Adoption Story: Jeff + Shari

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I had the pleasure of walking Jeff and Shari through the adoption process! After 5 months of being active with agencies, they got a call they had been chosen to be the parents of a one-month-old baby boy. In less than 24 hours they were holding their little one in their arms! Shari and Jeff, it was an honor to walk with your family on the journey that led you to your sweet boy! I am in awe of what God has done, and I can’t wait for others to read about it today! I know it will be an encouragement to so many others who are in a difficult season of waiting!

We've always thought adoption was beautiful, and it was something we definitely talked about while we were dating. Shortly after we were married, we went on a mission trip to Haiti and visited a children's home. This opened our hearts even more to adoption, but like most couples, we assumed we would have biological children first. When that wasn't happening, we had peace about it but began to pray earnestly for God to place a calling on our lives to adopt. And He did! 

A good friend connected us with Christian Adoption Consultants and Kelly Todd, specifically. I'm so glad we requested her to be our consultant. She was friendly, kind, reliable, and so knowledgeable! Having someone walk us through the process and answer all our questions was SO helpful!

Throughout our journey, we clung to Phillippians 4:7. “ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We didn't always "feel" at peace because there were so many unknowns and what-ifs, but we trusted that God would match us with the exact baby He had for us.

After 5 months of being active with agencies through CAC’s multi-agency approach, we were finally chosen! Meeting our son for the first time was so wonderfully surreal. In our case, we found out we matched about 24 hours before we met him and brought him home. It was a whirlwind of emotions to process in a short amount of time. It's not how we envisioned it happening, but it ended up being SO perfect...we wouldn't change a thing!

Looking back, we see so many of "God's fingerprints" in our story. Like as we were pulling into the parking lot to go pick up our son, a friend texted Jeff that the Lord had put it on his heart to pray for us the day before and that he felt we would be getting our baby soon. And looking back on my many journal entries, I was praying God's favor over our baby and their birth family on the exact date our son was born.

Waiting and wondering how your story will play out is hard! Our advice is to fill your minds with encouragement and truth along the way. Read scripture, pray for your future baby and journal! Read uplifting books about adoption, listen to podcasts, and look at all the adoption stories on the CAC website. Know that God is working even when it doesn't feel like anything is happening. God's timing is perfect. Even when you think you're ready, God knows best.

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

Adoption Story: Tyler + Blaine

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I had the pleasure of walking Blaine and Tyler through the adoption process from the very beginning of their journey until they welcomed their son home! People outside the adoption circle may not understand the complexities and the emotional toll that the adoption process can have on a family’s heart. It isn’t easy. It takes a lot of courage, faith, and strength to persevere through this journey. But Blaine and Tyler never gave up. I watched as this sweet couple placed their hope in God and not their circumstances. Tonight, they share a little bit of their journey with you.

It’s a privilege to share our story with you! It was not long ago that we were perhaps where you are now, seeking and searching for answers in the face of infertility and uncertainty. Why wouldn’t God allow us to have our own children? What is the road ahead for growing our family? We didn’t know the answers, and we felt so discouraged because nothing seemed clear to us. Having gone through all of the channels - infertility treatment, testing, counseling - we prayed and prayed and finally felt our hearts opened to adoption.

Several close family friends recommended Christian Adoption Consultants. We debated for a long time if a consultant service was necessary. However, the adopting families that we knew strongly recommended that we get all the help we could. From the very beginning of our journey, we could not have been more pleased. Kelly Todd and all of the CAC staff were so generous with us and provided a perspective that we never could have gotten on our own. There are so many pitfalls and confusing times on this journey, and having a guide was worth it at every step!

After the initial flurry of paperwork, the hardest part was waiting. On several occasions, we became excited about a possible match, only to be disappointed. In retrospect, this period of time was character-building for us since it deepened our dependence on God and led us to greater trust and patience in our marriage. However, at the time, it seemed to be pure torture. Without any guarantee that a baby would come, we simply had to wait and pray. 

At last, we got the notification, so abruptly we could barely believe it, that a baby was being born across the country from us. We were a match for him, and he was ready for us! It didn’t even seem possible. We dropped everything and bought the first plane ticket we could find! One week later, we were holding our son in our arms. All the waiting suddenly made sense when our beautiful son arrived. 

You’ll hear the cliche many times that “every adoption story is different,” but like many cliches, it contains a lot of truth. No one can say where your journey will lead you or what obstacles you are going to face. The best advice we have is to remember that, as in every trial, it is possible to either despair and lose hope or to deepen faith and trust in God. Making this choice will never be easy, but it will always be worth it. Our son, Beckett,  is our pride and joy and a beautiful part of our family. We have no doubt that with faith, there is a child, somewhere, waiting for you.

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

Adoption Story: Melissa + Holden

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adoption Story: Chad + Cori

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CAC's New Embryo Adoption Program

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


Adoption Story: Josh + Rachel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adoption Story: Rachel + Adam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Adoption Story: Ryan + Lauren

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adoption Story: Steven + Annie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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