plane tickets, find a place to stay, and choose a name for our daughter! We met her on October 17 and left the hospital that day with her.

She was truly worth all that we went through! We stay in touch with our daughter’s birth parents and we love them so much! We got to meet them and visit with them a couple of months ago. During our visit we learned that my daughter, her birth mother, and my birthdays are all in October and my husband and our daughter’s birth father’s birthdays are in March. We are so thankful for an open adoption. God weaves the most beautiful tapestry of life for 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, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to request a FREE information packet!***

Adoption & Waiting During The Holidays

I would like to dedicate this post to all of my amazing CAC families waiting in the adoption process. I see you. I'm here for you. I'm praying that God would overwhelm you with His peace that surpasses all understanding this holiday season.

Waiting in the adoption process on any given day can be overwhelming, but during the holidays it can feel insurmountable. For many, the Christmas season exudes a sense of celebration, joy and wonder as we think about the birth of our Savior. But for some this holiday season is met with complex emotions as they are reminded of great loss or what they do not yet have: the child they are longing for.

I can understand and relate to the raw emotions surrounding an empty crib and the holidays. I will never forget two Thanksgivings after our miscarriage. Our baby would have been a little over 1 years old. While working through my grief on this day, I also found out that a family member was pregnant. On top of processing grief, I was also dealing with guilt over the complex emotions I initially felt about their pregnancy, even though at my deepest core I was thrilled for them. Only those who have walked through these waters can understand the juxtapositions of emotions that land you from one plane to another in regards to infertility and the holidays. It's just extremely difficult and at times confusing to navigate.

As an Adoption Consultant with CAC I have walked with many families through the adoption process. I have had conversation after conversation with families about this specific topic and so I have a front row seat to how waiting during the holidays can be more difficult. I have compiled a short list of helpful tools to help hopeful adoptive families navigate the holiday season.

1. Prayer. Be vulnerable with God in prayer. This seems pretty simple on the surface, but I think it's something that we forget to be intentional about as we progress throughout our day. He can handle all of your big thoughts and feelings. Pour them out at His feet. Ask God to help you. Ask Him to help you walk in His peace. Ask Him to help you find joy in the day-to-day even as you are navigating your complex emotions over the holidays. He is the best listener and loves to help His children. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14).

2. Read your Bible & Meditate on His Promises. We have access to the very Word of God. The Bible says, “All scriptures are God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3). His Word is full of rich truths and promises for His children. The Bible is what our soul needs. His Word is life-giving. His Word is transformative. His Word is powerful. His Word speaks truth to our fears. If this is something that is difficult for you to do, ask God to help you! He is faithful to answer our requests. It doesn't have to be a two hour long Bible Study, but I encourage you to set aside time each day (it can be 15 minutes!) to get in God's Word and meditate on His truths. If you miss a day, that's okay! Try again the next day. God just wants you to spend time with Him. Here is a helpful tool I use to help me read the Bible.

3. Confide in a friend. Talk to someone that you trust about what you are struggling with. Be vulnerable with them. Tell them why this season is especially difficult for you. Give specifics so that they can pray directly to God about it!

4. Guard Your Heart. Do whatever you need to do to guard your heart and your mind. If you need to stay off social media because seeing the influx of pregnancy announcements, adoption stories and pictures of happy families over the holidays is too difficult for you, then unplug for a while! If you need to take a break from a Christmas family gathering then step outside, call your friend and have them pray over the phone with you.

5. Start a thankful jar. Designate a jar in the house that will be your "Thankful Jar." Put it in a visible spot so everyone in the house can see it throughout the day. Anytime a thankful or grateful thought comes to your mind, jot it down and throw it in the jar. You can even turn this into a family tradition! If someone is having a hard day, dump the jar out and read the little notes out loud. Regardless of what you are going through, look for the little blessings, look for those little moments where you can say "Wow God! Look what you have given me. Look how you have blessed me." Then, go write it down and toss it in the jar. Setting your affections on thankfulness is a mighty way to praise God through whatever storm or hardship you are going through.

I know these ideas aren't revolutionary. Perhaps you already do everything single one of them. I just felt like someone needed a little reminder and maybe that person was you. It’s my deepest prayer that this season you would be reminded in tangible ways of God’s unconditional love for you and your family. It’s my deepest prayer that as you pour your heart before the Lord that He would comfort you and fill you with His peace, hope and joy.

***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!***

Guest Post: Adoption Isn't A Way To Get Pregnant

The moment the nurse placed him in my arms, I knew we belonged to each other. All the tears and frustrations of the past several years pooled into a fountain of joy. Now I understood why God has us wait for a baby: So we could have this baby.

After my husband and I struggled with infertility, the Lord blew us away with His kindness and matched us with a loving birthmother. Through her brave choice, He gave us a son.

People were happy for us. They threw us showers, brought meals, and eagerly cuddled our son. Yet amid the celebration, we heard comments hinting at something better to come. A wink here, a nudged elbow there, the crack of a smile implying special intuition. I cringed every time someone uttered the words:

“Now that you’ve adopted, you’ll get pregnant. It happens all the time.”

No. No, it doesn’t happen all the time. Research on pregnancy after infertility doesn’t account for couples who adopt before getting pregnant. From a scientific standpoint, this idea is a myth.

People who say this mean well. They’re trying to give you hope that your longing for a biological child will be fulfilled. What they don’t understand is that this myth devalues adoptees. It regards the process of adoption as inferior to biological procreation, and an adopted child as less desirable than a biological child.

Regardless of good intentions, statements like “Just adopt, then you’ll get pregnant” hurt people. They question couples’ family-building decisions, treat children as a means to an end, and reject the core Christian belief that God created all human beings in His image (Genesis 1:27).

Every life matters to God. He calls us as His image bearers to respect and preserve the dignity of every single person. No matter how a child is brought into a family, he or she is worthy of value to the Lord and to the world.

God grows families through both pregnancy and adoption. The varied makeup of the earthly families he builds reflects the diversity of our spiritual family. We come from different backgrounds, far-flung places, and widely ranging walks of life, all broken and in need of rescue. By sending Christ to die in our place and raise to new life, God gave us the right to be called His adopted children. As He welcomed us into His family, so we can embrace and appreciate the mosaic of families he forms in the world.

Through earthly adoption, God does more than unite parents with children. He provides a path to redeem some of the damage the Fall inflicted on childbearing and family unity. He takes crises like infertility, unexpected pregnancy, and children who are orphaned or otherwise at risk and transforms them into opportunities for restoration.

As with any earthly process, adoption isn’t perfect. It can’t completely “fix” these problems. Yet the creation of a family born of loss renders hope for a broken world groaning to be made anew (Romans 8:19). Like with our spiritual adoption, we need earthly adoption to claim the family wholeness we crave.

Viewing adoption as secondary to biological procreation diminishes a beautiful process whereby God works redemption. Rather than a lesser means to a better end, adoption is a resolution, a responsibility, a calling, and a gift. It’s an end unto itself and should be appreciated as a providential plan. John Piper describes the intrinsic worth of both ways God designs a family:

“In our lives, there is something uniquely precious about having children by birth. That is a good plan. There is also something different, but also uniquely precious, about adopting children. Each has its own uniqueness. Your choice to adopt children may be sequentially second. But it does not have to be secondary. It can be as precious and significant as having children by birth.”

Although it’s rare, some couples do get pregnant after adopting. It happened to us. I have no explanation for it, other than to say God worked another miracle after the first miracle of bringing our oldest son through adoption. We’re grateful for how he formed our family using different paths at different times.

Wherever you’re at on the path of adoption, be prepared to encounter the myth that adoption leads to pregnancy. Even if infertility isn’t part of your story, you’ll hear it tossed around as a platitude or joke.

While it’s frustrating to be told such a harmful cliché, try to approach the situation as an opportunity to educate others. Tell them that a child who is adopted isn’t a consolation prize for parents who couldn’t conceive. Give them a clearer picture of adoption, acknowledging the risks and flaws while also highlighting the value and beauty of this path.

Ask the Lord to give you boldness and gentleness to correct the myth. Help others see the glorious ways God chooses to grow a family, that they might glorify your Father in heaven.

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Jenn Hesse is a writer, wife, and mother through adoption and pregnancy. She is the content director at a national infertility support ministry called Waiting in Hope, and has a passion for equipping others to know Christ through His Word. She writes at jennhesse.com and other Christian publications.

