Just Sharing

This is a different sort of post than I usually do.  I just wanted to share with you something that's been on my heart. 

Adoption.

After our third failed IVF transfer (which was my "sort of miscarriage") I thought we were going to adopt.  I felt VERY strongly that adoption was the direction we were supposed to head in.  We went to an informational meeting at Bethany Christian Services.  I was convinced.  Jeremy wasn't.  If you start looking into adoption you often hear that the husband is the reluctant one.  I prayed for God to change his heart and for him to want to adopt as badly as I did.  And then we decided to do IVF one more time.  It was honestly a financial decision.  Adoption is expensive.  Like, really expensive.  The cost for us to adopt a domestic infant would have been around $30,000.  Since Walgreens has infertility benefits it was WAY less for us to do IVF again, which is around $12,000 if you don't have insurance that covers it.  Our out-of-pocket costs were significantly less.

Well, you know how that story ends.  These two.

 
But I still hope we have an adoption story one day!  I have always wanted to adopt.  Before I was even married I always liked the idea though I couldn't really tell you why.  Obviously Ben and Ainsley keep us plenty busy so adoption isn't anywhere in our near future but maybe when they are (much) older when could adopt an older child instead of an infant.  I don't really know, I don't make those sort of plans anymore because I don't think God intended me to be his personal comedian. 

So, I was reading Kelly's Korner the other day and she had this post about adoptions.  I clicked on a couple of them and found this one.   Jess and Eric are adopting from Ethiopia and they are doing a really neat fundraiser.  Now I may just be living under a rock but I thought this idea was really unique!  They are doing a puzzle fundraiser.  So they have a puzzle and are "selling" the pieces to it.  You can "buy" a piece for $10 and they write your name on the back of the piece and when it is done and put together they are going to hang it in a double-sided frame in their baby's room.  I bought a piece each for Ainsley and Benson.

She sent me these pictures of our puzzle pieces!

So disclaimer time: I don't know Jess and Eric.  I don't know their last name.  I don't know where they live.  I do know that every Monday Jess writes a letter to their baby in Ethiopia.  I do know that adoption is outrageously expensive.  I do know the hurt that comes with wanting and waiting for a child.  That was enough for me to donate $20 in Ben and Ainsley's names. 

Also, I'm not asking you to donate!  What I would love though is if everyone who reads this would take a minute to pray for those who are still waiting.  Waiting on fertility treatments to work, waiting on the call to come in that their little one half way across the world is ready to meet them, waiting for God to show them the way.  If you don't feel like praying that's alright, too!  Just think about them for a moment.  Spend a couple minutes of quiet time reflecting on it.  And if you DO feel like donating - go for it!  I'm super excited to see this puzzle completed and to watch Jess' blog and see their story unfold!