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.