Adoption Story: Terrence + Meredith

I remember the first time I spoke with Terrence and Meredith. They were so kind and friendly. We hit it off immediately as they shared a bit of their story with me. I had a feeling we would become friends and I was right! When they started the adoption process we had no idea that they would be meeting their daughter for the very first time in the middle of a pandemic! But as we know, God's timing is best and I think you will come to see as we have that His timing is perfect!  As their Adoption Consultant with CAC I’m honored to share a glimpse into their adoption journey-the journey that led them to their beautiful baby girl! 

After Terrence and Meredith signed on with Christian Adoption Consultants I provided them with our Adoptive Parent Guide Book (resources that CAC has pulled together from over 14 years of working in the adoption field!) and a trusted home study provider recommendation. Then, I walked them through what to expect in the upcoming days, weeks and months. 

When their home study and profile was almost done, I connected them with our recommended agency list and we talked through which ones might be the best fit for them. They began presenting to situations immediately. As it is for many families, this part of the adoption process was one of the most difficult aspects. We had many conversations about how a “no” does not mean “never” it just means “not yet.” I was amazed by their faith and trust in God as they continued putting their “yes” on the table despite hearing “no” so many times. 

I will never forget the day they got an email from an agency I had connected them to. They learned about an expectant mama who was due with baby girl in a month! After praying about it they decided to present their profile. A few days later they called to let me know that they were chosen! When we talked on the phone they commented on the timing of how their story was unfolding. It was the end of April and we were in the very middle of a pandemic. But they still trusted that God would guide them through the uncertainty every step of the way.

 A few weeks before baby girl’s due date I received this text from them, “ …we are on our way…baby girl was born this morning!…” They arrived there late Saturday night too late to go to the hospital, but Sunday morning I got the most beautiful text from Meredith letting me know their baby girl was doing good! When they finally got word they could head home with their daughter I was so elated! I knew they were so ready to introduce their eldest daughter to her new baby sister!

I got a picture from Meredith shortly after they got home of both girls in matching outfits. Lexi, their eldest, was giving their new baby sister a big kiss on the cheek. Meredith sent me a text with the picture that read, "My sister-in-law sent a few matching outfits and this was the best day of Lexi's life."

I asked Meredith and Terrence to share a little about their experience with CAC and the journey to their daughter and this is what they had to say:

”I feel like our adoption story isn't the ‘norm',’ but then again, nothing about growing our family has been ‘normal.’ And even though the waiting wasn't easy (waiting for over a year for something you want SO BADLY is certainly not easy), we had to constantly remind ourselves that the Lord had brought us to this particular place, and He had made it very clear that adoption was part of His plan for our family. With every ‘no’ we heard (and there were a lot), we just had to remember that even though we didn't know how this would end, the Lord did. Terrence and I had to keep telling each other that if we truly believed the Bible and everything it tells us about who Jesus is, then we could trust Him with this completely. It's hard for both Terrence and I to give up control of things, but we agreed early on in this process that we had to give this to the Lord 100% because He knows better than we do. And the Lord proved Himself to us in ways we never would have dreamed!”

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

Adoption Story: Joe + Gretchen

When people discover I’m an adoption consultant I’m met with a lot of questions. Most of them are pretty understandable! Before entering the adoption process years ago, I’m not sure if I knew what role an adoption consultant played. The short answer is that I help guide families through the adoption process from the very beginning to the very end of their journey. The really cool part about my job is that most of my families still keep in touch with me after they bring their child home and are always so kind to share pictures and updates!

I have the added bonus of getting a front row seat in watching God’s beautiful story unfold for amazing couples, like Joe and Gretchen. I remember the first time I spoke with Gretchen on the phone. She was so very personable and we clicked instantly. Like many couples after you are met with more than a few “no’s” it is common to get discouraged and feel like God has forgotten about you. But their faith, vulnerability, and perseverance throughout this entire process was so inspiring. Joe and Gretchen, it was an honor to assist you in your journey to your beautiful baby girl and I’m so grateful to call you both friends.

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"God’s way is the best way”, a saying that we believed,  but did not fully understand until we started our adoption journey. This year we will be married for 20 years and we have struggled with infertility the entire time. Adoption has always been an option, but God never opened the doors until January of 2018.  After we completed our home study, we reached out to Christian Adoption Consultants. When we called we were connected with Kelly Todd.  After talking with her we knew we wanted to move forward with CAC. We had a connection with Kelly, as she was so very nice and informative about the entire adoption process. 

It was a long, emotional journey, but our adoption consultant, Kelly, helped us every step of the way.  She always knew exactly what to say to be an encouragement to us when we needed it most. We presented numerous times before we were chosen.  We prayed about each situation we presented to. We prayed for the expectant mother and her baby and most times we felt like "this would be the one," but they weren't. We were hit with many hard "no's." That was the most difficult thing to process.  It was as if we had a miscarriage every time we heard that word  "no." It was very painful, but we trusted that God had a different plan. It was difficult to wait and be patient, but God knew we needed that time to cry and mourn, and He never once left our side throughout the entire journey. 

One morning we received multiple situations. Initially, after reading through them, we did not have peace about moving forward. We both headed to work, but one of the expectant mothers kept coming to my (Gretchen) mind.  I looked at the situation another time and showed my husband, Joe, over his lunch break.  We  decided to present our profile because we felt like God was leading us to. Having heard "no" numerous times, we tried to guard our hearts while we waited on the expectant mother to decide. It was about a week and a half when we got a phone call. I was working so I did not answer, but later, I listened to the message.  It was a call from the agency asking us to call them immediately! We were so nervous.  What could they be calling about? I called  the agency back. They were calling to tell us that she had chosen to move forward with our family!  We were ecstatic! God had answered our prayers. I couldn't wait to get off the phone to tell Kelly and she celebrated with us too! 

Baby girl wasn't due for quite awhile so this meant more waiting! We both had an overwhelming sense of peace from God during throughout this season and He helped us tremendously. During this time we were planning for the trip, which was over 1,500 miles away.  After much prayer and talking to our social worker, we decided that driving would be the best option for us. We never had peace from the Lord that we were to fly.  Again, God’s way is the best way. Little did we know at the time of planning that Covid-19 would take over and make it more difficult  to fly.  March 17, 2020 we got the call letting us know that she was in labor and we needed to start traveling immediately! We drove 24 hours straight to get there. I know 24 hours straight sounds like a lot to some people, but it was such an easy and smooth drive, with no traffic! Again, an answered prayer from the Lord! 

When we got to the hospital we had room next door to the birth parents and we got to see our baby girl. When we held our baby girl it's as if all of the "no's" and pain from before drifted away. We smiled when we noticed her beautiful red hair, just like Joe's. God's "yes" for our family was so much better than anything we could have dreamt up ourselves.

Before we left the hospital with our daughter, we met with her birth parents again.  It was a sweet time of good conversion and connection – one that will last a lifetime. We are forever grateful for our daughter's birth parents and how they have entrusted us with such a big piece of their heart. We plan to honor them always in our home and in our hearts.

Now we are back home and enjoying every minute with our daughter.  All the things that caused us concerns about adoption, we gave them to the Lord, and He took care of everything.  Not one thing that we were worried about needed to be worried about because God took care of it all! The best advice we can give to couples is give it to the Lord and trust Him.  Easier said than done, but it will be the best thing you can do during this process.  His way is the best way.  He sees the bigger picture-just be patient and trust the Lord.  Proverbs 3:5-6  

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

Adoption Story: Jonathan + Alli

I remember the very first time I spoke with Alli and Jonathan. I knew there was something very special about this sweet couple and I couldn’t wait to get to know them more throughout their journey! They signed on with Christian Adoption Consultants a few months after our initial call. Once they were home study ready I sent them a situation that they immediately connected with. They couldn’t wait to present their profile and letter to this sweet mama! This was the very first and only situation they presented to, as they were chosen after 3 months of being home study ready! Jonathan and Alli, it has been such a joy getting to know your family and walking with you guys through your adoption journey! Your little guy is such a joy and I have been so encouraged watching your relationship with his birth family unfold. God is so good! I pray you would be encouraged by their story this evening!

We asked the Lord to build our family in His timing and in His way and it’s been an adventure ever since! I would like to say that we always had surrendered hearts when it came to building our family, but that wasn’t the case. It took us years of infertility and heartache to get there. We walked through the pain of a miscarriage and battled with the fears and confusion of infertility before we came to a point where we honestly desired God’s plan for our family instead of our own. It was during a time of pouring-our-hearts-out prayer that God met us in our brokenness and graciously reminded us that He knows.  He knew how we were feeling, He knew why we couldn’t get pregnant and He knew all the plans He had/has for us and our future family. He reminded us that He see’s the whole picture, that He is good and that we can trust Him to write our story. So, we placed our future family and our trust in Jesus’s hands. We gave Him our hopes and dreams of having a family and in return He gave us His heart for ADOPTION.

