LOVE IS WAITING JOINS THE ORPHAN CARE NETWORK

I am so excited to share that Love is Waiting will be joining forces with The Orphan Care Network! We were first introduced to the organization when Randy asked my husband Aaron if he'd be interested in playing for an event called Foster the Story back in November. It was an opportunity for Aaron to share songs inspired by our adoption process and also share stories about our family. 

After playing the event, Aaron felt a tug and a growing interest in the work that this organization was doing. He texted Randy ALL the time, excited about new ideas! He wanted to be a part of it. Now, here we are, just 6 months later and Aaron is entering into his second month on staff, full time at The Orphan Care Network! He left his worship leader position at a church in Kingwood to head up the "Artistry + Advocacy" program at TOCN. I'm so proud of the way he has fearlessly jumped into this new role. It's obvious that he is right where he needs to be. He's SO passionate about this work and he is having a blast doing it!

...So where does Love is Waiting come into play?? Well, we knew pretty quickly that some sort of partnership made sense! We've spent some time talking about what it will look like. It will take some time to work out all the details, but we are hopeful that the changes will provide 

better fundraising experiences for families

a larger audience for sharing stories

better resources and connections for adoption

 I will definitely keep you posted as things begin to transition over. In the mean time, head on over to orphancarenetwork.org and check it out. Also, we are currently fundraising Aaron's salary and if you are interested in supporting our family, it's easy to make a tax-deductible, recurring gift OR one time gift  here...

SUPPORT THE KREIGHBAUMS

Jennifer and Jason started the process to adopt this year and were chosen by a birth mother very quickly! Their baby girl should be coming home in August! They are doing what they can to raise funds before then! Jennifer was adopted and it will be so special for she and her daughter to have this in common. This week when you shop at loveiswaiting.storenvy.com , 20% of sales will go to help with their adoption expenses. 

My husband and I have been married almost 8 years, but have been unable to have children. We have miscarried twice, but both have such a desire to raise a family of our own. We began the process of adoption in 2014, as I was happy to continue the chain of adoption (I was adopted and have a relationship with my biological and adoptive families). Wow, we soon realized that this journey would not be an inexpensive one. We were matched quickly, which is amazing, and are so excited to be able to take home our baby girl around the beginning of August. We know the timing is right, we just are doing anything we can to raise funds. We love the outdoors (zoos, parks, traveling as a whole) and enjoy musical and sporting events. God has worked miracles in our lives and we trust him to this one as well. 

Jennifer (and Jason) Kreighbaum

MEET THE TAMPLEN FAMILY!

I know I must sound like I say this every week, but I am SO excited to share this family's story! They have been on a pretty crazy journey since getting married and I am so proud of their bravery in sharing their story! And speaking of BRAVE... they are pursuing the adoption of 3 BROTHERS! So incredible. Click here to shop this week to give 20% to support their adoption.

Our story begins like most…A young married couple longing for a family. We were lucky to find one another because we both have a huge heart for orphans.  Sharing that passion, adoption was always in our plan. (We are talking, didn’t put a ring on the finger until we figured out how we would like to adopt!) Like most young couples we thought of trying for biological kiddos first. Now here’s the part where I tell you why we’re not like most young married couples. Well most young couples that don’t struggle with infertility issues.

Greg and I first started “actively” trying in May 2011. I was diagnosed with PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and the doctors recommend we try “fertility” treatments. We felt in our hearts that was not an option for us at the time. In June 2012 we had a little miracle, 2 little miracles to be exact, but we never got to meet them face-to-face here on this earth. For the next year and a half we go on to trying different fertility treatments only to struggle with getting pregnant and not staying pregnant. I wouldn’t necessarily say that “we felt God’s love the entire time” because we were upset and confused and honestly, we really just didn’t get it! One night in May 2013, after many prayers and many tears we had a thought, “Why are we trying so hard for a biological kid when there are kids RIGHT NOW who need a family?” That thought changed our lives for good. Our hearts ache for our kids that we will never get to meet, but the love that Greg and I had before this whole process has only grown. We believe that God never left our sides, even when we desperately tried to leave His. He remained ever faithful and ever loving. Many prayers, thoughts, and love have come our way over the past 3 years and Greg and I have been strengthened from it. 

Now here we are in April 2014 potentially adopting not one…not two…but THREE BROTHERS! Yes, we are one of “those” crazy couples, but Greg and I have always felt a little more comfortable around crazy people. We know that we have more trials ahead, but we also know that our God truly is FOR us, never against us. Adopting is one way for us to really show children in this world what God’s love looks like in their lives! That unrelenting love…So here we go…

MEET THE MUGAR FAMILY!

