Our Wait for Alex

"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" Psalm 27:14. Waiting is such a large part of the adoption process. It is the waiting, however, that allows us the opportunity to trust in the Lord, in His plan and in His timing. We are Chris and Annie Hamlin and with this adoption, we have had ample opportunity to trust Him, as we wait to bring Alex home. By the Summer of 2019, the Lord had blessed us with 8 amazing children, four biological and four adopted. With 8 kiddos, 4 of whom have medical special needs, we thought our family might be complete. Medical appointments on top of physical, occupational and speech therapies, as well as an occasional surgery thrown in every now and again, kept us pretty busy. However, the Lord had other plans, and in that Summer of 2019, we were to meet that plan. Alex was 7 years old when we met him on a missions trip to Honduras. He quickly captured our hearts and our decision to sponsor him was an easy one. As our relationship with him grew, the Lord made it very clear to us that he was to be our son and so the long wait began. It has been 4 years since we started the process to bring Alex home. The wait has been hard but, in that time, the Lord has provided opportunities for us to call, visit and grow our bond with him. We are so grateful for those times but are looking forward to the day when we won’t have to say good-bye. The Lord has been faithful in His provision for our family and for each of our adoptions and we have no doubt that He will provide for us to bring Alex home. We would love your prayers for the process to get our 9th kiddo home as well as your prayers for the continued journey and hard work, after he comes home. If you feel so led, we thank you in advance for any contribution you feel the Lord might be placing on your heart.

Craft Family Adoption

Dear Friends and Family!

We are excited to announce that we are adopting from Taiwan! As many of you know, adoption has been close to our hearts for many years and we have dreamed about the day we ourselves would be able to adopt.

Adoption is a life changing process in many ways, and we would be grateful for your support to bring our child home. There are several ways you can help:

1. First and foremost, we need your prayers.
Pray for our daughter who will be joining our family. Adoption is born out of loss. Please pray for our daughter as she will be navigating many emotions and changes. Pray that her heart will be open to loving and trusting us, and that we will be able to meet her where she is emotionally. Also pray for her birth family, that they would have peace and healing.

Pray that God will give Justin and I wisdom as we navigate our adoption journey. Pray that Justin and I will continue to be on the same page and stay connected. Also, that we would be able to discern God’s calling from our own plans.

Pray for our sons; Benaiah, Azariah and Kenaniah as they prepare to welcome a new sibling into their home. They are very excited at the idea of welcoming a little sister, but we know that the adjustment period will be a big change for them. Pray they will have open hearts and patient spirits.

2. We would welcome financial gifts. Quite frankly, it is a stretch for us and we are trusting God to meet our needs. In the short-term, we will have around $10,000 in adoption-related expenses over the next 3-4 months. The total cost to adopt one child ranges from $35,000-$50,000. We know that this is an overwhelming number, but we also know God will help us reach this goal to bring our daughter home.

3.We are working on some creative fundraising projects that we will be letting you know about in the near future. If you have some ideas or would like to help with fundraising, please let us know!

Unity, liberty, love

Well before we were married we wanted to adopt. The image of this kind of unity is like the image of heaven. It’s absolutely beautiful.
This year we started to explore adoption programs and as we learned more there was a refining and the desire to adopt became clearer that this is what is our next right step.
We are excited to grow our family with a younger sibling to our almost 5 year old.
We have a summer camp ministry that we are thrilled that our children will grow up playing, learning and meeting so many new kids every year!

We intend to adopt also from Kenya when they open up. That was the first place our hearts were set on fire for. But until then, Taiwan is calling and we must go!

Our Waiting Hearts: The Road to Family

Nestled in the woods of Lake of the Ozarks Missouri, our home is a haven of warmth and love. We are the Showns, that have been blessed with the joy of raising four wonderful biological children. Our home is a bustling hub of laughter, shared moments, and the beautiful chaos that comes with a large family. While volunteering with various humanitarian projects and our local church, we have seen the need for children needing a stable, family environment. As a couple, we have wanted to adopt and lately, our children have stated, "Mom and Dad you are good parents couldn't we invite these children who have no one to come live with us." We feel the time has come to begin the process of opening our home to a child/children who need the environment we can offer.