Over the next few months we learned as much as we could about adoption. After talking to several families and praying through all of our options we decided to sign on with Kelly at Christian Adoption Consultants and pursue a domestic infant adoption. 

From day one of our home study we were very aware of our need for God to provide. We felt called to move forward with the adoption process but at the time we didn’t know where the funds would come from. For a while this paralyzed us from moving forward but after some more time in prayer we were reminded of the story of the fishes and loaves. We believe God wanted us to give Him what little we had and let Him fill the basket. And did He ever! From start to finish our God provided every penny and more. We are completely humbled and amazed at His provision and everything we needed came at just the right time. 

We were actually cleaning up from our adoption benefit event when we got an email that changed our lives. It was a profile of an expecting mother who was due to have a baby boy in three months. We prayed about this opportunity and decided to send this brave momma our profile book. After a few weeks of waiting we found out that we were chosen and our hearts overflowed with joy and gratitude! 

We saw God’s hand and provision through every step of this process and to this day we remain in awe of all that He has done and continues to do! You see, the birth of our son Jaden wasn’t the end of our story. In a lot of ways it was just the beginning of a long-lasting relationship with his birth mom and brothers. We love them dearly and consider them family. God knew what He was doing, He is still writing and we look forward to see how this next chapter unfolds! 

It was during our most uncertain and difficult times throughout the adoption process that we were able to witness God’s faithfulness most abundantly. To those of you in the wait, we want to take this opportunity to remind you that wherever God leads, He provides. Seek His face in prayer and continue to move forward in faith even when it seems impossible.

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

Adoption Story: Ben + Jennifer

Ben and Jennifer signed on with me at Christian Adoption Consultants in August of 2018. They were very honest and vulnerable about their story and what led them to where they are today. Jennifer opened up about their pregnancy that led to an emergency c-section and a beautiful baby boy. But they also shared with me the difficulty of processing the finality of their infertility due to a hysterectomy. They talked about God’s faithfulness in healing their hearts through the loss and how they were excited about starting the adoption journey! They were matched a few days before Christmas and brought home their beautiful daughter a few months later. Jen was just sharing with me how special it is to be on the other side of this journey and how helpful it was to read adoption stories when they were in the wait. It’s my prayer that her words would be an encouragement to you wherever you are in the process!

Our adoption journey began early in our marriage, when Ben and I talked about what it would be like to grow our family through adoption. At this time it was just an idea we wondered about. But life early in marriage was busy, I was starting residency in emergency medicine, and Ben was starting graduate school.  It was only a few months into my first job that I became pregnant with our son, Isaiah. I had a healthy pregnancy without any issues. However, when I went into labor, things started to shift. Ultimately after a long labor, I would require an emergency c-section. It wasn’t until I was in recovery the medical team discovered I was bleeding excessively, eventually leading to severe shock and a critical condition. I was rushed back to surgery for an emergent hysterectomy, the last resort to stop the bleeding.  Days later, I remained in critical condition. Thankfully with family gathered and praying over me, and a wonderful medical team, I recovered and awoke to embrace my husband and new precious baby boy. 

The months, and even years, after were filled with the joy of raising Isaiah, but also with deep raw emotion, grief, and questions about the finality of my infertility.  It was in this difficult season that we grew. The best decision I ever made was to make my first appointment with a counselor. Which, as many can probably understand, is not an easy step. Especially as a healthcare provider, where people look to you for help-now I needed the help.  I think it was no accident that the counselor I connected with was a wonderful, wise woman of faith, who had experience helping others in grief and loss, but even more importantly, the complex questions that come up along the way. As I think back on this season, I often think of the phrase ‘necessary suffering’, which is described by well known faith leaders. This was a season I needed to walk, no trudge, through. It was so uncomfortable. I wanted to get it over with. But I had to learn to sit in the grief. And I found in that sitting, you grow. And in that sitting, you see Jesus there next to you, over and over again.  Through this season, I would start to gain eyes to see things I could not have seen otherwise. It was sad, beautiful and somehow life giving all at the same time. 

Ben and I decided we were going to move forward with our dream of adoption. One challenge for us was that Ben was still finishing school and we were far from family. We would also need to move at least once more for him to finish an internship before he graduated.  Starting the adoption process had to wait a bit. And I am not good at waiting. This, again, was another necessary season for us. We took over three years to learn as much as we could about adoption. I did this through podcasts, books, blogs, interviews-everything I could find. This, I now see, was more about preparing my heart, and learning to listen. I learned that the most valuable resource were the stories. I listened to so many stories from birth mothers, and gained so much compassion and respect for these brave women. I listened to stories from adoptees, and understood how critical their voice is in this conversation.  It set the stage for how we would approach our own adoption journey, from the beginning, but also for the rest of our lives. 

After moving back close to our families and getting settled into our jobs and community, we were finally ready to begin the process. By the time this started, we felt ready-not just with the logistics, but with our hearts.   The process itself was quick compared to the years before. We signed on with adoption consultant, Kelly Todd through Christian Adoption Consultants in the summer of 2018 and completed our home study shortly after that. We started receiving situations from Kelly at CAC in October.  In December we presented to an expectant mother who was expecting a baby girl. Just days before Christmas our wonderful adoption consultant called with the exciting news-she had chosen our family!

We spent the next few months not only preparing for a new baby girl to come home, but also to get to know the expecting mama. We had the amazing opportunity to not only speak with her over the phone, but meet her face to face before baby girl was born. I then flew out about a week before the baby arrived, to spend additional time with her birth mama. This is time I will never forget, and will always look back on fondly. We spent days just finding things to do together-going to movies, getting our nails done, getting lunch and just chatting. So many important things came up throughout these days together and we formed the foundation of a strong bond between us. 

Soon, Ben and Isaiah along with my mom arrived, all waiting for baby to come.  When we got to the hospital she had already been in labor for some time. It was only shortly after we got to the hospital that this perfect little miracle, Aaliyah Jewel, was born.  I had the honor of staying by her side every step of the way. 

This little tiny baby is about to turn a year old next month! She is an absolute joy. Sweet, funny, active, musical, and absolutely beautiful.  She has herself wrapped around big brother and daddy’s finger. But is still a mama’s girl in the end. She certainly has captivated the hearts of everyone in our family. And we continue to keep in close contact with her beautiful birth mama.  

Our journey is just beginning.  There will be more bumps in the road and challenging seasons ahead. But there will be so much joy. Adoption is both a story of loss and grief, but also redemption and faithfulness, and certainly an up close view of God’s intricate work.   We hope this story touches you in some way, as you move through your journey.

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***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Ryan + Katie

I spoke to Katie and Ryan for the very first time at the end of November in 2017. They were very warm, friendly and extremely excited about starting the adoption process! They signed on with me at CAC just a few days after our initial call! As Katie will share with you tonight, the journey to their daughter, Nicklyn, wasn’t easy. In addition to the ups and downs that come with the adoption process, they also moved across the country about 7 months after beginning their journey. There were times when they wondered if they were on the right path and if this journey is what the Lord intended for them. But they continued praying, trusting God, and moving forward one step at a time. I’m honored to share their story with you and I’m confident it will be an encouragement to your family!

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Every adoption story is unique and different. Some families are matched with an expectant mother very quickly, and for others it takes longer. Initially, we had no idea where to start the adoption process. But in November of 2017 we connected with Christian Adoption Consultants. We knew CAC was for us after one phone call with Adoption Consultant Kelly Todd. We signed on immediately and with her assistance the entire adoption process seemed less intimidating. I can't tell you how much of a relief it was to have someone there with us helping us out and answering all of our crazy questions!

After we signed on with CAC, Kelly provided us with home study recommendations. Our home study was completed in just a few short months and we began seeing situations immediately. We knew adoption was going to have its ups and downs, but we never imagined the emotional roller coaster it can put you on. Investing your heart into each situation that comes through, thinking about whether or not to present, choosing to present and then hearing "no" after "no" is not a journey for the faint of heart. We heard plenty of “no’s” in our adoption journey. It wasn't easy being told no. Sometimes you begin to think something is wrong with your family, "Why aren't we being chosen? What's wrong with us?"

In the very middle of our journey we also moved across the country. It was a very stressful time, but thankfully we were able to find another home study provider who was willing to work with us. We were able to update our home study pretty quickly without having to start completely over, which was a huge blessing!

