Big changes for our family!

Nearly 2 years ago, we began the journey to adopt an infant from the U.S. What an adventure it has been!

This journey has truly been an emotional roller coaster ride but I honestly wouldn't have traded this experience for anything. God knows what He is doing. He is always faithful! He's drawn me closer to His heart than I was before. He has taught me that He alone will meet my needs. He's spoken to my heart and reminded me that "It's not about me." He's taught me that He is bigger, bigger than my fears and because of that, I am not afraid to follow Him wherever He leads. And He has filled my heart with compassion for the hurting, for the fatherless in a whole new way.

Back in November, God opened our eyes to the 'waiting child' (the more than 500,000 children in the U.S. foster care system.) We fell in love with 3 little children who we only knew through a photo from adoptuskids.org. We sought out information about them, we contacted their social worker several times, and were ready to adopt them when again God said, "Wait."

We signed up for foster parenting training classes and began to understand the great need for foster parents. Our original intent for taking these classes was to adopt kids from foster care. Adoption only, but again God changed us. Clint and I are now both passionate about becoming foster parents. We will always have a heart for adoption and if the Lord calls us to that, we will gladly step forward but for now we want to minister to families. Our focus is on reuniting children with their parents. We realize that this will be emotional, difficult, and challenging but we also realize that it is not about us.

Clint and I have been so blessed, both coming from families who were loving, safe, stable, and who loved the Lord. We have been given so very much and now it is our privilege and call to serve others who are hurting. Those who need someone to support them and love them, to show them how a family is meant to function. We know we won't do this perfectly, we will mess up, make mistakes, and feel overwhelmed but GOD is bigger than all that.

He promises to go before us and behind us. He will lead us every step of the way. Isaiah 58:11 "The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring."

I take great comfort in His word. And I am continually affirmed and reaffirmed that this is His plan for us. He cares for the fatherless, for the hurting child, for the "least of these" and He calls us as Christians to care for them too. I'm not saying you are called to be foster parents, but maybe you are. There are other ways to serve - big ways, small ways, however He calls you.

Monday, March 22nd was our final foster parenting class. Within the week, we got a phone call about a sibling group who needed a home!

We left for vacation the day after and will be returning on Saturday. Two days after returning home, we will be adding TWO children to our family!!!!

I can't give specifics but I can tell you that we will be bringing a 3 year old boy and his 7 month old brother into our family and we are so very excited! We will be fostering these boys with the intent to reunite them with their family. If God opens up the adoption door later, we will walk down that road then but for now, we are focused on reunification.

I am incredibly excited and yet I realize that I am going from having 3 children to 5 children in one day! There are going to be a lot of changes and everyone involved is going to have many emotions to deal with I'm sure. But I'm also completely confident that the Lord will be here every step. He has led us to this point and He will take care of us all!

We would appreciate your prayers and we are so thankful for your support! So here we are, on the edge of a brand new adventure! Thank you Jesus!!