We are so excited to be walking into a new year and cannot wait to bring home baby #4 through adoption! Adoption is something that has been written our hearts for almost a decade now. We spent time discussing it while we were still dating, included it in our wedding vows and have both known it was something the Lord was calling us to from the very beginning of our marriage. Our only question was when? Over this past year we knew the time was finally now, so we are doing everything we can to be prepared to welcome a beautiful new life into our family! As part of our adoption process, we have started this crowdfunding campaign to help us meet our total financial need. It may surprise you to learn that an average domestic adoption ranges in cost from $35,000 - $50,000 including expenses for home study visits before and after placement, as well as, travel fees, legal fees for finalization, etc. We hope that by inviting you into this process, you will see yourself as a part of this child’s story, as part of our story.
513 days ago, we sat at our kitchen table enjoying a meal with our kids and told them we hoped to grow our family with one more baby through adoption. Today, we sat at a lunch table with family celebrating because a precious baby has joined our family and today he officially gained our last name!
It has been a long, busy, tearful, prayerful, messy, joyful, hard, wonderful process to get from that point of saying “yes” to the calling we felt upon our hearts to grow our family in this way to this point today of standing before a judge and hearing her declare that he is indeed ours.
Carter James ROTH - our son.
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One final word to each of you who supported us in our “yes”. Thank you for your love, your prayers and your financial support. Those words will never seem enough, but know our gratitude for you continues on.
All paperwork has been signed and we are getting to take sweet Carter home to meet his rowdy big siblings who are (somewhat) patiently awaiting his arrival! His story is so beautiful and we cannot wait to see what the Lord does with his life. Thank you all for praying, for supporting our family through this journey and know that we will forever be grateful for each of you taking part in this story!
Hello,
Things have happened quickly, and baby is here and happy and healthy!
There’s so much we could share, but for now we will keep it short and to the point - he arrived Monday at 2:30pm and paperwork is scheduled to happen today at 2:30pm. It’s been a whirlwind few days, full of emotions holding space for the joy and the hard, the good and the sad, the hopes and the unknowns.
Please join us in praying over this day. Praying over the birth mother and birth father as they meet with the agency worker at 2:30 to sign paperwork. Pray they have peace.
The BM has asked to be discharged at the same time as baby because she wants to walk us down to the car. Pray over that goodbye. Pray for her heart to have peace, for her to find strength and for her as she moves forward in the coming days and weeks.
Pray for us to have the words to say and that we would be a light in that moment.
We pray and hope to send a new update this afternoon with a picture to introduce to you the most beautiful baby boy!
Family & Friends,
We wanted to come and share the wonderful news that the Lord has provided and we have reached our financial goal for 100% of our agency fees!
Thank you to each of you who so selflessly gave to support us in this journey. Every single cent was a humbling gift and we are forever grateful. Thank you to each of you who have prayed alongside us throughout this process. They have been felt, and we so appreciate you taking the time to remember our family.
But let us not stop praying yet. Please join us as we pray over this sweet expectant mother and her decision to place with us. Pray for her to have peace and confidence in her decision. Pray over our relationship with her and the time we spend together. Pray over the delivery of this baby to be smooth and that he would arrive healthy and strong. Pray over the transition to becoming a family of 6. Pray that God’s will be done and that He would be glorified through our story.
With much love & gratitude,
Colin & Jeleah
Family & Friends,
We have a tremendous development in our adoption journey - we got a call this afternoon from our adoption agency informing us that we have matched with an expectant mother in the Houston area. Her anticipated due date is June 27th, but she is measuring a little ahead so we could possibly meet baby boy even sooner! To say this has exceeded our expectations is an understatement both in timing and provision.
With this tremendous blessing, we need your help in two areas. For those that have not donated, or feel called to help us once more, we would be immensely grateful for your help in closing our fundraising gap. Additionally, we would covet your prayers. Specifically, please pray for the birth mother that the Lord would guide her in this life-changing and brave decision, for the health of the baby, and for meeting our financial needs.
We are forever grateful that each of you have become a part of our adoption story. Truly, this would not be possible without your generosity and prayers.
With love & gratitude,
Colin & Jeleah