In the Spring of 2019 we finally received a big "yes!" Kelly helped us navigate communicating with the expectant mother, how to prepare for travel, and what to expect at the hospital, which was extremely helpful to us! Although we were so excited about the possibility of becoming this baby's parents, the adoption ended up falling through after the baby was born. Kelly was right there for us, checking in by calling, texting, and praying for us every step of the way. To be honest, we were uncertain if we wanted to get back into the adoption process at that time. We were exhausted and just worn out from the process, but through prayers and talking with each other, we decided to continue with the adoption process. We put our trust in God and His plans for our family. Although we didn't know what to expect moving forward, He knew what our path was better than we did.

Later that summer we were matched with a baby girl that was to be born in just a few short months. Our daughter, Nicklyn was born on September 20. The Lord answered our prayers! We had the privilege of getting to meet our daughter's birth parents. It was her birthmother’s plan to place Nicklyn in our arms. This was an amazing moment that we will cherish forever. We are so grateful to have been able to meet her birth parents and have the ability to share photos and letters with them as Nicklyn grows.

We know from personal experience that this process isn’t easy, but don’t give up! Keep praying and trusting God! His plans are always betters than ours.

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***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Kris + Renee

It is an honor to share Kris and Renee’s adoption story with you. Kris and Renee adopted their son, Ethan, in 2013 with the help of CAC. I was elated to hear they were wanting to pursue a 2nd adoption with our assistance. The journey to their daughter, Rayna, was not easy, but they never gave up. I will never forget when they asked me if I wanted to stay on the phone while they told their children they were matched. It was such a special moment and I was grateful to be a part of that sweet conversation. Kris and Renee, thank you for sharing your story with such honesty and transparency. I am so very grateful the Lord allowed our paths to cross. I know their story will be an encouragement to you wherever you are in your journey. It’s my prayer that their story will be a reminder to hope even when your situation may seem hopeless.

We are Kris and Renee this is our second adoption story through Christian Adoption Consultants (CAC). The story of bringing Rayna, our daughter, home began one day as Renee was sitting in an empty bedroom. While we had discussed another adoption, at that point we hadn't taken any steps to pursue anything. We had prayed and felt as though it was in God’s plan, but was not sure how it would happen. There was no way we could pay for another adoption. We were getting older, each of us turning 40 this year. The chances of adopting again seemed to be dwindling, but we both felt in our hearts that something was missing.

One day Renee was in the empty bedroom. We had many discussions about what to do with this room, make it a craft room, a toy room, guest room, or an office. Sitting in the room, I (Renee) began smiling. As I sat there I imagined a nursery, where I’d put a crib, what color the walls would be. At that moment, I had to figure out how to discuss this with Kris. Well he caught me. He walked in and asked what I was doing. I immediately started to laugh and then cry, followed by more laughter. Kris stood in the doorway perplexed about the outflow of emotions, but I couldn’t find the words. Finally, I was able to get out that I thought the room needed to be a nursery. Kris stood there, not speaking for quite some time, then began to laugh himself. He said something along the lines of “hmmmmm”. This is where the conversation was left. We began our second adoption in May 2018, we made the decision that would forever change our lives and fill the room with joy and laughter.

Our first adoption to our son, Ethan, happened very quickly. We were aware that every adoption story was different, but it’s difficult to see when you’re in the process. With our second adoption, and after many months of hearing multiple “no’s”, the pain hit us both. The reality of how difficult the adoption process truly can be came to a head. We presented our profile over and over again. All the "no's" became a true test to our faith and emotions.

I can’t tell you how many conversations we had with Kelly Todd, our adoption consultant with CAC, asking her “What’s wrong with us? What could we do differently? What can we change?” She would always reassure us and remind us to trust in God’s plan and His timing. But after a while this is difficult to hear. Kris and I questioned our decision to pursue this adoption. We questioned things, such as “Are we to old? Do we have too many other children?" I remember asking Kelly during one of our many conversations, "How do we know when enough is enough? How do we know that we have followed the right path?" As I sobbed on the phone, she again said “Renee, you have to trust that God has a plan for you.”

At this point I was questioning every aspect of our current situation. But then we got a call that would change our lives forever. Kris was on his way out the door, but something made him wait. When we answered the phone, we were told that an expectant mother wanted us to be the parents of her baby girl that would be due in 1 week. On July 8th we welcomed our Daughter Rayna into the world. She was born with a full head of thick black hair and was absolutely perfect! It was an honor for me (Renee) to be present with her birth mother for Rayna’s delivery and to have the privilege of cutting her umbilical cord.

Although our journey wasn't easy, every "no" led us to our daughter, Rayna. We are so grateful for the story God has written for our family.

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***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Jon + Amy

I had the honor of walking with Jon and Amy through the adoption process from beginning to end! I remember the very first time I spoke with Amy on the phone! She was so kind and easy to talk to. I was amazed by her vulnerability and openness in sharing about the journey that led them to adoption. Jon and Amy, I’m amazed by your strength, faith and trust in God throughout this entire process. It was very evident that your hope was in the One who was writing your story and not your circumstances. I pray Amy’s words would be a source of encouragement and joy to you wherever you are on your journey.

Jon and I have two biological sons. We always knew our hearts had more love to share with another child. After experiencing serious medical complications with our second son at birth, we didn’t know if we would ever have more children. We put it in God’s hand and after many years of trying to grow our family, he opened the door to adoption for us….and we followed Him through it. 

In January 2018, a friend of ours who had recently adopted, recommended that we call Christian Adoption Consultants for a consultation call. We were in the very early stages of considering adoption when I called and spoke to Kelly Todd. There was an instant connection, like I was talking to someone I had known forever! She answered all of our questions and put our concerns at ease. Our initial plan was to call a few places and do our research before signing on with one place. CAC was our first phone call and our last!! We felt so good after that initial call with Kelly Todd and we signed on a few days later!!

Kelly was so incredibly helpful right from the start. She made us the most beautiful profile book and helped us find a home study agency which we adored! I was constantly texting her or emailing her questions and thoughts as they came up and she was always so quick to answer! 

We were home study ready in April 2018 and immediately started seeing situations. Over the next few months, we presented to a few situations however kept hearing that expectant mama had chosen another family. I will admit, we weren’t prepared for how difficult that part was going to be with each time feeling like a loss of someone we already cared for. Kelly was always there to encourage us, pray for us and push us to trust in God’s timing. Our faith was definitely strengthened during this waiting period and I am thankful for the gentle nudging that she continued to give us.

In September of 2018, we received a situation about a baby that had already been born. We chose to present! As we were writing a letter to her birth mother, I felt so connected to her. It felt different than the previous times and I just knew in my heart and soul that this was it! Two days after presenting, we got the call that we had been chosen!! 24 hours later, we hopped on a plane to go meet this sweet little girl!

Ours boys came with us which was incredibly special! We communicated very openly with them about the adoption journey from the beginning and having them by our sides on our way to go meet our daughter and their sister was something we will never forget and always be grateful for. 

On September 15th, the sweetest little girl was placed in our arms. I will never forget the joy and emotion that was felt in that very moment. We had prayed for this child for so long and our hearts were literally bursting with joy. 

We were initially told that her birth mama wanted a closed adoption which we felt sad about however little did we know that more prayers would be answered.  We were told by the agency, that her birth mama really wanted to meet us after all! The following day, we had the great privilege to meet her for lunch and get to know her more. It was one of the most beautiful and unforgettable moments we have ever experienced and we feel so blessed to have had this opportunity. 

This journey was not an easy one but our family learned so much about life and love. It has changed us in ways we never could have imagined.  We will forever be grateful to Abigail’s birth mother for giving us the honor and privilege to parent this sweet girl and to God for His faithfulness throughout all of this. 

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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: John + Lindsay

It was such an honor to walk John and Lindsay through the adoption process. I was in tears reading through their adoption story. Lindsay was so honest, raw and vulnerable in sharing their journey and I know you will be encouraged as I have been by their faith and trust in God. They were chosen by their son’s birth mother a month after being home study ready, and their baby boy was born 8 weeks early, just a few weeks after being matched. As you will read below, their story is filled with joy, heartache, ups and downs, twists and turns, but every moment of waiting led them to their miracle baby boy, Elijah.

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Our adoption story started out with a lot of heartache, frustration, and disappointment. We had been married for about a year when we started to try to have children biologically. After about two years of month after month of continually receiving negative results, we decided it was time to have some testing done. The doctors could not find anything wrong with either one of us, which was in a way even more disappointing. We were hoping they would find something they could fix easily. But, unexplained infertility? What does that even mean? We completed several rounds of artificial insemination, and again we were unsuccessful.