We are surrounded by a network of supportive family and friends, including two sets of grandparents, an aunt and uncle who live near us, and a well-established church family. We are fortunate to have a community that embraces the idea of adoption and is eagerly awaiting the arrival of our little ones. Our loved ones are ready to provide guidance, love, and a wealth of experiences to enrich our child's life.

As a homeschooling family and former public educators, our home is not only a space for love and laughter but also a dynamic environment for education and exploration. From science experiments in the kitchen to cozy reading nooks, our home is designed to inspire curiosity and creativity. We believe in tailoring education to each child's unique strengths, fostering a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. We've witnessed the unique bonds formed between siblings through the homeschooling experience. Siblings not only become companions but also each other's greatest supporters and collaborators in the learning journey. We are excited to extend this opportunity to our future adopted siblings, creating a nurturing and collaborative educational environment.

In our family dynamic, Terri wears the hat of a dedicated stay-at-home mom who has a passion for design and art. She works part-time as a cover designer, pouring her creativity into projects that bring stories to life. This flexibility allows her to not only nurture our children's educational journey but also contribute to the family's creative endeavors.

Zack, on the other hand, brings stability to our home through his role as a financial advisor. His well-paying job provides our family with the security and support needed to create a thriving environment for our children. We are grateful for the balance this dynamic brings to our family life.

As we eagerly await the day our family grows, we envision a future filled with love, laughter, and shared adventures. Whether it's exploring local parks, reading bedtime stories, embarking on family vacations, or serving the community, we're excited to build a lifetime of cherished moments together.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us and our journey. This is not just a chapter in our lives; it's a promise of love and a testament to our commitment to creating a family filled with warmth and joy. If you resonate with our story and feel a connection, we would love your support.

With love and anticipation,

The Showns

Welcome to us!

We have always wanted to grow our family. Our journey to a big family hasn't
been an easy road, as we ran into infertility issues. We tried many routes to start
our family, and they were all unsuccessful. During the IVF process we began
looking into adoption and visited with dear friends who had the opportunity to grow
their family through adoption and feel like this is a great chance we have to still
grow our family.
Why Adoption?
Though the journey was
hard, we've arrived at
adoption with open hearts
full of JOY. We're looking
forward to seeing our
dreams realized.
As a birth parent, we want
you to know that we fully
believe love multiplies, not
divides, and you would
always be welcome in our
family and spoken of with the highest regard. AnneMarie line is from Haiti and she was born in Brooklyn New York. We moved to
California and I love the beach and ocean. It has a calming ef ect on the soul. Being
the oldest of 2, I have a fantastic relationship with my brother. Through him I
cultivated a wonderful relationship with his wife and have come to love their 4 girls.
Family has always been important to me and I have always wanted to have a
family. Chris' line hails from Mexico and farther back, Spain and his mom 's line is
from Europe. I have 2 older sisters, one in Utah and one living abroad. I am that
person that person who all the (great) nieces and (great) nephews love to play with.
Have you ever seen an adult jungle gym? Thats me. I have enjoyed spending time
with my older nephews and their children either grabbing a family meal, going to
sporting events and spending time in each other's home.

The Parfitts are Adopting!

Dear friends and family,

We are excited to share the latest chapter in the Parfitt family story. We are adopting!!

Earlier this year, the Lord began calling us to adoption. Having confirmed His will for us in many amazing ways, we began the search for an agency. The Lord has very graciously been closing some doors and opening others along the way and we are excited to begin the adoption process through Nightlight Christian Adoptions.

With millions of orphans around the world, we have spent many hours researching and speaking with agency staff in order to narrow down which program to pursue. As we continue to ask the Lord to show us where our child is waiting, the three best options open to us at this time are domestic infant adoption, the Colombia program, or India special needs adoption. Each of these programs has unique characteristics to consider.

