It's TIME!! \<3 We are adding another son to our family!! After a VERY long adoption journey ;), we have matched with a precious four year old, Levi. He's been growing in our hearts for years, and we will be bringing him home from China in just a few months!
We will have Elijah (8), Leland (6), Levi (4) and Shiloh (2).
We are beyond excited and are furiously preparing to welcome this beautiful little boy into our home. As part of our adoption process, we invite you to join with us in bringing Bryce home. It may surprise you to hear that adoption related costs can easily total up to $35,000 or more. This is why we have set a goal of $25,000 to help ease the financial burden that often overwhelms adoptive parents.
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 grows up. Thank you for journeying with our family as we seek to care for the orphan and give one more a forever family!
Abundantly,
Brent, Lindsay, Elijah, Leland and Shiloh
"Therefore put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Malachi 3:10
For our full story, read below:
In July 2011, we were attending Cru's bi-annual Staff Conference in Colorado. We were eleven weeks pregnant with Leland. Francis Chan was leading a morning session where he was calling all of us to surrender to the Lord, and I very clearly heard the Lord say, "I want you to start your adoption paperwork." I thought He was crazy! Later that night, while I rested in the dorm room, Brent went to the 10th Avenue North Concert. The musician called on everyone to not just be hearers of the word, but doers. Brent felt the Lord say to him, "I want you to start your adoption paperwork." Neither of us were going to tell the other what the Lord had told us, but He clearly didn't care! :)
(December 2012) When Leland was almost one, we submitted our application and began what would be a long journey for our family. We flew threw the paperwork in our Ethiopian adoption, only to sit and wait for a year to be matched. During this time, the climate of international adoption in Ethiopia began to shift, and they were beginning to slow adoptions down. In August of 2014, we matched with a beautiful little girl who was four. We were told every day that "anyday" they would call us and tell us to hop on a plane and bring her home. For fifteen months, we waited, until October 2015, we got the call we most feared. "They will not release her to be adopted. She will never be coming home."
Grief followed for months as we walked past the room we had prepared and waiting for her. It was a strange loss of a daughter we loved but never knew.
We took some time to process this loss, had Shiloh, and started over again this summer with our paperwork for China. Things have flown since June! Since our family is open to older children, we were told to be prepared to match quickly, and they weren't kidding! In just a few short months, we will FINALLY be bringing home our child.
We love you all!