Melissa and I are two peas in a pod! She has a shop where she sells sunglasses and all proceeds give back to adoption! I'm so excited to feature them this week. 20% of all Love is Waiting sales this week go to support their SECOND adoption AND we're also teaming up to do an instagram giveaway! Can't beat a free tee and a new pair of shades! Read more about this cool family below and don't forget to check out subshades.com for another way to support adoptive families every week!

"Adoption has certainly blessed our lives in more ways than we could have imagined. In March of 2012 we started the process (infant domestic adoption) and had many hiccups along the way. We were matched in January 2013 and our tiny bundle of joy arrived the next month, weighing in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces! Since then our adoption costs have been tremendous. Our sweet birthmother is a single mother to four children and had major health complications during her pregnancy. Being the adoptive parents we were responsible for all of her costs during that time. I joke and call Jacqueline our “million dollar baby” but in all seriousness, her adoption cost us nearly $60,000.

In June of 2013, Jacquie’s birth family became homeless on the hard streets of Detroit. With the help of family and friends we were able to fly them in to our home, to live with us while we raised funds to purchase them a residence. In the end, we were able to get the family a home but were unable to reach our fundraising goal. Robert and I were happy to help, however we were put in another tight financial situation. 

Here we are in 2014. Jacqueline is a thriving one year old. We want to start the adoption journey again! (Are we crazy or what?!) Robert and I are so excited to expand our family through another infant domestic adoption and give Jacquie a brother or sister of the same race. In order for us to do this, we need help. Our friends and family so generously donated funds for her birth family to purchase a home that we do not feel comfortable asking for straight donations. Instead all proceeds of Subsidy Shades will go directly to a fund to help expand our growing family. Thank you for everything! We love our family, friends and kind strangers so much! "

THE QUESADA FAMILY

After a surprise diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis in their biological daughter, the Quesada's have found themselves on a grand adventure! They have completed paperwork and are waiting to be matched! Shop Love is Waiting this week and give 20% to the Quesadas. 

We are excited and blessed to start this adventure in growing our family through adoption! My name is Kristina, and my wonderful husband of 5 years is Levi. We have an amazing, loving, happy biological daughter, Ellis, who is 3 years old.

When Ellis was born, she was diagnosed, to our surprise, with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) through a newborn screening. CF is a genetic disease that is passed down from both parents. Sticky mucus builds up in the lungs and digestive tracts, calling for treatments and over 15 pills a day. Although Ellis is doing extremely well, we have chosen to forego having more biological children. Through lots of prayer and reflection, our family has chosen the path of adoption!

We have finally completed all of the calls, paperwork, interviews…and now we are a family waiting to be matched! We know that, when the time is right, we will welcome a wonderful child into our family. Thank you for getting to know our story and supporting our journey.

ZIBELL FAMILY

From Stephanie herself! 

"What a huge blessing to be a part of this community of support! My husband (Scott), myself (Stephanie) and my chatty toddler (Emara) can’t thank you enough!

I have wanted to adopt since I was a little girl. I had big dreams of a HUGE family and that family was going to come from all over the world. But, of course, my “plan” was to wait until we were older and more financially stable to adopt, after we had a few babies naturally.

Boy, was I way off course.

{Thank God for that}

I could literally spend hours talking to you about our story. First, I would want to tell you how incredible and good God has been to our {at times} fragile hearts. I would want to walk you through every moment of joy when we would celebrate a pregnancy. I would want you to join me in our complete excitement and emotional lovefest when we discovered we would get to bring a tiny little person into the world. Then I would want to cry with you as I tell you about all of my precious babies.  Little lives who have changed me, wrecked me for the best. I am the proud mother of 7 children. But, five of those children, I will never get to meet until heaven. In one paragraph, I cannot honor them enough, explain to you my love for them enough.

My five little ones in heaven. 5 portions of my heart poured out and waiting to be filled again. God knows you. And He loves you more than I ever could. And so, my heart rests in that. But, gosh, I miss you. To the core of my body, I ache for each one of you.

Emara Jane. She is my miracle. Our miracle. She should not be here. By the total grace of God, my body grew her and she is a thriving 2 year old who loves life and shows me Jesus every. single. day. There are no words that could describe the gift that you are to me and your daddy.

