We have BIG news to share with you! God has pulled our hearts to adoption! Our desire is to share our calling with you, help you understand our plan, and ask for your involvement in this huge process.
As followers of Christ, the most straightforward part of our calling to adoption is Jesus’s words to “look after orphans…in their distress…” (James 1:27). This may look different for each family but we personally believe adoption is how God desires our family to carry out this command. The second way God has led us to adoption is Ashley’s complementary calling as a mother. She lives and breathes motherhood. She is extremely passionate about being a mother and has a huge desire to raise up the next generation to love the Lord and serve Him. We want to show God’s love and grace to the birth mother and family that will choose us. We want to raise, love, protect, and serve the child that she and God will gift to us. Adoption is a clear picture of Christ adopting us as his sons and daughters. He chose us and because of that, we have the gift of life. What a blessing that we will get the opportunity to share Christ’s love with this baby and welcome them into our family forever, just as Christ does for each of us.
As many of you know, adoption has always been a part of our plan. Throughout our ten years as a couple, we often discussed our mutual desire to have adoption be a part of our family’s story. We are so excited, nervous, and hopeful to take this leap of faith. But we truly believe that now is the time that God has called us to adopt. We have always wanted a big family and plan on having more biological children in the future, but right now we feel a huge calling to grow our family through adoption. We know that this will not be an easy road, and will likely take a huge toll on us emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially.
Right now, our plan is to sign on as clients with a consultant agency named; Mustard Seed Adoption Consultants. They work with many local agencies throughout the US that are connected to birth mothers. Mustard Seed Adoption Consultants ministry and mission is to advocate for adoptive families as they answer the Lord's call to adoption. They feel that it is their purpose to help Christian families through the process of adoption by helping pair them with agencies, attorneys, and social workers who will match them with birth families. We know that planning and control don’t exactly fall in line with adoption but our hope is to welcome our newest little one into the family before our sweet Joelle turns two. Please be in prayer for us as we let go of our desire to control and let God’s plan for our family unfold.
We are so humbled and honored to take on this life giving and changing process. Adoption is a massive responsibility. We absolutely cannot do it alone; we need your help! We believe prayer is so powerful and the most important way to communicate with God. We ask that you pray for us regularly, for the birth mother that eventually chooses us, her family, and the sweet baby that will be entrusted to us. If you feel called, we would love to have your financial support as well. Adoption related expenses can easily total up to $50,000, or more. As much as we prefer to be self reliant, God has made it very clear (in part because we don't have $50,000 on hand) He does not want us to do it alone and He wants many of you to be a part of this story. To be honest we don't enjoy admitting we can't do it alone. It’s humbling to admit we aren’t in control but the truth is, we never are! I’m sure this is just the first of many times in this process that God will show us that He is always in control. We would love to partner with you in adopting and raising the child God has chosen for our family.
As followers of Christ we have all been adopted (Ephesians 1:5). Earthly adoption should be a beautiful reflection of our acceptance as children of God. Our desire is to bring glory to God through adoption, to strive to be a reflection of His love, and for you to be a part of it.
There are a few ways you can give. The first is to send a check directly to our home address listed below. The second is to give to our account on AdoptTogether.org Giving this way is tax deductible.
Adopttogether.org
(online, Tax deductible)
As mentioned above, the consultant agency we will be working with is Mustard Seed Adoption Consultants. If you would like to know more about who they are and what they do you can visit their website listed below.
https://www.mustardseedadoptionconsultants.com/
Lastly, we decided to create a blog. You can subscribe to it with your email address. This allows us to provide you, our partners in this journey, updates on our progress, prayer requests, and next steps. So if you would like to stay up to day with our story please feel free to subscribe and receive emails with each update we post. The link to our blog is listed below.
https://iabragg14.wixsite.com/braggfamilyadoption
Thank you for your consideration in partnering with us. We are so thankful for each of you and the role you have played in our lives. We are thrilled to start this process and could not do it without your help. Thank you again!
“He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”
Ephesians 1:5
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”
James 1:27
