3/26/2019
We are adopting a child!
We are planning on adding another little one to our family through domestic infant adoption. We have completed our adoption home study through Bethany Christian Services and are now a waiting family. The waiting period could be a few months or a few years, as with all things, it is in God’s hands.
God placed adoption on both of our hearts and it has always been part of our family plan. Scriptures reference caring for the orphan many times, James encourages the church to demonstrate their faith when he writes, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction." Our plan to adopt a child is one way that we are fulfilling God's requirement to care for the fatherless. The Bible uses the term adoption to describe the believer being brought into God's family, the apostle Paul writes to the church in Rome saying, ”You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father!" It is our prayer that, through the adoption of a child into our family, the relationship with our Heavenly Father and our shared heirship with Christ would more clearly be displayed. Further, that we, as parents, our biological children, our adopted child and the watching world would all have a deeper understanding of the unconditional love that God has for all of His children.
We are passionately against the current mass killing of unborn babies in our country. Every child, no matter the age, race, gender, health, or family is created in the image of God and has incredible worth. Adoption is one way to put into action the words that we speak. We pray that God would use us to save at least one child's life and to save the parents from murdering their own baby. Also, that it might inspire and encourage others to do the same.
We are beyond excited and are doing everything we can to be prepared to welcome a beautiful new life into our home. As part of our adoption process, we have started a crowdfunding campaign. It may surprise you to hear that adoption related costs can easily total up to $35,000 or more. This is why we have reached out to friends and family to help ease the financial burden that often overwhelms adoptive parents. To give and receive updates, you can use this page. Checks work as well.
More importantly, we ask for your prayers. Pray that God would prepare our family for this adoption. Pray that God would guide and comfort the birth parents who are making those tough decisions. Pray for the children who are being adopted and especially for our future child. Pray for Bethany Christian Services and the individuals who work to make this process happen.
One of the required readings for our training was Adopted for Life by Russell D. Moore, we really appreciated and learned from his Biblical perspective of adoption and we encourage you to read it as well. 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!
Love,
Tim, Ali, Grayson, Ellie and Evelyn Stewart
