The adoption journey begins

After receiving e-mails and messages from people asking about our adoption process, I felt called to start a blog, so that you can stay up to date on what is going on. Let me catch you all up on what has been done so far.

In January/February of 2010, Lou Engle came to our church and spoke about "life," and the Zoe Foundation. During this message, God specifically spoke to both Jon and I, seperately, and told us this was how we were to increase our family. We waiting through the spring for them to come back to the church and give us more information about how this was to happen. In June of 2010, Randy Bohlender came to our church, through the Zoe Foundation, and from Hannah's Dreams Adoptions. We knew right away that this was God's calling for us, so we immediately received info for the consultant, Tracie Loux, to start the process. Shortly after that, we started the paper process for Hannah's Dream Adoptions. We are working with Tracie, our consultant, in a multi-agency approach. This is where we are able to place our name on more than one adoption agency list at the same time. Currently, we have our name on three agencies' lists, in Florida, Kansas, and Texas. As of right now, we are waiting for God to match us with the child He has waiting for us and we know that this is all in God's timing.

While we are waiting for our match, we are in the process of gathering funding for our little one's adoption. Right now we are about to send out letters asking for donations through the Hand in Hand Adoption grant program. Adoptions can cost up to $20,000, with attorney fees, home study fees (which we have completed), medical expenses, travel expenses, etc. If you are reading this and feel called to sow into the life of a child and would like to donate, then you can send a donation to:

Please send all donations made payable to “Hand in Hand Christian Adoption” before December 15, 2010 to: (for tax purposes please include our name on the outside of the envelope only…do not put our name on the check itself)
Hand in Hand Christian Adoption, Inc.
The Jonathan Stewart Family
18524 Juniper Street
Gardner, KS 66030-9147

I will do my very best to keep you posted!!