And our little Ethiopian baby. Our 7^th child. We have been waiting for this little one since August, 2010. Praying, hoping, wishing, crying, yearning. Our dossier made its grand entrance to Ethiopia in May, 2012 and not one day goes by that you don’t cross our mind, sweet child. Not a day goes by that we don’t pray for you. Hope that the phone will ring with our referral. We are {IM}patiently waiting. Your room is ready. And so are we.  

As you can tell, it is hard to talk to you about my children without wanting to talk directly to them. My heart is for my kids. And our little one in Ethiopia has been “mine” since 2010. This child has been my longest pregnancy!! And my expectancy for him (or her) to come home is so magnetic and palpable.

With everyday that we don’t get that referral phone call comes a tiny smidge of sadness that we still have to wait that much longer.

But, we know that the story God is writing for our lives is far more beautiful than the one we could ever try to write ourselves. 

So, we find hope in that as we wait for our little one to come home."

MEET THE WILLINGHAMS!

I'm so excited about this week! I met Paige at an artist market. I was selling my Love is Waiting tees and she was selling beautiful handmade dresses and clutches to raise money for their adoption. I love hearing her say, they "just know" that they have a little boy out there waiting for them! That's exactly how we felt about Arthur. It's amazing how the bond is already forming between this family and their newest brother! Meet the Willinghams!

Hello Love is Waiting readers! We are so excited and so grateful to be a part of this beautiful support system that Heather has begun to help families like ours bring their little ones home. My name is Paige, and my husband is Russell. We have three biological children, twin daughters Emma and Abby (6), and Samuel (3). We know without a doubt that we have another little boy across the ocean, who is waiting for us to go and get him. We have just finished our home study interviews, and are hoping to send over our dossier to China before long. With each passing day, I have a growing bond that is forming in my head and in my heart for my little boy. God has been so faithful, so awesome, so gracious in His goodness to us. It may be a long road ahead, but we are clinging to and trusting in His perfect timing. If you want to read more of our story, or follow along our journey, head over to www.willinghamfamily.blogspot.com.

MEET BRAND NEW, BABY HOLSOPPLE!

How adorable is this little one!? And big sister looks so proud! For the Holsopples, their wait is over! Kellen is home, but we know that doesn't mean they no longer need support! Their court date is in just a few days and I'm excited to celebrate with them this week and give towards their adoption. When you shop this week, a portion of the profits go to the Holsopple family.  Read their story below.

Soon after the birth of our daughter, Emerson, we knew that another pregnancy was not an option to grow our family.  Adoption was our next choice… but it wasn't in God's timing yet.  Kendall and I were on separate pages on what we thought our adoption should look like - international or domestic, infant or toddler, boy or girl, open or closed, etc.  We knew that unless we were united on every part of this journey, it wasn't going to happen for us. 

Years went by, and I mean years.  But we were finally united!  We already had an agency picked out (the same one we had picked years ago) and began our journey.  We started in March of 2013 and after many meetings, the home study, and mounds of paperwork, we became an official waiting family in August 2013.  Now the real waiting began - we were paper pregnant! 

Anyone who has been down this road understands the roller-coaster of waiting.  I teach and Kendall farms, so we were always able to stay “busy” and not let the waiting consume us.  Kendall was actually on his way home from a farm show in Kentucky when we got the call.  It was a Thursday night and we were told that a birth mom was in labor and we were the family!  Kendall was home in a couple of hours and then the real waiting began… through a long labor, our son Kellen Eugene Holsopple was born on Valentine's Day.  What an amazing addition to our family he is.  Emerson absolutely adores him and we are so thankful and humbled that he is ours.  Our court date to make everything official is on St. Patrick's Day - he will be forever ours. 😊.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us!  We are so thankful and grateful for your  support.  Thank you again. 😊.  

Love Kendall, Heather, Emerson, and Kellen

DEATH & RISING : WAITING FOR ARTHUR

(December 1, 2011)

I've wanted to share this part of our adoption story for a while. Arthur came home just over two years ago and life has been happening at full speed ever since! It's the part of the story that is scary and hard and ugly. I have kept it close, but now I'm ready to share. And the timing just happens to go along with this season of death and rising.

It was November of 2011, I didn't know it, but we were SO CLOSE to getting the news we were desperate to hear. We had been waiting for almost 6 months to get clearance from the Embassy so we could go get our boy. And when I say "waiting" that doesn't seem to capture it well. In just six months we had experienced so many ups and downs, scary news and then more scary news. Over and over I had to face the idea that maybe Arthur would NEVER come home. I had moments of clarity and peace. Moments when I could declare... "Arthur is not the prize, Jesus is the prize. Arthur is yours, God and you are still good even if we never understand. You are good even if he doesn't come home."

