God sets the lonely in families. This is what Psalms 68:6 tells us. And this is the promise Ryan and I are clinging to as we step into the unsettled, slightly unknown waters of adoption.
If you were to ask us six months ago if we’d ever adopt, we’d probably respond with something like, “We love the idea, but it’s not for us.” It felt like too much work. Too much money. Too much time. Too much risk. Too much unknown.
It’s amazing what God can do with two hearts in the course of six months.
Because here we are. Adopting. Our hearts united. Filled with excitement and anticipation to meet our newest son or daughter.
The orphan crisis is a global one. It’s not a problem unique to America, or Ethiopia, or China, or any other country. But everywhere in the world, there are children without parents. We strongly believe we should go where we’re called. And after much prayer and research, we feel called to the Congo. It’s a country ravaged by war, poverty, and AIDS. It’s a country with a great need. A country with many orphans.
Sadly, adoption is expensive.
There is a plethora of legal, travel, and medical fees involved. When all is said and done, our adoption will cost somewhere around $25,000. We know that sounds crazy. But we also know God has a special heart for the orphan and He calls us to take care of them in their distress. We are choosing to trust that where He leads, He will also provide.
Only how can He provide if we don’t extend an invitation for people to come alongside us on this journey?
So here it is. Our invitation.
If you’re feeling led, there are several ways you can help us bring one of these little ones into our family:
- Consider donating. We have a savings account set up for our adoption. All money will go directly into this account and every little bit helps. We have a PayPal Donate button on the side bar. If you’d rather send a check, please shoot me an email (katie@katieganshert.com) and I will happily give you our address.
- Commit to praying. This is huge. We will need prayer warriors. Prayer for our child in the Congo. Prayer for us as we jump into the insane busyness that comes with adoption. Prayer for peace, provision, and protection.
- We are planning to have a trivia night/silent auction in June. More details on this will come. But if God has blessed you with a service you can provide or a gift you can give, please consider donating this for the auction.
- A significant cost will involve two round-trip plane ticks to the Congo. So if you have air miles, we would be happy to take those off your hands!
This is a crazy journey. One we’d love for you to be a part of. One I’ll be blogging about right here. In fact, I’ve already started. You can follow our adoption journey by clicking on the link.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and hear our hearts. Thank you so much for your love and support. It means the world to us.
Be blessed this Christmas season. We’re hoping that around this time next year, we’ll be preparing to welcome a new member into our family! We can’t wait to share that moment with all of you!