It's hard to believe one year ago Austin and I were living in Ann Arbor just starting the licensing process for foster care! I remember sharing the news on Facebook and in that post, asking for prayer and for specific items we needed in order to be licensed. A woman from my home church in Grand Rapids saw the post, and when Austin and I went home for a weekend visit, she approached us after church and asked if she could throw us a baby/kid shower. I was definitely apprehensive: what would others think about attending a shower for a couple who wasn't pregnant, but expecting a child 0-7 years-old and had absolutely nothing in their home for a child? In that moment, God made it clear that this process was not going to be one that Austin and I can do on our own. This was the start of what I believe will be a long road in humbleness and gratitude. Well, yesterday was the big day and oh my goodness, was it successful! We either received items that we needed or money to purchase what we needed and are ecstatic to say every item, every single item, is ready to go! A crib, stroller, carseat, highchair, fire ladder, carbon monoxide detector, baby monitor, highchair, backpack with school supplies, hygiene products, baby gates, bedding, clothing, toys, books, the list goes on...we are set and children will be blessed because of the church serving as the church. Austin and I are overwhelmed by the amount of support we have received throughout this process. This is one of those times that words simply don't cut it, but thank you. Below is the letter we wrote to those who attended: To Our Village, Thank you so much for supporting us as we prepare our home for foster children! We are humbled by the number of people who have encouraged us in our decision to become foster parents. They say “it takes a village to raise a child,” and in our case, it has taken a village just to make it through the licensing process alone. We believe it is a rare and beautiful gift to have the village that we do. We look forward to see how God continues to use you, our village, as we wait for our license, and eventually, have children placed in our home. A quick update on where we are in the process: We have been fingerprinted, completed all of our paperwork, had one home study, and are waiting to hear from the state regarding our application. The application we submitted was for a maximum of two children ages 0-10 (our first placement will be 0-5). Once we are approved by the state, we will have one final home study to make sure everything is in place for a child to enter our home. Our licensing worker suspects we will receive our first placement in April! Although we are not pursuing foster care solely for the purpose of adoption, (we truly support the reunification process when possible) we are open to adoption if the opportunity arises. Why foster care? is a question we get a lot. When we first started dating, we had the “big dreams conversation” right away (when you date, get engaged, and have a wedding all within 9 months, these conversations naturally happen pretty quickly☺). During the “big dreams conversation” we both talked about our heart for children who have been orphaned. In short, we believe that God has entrusted us with strengths, a village to cover our weaknesses, and a home to open up to others. If you want to hear more about our decision, feel free to ask us, we would love to share! There are a lot of overwhelming realities surrounding the foster care system and children in the system. Both the system and the children are broken, and where there is brokenness, there is opportunity for redemption and restoration. “A child born to another woman calls me mom. The depth of the tragedy and the magnitude of the privilege are not lost on me,” is a quote that often comes to mind when we think about the process, especially adoption. As you can imagine, we are both anxious and excited, scared and hopeful. We are praying over our home, and asking God to make it a haven of rest, joy, strength, and hope, we ask that you join us in prayer for the following:
Blessings, Austin and Haley Our attempt at sorting has commenced. Not pictured are BAGS and BAGS of clothing. Moms and dads out there, what organizational tips do you have as far as storing all of this? Do you hang or fold clothes? Honestly, there is more stuff in this picture than any other room in our house and we are a little overwhelmed!
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Hi! I'm Haley. Archives
May 2019
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