But those moments would pass and I would be in BAD shape. And I don't mean just sad... I mean my physical body was being overtaken by anxiety. I could not sleep, I had no appetite. I saw a doctor who prescribed xanax (which did nothing), I saw a counselor (first time ever seeing a counselor) who had me try visualization exercises, tapping exercises, I put little drops of herbs under my tongue... I was drinking calming tea (I had to stop drinking coffee), I wasn't performing at work. I was crying all the time. And for those who know me... I am just NOT that way!

I still remember exactly what it felt like... I described it to my mom as a gear spinning in the middle of my chest. It would NOT STOP spinning... around the clock, my adrenaline was on overdrive! Finally my mom sat down with me and was determined to help me work through it... she said

"Ok, when you think about Arthur coming home, what does that look like? Walk me through the steps."

Even with my anxiety, I couldn't help but smile at the thought. I started to explain,

"Well, the Embassy will call the police department and they will agree that the information recorded is correct and we will get clearance!

Still excited, I kept on going in great detail,

"Aaron and I will probably yell and scream and dance around the house and then call our travel agent to get the next flight out. We'll tell our family and friends, call into work, make an announcement on social media (of course). It would be a day of celebrating."

"And then... ?" my mom asked

I couldn't get much further into the story without shaking. The anxiety would flare up again. As soon as I got to a place where I would visualize being reunited with Arthur, instead of being overcome with joy, the fear and sadness would set in.

"Wait! What happened?" my mom asked "You were  getting to the best part, why did it stop?"

"Almost as soon as I think about having that sleeping baby on my chest, I stop myself and think... 'but what if that never happens?'"

As soon as I said that out loud, I lost it and the tears began to flow. My tears were met with equals parts compassion and frustration from my mom. She hated to see me hurting, but she also wanted me to stand up and fight for my boy! It was clear to her what was happening. I was grieving the loss of my son maybe a hundred times a day and it was wrecking me! It was a cycle of grief and hope all day every day for 6 months and it was time work through it!

The next day, I went out for a run and I prayed and prayed... It may seem weird and maybe I will be the only one to really understand what happened that day, but it became so clear to me that, in a way, I was burying Arthur alive every time I had that thought. It was so crazy to come this realization! I was so disappointed in myself as a brand new mom, but I became very excited about the opportunity to fight these thoughts and believe in something bigger for my son.

...so I started to "dig" ...until I saw his face. I wiped the dirt away and he opened his eyes and gazed at me. Are you weirded out?? Maybe you are, but it's ok because this is the image that God gave me to help me work through the last hours of my long "labor" with Arthur and it's probably one of the most important things I have ever done.

Just a few days later, we got the call we were waiting for and the spinning gear was forever quieted when my son was back in my arms, sleeping soundly on my chest.

GRATEFUL

I've been so excited to enter into the Lenten season this year. For whatever reason, I was very motivated to commit to fasting and I'm ready to spend some good time over these 40 days to pray and prepare for Easter. I knew right away that I wanted to/needed to fast from watching television. What I didn't know was that this decision was going to deprive me of joy of watching the SEASON FINALE of the Bachelor. Yes, I watch the Bachelor and a lot of other dumb, life-sucking shows... which is why I'm fasting from television. 

It's been pretty interesting these first few days to see how my time is spent when tv is not an option. The first night, I slept, the second night, I went out and celebrated my birthday and tonight... 

Tonight I put my boys in their beds, cleaned up the kitchen and then got totally lost in Instagram. One comment led here and then this hashtag led there and I ended up on an instagram account of a mother who lost her infant son about 5 weeks ago. I went back in her history to her pregnant belly and then back to the day she gave birth to her 10 pound son. I read her post, sharing sad news and asking for prayer. I saw this beautiful, perfect newborn baby change into a sick, swollen baby with tubes and cords. I read the post she shared the day she lost her son. I got lost in this gut wrenching story. 

When I was finally able to peel my eyes away from my phone, I thought about my two boys sleeping in their rooms. They came to us in different ways, but they both CAME HOME. Healthy, happy baby boys. Tonight I'm not taking that for granted. Thank you, Jesus for these two AMAZING boys. I am grateful. 

