Jeremy and Rachel Smith

Updates

• Update 279

  Day 1097.

  March 30, 2025
  Day 1097. Adopt from Liberia. This update is complicated. Our adoption is complicated. Choosing to do this “right thing” is complicated. At times, it feels like everything is stacked against us, and choosing to provide a home to 3 kids that need a home is just not something we are going to be allowed to do. As the days flip by on the calendar, my ability to sleep decreases. We have done all we can do, and we believe the trajectory for our kids’ futures as US citizens is the plan God has provided for them. We also acknowledge that... Read morewe live in a fallen world, and with those fallibilities, comes the loss of God’s original ideal plan, that they would remain with their family of origin and reside in their country of origin. 101 days ago, we officially inquired to our adoption agency to adopt a boy we bonded with in Liberia while on our 5 month “bonding visit” to meet our Liberian daughters. It has been exactly 1000 days since our Liberian daughters consented for us to adopt them. As I continue to look at numbers and patterns, hoping for symbols or signs this paper pregnancy will end, I also acknowledge that my tears, my heartache, my indignation as a parent, and even my frustration as a US citizen, are all known by God. As His daughter, I will continue to move forward. As a parent, I know that my Liberian kids are in the early stages of “attachment” and that it is important for their trust in me that I do my best to keep my promises to see them every 6 months. That is an expensive promise. The last update we have received simply states that the department within the Liberian government (the MOG) needs to do a site visit to our children’s orphanage, and then we can resume adoption activities. This has been the update for the last 45 days or so. Our home study is complete, and our paperwork to add our son is pending. We have #phillthebox load #29 ready to leave our house with no extra room in our garage (thank you to those who continue to lay your offerings of your possessions on our driveway). We have decided to support Hope of Blessing International (HOBI) long term, as a way to keep our children connected to Liberia, their country of origin. HOBI is a non-profit 501c3 founded by 2 US citizens, who were born in Liberia, and are committed to exact change for the futures of 30 children that we believe will take up leadership roles in the Liberia they will inherit. We believe they are going to do a great job. We still need more funding because each month incurs more fees… We still need more textiles and more Noonday purchases and more words of encouragement and more keep…. …going sentiments. We still need support on all aspects of this one right thing we are trying to do. I have been broken and put back together by this process more times than I can count. It is an honor and a privilege to parent both our Liberian born children, and our American born children. Although we hope to parent all of them on the same continent soon, we are grateful for today. Today, they are all healthy and surrounded by safety and peace, with guards on every corner to keep them that way. And for that, we are grateful. Keep… …going. Psalm 23 A psalm of David. 1  The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2      He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, 3      he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake. 4  Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[or the valley of the shadow of death)
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me. 5  You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows. 6  Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

• Update 278

  Day 1067. Adopt from Liberia. Keep going.

  February 28, 2025

  We received such a positive update yesterday! Now we need to move as quickly as possible to find the remaining $6320.00 for our son’s fees. If you live in Tennessee or Florida, contact us if you have any textiles to donate!

  To shop Noonday Collection to benefit our adoption, click here: https://noondaycollection.com/rachelsmith-audrey

  We are so grateful to everyone for watching and sharing our videos and our story.

• Update 277

  Day 1066. Adopt from Liberia.

  February 27, 2025
  So happy to finally have good news! Thank you to everyone who reached out to various government officials and God Almighty on behalf of our children. Our agency received formal notification they are no longer under investigation in Liberia. Furthermore, their investigation revealed no wrongdoing by our agency’s adoption practices or overall business processes. The Liberian government did give some homework tasks for our agency to complete before they will allow normal business operations to resume. These tasks are not complicated, and our agency will work to complete them expeditiously. So when will our kids come home? This is still impossible to predict,... Read morebut it boils down to 4 steps. 1. Tasks are completed in Liberia, (may be a week, may be a month) 2. We then will have to wait for IAAME (US government overseers) to review everything and give permission for our agency fo resume business operations. (Best case scenario a week, worst a month) 3. Our children’s case history reports must be signed and released by the Liberian government so we can schedule a Liberian Court Date to adopt them in Liberia. (Could be a week or could be 3 months for the girls, could be 10 months for our son). *We are prepared to bring the girls home and go back later our son. A miracle of paperwork brings them home together . We still need $6,448.00 for our son’s adoption fees before he can come home. 4. We apply at the U.S. Embassy in Liberia for emigration of our kids. (Could take 3 days, 3 weeks, or could be 3 months with DNA confirmation requests, or could get denied and sent to USCIS (immigration) to await review within 13 months. So the good news is, we see a way forward and the Liberian government is now willing to conduct business with our adoption agency. In a perfect world, this kind of stuff never happens, but we live in a fallen world. That’s why these kids need us. Thank you for your prayers and support and encouragement and emails and donations and every effort to help us keep…. …going. We hope these last few steps go quickly. Best case scenario means our kids are home by June. Worst case is Christmas 2025. Regardless, the shift in trajectory today is a miraculous one. Thank you for following us on this lengthy rescue mission. Today, we will just enjoy the miracle that God has offered.

• Update 276

  Day 1048. Adopt from Liberia

  February 9, 2025

  Liberian Culture Long Term + Noonday + Super Bowl Sunday!=

  So many good things..

• Update 275

  Day 1045. Adopt from Liberia. Noonday Spring Launch!

  February 6, 2025

  We are using our Noonday Colllection powers for good! We still need $8,864.00 for our son’s adoption.

  To shop Noonday for our adoption, click here: https://noondaycollection.com/rachelsmith-noondayforarthur2

  We are also assisting HOBI with their grocery bills for March.

  To shop Noonday for HOBI children’s home, click here: https://noondaycollection.com/rachelsmith-hobi2025

  To learn more about HOBI, click here:
  https://hopeofblessinginternational.org/

  Thanks so much for all the amazing miracles we have seen occur because of the people who receive these email updates. We love you all.

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