We are so excited to have started the domestic adoption process of a baby boy or girl! We started pursuing adoption as a primary means to grow our family soon after being married. We began an international adoption and joyfully accepted a referral for twin 6-month-old boys shortly after. Now, two and a half years later, our sweet boys are approaching their third birthday outside of our home and apart from our family.

As we've waited, we became a Safe Families host family. Through Safe Families we've hosted seven children and enjoyed forming a relationship with their families. This experience, as well as many others, led us to pray about starting a concurrent domestic adoption.

After much prayer, a fair amount of fear, and total reliance on God, we began the domestic adoption process in September 2014. We realized we have room in our hearts for another child. And we are excited to now be fully committed to expanding our family tree to include three children and two brave birth families. 

After having our home study approved in late November, we have had the opportunity to submit our profile for consideration by a couple women making adoption plans for their children. Then we experienced a failed match... Though it was a hard experience, we loved the opportunity to meet and encourage a young woman considering adoption. That difficult experience has only increased our excitement about and commitment to a son or daughter joining our family via domestic adoption! 

We have sought as many options for financial support as possible. With the remaining expenses set aside for our international adoption, we've felt confident to move forward again trusting God will provide for all our needs for this domestic adoption — emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial.

We are so grateful to have received a $2,000 matching grant from MICAH Fund! Every $10 provided becomes $20... every $100, $200. 

But please know this: Your financial support will not make the difference between us bringing a child into our home or not. It's just not true. 

We do, however, appreciate the opportunity to provide a tax-deductible option for our friends and family to contribute to our domestic adoption expenses while watching their contributions double. There is zero expectation that you would give. Your prayers during this time of anticipating and waiting are just as appreciated! 

Thank you for the support you've offered our family... whether through in-person conversations or text messages or blog post comments. We are so grateful for the community of friends + family that have been praying for the children who will some day be part of our family! 

To follow our story as God writes it, visit Natalie's blog.

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The MICAH Fund will match funds raised up to $2,000.  Your tax-deductible contribution is handled by Pure Charity, on behalf of the MICAH Fund   Pure Charity provides each donor with proper tax receipts.  Grant funds are paid directly by the MICAH Fund to adoption agencies for customary services/fees.  Adoptive families do not receive funds directly.  Funds donated in excess of $2,000 would be donated to the designated family based on applicable tax law and need.  If a family exceeds their fundraising need, funds go to the MICAH Fund's general fund for the intended purpose of being distributed to additional qualifying families.