At this point, our marriage was not doing so well, as this was really getting to both of us. We did not handle it together like we should have and we had stopped going to church at some point along our infertility journey. But someone must have been praying for us. Because just when we needed it more than ever, God sent us a new pastor and he and his wife were young with three young children. Of course when we heard it, we thought, "just what we need is to be around a happy young family." Needless to say, we did not get back to church until about six months after they had arrived. We hit it off fairly quickly with him and his wife, and we believe that if it had not been for them, our marriage was headed down a rocky road. We quickly became very close with them and their three beautiful children. Looking back on it now, we know that God brought us together to show us how much we could love children that were not biologically ours.

During the couple years of spending time with our pastor and his family, we also had decided stop worrying about getting pregnant. Of course, that was easier said than done, as it was always in the back of our minds. At some point during this time we were both saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It completely changed us both. It still took awhile for God to convince us that adoption was the route for us, mainly due to my (Lindsay) stubborn nature. We had touched base with Kelly Todd at Christian Adoption Consultants in February of 2018, but decided it was not time yet. Again, my stubbornness. It took a lot more heartache and some bouts with depression before God finally picked me back up and helped us to make the first step.

In January of 2019 we officially signed on with CAC. At this point, it was exciting but scary. All we could do was be obedient to God by doing things one step at a time because the big picture was incredibly overwhelming. Kelly was a gift from God! Her strength and incredible faith kept us going and helped us to persevere when there were many times that we wanted to give up.

By May of 2019, we were home study ready! Kelly was getting ready to begin our profile to show to expectant mothers, when we happened upon a local woman who was looking for a family for her baby. The way it happened, through a friend of a friend, we knew it had to be God’s doing. The next six weeks were a whirlwind, and we still faced more heartache. We would lose touch with birth mom and think she had changed her mind. We thought she lost the baby at one point as well and we had to grieve the loss for about 24 hours. Then in the middle of June we got the call that birth mom had delivered eight weeks early. We were so excited and nervous. We showed up at the hospital about five hours after our beautiful little miracle was born. We have been with him ever since. After five long weeks of time in the NICU, we brought him home on July 18, 2019!

Throughout all of it God was so faithful. Looking back, He was holding our hands the entire time and He had it all planned out. From a nurse who prayed with us when we needed it the most to another nurse who gave us a gas card because she had heard our story and wanted to perform a random act of kindness. And then there was Kelly and her wonderfully strong faith and encouraging words through it all. She was always there when we needed it most and we believe that God spoke to us so many times through her.

As we reflect back, we know that all of it was part of God’s plan to bring us to our son. From the heartache and marriage problems, to the being saved and coming to know Jesus, it was a crazy ride, but we are stronger now because of it. Our marriage is stronger and our faith is stronger. We know that God is in control and He is faithful. All we have to do is let go of our plans, to not be afraid to step out of our comfort zones, and to be obedient to His plan for our lives. All it takes is one small “Yes!” to God.

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***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Jim + Julie

It was such a pleasure getting to know Jim and Julie throughout their journey through adoption. I’m so blessed to work with such amazing families and this sweet couple was no exception! I remember the first time I spoke with them. Prior to signing on with Christian Adoption Consultants they had been working with other agencies for about 5 years and during that time had experienced a great deal of loss and heartache. But their strength in the Lord and perseverance throughout was so very evident. They were chosen about 10 months after signing on with CAC to be the parents of their sweet baby girl. I’m honored and grateful to have Julie on the blog tonight sharing the story that led them to their daughter.

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After twelve years of marriage, my husband Jim and I decided to begin our family. We didn’t really consider that it wouldn’t happen easily and quickly, and we spent about the next three years doing multiple rounds of infertility treatments. We had a glimmer of hope with one pregnancy, but heartbreak soon followed with a devastating miscarriage. It took some time, but one more round of IVF later, we realized that we just wanted a family, however that came about. Though our hearts were still healing from our miscarriage and the inability to become pregnant, we simultaneously became increasingly excited and encouraged about the prospect of adoption.

Again, we were not prepared for how long our adoption journey would take. We signed up with a local facilitator, which resulted in several broken matches. We then signed up with an adoption attorney, and this also resulted in two broken matches. After about four years, we decided to investigate other avenues. A California agency recommended we look into Christian Adoption Consultants (CAC), as we already had a home study. We called, and CAC sounded encouraging, but we decided to stick it out with our facilitator a little longer. Looking back, we believe our depression over years of failed attempts to have children made signing up with a new adoption provider seem overwhelming and daunting, like starting from scratch. We felt discouraged and weren’t sure that God even wanted us to have kids, but we both felt the Holy Spirit encouraging us to not give up yet. And thankfully, God placed people in our lives to encourage us to keep going.

Within a year, we called CAC again and spoke to Kelly Todd, who would become our adoption consultant. She listened to our story, and dispelled some of our fears, such as us being too old to be picked by an expectant mom. We were encouraged and excited after speaking to her, and finally signed up with CAC. One of the most helpful things for us was Kelly’s detailed feedback on our already existing profile book. After years of working on and updating it ourselves, it was incredible to have her expertise help us fine tune it, so it showed the best and most complete picture of what we had to offer a child. She also proofread the letters we wrote to expectant moms we were hoping to be matched with – also invaluable. It was just great to have someone walking through each of these steps with us, answering our questions, checking in on us, and praying for us.

Less than a year after having signed up with CAC, we received a call that we had been chosen by an expectant mom that we had written to! We were shocked and overjoyed. Could this really finally be happening? We cautiously began making preparations, as our baby’s birth mom was due to give birth in a month. We texted and Skyped with her and felt compassion for her and her circumstances. While I always knew I’d be grateful to the woman who blessed us with a baby, I was concerned that I might also feel insecure, or even jealous. But I believe the Lord worked on my heart and I very quickly felt protective of her and wanted to assure her that she would play a role in her baby’s life.

When our daughter’s birth mom gave birth several weeks later, we hurriedly packed the car, and drove the 8 ½ hours, though the mountains, in the middle of the night. We were excited, still in shock, and terrified all at the same time! We couldn’t believe we might actually be parents soon. We arrived a few hours after the birth, and then had to wait the three days until she could legally be placed with us. I, in particular, was so worried about another broken match. I could see our baby’s birth mom’s sadness and we hurt for her. But, we continued guarding our hearts, and just couldn’t let ourselves get emotional until the baby was actually placed with us. When it happened on day three, it was a mix of emotions, as we couldn’t fathom everything our daughter’s birth mother was going through. But we were also so grateful and honored that she chose us to be her daughter’s mommy and daddy forever.

It has been a much longer journey than we expected to begin our family. However, as painful as parts have been, we don’t believe it was wasted time. God grew us both over the years. We learned to persevere, and that with God’s presence, we could handle more than we thought possible. We also were forced to trust God, and give up the illusion of control. We have struggled with fear along this journey, and we believe God purposefully allowed us to be in situations where we had absolutely no control, so that we would learn to trust Him. Finally, we experienced, up close, God’s comfort and kindness for us. Not just when we finally became parents, but in the eight years before. He consistently put friends in our lives who prayed for us, checked in our how we were doing after setbacks, encouraged us to continue, and did thoughtful things, like bringing me sunflowers on Mother’s Day. It made us realize, like never before, that God sees us in our suffering. Every tear we shed in our desire for a child, God was right there, loving us, and wanting us to turn to Him. Though this timeline is not what we would have thought we wanted, we are so grateful that God loved us enough to do what’s best for us. We would encourage anyone who is pursuing adoption to persevere in hope, trust Him in painful and uncertain moments, and seek His heart and will for you. If you do these things, you and your story will be in His hands, and there is no better place to be.

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***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Cody + Bristi

I remember the very first time I spoke with Bristi on the phone. She was kind, funny, friendly, and so open about their life and how they came to the adoption process. We instantly bonded over the fact that both of our husband’s were in the ministry! Cody and Bristi were chosen by their son’s birth mother 6 months after their home study was completed. They brought their son, Cainan, home with them a few months later. It was such a joy and an honor to walk with them through the adoption process. Bristi has shared their adoption story with such honesty and vulnerability. I know you will be encouraged as you read her words below.

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Before my husband and I ever talked about marriage we talked about how we wanted to adopt one day. I (Bristi) have wanted to adopt for as long as I can remember. After having 3 biological children, we felt that God was encouraging us to start the adoption process. We had absolutely no idea where to start. God placed a couple of families in our church that had used Christian Adoption Consultants, so we decided to look into that. After we applied we got a phone call from Kelly Todd. We honestly had no clue what we were doing and Kelly was so patient and able to answer all of our questions and help guide us through the process. We used CAC for all of our paperwork and to create our profile book, which was a huge help! Any questions we had when it came to whether or not to present to a situation were answered and we never felt like we needed to doubt the advice that was given us. Kelly made it feel like we were talking to a close friend who had been through this before and knew the ins and outs of it all.

