I'd like to introduce you to Erica and her husband Josh. Erica and I worked together in a doctors' office a few years ago. I was so impressed by her beautiful heart for children, as well as her openness about her desires for a family. She is sharing their story today of their journey through infertility and now adoption. Family is near and dear to my heart, and I hope you will take a moment to read their touching story. If you feel led, there is an opportunity located at the bottom of this post and on the sidebar for you to assist them in achieving a family. Thank you for reading, sharing and supporting this family!
“My friends, adoption is redemption.
It’s costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so
much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him.” – Derek Loux
Josh and I met at a day care while sharing our passion for children. Josh worked with school age children and I worked with toddlers and preschoolers. We quickly formed a friendship that centered around our love for our job. Over the next year, our friendship blossomed and we started dating. Nine months later, we got engaged. During our engagement we discussed our future together which we knew would include children. We often talked about how many we would have, what we would name them, where they would go to school, as if they were already here. Josh and I got married a year after being engaged. A couple short months after, we began trying to conceive. I believe we were both sure it would just happen right away as we had planned it, unfortunately it did not. Months went by; we prayed, we took vitamins, changed our diet, exercised, and lived by positive ovulation kits and negative pregnancy tests for a year with no luck. We decided after a year of trying to see a fertility specialist. I was given three months of a fertility drug with again, no pregnancy. I endured multiple tests and procedures and even had surgery to remove a cyst, all were inconclusive. There was literally no medical reason why we were unable to conceive. We received the diagnosis of “unexplained infertility.” I have often said this diagnosis was worse than any. There was nothing I could blame it on, “Oh if we fix that we can conceive.” I became angry and discouraged. At this time it seemed like everyone I knew was pregnant. We were even given the opportunity to adopt a family member’s baby, just for her to change her mind after we had fell in love with him and the opportunity to become parents. This has truly been a heart breaking experience for us, but we have not given up. We began to fill the void by spending more time with my six nieces and baby cousin as well as volunteering to coach basketball at our local YMCA.
We prayed for guidance on how to build the family we so strongly desired to have. We decided that we had rather spend money on adoption rather than further fertility treatments that were still not a guarantee. Adoption seems like what we were called to do. We have been given the opportunity through our working at the daycare and children’s ministries, to work with children from all walks of life. I believe this is what has prepared our hearts and minds for adoption. Now comes the hard part, preparing our finances. We have looked in to many adoption agencies, law firms and individuals, all way out of our budget, most exceeding $30,000 for an infant adoption. Recently while on an adoption forum I came across a thread from a local adoption attorney. He was looking for families for several birthmothers that were looking to place infants for less than half of what we had been quoted in the past! Just when I had put away my dreams of becoming a mother anytime soon, here came the hope we both needed. We are no longer discouraged; we know it is not on our time, but His.
As little girls, we are prepared for motherhood, playing with dolls and caring for them like they are our own. Never did I imagine that dream would not be a reality for me. Josh and I have such a heart for family and children. We come from large loving families that would welcome a child with loving arms. We are currently hosting fund raisers and accepting donations to make this dream a reality. Josh and I would appreciate any donations, fundraising ideas, and of course, prayers, and words of encouragement. Thank you for taking time to read our story.
Linked up at: Growing Home Blog, Time-Warp Wife
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Blessings and prayers your way! Amazing post!!
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