After a miscarriage in 2007, we began talking seriously about adoption. We've never wanted to give up on pregnancy, so we've tried several surgeries and procedures since then to no avail. Since we got engaged, we've both believed that we would be parents, but neither of us was convinced that our children would be biological. Last January (2009), at the invitation of our friends the Renslows, we went to a weekend adoption conference, and the world literally opened up to us. After meeting with several agency representatives and going to seminars on financing, we started doing our research and decided to go with Bethany Christian Services. The North Carolina headquarters is in Arden (near family), the organization has a good reputation, and we were impressed by their cutting-edge work with embryo adoption (with the fertilized eggs from In-Vitro Fertilization).
So . . . here we are. We are pursuing a domestic adoption of a boy ages newborn to five of any race. We have months of work ahead of us, including our formal application, home study, networking, and fundraising. We're looking at a cost in the neighborhood of $20,000-$25,000.
In the last week, we've had a fire lit under us. Friends told us about a teenager who is due to deliver in one week. The parents who had committed to adopting her child found out they were pregnant, and the girl decided not to follow through. Because we have not done some of the paperwork necessary to take an infant into our home, we are likely unable to pursue.
If you are praying for us, please pray that we would hold loosely to our own "wish list" and remain open to God's will for the path we will take to become parents. King David wrote, "Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain" (Psalm 127).We want the Lord to build this house!
We have not given up on pregnancy, and we may have found the culprit. On Tuesday (March 2), Angie has laproscopic surgery at Baptist to remove endometriosis and a large fibroid tumor.
We are praying. We understand the heartbreak of miscarriage and the struggle to get pregnant. We had the calls about a possible babies to adopt but had not done anything to make us eligible so our prayers are with you as I know you will be fabulous parents however God chooses to grant the desire of your hearts. We love you guys. Thanks for the "details".
ReplyDeleteHi Angie, I hope your surgery went well. I know you'll be excellent parents. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI love you crazy Kratzer's and am walking with you in this beautiful journey.
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