We went active in April and had high hopes of being matched quickly. After the first “no” we started to doubt that any expectant mom would choose us because we already had 3 biological children. Satan likes to use any seed of doubt he can. We presented to three or four situations and all of them were “no’s” and we started to doubt that God had even called us to adopt. We received a situation over a holiday weekend while we were out of town. When we saw it, we both immediately wanted to present. That next week we got a phone call from the agency and I answered my phone, expecting a no, but instead were told she had chosen us! I was speechless and couldn’t hold the tears back. I called my husband who was at work and we both sat on the phone in silent shock. Although the wait wasn’t easy, we knew that God’s timing was perfect. After the shock wore off we remember being nervous and excited all at the same time! We got the opportunity to Skype with our son’s birth mom a few times before heading down to meet them in December for his birth.

The waiting period leading up to December was not easy and had plenty of emotions to go with it, but it was nothing compared to the birth of our son. There were so many ups and downs. I was honored to be in the delivery room with our son’s birth mom for the c-section. I will always keep those moments etched into my mind as they are very sacred and special. Seeing our son’s birth mother make one of the most difficult decisions of her life was heart wrenching.

During this time we wanted to make sure she knew how amazing and strong she was regardless of what she decided, as we knew he wasn’t our son until consents were signed. That time of waiting was more difficult than we anticipated. Our case worker at the agency was great at helping us to know when to be with our son’s birth mom and when to let her have her time. We were able to have our own room in the hospital, which was such a sweet blessing.

The day she was supposed to sign was such a difficult day. We knew it was going to be extremely hard for her. Kelly was so sweet to be on standby to pray. We were a nervous wreck. Knowing that the sweet baby boy that we had grown to love more than anything in the last two days could potentially not be ours was almost more than we could handle, but at the same time we couldn’t even imagine all of the heavy emotions she was going through. But then we got the call. We got the call from our case worker saying that she had signed and we could come get our son from the hospital. It was surreal walking back into the hospital after everything that had happened that day, but everyone was so accommodating and compassionate towards us that all of the nervous, anxious feeling we had melted away.

Words fail to express how grateful we are for our son’s birth mother. The love she has shown us has been incredible. We are blown away by her strength and selflessness. We truly love our son’s birth mother and see her as a part of our family. She has given us the sweetest, most wonderful gift we could have ever dreamed of. We have an open adoption and get messages from her around every 3 months. We plan to visit her after the new year. Our son, Cainan, has been such a blessing to our entire family. Our kids love being his big brother and sister! He is so loved!

A big thank you to CAC and Kelly Todd for walking with us through this journey. If you are considering adoption and don’t know where to start, start with CAC. The guidance you will receive is priceless. The process is overwhelming and can be very stressful at times, but in the end it is more than worth it and with CAC by your side it helps share the load. We would do it all again if God calls us to, and we wouldn’t hesitate to use CAC!

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***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Kenneth + Taylor

I remember the first time I spoke on the phone with Taylor. She had such a sweet and warm demeanor about her and after just a few conversations I had a feeling we would become good friends! Kenneth and Taylor were very open with me about their story and what led them down the path of adoption. And I was honored and humbled that they entrusted me with such a big piece of their heart. Before they started the adoption process they had experienced great loss. But I was truly amazed at their perspective, joy, hope and spirit of perseverance that seemed to resonate through our conversations. Their faith and trust in God throughout this journey has been such an encouragement to me and many others. I pray these words will encourage your heart as Taylor shares about their journey to Aden.

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For as long as I can remember, I had a desire to adopt a child. Soon after our marriage we talked about starting our family. I (Taylor) was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 14, which would make it difficult for us to conceive. Our plan was to to conceive a biological child through IVF and then complete our family through adoption. So often “we” make plans and God comes in and shows us his plan. We did two rounds of IVF and I became pregnant with twins, but we miscarried shortly after. Through this very tough time we came together as a family like never before. It became very clear to us that God was pointing us to adoption.

We found Christian Adoption Consultants through lots of research and started working with Kelly Todd. We felt a connection to her immediately. She was so kind and patient with us, as we asked a million questions! She was there to provide us with all the answers and pointed us in the right direction. We never felt lost in this experience because we had her holding our hand walking us through the entire process.

Once the home study was finished we began waiting and presenting our profile to expectant mothers. But we didn’t have to wait too long, because less than one month into the process we got the call we were praying for. We were chosen by an expectant mother due with a little girl in a few short months. We were so excited and couldn’t believe how fast everything unfolded! I will never forget the day we waited at the hotel ready to go and meet baby, but instead got news that her mama had chosen to parent. We respected her decision, but were very heartbroken. We had been praying and preparing for this little girl for months. Through this difficult time our adoption consultant, Kelly, was there for us. She was by our side, sending us encouraging emails and texts, reminding us that our story wasn’t over. Once we came to the realization that she wouldn't be coming home with us, we held strong in our faith. We knew that God had a plan and reminded ourselves that His plan was better than ours and that this baby girl was not meant for us.

We took time to process the loss and a few weeks later resumed our journey to grow our family through adoption. Although it wasn’t easy, we knew everything would work out in His timing. Even though we didn’t have a name or a face, we continued praying for this expectant mama and her baby. One day we got the call that we were matched with an expectant mama who was due in a few weeks. We struggled to stay positive during this time because of what happened previously, but we stayed hopeful even through the uncertainty. During this time Kenneth and I learned so much about each other. We talked more often, prayed together and leaned on family and friends for support. We opened our hearts and minds to truly surrendering for whatever God had in store for us.

A few weeks later we got the call we had been waiting for, “You guys need to start making your way to the hospital.” With heavy and fearful hearts we packed up the car and made the drive. Our baby boy arrived shortly after we made it to the hospital. My husband and I were blessed to receive the gift of seeing our son born into this world, cutting the umbilical cord and doing skin to skin. The love, kindness and generosity our son’s birth mother showed us was truly humbling. She also gave us the honor of being by her side and caring for her boy when she was in the hospital. This gave us time to bond with him. When discharge day came she made the hardest decision she ever had to make. She placed all of her trust in Kenneth and I to be the best parents we could be for her son, Aden. The love she showed and the weight of that decision will never be forgotten and the love she has for her son is undeniable.

This woman made me a mom and I am so grateful for that. We will forever have a bond that is sacred and unbreakable. We are so grateful for this open adoption and our relationship we share with her. We talk often, we share photos and we Facetime. We also have plans for a family vacation together to Disney at the end of the year! She will always be a part of our lives and a part of our family. God has opened our hearts and minds to open adoption and we see the beauty and love of Jesus through this journey.

***Photography by Christina Janel***

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***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

The "No" That Led to Our "Yes"

GUEST POST
By Adoptive Mama, Chelsey Sisco

"She’s given birth to the baby. There are no other details right now. We’ve tried to reach out but have been unsuccessful. All we can do is wait and hope she reaches out to us.” Those were the words that drowned me on a Friday morning in late September standing on the sidewalk outside of my office.  Exactly one week prior to that Michael and I sat in a Texas Roadhouse 12 hours from home meeting M for the very first time.  We talked, laughed, and cried for 3 hours over a nice dinner.  That was the day that M gave us ultrasound pictures of her baby girl. I could feel the fear that overwhelmed her when we locked eyes, walked towards each other, and hugged as she handed me the pictures.  All I could do was squeeze her and say, “I know. It’s ok.”  It was our first time to meet and, unfortunately, would be our last time to meet.

We found out on a few weeks prior that M had chosen us. She was due with her baby girl in a few short weeks. I vividly remember the moment I received that phone call.  “She has chosen you guys.”  I hit my knees in my office and sobbed uncontrollably.  It was just one of those moments that I felt the heaviness I had been carrying for quite some time. We could not have been more excited!   

But, I walked back into my office after getting the news about M’s baby being born and called my husband.  The baby was born and the agency informed us that it was looking like a faiIed adoption. I can’t even remember what was said.  Maybe we said nothing at all and just felt the heaviness of what was happening.  All we could do was wait.  Wait and hope.  Wait and pray.  Hadn’t we done enough waiting already?  Waiting for what?  The next disappointment?  The next door slammed in our faces? 