NICK & KATIE WELCH

The other day I told someone that when you start the adoption process, it's almost like finding out you're pregnant! Maybe you've thought about adopting, maybe you had a plan about when you might start the process, but when you actually make that first call or sign that first piece of paper. It's real! It's miraculous! You become pregnant! And the timing or the way it happens might take you by surprise... just like taking a pregnancy test. There's a baby being formed, there's a child waiting for you and the timing couldn't be more perfect. 

I have been going crazy over here with excitement over the news that some of my dearest friends Katie and Nick have just found out that they are "pregnant"! After having one biological child and experiencing the pain and grief of two miscarriages, they will bring home a second child through adoption. Something they've wanted to do for a long time now! I've always admired Katie's honesty and bravery. She's never afraid to be vulnerable. She invites people in to walk through the hard places with her. She doesn't pretend that she's perfect! She doesn't pretend she's ok if she's not. She is so strong! Katie and Nick were our rocks when we were fighting to bring Arthur home. They rejoiced with us when we received good news, they wept with us when we were discouraged, and they continue to support and encourage us. I cannot wait to do the same for them as they begin this exciting journey!!! 

We couldn't be happier to share 20% of Love is Waiting sales with them for the next TWO weeks! Go shop!!

Read more below and follow along with the Welch family at welchpress.tumblr.com

"Nick and I have both wanted to adopt from a young age. I've always pictured my family being a large multi-racial family. It's my dream. My calling, I believe. I always hoped the man I married would feel the same way.

When Nick was young, he watched a family friend adopt 2 children from China. It inspired him, even at a young age, with the dream of someday adopting children. When we first got married, we decided we wanted to start a family through adoption. We watched a few of our closest friends start their families that way, and that made it seem less intimidating. When we began to pursue adoption, we found out we were pregnant with our first son, Judah. We were thrilled, and knew that adoption would be on our hearts forever, so we decided that maybe we'd have a couple biological kids, then adopt a few more. When Judah was 13 months old, we got pregnant again. Our plan was going just like we'd thought. When I was almost 15 weeks pregnant, I went into labor and delivered a tiny sweet baby that we named Emmanuel. This was confusing and extremely difficult for our family to walk through. Knowing that God had a perfect plan for our family, even if we didnt understand it, we marched on. We ended up pregnant again, and lost our little baby Hope at only 6 weeks. After that, a greiving process set in, but we took comfort in knowing that Emmanuel and Hope were with God, and that God knows what He is after. His plan is better than ours even when it feels horrible and out of control. The first thing that both Nick and I thought about when we lost Hope was adoption. Our heart has always been heavy for adoption. It's been a long time dream of both of ours and now felt like the time. We spend a month praying hard and seeking God's direction for our family. At the end of the month, we were both totally confident that He was leading us toward adoption now. We couldn't be more excited. Now the fun part, coming up with more money than I make in a year to pay for this crazy process. We trust that God's heart is for adoption and that He's bigger than $35,000, even thought it's SO scary. We trust Him. It was inspiring watching you and Aaron fight for Arthur. Watching you walk off the plane that December was one of the best moments of my life. The fact that we had invested in that process, and that our community had invested in it, makes the goodness in it even more beautiful. We all were fighting for Arthur. We fought for him in prayer and to raise awareness and support. We wanted him home with you guys so badly. The community aspect of adoption is glorious. I love it. I can't wait to walk into our home with our new son or daughter and be able to say that we couldn't have done it without the Lord putting a community of people around us, supporting this calling to care for the orphans of the world. Even if its just one."

LAUREN, GAVIN & ELIZA

How adorable is this family!? They have wanted to adopt for a long time, even before they met! They are well on their way to welcoming baby number 2, but with a big move to Southeast Asia next month, this family needs all the help they can get! Shop Love is Waiting this week and 20% of sales will go to the Pinkstons! Also, you have GOT to check out Lauren's blog 

http://applesandbandaids.com  

You can read more about their story, but she also rights about Motherhood, Faith and Social Justice. Couldn't be more excited and proud to feature them!

Gavin and I both felt called to adopt before we ever met each other. After four years of marriage, it seemed like the right time to begin the process! We applied for domestic adoption in 2012, but were declined when I became pregnant with our now 7-month-old daughter, Eliza. As happy as Eliza made us as parents {she is just precious!}, we continued to feel the burden of the orphan crisis wordwide. We are moving to Southeast Asia in March, and I was just certain that no adoption agency would be comfortable matching us with a child to be raised in a third-world country. God is so much bigger than our fears, though! Almost immediately after beginning our research, we found Small World Adoption Agency which specializes in expat adoptions for missionary and military families. We are finishing the home study process now, and are looking forward to awaiting a referral of a 0-1 year old boy from Lesotho. Thank you for helping us welcome our second child into our family! You can learn more about our journey here: http://applesandbandaidsblog.com/2013/11/30/the-post-ive-waited-years-to-write/.

