adoption.

In October of 2012 we brought home our precious children from Ethiopia.  A 8 month girl we named Asher & a 9 month old boy we named Camp.  Adoption changed us to the core.  After visiting the country our children would later come from in July 2010, our lives were gloriously ruined.  We could no longer go back to life as it was.  We had been exposed to the great need for families for the family-ness.  It began our passion for every person to have clean drinking water, every child to have the opportunity to have an education and sparked our love affair with orphan care.  Our lives will never be the same and it's our prayer everyday that others will find the joy in giving more orphans forever families and improving the lives of people in the third world.

God’s plans are so much better than our own.  I read a blog post by a friend that said she was thankful that god TOLD HER NO.  I feel the same way about the way WE wanted to start our family.  We tried to get pregnant for about a year and right before we started fertility treatments, the Lord intervened through the voice of a fearless college student that asked me if we had ever considered adoption. 

Adoption was never on my radar.  Adoption & missions were for “those people”.  Radicals.  People who always had a “heart for the nations”.  That wasn’t me.  So adoption wasn’t for me.  Or so I thought.  {friends, don't believe this lie!!}

Her simple question & encouragement to pray about it started us down a road I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams.  God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine - you know? All it takes it saying YES to Him.

Stephen & I went on our first trip to Africa summer of 2011 & are lives were forever “gloriously ruined”.  We traded our plans and dreams for HIS.  Africa & specifically Ethiopia feels like home.  It holds a very special piece of us & now we can see but a glimpse of what God was up to when he planted Katie & her challenging question in my path at Op Camp in the summer 2010.

Our lives look totally different.  We are changed.  And it’s all because we committed to pray about growing our family through adoption.  I can’t imagine where we’d be if God would have said YES to my prayer before I could say YES to His much greater plan.  It’s an adventure.  Will you join us?

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We adopt because God adopted us.  

While we were spiritually orphaned, He rescued us.  He redeemed us & He's restoring us.

Out of the overflow of what Christ has done for us, we adopt HIS children. 

It all started when my friend Katie fearlessly asked me if I had ever considered it & when I said no, she boldly asked me to pray about it.  I said YES.  Stephen said YES (about 3 months later!) and God has done immeasurably more than ALL we could ask or imagine.  

Our lives have been gloriously ruined. 

Timeline to Camp & Asher

7/2010  - God put adoption on Wynne's heart

10/2010  - Stephen on board.  Start researching agencies

10/18/2010 - Completed initial form to start process with Gladney!

10/19/2010 - the word is out! After having told both of our families, we sent out big email to family & friends

11/11/2010 - phone orientation with Gladney, send off for official application

11/15/2010 - Start application : send off references, set up doctor appt

hmm lots of paperwork went on during this time!

2/14/2011 - sent off ALL Gladney paperwork

2/16/2011 - fingerprinted

2/25/2011 - scheduled home study for March 8th

3/8/2011 - Home Study

4/12/2011- Gladney Approved!!!!!!!

4/13/2011- Sent home study off for CIS fingerprinting appointment, and to Kate (KBS) to get authenticated.

4/25/2011- Gladney received last Gladney payment :)

4/25/2011- Kate (KBS) to authenticate all documents for dossier (minus CIS approval - still waiting)

5/9/2011 - USCIS fingerprints in Lubbock

7/1/2011 - USCIS approval letter

7/11/2011 - we are officially on the WAIT LIST!

2/2/2012- switched adoption agencies (IFS) & accepted the referral of our little boy! 

4/25/2012 - lost referral

4/26/2012 - accept referral for 2 babies!

5/1/2012- Dossier arrived in Addis

5/3/2012- babies arrived at foster home in Addis

6/8/2012- submitted to court

6/3-/21- meet camp + asher

7/2/2012 - Passed court

7/17/2012- Embassy paper received 

7/31/2012- fingerprints updated

10/16/2012- Embassy clearance

10/23/2012- leave for embassy

10/25/2012- embassy appointment

10/25/2012 - GOTCHA DAY!!! 

Other Resources::
IFS - our agency
Together for Adoption - amazing adoption conference, and outstanding resources
Noonday Collection - consider becoming an ambassador to raise funds for your adoption or simply host a trunk show!
Give1Save1 - features a different family each week to raise money for their adoption
147 million orphans - fundraising program & awesome adoption gear
Project Hopeful - education on adopting HIV+/AIDS orphans
Generations Adoptions - another amazing agency, specializing in Ugandan adoptions
Reece's Rainbow - information on adopting children with special needs
Show Hope - offers grants to adoptive families
Abba Fund - financial solutions for adoptions
Rainbow Kids - guidelines for each country, waiting children's lists

*I have been asked several times, but I have a form I made that I used when I was researching agencies.  If you would like a copy, email me!