I was so angry.  So angry with God.  So angry with the situation  So angry with a broken system.  So angry about the money that would be lost. That weekend seemed to last forever as we waited to hopefully hear from M.  For her to call us and say “The baby is here. Come get her.”  The call never came.  The call that did come was from the agency telling us that they were considering this was looking like a failed adoption.  I ripped off my jacket, threw it, and screamed.  Just this raw scream that I thought, if loud enough, could blow away all of the pain.  We had a choice to make.  We could “call it” or we could continue to wait to see if M would call. On Sunday, September 30, we decided that we could no longer wait and were ready to accept this as a failed adoption. 

Almost as quickly as the years of waiting turned into joy, that joy turned into sorrow.  I didn’t want to hear scripture.  I didn’t want to pray.  I didn’t want anyone to tell me that everything happens for a reason, that she wasn’t meant to be ours.  I was hurt and I wanted to stay in my hurt.  I truly believed that beauty would come of that loss.  I knew it would and I knew that because of my belief in the promises of my God.  But my heart ached and my grief over that loss was stronger than anything I had ever felt before.  Friend, it’s not only okay, but it’s perfectly natural and normal to feel both or all or none or other.  There is no “right” or “wrong” way to process grief.  It will come in ebbs and flows but the grace of God is constant.  What is true and right and comforting is the unfailing love of a God who, I promise you, does have an incredibly beautiful, perfect plan for your life.  Rest in that.  “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  2 Corinthians 12:9. 

We spent time in our sadness and even still I revisit that loss sometimes, but we chose not to live there.  Not by any strength of our own, but by the power of Christ we were able to choose faith.  Families and friends encouraged us to take time to heal, take a break, but something about that loss renewed us.  Embers still burned under those ashes and God used them to spark a new fire within us.  We chose to begin receiving situations again.  We chose to be “all in”, to completely trust in God 100% in every aspect of our adoption journey and our lives.  We were chosen by an expectant mother on the very next situation we presented to.  Less than two months later she gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl and signed consents to place her with us.  Today we have a 6 month old baby girl who is absolutely the light of our lives.  We celebrated the finalization of her adoption two months ago.  She is incredible.  She is the beauty that came from every loss we faced.  She is the living, breathing proof of God’s grace and goodness.  I can’t imagine our lives without her.  And not just any “her”, but actually HER.  Every little thing that make her exactly who she is.  Her eyes. Her grin. Her sweet personality. The way she responds to our voices. Everything about her. I would do it all over again as many times as it took to get to her.  Every part of us is stronger and better suited to raise her in God’s love and grace because of all we have experienced, because of everything we went through.  

I can’t tell you that I now understand all of the “whys.”  My God is too powerful for my feeble mind to comprehend all of his marvelous works.  I don’t know why we had to suffer, but I know beauty came from it.  I don’t know why we had to wait, but beauty came from it. Our daughter came from it and I wouldn't change any of it. I don’t know God’s purpose for that first baby girl or M who were momentarily in our lives, or us in theirs, but I know that it was never to be her parents or for her to be our daughter.  I know that we still pray for her, that I call out her name to the Lord and I lift her up, and maybe we are the only ones who will ever pray for her.  Maybe that was our purpose.  I can only guess at the reasons and the whys but I find new beauty every time I look back, in the little things, in the big things.  God’s handprints are all over our journey and they are all over yours too.  Friend, if you are walking through a failed adoption right now, do not lose hope. Do not think your story is over. It isn't. God is at work, even when we can't see what He's up to. Don't give up. 

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***      

Adoption Story: Dan + Ashley

It was such an honor to walk through the adoption process with Dan and Ashley. Their journey has not been an easy one by any means, but they have trusted God every step of the way. I have been encouraged by their faith and hope in God, despite their circumstances. Dan and Ashley, it was such a privilege to walk this road with you and I know so many others will be encouraged by your story!

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Adoption was never our backup plan. For as long as I can remember, I envisioned adopting a child into our family, even as a little girl. What I didn’t know as a little girl was that adoption would be the only way we could  build a family.

After enjoying our marriage for a few years, Dan and I tried to conceive. We knew it could be difficult given the fact that Dan was diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkin's Lymphoma when he was 17. Although he is healthy and cancer-free today (Praise God!) the treatments he received impacted his fertility. At the same time, I (Ashley) was diagnosed with PCOS, which would make it difficult for us to conceive naturally. We sought the help of a fertility specialist, and went through IVF. But our IVF cycle did not result in viable embryos. After that, we knew we had our answer: God was telling us that first we needed to grieve the loss of a biological family we always dreamed of. And second, God was leading us to adoption. This is how we would grow our family.

As we began researching ways to adopt, we became extremely overwhelmed. Mounds of questions stared us in the face. How do we select an agency? How do we know if that agency is ethical? Do we adopt in our home state, or a different state? How do we create a profile? Will we ever be chosen?

That’s when we found CAC and spoke with Kelly. We liked her immediately. She was kind, patient with us as we asked a million questions, and we could tell she had a heart for adoption. The fact that CAC vetted all of the agencies they work with to ensure they practice ethical adoption standards was huge for us. We also liked the fact that we would have an opportunity to present our profiles to expectant mothers at multiple agencies rather than being restricted to just one agency. Our hope was that we may be matched more quickly.

Kelly guided us through the process of getting set up and ready to present our profile to expectant mothers. Gathering all of the paperwork and documents that we needed to be “home study approved” was time consuming and exhausting. Then there was the wait, which is probably harder than all of the paperwork put together. Waiting to present our profile. Waiting for expectant mothers to make a decision on our profile. Hearing “I’m sorry, she chose another family.” And waiting again for the next opportunity to present. Not only did Kelly sent us encouraging texts and emails to help us in that wait, she prayed for us. She also helped educate us on positive adoption language, and was pivotal to opening our hearts and minds to open adoption.

Less than three months into our adoption journey, we got the call we’d been dreaming of, “She chose you!” We couldn’t believe it. We were chosen to parent a baby girl due in just a few short months! But those months were filled with doubt and uncertainty. I still won’t forget the day when we got a call from our agency telling us that the expectant mother had changed her mind. The baby had been born, and she decided to parent. While we understood and respected her decision, we were heartbroken that this baby girl we had spent months praying for and preparing for was not going to come home with us. We were crushed and had to grieve yet another loss. But we are firm believers that everything happens for a reason. And for whatever reason, this baby girl was not meant for us, she was meant to be raised by her biological mother, which is beautiful in itself.

For the next few months, we went back to waiting and presenting. And I changed my prayer -- I stopped praying for God to give us a child, and instead I began praying for God to bring us an expectant mother who we could build a lasting relationship with. We believed that eventually God would give us a child, in his timing. What was most important to us was an expectant mother who we could love, just as Christ loves us.

Nine months after starting our adoption journey, we were matched with another mother expecting a baby boy! From the first time we spoke with her on the phone, we felt a connection. We met in person just a couple weeks later, and our love for each other grew. This woman has a huge heart. She is beautiful both inside and out, loves fiercely and is one of the strongest women I know. We walked alongside her for the remaining months of her pregnancy. Texting almost constantly throughout the day, and seeing her again in person one more time.

This incredible women gave me the honor of being by her side during her c-section. I had the privilege of seeing her baby boy be brought into this world. It was a moment that I will never forget filled with emotions that I can’t quite describe. She even gave us the privilege of caring for her boy the two days she was in the hospital -- giving us the opportunity to bond with this precious baby. Two days later, she made the hardest decision she’s ever had to make. She put all her trust in us to be the best parents we could be for her son. The weight of the decision is not lost on me. And the love she has for her son is undeniable.

This woman made me a mom, and I’m so grateful for that. The bond we share is sacred and unbreakable. We are so grateful for this open adoption and the relationship we share with her. Our son, Connor, is four months old now and we still talk frequently. We share photos back and forth, and have plans to see her again before he turns one. She will forever be a part of our lives. Open adoption is beautiful, and one day Connor will be able to talk to his biological mother about her decision. When God sent us this woman, he truly answered my prayers! Everything that led us to this moment -- the infertility and the disrupted adoption -- now makes sense, and we’re grateful for all of it.

Dan and I learned a lot about ourselves during this journey. We learned how to communicate better with each other. We learned how to pray and listen to God. We learned how to love. We learned how to lean on our friends and family when we just didn’t think we could go any further on our own. We learned that adoption is beautiful and broken, but born from love and loss. We learned how to open our hearts and minds in ways we never imagined. This journey through infertility and adoption strengthened our marriage in ways that “the easy way” could never have done. We learned how to process our emotions and let ourselves feel. We learned how strong we really are, but understanding that’s a strength that could only come from our loving Savior.