JT AND DANIELLE CARROLL

Please take some time to read about the Carrolls. They are in the most difficult part of their journey. They've seen their child's face, he has a name, they've heard his story. He IS their son, but laws, paperwork, money and distance still keep them from being together. Join me in showing them some love this week! 

Leave a comment here encouraging them. 

Visit their adoption blog and check out their puzzle fundraiser!

http://www.loveinmandarin.blogspot.com/?m=1

And as always... 20% of  Love is Waiting's sales will go to help the Carrolls. 

http://loveiswaiting.storenvy.com

Hey there! We're the Carrolls and we're adopting a little boy from Taiwan. He'll be just over 2 years old when he comes home and while we're excited to finally have him with us we're also nervous to go from being childless to suddenly having a toddler!

This journey hasn't been an easy one. It seemed easy at first, but then we dived headfirst into it. Our home study went by quickly, a record of two weeks, until the very end when three pieces of paper decided to get lost in the shuffle of busy offices. A much-needed update on our son wasn't coming which left us with more questions than answers. Financial hurdles have piled up against us and we're praying for God to tear down walls at this point.

I'm not gonna lie: we're scared. There are so many unknowns in adoption, especially international, that you'd be crazy not to have a little fear pop up somewhere along the road. I'm in full-blown mother/nesting mode for a little boy I've never met, whose only information and photos I have is outdated by almost a year. Will he like the color I'm painting his room? What words can he say? Does he have a sweet tooth? Such little things in the grand scheme of it all but they're absorbing all of my brain power.

But in the fear and wonder are moments of absolute joy of such magnitude I've never felt before. The moment when I saw his face for the first time. The moment when my best friend told me he looks like he belongs to us, that he looks LIKE us. The moment when we truly felt that he is ours, no matter what. Maybe I'm grasping at the straws of faith here but I can't help but believe that this deeply-rooted joy is coming from the Father of adoption, the Father who knows how hard this is but how worth it the journey is. 

Adoption is full of pain and uncertainty, incredibly hard on both ends for different reasons yet ends in what can only be considered the truest form of family. It makes you understand better what Jesus went through: fighting to bring sons and daughters into a family forever. And that is ultimately the most beautiful relationship I can imagine. 

MEET AMANDA & JARROD STICHTER

After being married for a couple of years Jarrod and Amanda decided to begin growing their family. After a few months of trying to get pregnant, Amanda started to get anxious and had some tests done to make sure everything was ok. After ten months, more tests and hundreds of dollars, they received devastating news… there was only a 5% chance that they could have biological kids. 

"Hearing news like that is something that hits you in the stomach and then sinks in slowly.

And, let’s be honest, who ever truly expects to be told that? We didn’t…

And yet something in me had a feeling we’d get here when this all began."

She and Jarrod had talked about wanting to adopt someday, they just thought they would adopt after having bio kids. God has been giving Amanda and Jarrod confirmation about adoption for a long time and it is so cool to hear how their story has unfolded. 

"But even from the very first day...

amidst so much brokenness and pain...
when my husband and I looked at each other and knew we would adopt...
I have felt an abundance of peace and joy!

The Lord is already blessing us by giving us confirmation that he will lead us each step of the way until our baby…Yes,OUR BABY… comes home.

God is good… ALL THE TIME."

Read more about their story at www.addingtous.com . You can also give a tax deductible donation here.

THE SCHROCKS

On a cold, wintry morning in Houston, we introduce the Schrocks! I'm so thankful for their honesty and willingness to share a little bit of their story. Sadly, there is a lot of corruption in adoption. It's a very vulnerable process and sometimes dishonesty, greed, desperation creep in and take advantage of the situation. Read about the Schrocks and let's see if we can help them raise some of the money that they lost. I'm so happy that they didn't let this slow them down. They are believing this is all part of the journey God has for their family.

OUR ADOPTION STORY

Hello. Our names are Marlin & Rosie Schrock. We are from northern WI, where lots of snow flies and it gets COLD!, but we love the Northwoods.

