We’re going back to Thailand for Adoption #2

How did we get to this point?

Our experience in adopting Dominick has been incredible. God has given us such a love, a bond, memories, laughter, tears and all the in-betweens that we can say that He knew we’d be a family together. And His plan was so perfect!

We have been open to a second adoption for many of the same convictions we had when we first started the adoption process. There are people in hard to reach places that do not have a chance of hearing the Gospel and experiencing the love of Christ without someone going to them. This was our mindset for the first adoption and it will not waiver for this adoption. If the goal was just for Jason and I to have a family, we wouldn’t be going back because He’s already fulfilled that. This is so much more than that!

God can use us MORE and we want to say with open hands, USE US LORD.

Here are the key points God put upon our hearts at the beginning of 2018 in regards to adopting again:

Willing
We are continually willing to be used by God in this way. There has been an 80% decline in international adoptions from the US over the last decade. Most have a hard time being willing to trust that God will break down the obstacles that stop so many from going.

Able
God has equipped us in so many ways for this. We are able to travel. We are able to bring another child into our home. We are able to wait patiently for God to match us. We are able to love and disciple more. In-country adoption is rare in Thailand. Our marriage, the amount of children in our home, citizenship and current health qualifies us in ways others aren’t qualified.

Conviction
Any day could be someone’s last day on earth, so don’t put off serving the Lord if He is impressing it on us today! We see an urgency to share the hope of Christ with someone who is seeing the ugliness of a broken world in their environment and life. We don’t want to wait until we are nice and comfortable or have a beefed up bank account when a child is in need of the love and protection of a family today.

Stewardship
In the month of January, the sermon series at our church covered stewardship. This series prompted much of the above revelation to both of us. Stewarding our time means we can disciple and love more. Stewarding of our finances as this timing allowed an adoption tax credit to come our way through our first adoption. Stewarding of our resources means we have space for another child in our home. Stewarding our son includes the honor of showing him the incredible gift of adoption as he gets to witness it from step one for his sibling.

1 Peter
As we were studying this book together, Jason chose the theme for our Bible study “Living on Earth as Citizens of Heaven.” Two key sections that stood out to us were letting your good deeds as a Christian be so extravagant that the world looks upon them, sees the work of God in those deeds and glorifies Him as a result. And, our goal should always be to proclaim His excellencies, and nothing short of that.

This is why we are adopting again! And we are excited to be used by the Lord in this way!

Check back for upcoming blog posts in regards to what to expect this time around, and what our process has been like so far!