Domestic infant adoption is what's known as a "waiting family" program. There are hundreds of families waiting to welcome a newborn. Through this program, an expectant mother chooses a couple with which to place her baby. These adoptions are "open" adoptions where the adoptive parents commit to provide regular updates for the birth family as well as yearly face-to-face visits. This is a beautiful opportunity to show the love of Jesus to a birth mother and for her to see that her child is growing up in a loving home.

The Colombia program, as in all international adoption programs, is a "waiting child" program. There are thousands of children in care in Colombia, and many are waiting for their forever home. Through the Colombia program, we would have the opportunity to adopt an older child (10 years and above) or a sibling group with minor or no special needs. These children bring with them difficult histories of abuse or other trauma and desperately need the safety and stability of a loving family.

India is home to a staggering 20 million orphans (with some estimates being even greater). Through this program, we would be eligible to adopt a child with minor to moderate special needs. Some examples of these needs include clubfoot, cleft lip/palate, vision issues, hearing loss, albinism - many needs that are treatable or correctable with the medical care we have here in the US. We would also be able to adopt a much younger child (around age 2) and maintain birth order in our family.

Adoption is a costly process in many ways and we need your support to bring our child(ren) home. There are several ways you can help:

1. First and foremost, we need your prayers. Adoption was God's idea. When we repent and put our faith in Jesus, we are adopted into His family. Our enemy, Satan, hates adoption, he hates us, and he hates these kids. We know he will do everything in his power to discourage us along the way. Please pray for peace, wisdom, and encouragement. Pray that we will continue to discern the Lord's will as to which program to pursue. Please also pray for favor with our agency and any foreign government officials who will review our file.
2. We also need your financial support. In the short-term, we will have around $10,000 in adoption-related expenses over the next 3-4 months. The total cost to adopt one child ranges from $35,000-$50,000, depending on the program. This may sound overwhelming, but we know God "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20).
3. We are working on some creative fundraising projects that we will be letting you know about in the near future. If you have some ideas or would like to help with fundraising, please let us know!
4. We have also hired a builder (who is himself an adoptive dad!) who will be adding a large bedroom in our attic in order to make room for our growing family. We will be finishing off the project ourselves in order to save a bit on labor costs. If you are interested in helping with painting, laying flooring, or other finishing touches, we would love to hear from you!

The Bible says that God is "a Father to the fatherless" and that He "sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:5-6). We are grateful that the Lord has chosen our family to embrace the calling of adoption. We are thankful for your prayers and support as we continue on this journey. May all that we do be for His glory alone.

With heartfelt thanks,
The Parfitts

Ludwick Family

7.5 years ago, we were brought to international adoption. It was a decision that was not made lightly, but came so easily to us. We are anxiously awaiting the day we get to bring our child home.

Where do we even begin? This is gut wrenching gratitude that almost takes our breath away. We promise to honor our child’s family, culture, and country, we promise to raise the kindest person you’d ever meet, we promise to be present and fill their life with as much opportunity as we can, and we promise to raise a child of God. This has been the most intentional, soul shaping, emotional, exhausting process we have experienced, adoption has changed us. We are better people because of it. Adoption is built upon brokenness, in a perfect world, it would not exist. “A child born to another woman calls me mom. The magnitude of that tragedy and the depth of that privilege is not lost on me” - Jody Landers

Please join us in prayer as we pray for our sweet child, for our child’s birth parents, for their current caregivers, for safe travels, during the attachment process, for their health and developmental support, and for guidance in this next chapter for us. We invite our family and friends to be a part of this amazing journey with us. However God inspires you to invest, whether it be through prayers, words of encouragement, adoption funding, or sharing your own story and talents, we hope that you reach out!

We cannot wait to share more and for the day we get to bring our child home. To our family, friends, those that have followed our journey, and Nightlight Christian Adoptions. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving us hope during this wait, we are eternally grateful. This is all we ever wanted. 🌎♥️

“I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I will give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord.” - 1 Samuel 1:27-28

Arms wide open!

Hello! I am a single male of 35 years located in Tennessee. I have completely ready to welcome a child into my home with open arms. I live on a 25acre farm with so much space to enjoy a happy life. My extended family is quite large and they are all so ready to welcome a new child to our family!!