Adoption is a journey filled with so many layers and so many opinions and so much emotion and so many trigger buttons.
How dare someone adopt from another country when there are so many babies and kids HERE who need families?
How dare someone fundraise for an adoption? If they can’t afford the adoption, they shouldn’t bring home a kid.
How dare someone take a newborn from the hospital? I bet they coerced that young mom when she really just needed help.
How in the world can an adoption possibly cost 20/30/40 thousand dollars??? It should be free.
An open adoption? Are you crazy? What if her/his family come back for them!?
I was extra naive and didn’t know about all of these hot button topics before I found myself knee deep in most of them. As many of you know, my heart was initially in international adoption. I got one of the nastiest messages EVER, and the only anonymous message I’ve ever received, about how wrong it was for our family to be Race for the Orphans recipients as potential domestic newborn adopters.
I have heard the how dare you fundraise- if you can’t afford it, you shouldn’t do it, from members of our own family. And at the same time, I watch families do similar fundraising for travel sports, Boy Scouts, and mission trips and wonder how participation in those is more acceptable than adoption of a child without a family. If you get nothing else from this post, post please never, ever say this again.
Joining families as they walk this already difficult journey, often ignored by family and friends because of insert bad excuse here, has become a passion and a purpose of mine. Those of you who have rallied around these families with me– I can’t tell you how much it means to me, or them.
A few weeks ago, we made a goal to raise $5000 in 5 days, in order to meet a $5000 matching grant. Meeting that goal was shocking and amazing. This is a family who has truly stepped forward, without having the funds in hand, fully trusting that God will make a way. And time and time again, He is making a way. (That doesn’t mean we aren’t working our behinds off- but the dollars are continuing to add up). Our motto during this process has been “Miracles Move Mountains.” After this massive miracle, I knew I wanted a shirt to celebrate it. I asked my friends at Fund The Nations to design it, with these criteria 1) not orange and 2) Miracles Move Mountains. I could not be more ecstatic how they turned out.
They are available for order through this week. Order now and pay now or later. $20 or $23/shipped and available in sizes XS-2XL. They are a soft style shirt and if you are in between sizes they recommend you size up. They are the same as our Love Makes A Family shirts. You can order by using the link below:
https://forms.gle/5tqEqT6d8JcsssLM9
We’d also love for you to share!!! Thank you so so much!!
The Brooks Family 