Guess what, everyone??? We’re matched*!!!

A few weeks ago we heard about a mother**, “C” who was hoping to make an adoption plan*** for her baby. Our profile was shown to her and she eventually decided that she would like to plan to place her child with us!

She lives in Kansas and the baby will be born in Kansas. It’s a BOY! We are doing a direct placement but working with an attorney. She is due in November – so really soon! We do have a name picked out but will share it if/when he is placed with us officially.

We have had a crazy summer and early fall full of babies and so many rejections that we honestly were a little numb to them. The rejections started with a different mother in Kansas. That mother chose to place her child with a Kansas family instead of us but we had a good experience with the attorney who was working with her and we signed on with them to be on their waiting families list in June. I see God’s hand in that as well because that attorney is able to handle this adoption for us. She is professional, personable and knowledgeable – because adoption law is her focus!

Last week our attorney drove a few hours to meet with “C” in person and got to know her. She is sweet and open but has a hard story. It is clear that she loves her son already and wants him to have good, stable life with a mother and father and she wants him to be raised in church. We are so honored that she plans to entrust his care to us! Our communication with her has been great so far!

It’s extremely rare to have one direct adoption (without an agency + agency fees involved) and we did not expect to have another one after being blessed with the miracle of Alina’s placement! Even through the rejections, God has obviously been preparing us to say yes to this child and to welcome an open relationship with his mother as well.

We – Chris, Ashley and Alina – plan to travel to Kansas a day or so before the mother’s due date to hopefully make it in time to support C during her labor. We will have to stay in Kansas for maybe a week or so after she and baby are discharged from the hospital for interstate paperwork and then we will come home! We cannot leave Kansas after baby is born because the interstate paperwork is what clears us to leave the state.

Please pray for C! Pray for her protection and health, a uncomplicated labor and please pray that she would make the best choice (whatever that is) for her child. Pray that she would cling to Christ during the whole process and be at peace, even in labor.

Please pray for the baby. Pray for his health, a non-traumatic birth, and that he would have a healthy attachment with us as he grows us if he is placed with us.

And please pray for us. Pray for our travel with a toddler (and a toddler + newborn on the way home!). Pray that we would have the funds that we need to be able to pay for the legal fees, birth mother assistance and post-placement costs in addition to the travel costs (hotel, food, rental car, etc). Please pray that our hearts would seek the One who is the giver or good gifts and not merely after the good gifts alone – we want to love Jesus more and not just because He gives us what we want.

Pray for our church as Chris takes time off – pray that they would continue to grow and be fruitful and faithful. Pray for the provision of a permanent admin who can take over Ashley’s role.

Spokane folks, we hope to have an open house after the turn of the calendar year to see friends! If you want to be sure to get an invite, please text or message me!

We are still fundraising through Lifesong! We received a $7500 matching grant in 2023 that we did not apply to Alina’s adoption. We have raised $2650 ($5300 available with the grant) so if you are inclined to assist us, Lifesong is the best way to do so.

Many of you reading this have followed our story since we moved to Malawi, came back to US, finished seminary, moved to Oregon, adopted our daughter and are still following as we try to adopt again. Thank you for reading this blog post and following our lives! We are so grateful for your support and care!

A little clarification about adoption terms:

*Matched is an adoption term for when a mother picks a family that she intends to place her child with after the baby is born.

** I’m calling her a “mother” not a birth mother because until she signs the release of the child, he is hers – not ours. Birth mother refers to a mother who places her child for adoption.

***With adoption, nothing is set until it’s complete so that’s why I speak of this process as an “adoption plan” – C could change her mind! But so far she seems certain in her decision.