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***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Craig + Camille

Have you ever met someone and just known instantly that there was something special about them? That was my experience with Craig and Camille. Their love for Jesus and faith in God is so evident and has often been an encouragement to me. I spoke to Camille for the very first time in November and they signed on with me at Christian Adoption Consultants a few weeks after our initial conversation. They were matched 4 months later with a sweet baby girl! I will never forget the excitement in my heart when they called to tell me they had been chosen. I was cooking in the kitchen and as I got the news from my sweet family tears of joy streamed down my face. It was such an honor to have a front row seat in watching God’s beautiful plan unfold for their beautiful family. I encourage you to grab a few tissues as Camille shares about their story and God’s faithfulness to their daughter, Annesely Rose.

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We thought about adoption for a couple years before feeling God's nudge to begin the process. We crossed paths with Kelly Todd at Christian Adoption Consultants when we were nearing the end of our home study. I’m so grateful we did! We appreciated their multi-agency approach, and we felt more at ease with the adoption process knowing that CAC had heavily vetted these adoption agencies and attorneys. It was so important for us to work with an ethical adoption agency! One of the things that intimidated me most about the adoption process was creating a profile. I was so relieved to know that Kelly would make our book for us, and because of this we felt like we could confidently present to situations. The guidance and education Kelly provided for us was another reason we chose to move forward with CAC. She helped us evaluate the risks, encouraged us when we were discouraged, and answered all of our questions.

During the process my main fear was whether we would ever be chosen. That fear mainly crept in because of my human impatience; I know I'm getting older and want to have energy to care for my child. After we were home study approved we started receiving situations. We presented several times and were told “no.” We started to feel discouraged and wondered if we would ever be parents. One day we were contacted by an agency about a specific situation. We both felt very strongly that God was leading us down this path and so we decided to present. We were so excited to find out we had been chosen!

A few weeks later we received a phone call from the agency stating that the baby had been born that morning - 5 weeks early. She continued to list other things such as length, weight, etc, but everything became a blur when she mentioned the baby had Down Syndrome. This was not something we were aware of prior to her birth. At the same time we received this news, we were actually in a state of grief as both of our grandmothers had passed away within the previous few days. We had been preparing for funerals and were not expecting to travel for another month.

Even though this news had taken us by surprise, we knew it wasn’t a surprise to God. We collapsed into each other's arms and immediately began praying. We also texted Kelly and pleaded for her prayers during this time. After an hour of praying, reading the Bible, crying, and talking, we felt a definite peace in our hearts. We knew this baby was our baby girl and even though we felt unprepared, we knew that God would equip us with everything we needed to be the best parents we could be. When we arrived at the hospital we were finally able to meet our daughter, Annesely Rose, for the very first time. We loved her as soon as we were matched with her; however, when we first saw her, we realized how much we loved her, and it was even more evident when we could hold her for the very first time.

Throughout this adoption journey, God has taught us that we are not in control - He is. We should have known this all along and sometimes think we do, but deep down we still often try to control things ourselves. We look back in amazement at how God orchestrated all this. We love our little girl and are so thankful that she is in our lives. We feel God has a special plan for her and are just thankful that it includes us!

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***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Michael + Chelsey

I remember the first time I spoke with Michael and Chelsey over the phone. We talked for at least an hour and I knew within minutes that there was something special about this couple. As their adoption consultant, I not only had the honor of guiding them through the adoption process, I got to know them very well throughout their journey! And I can tell you that I have seen them walk through the unknowns, heartache and loss with the kind of joy and hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ. As Chelsey beautifully explains below, their story is one of God’s faithfulness, grace, mercy and unconditional love. It is my prayer that you will be encouraged by their faith, as I have.

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“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
-Lamentations 3: 22-23-

A mother takes her young son into a store. The store owner approaches the young boy and tells him to take a hand full of candy. The young boy looks up to the store owner and asks if he would get the candy for him. Later that day the mother asks her son, “Why did you ask the store owner to get your candy instead of getting it yourself?” The boy replies, “because his hands are bigger than mine.”

A coworker of Michael told us that story as we packed to go to Florida to await the birth of our baby girl. I couldn’t fully comprehend the meaning behind the story at the time. All I could do was trust. Trust that God’s hands were bigger than mine and He would give us more than we could grab ourselves. Now I understand.

Michael and I knew pretty quickly that we wanted to be parents. It was just the next step and we had no reason to believe we would encounter any problems. Until we did. And the months turned into years. The “trying” turned into diagnoses and surgeries and procedures. The hope turned into despair. The dream turned into a very cruel reality that having biological children was not likely.

We knew that adoption was next. After giving ourselves time to heal from the excruciating loss of that dream, we began researching and pretty quickly decided we were interested in hiring a consultant. We made a phone call to Christian Adoption Consultants in December 2017. Let me tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous in my life to make a phone call. No answer, but shortly thereafter we received a call back from Kelly Todd. It only took a few minutes for Kelly’s kind, soft voice to dissipate my fears and anxieties about the call. After speaking with her, we decided to dive in. In January 2018 we signed on with CAC and truly began our adoption journey.

By June we were home study approved and ready and excited to begin receiving situations! I’m not sure what I expected but the realities of a large majority of these situations left my heart heavy. I remember asking Kelly if they would all be that way and her answer shed a new light on the journey. She explained that adoption is full of brokenness. Expectant mamas are making an adoption plan for their baby because of the difficult situation they are in. They want a better life for their child. I don’t know what kind of fantasy land I was living in or why, but I needed that explanation. We received a ton of situations, some we presented to and some we didn’t. We didn’t know how to choose whether or not to present and I’m so thankful for a conversation with Kelly during which she reminded me that there was nothing we could do or not do that would ruin God’s plan for our family.

The first few times we presented we were met with “She has decided to move ahead with another family.” Ugh. It was incredibly disappointing. I couldn’t understand what was “wrong” with us. While presenting to one particular situation and awaiting the expectant mother’s decision, I remember feeling defeated. I remember sitting on our couch crying and I looked at Michael and said, “I just want a ‘yes’. I don’t think we’re ever going to get a ‘yes’.” The next day we received a phone call that the expectant mama had chosen us! She said “yes” to us! We were matched! Unfortunately, within just a few weeks, our match failed. Shattered. Our hearts were shattered. Our “yes” turned into an ugly, glaring, painful “no.” Our families told us to take time, that we needed a break. Others told us it was okay to stop trying. I kneeled on the floor of this beautiful nursery in our new home and sobbed. I had been thinking all along that I was believing and trusting in God and in that moment I knew I had not. Not really. I wanted God to give me MY gift the way I wanted it in MY time.

Something about that failed match lit a fire inside of both of us. We were finally “all in.” No more fear, no more analyzing or assessing, no more trying to control, no more forcing. Just trusting. Just saying “yes” to God, down whatever road He would have us go. Just a few weeks later we found out that an expectant mama we were presenting to had chosen us. Being scared would have been the easiest thing to do, but we had vowed to choose faith over fear, so we did. With hope and joy, we gave our hearts to this expectant mama. Less than seven weeks later, she laid her heart, in the form of her beautiful newborn baby girl, in our arms.

I can’t begin to describe the feelings. The pain, the waiting, the longing, the emptiness, the barrenness, the grief, the loss… it all culminated into that moment when we walked into a labor and delivery room at 3:30 AM after driving 10 hours through the night and had our baby girl laid into my arms.

We have been floating since. Our sweet girl turned 10 weeks old today and I still can’t help but stare at her and cry, because of my love for her but also because of God’s love for us. She’s absolutely perfect. God’s hands were so much bigger than mine or Michael’s.

Does it all make perfect sense now? Some would tell you “yes”, but I’ll be honest with you and tell you “No, not exactly.” My little mind is just not capable of understanding God in all his power and wisdom. What I do know, what does make perfect sense, is that God knows. I don’t know when or how or why he chose this baby girl for us. I can’t begin to fathom, but I know I’m as proud of her as if I had made her myself. I know that God knew how our story would unfold long before we did. I know that God is incredible and I stand in complete wonder and awe of His amazing love.

The process of adopting was not an easy one. There were days when it was just hard, in every sense. There were moments when I couldn’t find the strength to even dream of holding our child in my arms. Each and every time, though, God sustained us. God lifted us up, he strengthened us, he renewed our hope, and he covered us in his faithfulness. Like he has always done and like he will always do. Our story is not one of our faith or endurance, but of God’s grace and mercy. Of his ability and willingness to grab a handful of candy for us because his hands are so much bigger than ours and he can hold abundantly more.

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***