We have been married for 4 1/2 years. We are in love with our AWESOME God and each other. Marlin owns a lawncare/snowplowing business and I work at a  local "north woods" décor and furniture store, and do the business paperwork. Our lives are busy.

BUT it just seems something is missing....

We have talked about adoption since before we were married. We knew having biological children could be an issue, and we knew instead of doctoring lots we would adopt! It is a very good thing we had no idea what our journey would be like. But we have learned lots of lessons and lots about just trusting God and letting things in His hands!

We started the adoption process in August of 2012. Paperwork seemed to take forever, but we were home study approved in March of 2013. We were excited... But what should be the next step, we wondered? We decided to sign on with a matching agency out of SC. They weren't as good as we wished they would have been, but in July we were matched!!! We were ecstatic! We were told our baby was due in the Sept/Oct range. We could hardly wait. But things didn't go as we hoped..... Six weeks later we were told our birth mom changed her mind and is not working with the agency anymore. We were rematched right away. We were beginning to have lots of questions about this agency, but we were rather naïve, I guess, and decided to trust. (BAD choice!) The end of Sept, we heard through other adoptive parents that were working with the same agency that the agency was saying "our" birthmom had had an abortion several weeks prior. (The agency was very bad at communicating with us) We finally reached the agency and they said, "yes, she did have an abortion, but is pregnant again and we would like to keep you matched with her." About that same time our matching agency called us and said they had just heard a lot of bad things about this agency and we should not keep working with them if at all possible. We told the agency we do not want another match, we would just like a refund and be able to move on. We had paid the agency $17,200. We were promised some of our money back for sure by the end of Nov. It never happened. We have since learned that we were double matched with another family the first time, and that lots of people have been taken advantage of by this agency. And we really don't know what is true of all the things they told us......

Needless to say we were devastated and didn't know what to do next!

One thing we did know though, is that we still wanted to adopt..... We had a hard time knowing what to do. We didn't know who was trustworthy.... We have since started working with another matching agency (Christian Adoption Consultants) whom we absolutely love! We are still waiting on a match at this point and meanwhile we are trying to raise more funds to try to make up for the money we lost, and to pay for our adoption that we know will happen in God's time.  We can't wait to learn to know the birth mom and the child God has planned for us. And we can't wait to see what color of child God has planned for us.=)

Thanks so much for helping us on our adoption journey. And please pray for us on this journey.

Sincerely,

Marlin & Rosie Schrock

BRAD & NOELLE OTTS

One morning I walked into work. It was a normal day… I was catching up with my boss and friend, Mica and she said, "Hey! My good friend emailed me yesterday. They announced that they are adopting again and want to order a custom book to sell to help raise funds." The crazy thing was, I had just finished the design for the journal that I would be adding to the store. It was all too weird! So, I reached out to Noelle to see if we could collaborate somehow. Here's what we came up with! THIS WEEK ONLY… when you buy a Love is Waiting Journal, 100% of the profits go to fund the Otts' adoptions… Yes I said adoptionS. Plural. They are adopting two more kids and when all their children are home, they will have 5! Forget the mini-van. That's 7-passenger van status. They need all the help they can get! You can also give through their Pure Charity page. Read more about their story below.

"Hello, from the Otts!
On October 10, 2012 we brought home our amazing 8 year son, Shimelis from the country of Ethiopia. We concurrently adopted Shimelis from another agency all the while remaining on the wait list for a little girl from Ethiopia with America World Adoption Agency (AWAA). We are also beginning the process of a domestic infant adoption while we wait for our Ethiopian adoption (approximately another 2 years)

You can watch our first meeting meeting with Shimelis here.

Adopting Shimelis was a wonderful surprise to us! we knew we wanted to adopt 2 children from Ethiopia and it is so exciting that our daughter might be home with us as soon as next summer!

When we adopted Shimielis, we were fortunate enough to have been able to pay fully for his adoption and still also have approximately 1/3 towards bringing our other children home, but, adoption is expensive. We're excited to have an opportunity to raise funds through Love is Waiting. We know that God is good and will provide for all of our needs.

Exciting to know that so many of you can be a part of bringing our children home. 

The Otts Family

Brad, Noelle, Shimelis, Cash & Maddie-Rose"

JUSTIN & STEPHANIE NUNES

It seems that every adoption journey takes an unexpected turn. I love the way Justin and Stephanie have been able to roll with the punches! They are ready for whatever God has for them! Read about their crazy journey and support them by shopping Love is Waiting this week! 

