ADOPTION. It has been on our hearts since we started dating in high school. We have talked about the possibility of it for so long and we have come to a point where we feel that we need to stop talking and start DOING. 1 John 3:18 says, "..let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." We truly believe that we are being led to pursue adoption. A lot of people have asked, why don't you try to have biological children first? This is something we would like to do at some point, but as of right now, we want to start our family through adoption. Children are a blessing no matter how they come into this world, and families are special no matter how they are formed. We will be happy to grow our family in whatever way God has planned for us! "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." -Prov. 16:9
We know adoption is not always an easy thing. We understand that it may be hard, but we are choosing not to let hard possibilities dissuade us. We know that we serve an awesome God! He is a Father to the fatherless! "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing." (1 Deuteronomy 10:18) We want to love as boldly as our God!
This past November we matched with an expectant momma. She instantly found her way into our hearts. We had the incredible opportunity to meet her face to face! We got to hug her!! And though it was an awkward “uh we only just met” hug, my heart burst and I never wanted to let her go!!
This beautiful momma gave birth to the most beautiful babygirl on January 8th. (5 weeks early!!) As far as we know both are happy and healthy! Praise God! 😊 We were packed and ready to go.. but we got a call with unexpected news. This beautiful momma changed her mind and decided to parent. Though we’re heartbroken, we love her still and support her decision. A woman and mom feeling empowered to parent is a good thing! This is in no way a “failed adoption”, because adoption isn’t just about bringing home a baby! We have the incredible opportunity to love and support women who otherwise might not have anyone in their corner. And though it breaks our hearts that we won’t be able to hold the sweetest babygirl we’ve ever seen, we don’t regret knowing and loving on her beautiful momma.
Of course everything inside of us is crying out to God, asking Him to bring her back to us, some how, some way!
“But if not, He is still good.”
We were able to match again with a new expectant mother very quickly! Her sweet baby boy is due in July. We’ve been able to FaceTime and chat on the phone a few times, and it’s been a joy to get to know this beautiful woman. She has easily found her way into our hearts! We feel very excited and blessed to have the opportunity to love on this sweet expectant momma throughout her pregnancy.
As part of our adoption process, we have started a crowdfunding campaign. We have set a goal of $40,000 to help ease the financial burden that often overwhelms adoptive parents. We believe that God will be with us every step of the way, and we are daily putting our trust in Him. However, we would like to invite YOU to partner with us on this journey. We have set a goal to adopt debt-free, but we cannot do that without your help! Since making the decision to adopt, we have fundraised by selling T-shirts, having a garage sale, selling baked goods, and even put on a shoe drive. Andrew has also picked up extra shifts at work. Hannah has offered mini-session photoshoots with 100% of the proceeds going to our adoption. Even with all of that, we are still going to need YOUR help to reach our goal.
We are also asking you to partner with us in prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 calls us to 'pray without ceasing'. We ask that you pray for God's guidance and peace as we continue on this journey.
We hope that by inviting you into this process, you will see yourself as part of the community we hope to build around our child as he/she grows up.
Thank You,
Andrew and Hannah Peterson
