Thursday, March 21, 2013

foster to adopt

This weekend we start taking our first big steps toward fostering to adopt!  We've already had one short meeting but this weekend we will start taking classes that will bring us closer to having a foster baby/child in our home with the hopes to adopt.  Crazy!

As I look back, I can see God's hand leading us here.  For Kevin, his side of the family has had a lot of experience with fostering and adoption.  Aunts and uncles have fostered and adopted.  And his parents have always worked with needy kids.  They ran a youth home while Kevin was growing up and have also worked with unwed moms and adoption.  His grandparents, as well, were involved in the same ministry to unwed moms.  He has a heritage of ministry to needy youth.

I've always just loved kids.  Babysitting, teaching and aiding in preschools and classrooms.  Together Kev and I taught Sunday School when we dated.  I've been involved in MOPS (Mother's of PreSchoolers) for years with our five babies.  And I also worked to earn my 4 year degree in Early Childhood Education.

This is one way I see God's hand leading me.  I had to pick a topic for a paper in one of my classes in college.  I picked Abuse and Neglect.  Heavy.  Why did I pick that topic?  Not sure.  Then as college rolled on it was just easy to build on the topic I already had researched so my final paper, along with several papers in between, was on Child Abuse and Neglect.  I even thought maybe I should pursue Social Work but my heart is really to be involved more personally in kids' individual lives.  (I know some Social Workers are involved personally, too.  Maybe just for a shorter period of time?  Maybe the job just seemed intimidating...?!)  Now I see how God was probably preparing me, 15 years ago, for this season in our lives.  He's so cool that way.

I have to say that I took several Special Needs classes, too...  Not quite enough for a second degree, though, but several.  Hum...

We have been blessed with our own special needs baby.  And we have worked in a special needs orphanage.  We have already pursued adopting two little girls overseas with special needs and been open to adopting a third little girl who we were told needed a family.   (The first two have families now and we are still open to adopting the third, though it looks like she has a family, too.)

We are excited (and nervous) to see what's next!

Following His leading with my eyes alert and my heart reflective.

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