Adoption

Our Adoption FAQ’s

Where? We are adopting from India! Our agency works all over the country with many different orphanages in many different states. So, we won’t know exactly where in the country until we’re matched with our child.

What agency? America World Adoption Agency. This wasn’t an easy decision. But, after a whole lot of prayer and then a whole lot of confirmation from the Lord, this is the agency He had for us.

Who? We will be adopting a boy or a girl that has a medical need. That’s such a broad thing to say. The needs range and we’ll get to more specifics of what we’re comfortable adopting later down the process. But, in general, God has done such a work in our lives. Our child didn’t get the option of checking a box on whether they would be born with a medical condition or not. So, why should we be able to turn our backs on a situation that may be a little different? We will work more with our caseworker and pediatrician down the road on what needs we are best equipped to care for in our family.

How old? Likely younger than Jed. We definitely want to keep with birth order with the girls. We’re a little more lax about Jed’s birth order. But, generally, in the past, India has liked to retain birth order. So, likely, that’s how it’ll work out and we’re great with that!

When? India seems to be showing shorter wait times after changing some regulations last year. The general timeline that’s still given is 18-24mos. My prayer is home by the beginning of next summer or even sooner. I would love to have next summer with the girls home from school and all four kids home to work on bonding.

Why India? India has always been in the back of our minds whenever we’ve talked about adopting one day. Honestly, I can’t even fully explain why other than the Lord and now I believe our child is there. We prayed through some other options. But, India still had our hearts. And, once we discovered they only adopt a child with medical needs (under the age of 5) to foreigners and that they liked to retain birth order, it just felt like an exact fit to what we were feeling led by God to do. And, after more research we discovered that India has more orphans than any other country in the world. Over 30 million orphans in India alone.

How’re you paying for it all? Good question. I don’t know. Haha! This is a HUGE step of faith for me and one that I know God has been crystal clear on for us to take. Looking on paper, it doesn’t add up to be able to afford a $35,000 adoption. But, all I know is that God called us to it and He will provide. In the meantime, we are praying a whole lot and doing all we can. John is taking on side projects (video, web, and graphics), we’re selling some things from around the house, I’m cranking out as many sewing/embroidery/crafting projects as I can to sell, and we’ll be doing some fundraisers {Check out our first one here: https://www.bonfirefunds.com/phillips-india-adoption} So, in short, if God doesn’t pull through, we’re sunk. But, I’m {surprisingly and can only be Jesus} at peace because I know He will pull through.

Those are all of the common questions I can think of for now! Thank you all supporting us enough to want to know more!

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Pure and Undefiled Religion

We. Are. Adopting.!!!

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Yes! We have begun the process of adopting from India! Man, so many emotions and thoughts this New Year. We have always talked about adoption, even before we were married. And, the timing was just never right. But, this season, we knew that God was calling us and to turn around wouldn’t be fulfilling what God has in store for our family.

Over the last six months or so, I have hit such a wrestling ground with my faith. Who is Jesus? What is ministry? What is the church? What does Christianity look like? And, the way that I view all of these things or my experience, does it really line up with Bible or the actual truth? I have flat out wrestled with so many things. Feeling uneasy and uncomfortable, not uncommon while growth happens. But, unsure where I felt on so much. Except that I knew I loved Jesus, yet was finding a hard time reconciling so many things.

Was God calling me to something different? I could sense that the Lord was stirring me onto something, but I also felt completely clueless as to what. Okay, maybe I go back to school? I’ve always kept nursing school in the back of my mind. I got all of my transcripts together. Began studying for the nursing entrance exam at a college down the road. Attended an informational meeting for the program. But, absolutely was not peaceful about it. I cried and cried to John knowing that I wasn’t supposed to do it but still feeling like something was missing.

More searching and searching and praying. What now? I found myself completely uneasy with so many things. I’ve never been one that has wanted to settle in my walk with the Lord for the easy. The thought of sitting around and complaining about the comforts of my house or car or clothes when I actually have a house, car and clothes just hasn’t ever settled right. Can I call myself a follower of the Lord and spend my attention on stuff or some kind of unattainable feeling? For me, no.

I kept finding myself saying things to John like “the gospel just looks a whole lot like caring for orphans to me”. And, I would continually say it as an example of what I felt was a life living out the gospel. But, not once did I look at it as something God was stirring in me and us at the time (I’m not claiming to be the sharpest tool in the shed here, okay?!).

So, time went on and we continually prayed through what my unrest was telling us. Our first conclusion was me coming to the realization that I LOVE good storytelling. I don’t care the avenue, just really good storytelling. We actually went to a local theater to see “Peter and the Starcatcher” just before Christmas and it was one of the most life giving things to me. (Ahem, it was all about orphans, too👍) But, a story told well, just makes my heart skip a beat. Makes sense that one of the things I fell in love with about John is his ability to translate a story to video and engage you completely within that story.

So, now we had an idea of one of things that presses me on. But, what on earth does that look like for me or for us? Around this same time, what seemed to be happening completely separately was this idea of adoption. This isn’t the first time we’ve prayed whether it was the right time for our family to adopt. So, I was pretty unassuming when we felt like we should start praying and talking.

We began talking and praying and wondering. And, eventually had a FaceTime phone call with some friends that are currently in the process of their second international adoption. We talked and laughed and talked some more. They encouraged what we were already sensing. Let’s just take a step forward. Let’s start with a yes rather than a no. Let’s come from a place of assuming we are supposed to rather than we are not. And, pray like crazy in the meantime trusting that God will shut a door if we’re not supposed to adopt. So, we walked through each small step and here we are now.

It’s kind of funny to me look back on the last six months and see how God was moving and preparing. Caring for orphans is a religion that is pure and undefiled. {James 1:27} That verse in James has been one of my biggest ah-ha moments in this journey so far. That’s why I’ve been at such unrest. So many little stories and details planted firmly in my heart to bring us right here to this moment. I have no idea how the storytelling aspect will weave into it all, except soaking in other people’s adoption stories and for me doing my best to keep you all updated throughout our own process. I know what it’s like to feel the tug of adoption in your heart and to see others adopting, then to wonder if you could ever actually take it on yourself. So, maybe if there’s a few of you out there like me, our walking through this journey, with as much transparency as we can for a public platform, will be life-giving to you.

I’ll update with some FAQ’s soon!! If you have any questions you want us to answer about the how, what, or why, just ask and I’ll do our best to answer! But, we’re thankful to have to you all walk this with us!

https://www.facebook.com/PhillipsIndiaAdoption/