The Word is Getting Out!

Our home visit was on Tuesday so we're done with our interviews! WooHoo!!! So, now we wait for Bethany Christian to write up our home assessment and have the proper chain of command to sign off on it - which should hopefully be by Christmas!

Okay, I'm copying someone else's blog, but I don't think she'd mind the information being spread even further! Focus on the Family had a radio broadcast about embryo adoption with Dr. James Dobson on Wednesday. So exciting! I can't tell you how exhausted Aaron and I are becoming of having to try and explain embryo adoption to everyone. After we give them the entire explanation, we are given the "deer with the headlight" look and we know that unfortunately, they didn't really understand what we said... People are usually left thinking that we're doing something unethical with an egg or sperm donor program and conceiving children outside of marriage which is absolutely NOT what we are doing! Granted some embryos have been conceived via egg or sperm donors, but we are NOT endorsing that! We are not endorsing conceiving life outside of marriage anymore than if we were adopting a child whose birthmother conceived him/her outside of marriage. As the saying goes, God uses sin sinlessly. After someone has already made the decision to create/conceive these embryos and don't use them all, then they are only left with two options - to kill the unborn child(ren) or give them to another couple. The latter is the only life affirming option. So needless to say, when embryo adoption is talked about on Christian radio, we are ecstatic that word is getting out!

Interview, Seminar, and Spiritual Warfare

Our 2nd interview also went well on Tuesday. We were each interviewed separately for an hour each. The seminar yesterday was wonderful! We were only 1 of 2 embryo adoption couples there out of 20+ couples in NC. We were able to learn more about other kinds of adoption - both domestic and international. We thoroughly enjoyed learning and meeting other couples and seeing their passion for the way God has called them to build their families. I cried during videos and was just overwhelmed with the thought that God would ask us to be a part of rescuing little ones who need a Christian family. Last October was our first month that we began to TTC - and God knew that exactly a year later, we'd be in the heart of our adoption process. We didn't know - But, He did. As we aggressively tried to build a family our way - He was smiling knowing that He had a better plan in store for our family! God also knew back in 2006, when I first read about embryo adoption on Baptist Press and thought it sounded wonderful that He would call us to pursue it in 2009. The amazing thing about it was that I told Aaron "Maybe we can pursue this after we have biological children." God chose to have us struggle with infertility though, knowing that the NEDC only accepts couples who have been declared infertile by a doctor. Oh how I love God's sweet sovereignty!!!

We also were blessed to listen to a panel of parents who had adopted and birthmothers who had chosen to give their baby a life they couldn't. These birthmothers are truly heroic! They are faced with a decision that I could not even imagine and yet they are unselfish enough to choose what is best for their children! My respect for Bethany Christian Services continues to grow - They really love Jesus and I'm so thankful that we chose them to conduct our home assessment for the NEDC. They love and counsel these birthmothers while pointing them to the Cross of Christ - such a ministry!

This journey also presents difficult aspects as well - spiritual warfare. Aaron and I definitely feel a very real fight against demonic oppression. Satan hates babies - He loves abortion, embryonic stem cell research, babies who grow up in orphanges overseas never hearing the Gospel, children who are abused...He loathes Christians who have a heart for adoption. I won't go into detail, but if you are a also a believer, please pray for spiritual protection during this adoption process for us.

For the sake of the Gospel,
Jennifer :)

1st Adoption Interview

Yay! Our first interview went great! Our caseworker was extremely kind and put us at ease as we talked with her. 1 down - 2 more to go! :)

Our caseworker has 30 days from our home visit on Oct. 27th to submit our home study to her supervisor, who then signs off, and it will lastly be sent to the state director to sign off. Once the state director has signed off on it, then it's officially approved and Bethany Christian will send it to the NEDC to move forward with the embryo matching process and transfer. Our caseworker told us that it should be completely signed, sealed, and approved by Christmas (but, you never know how long it could sit on someone's desk before they have time to look over it).

I also emailed the NEDC last week to let them know that our interviews were starting this month and after our home study was completed, approximately when would we be looking at our trial transfer in Knoxville and then the real transfer (also in Knoxville). The NEDC said that there's a waiting list and that we would probably have our trial transfer sometime between February and March. This would hopefully result in our first real transfer of embryos around May. They only do embryo transfers every other month. I'm okay with that - Of course, yes, I would love to have a trial transfer in January and have a real one in February or April, but May really isn't too far off. :)