Our Adoption Journey

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  James 1:27

Why adopt?  That's the question that is often on the lips of people when we first tell them of our adoption journey.  It is true that we already have a beautiful, joyful daughter in Abigail Hope.  She is a treasure and a gift from God.  However, we feel that God is also calling us to adopt a child.  

There are a myriad of reasons why Sarah and I have chosen to adopt.  Our love story began in an orphanage in Kenya.  We first noticed each other loving on babies and toddlers in a Buckner orphanage outside of Nairobi.  From that point on, we both knew that adoption would be a part of our journey together as a married couple.  When we first got married, I leaned more towards international adoption.  However, the more we prayed and considered our calling to adoption, the more God drew our hearts to a domestic adoption.  In doing research, and in pastoring in a community where the majority of children are in poverty, God softened our hearts to the children in our own country who are being overlooked.  That is why we chose Gladney's ABC program (African-American/bi-racial children) to adopt through.  We wish to adopt a child that the rest of the culture would overlook.  (We will do a later post explaining in full detail Gladney and the ABC program).

In doing so, we are trying to live out James 1:27 which I believe to be a snapshot of the Gospel.  One of the illustrations that both Jesus and Paul use in the New Testament to describe the work of Christ is adoption.  God has adopted us into His family through Jesus Christ.  What a promise!  You and I are apart of God's family.  The main marker of God's family I believe is seen on the cross through Jesus' sacrificial love.  It is that sacrificial love that is to govern our lives, our marriages, and the way we approach those overlooked in our society.  It is the working out of that love, with fear and trembling, that Sarah and I are beginning the journey of adoption.  

Sarah and I are fundraising together and individually in our own way.  I am going to run a half-marathon on April 27th in OKC.  I will be asking for sponsors to give a certain amount per mile or a one-time donation to help with the funding of our adoption.  If you wish to donate, there is a link labeled "donate" on the sidebar of our blog.  If you cannot donate financially, please join us in prayer as we are trusting in God to provide in every way for our family.  

- Ray