We said yes to adoption in the summer of 2011.  We prayed about what country to pursue and decided on Ethiopia! We fit the country requirements and loved the culture.  We were accepted into our agency's Ethiopia program in November of 2011, and we started on paperwork! We were DTE in May of 2012 for a baby boy between 0-12 months.  As we began to wait, we felt the need to open our parameters; so we widened our parameters pretty big and began to wait once again.  In early January 2013, we saw our sons face for the first time, but he wasn't in Ethiopia! He lives in a tiny country off the West African coast, he's now 3 1/2 and just so precious! We are awaiting our final documents to file our i800 and begin travel approval.  You might be wondering, "what happened to Ethiopia?!" Well, we're still adopting from there too! We still sitting nicely on the wait list, and once our little West African is home for at least 6 months, we'll be ready to accept a referral from Ethiopia! So we're adopting two kids, at once, from totally difference countries! It's kinda crazy, and it's been an insane journey so far, but we're ready for what's next! Thank you for playing a part in our adoption story!

BEAUTY WILL RISE

For me design has always been a living, breathing process. From inspiration to the moment that it's shared.  It's a color, a brush stroke that is evoking an emotion or conjuring up a memory… and the coolest part is that any piece that I create will mean something different to EACH person who sees it! 

These designs in my shop have been largely inspired by MY experience of adoption, but I have been pleasantly surprised from the beginning by the way these words go beyond adoption and speak to all kinds of different experiences. 

Almost right off the bat we noticed that the "Love is Waiting" shirt made a beautiful maternity shirt! A different kind of waiting, but waiting all the same! The shirt also spoke to friends who had struggled quietly with infertility for years. Some might even proudly wear the shirt in commitment of "waiting" for marriage. In each situation, the phrase "Love is Waiting" brings hope that one day the wait will over and redemption will flood and fill all the cracks and smudges along the way. 

I'm so excited to introduce a new design and new phrase that has a similar message of hope and redemption. "Beauty Will Rise" references Isaiah 61:3 - 

3 To all who mourn in Israel,[a]    he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,a joyous blessing instead of mourning,    festive praise instead of despair.In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks    that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

Adoption brings so much joy and paints a beautiful picture of the Gospel, but there is brokenness. There is loss. There is hurt. We are honored to get to walk this path together with the confidence that every time we encounter despair, we can trade it for festive praise! Joyous blessing! That BEAUTY WILL RISE from ashes! 

I know that there are so many experiencing loss, hurt, and despair. Maybe it's part of your adoption journey, but maybe it's something else entirely. A miscarriage, an illness, a broken relationship. I hope you are encouraged by this verse and this piece of art. That on the other side of your mourning, something beautiful will be born! 

MEET THE GOURLEYS!

Take a minute and read about the Gourleys! I met Niki through Children's Hope International. She adopted Yoseph around the same time we adopted Arthur. Our little boys were in the same transition home and we spent many nights on Facebook Chat keeping each other sane while enduring an excruciating wait to bring our sons home! Now the Gourleys are waiting again to bring a daughter home! 

"Hello, We are the Gourley family. Adoption has long been in our hearts. We talked about adoption even before our first child, but decided to have our first the “old fashioned way”. Elijah Robert was born to us in 2OO8. A little bundle of energy that hasn’t stopped running since his feet hit the floor. We of course knew one child was not where we wanted to stop. The thought of adoption came into our hearts again, with full force when Elijah was about a year old. We researched all kinds of adoption, attended information sessions, and spent a great deal of time in prayer about it. We finally clearly felt God's calling to adopt from Ethiopia. We learned a lot during that adoption process- about faith, endurance, and blessings. We are proud parents of Yoseph James, who came home to us on December 1st 2O11. We love Yoseph very much. He has a very sweet personality, and loves to have fun. His adjustment and attachment in our family has not been without challenges. We have found help in our challenging times and he is now thriving. Six months after Yoseph was home we discovered that Niki was again pregnant. It was a bit of a surprise, but no surprise to God, who is the perfect creator of families. Lydia Grace is a beautiful, healthy baby girl. A perfect addition to our family. We know our family is not yet complete. We are again adopting from Ethiopia. We believe that this will be the last child added to our family. While traveling to adopt Yoseph we visited several orphanages. We were shocked to discover that many children with special needs are overlooked because no one thinks people will adopt them. We are going into our next adoption wide open to many medical needs. We want to give a family to one of those who may have been overlooked. We are currently on the waiting list and excited to meet our baby girl, hopefully in the new year."