Adoption Story: Carrie + Joe

September 05, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

Today, Carrie shares the journey that led them to their TWINS! Prior to working with us, Joe and Carrie had been in the adoption process for about 10 years on and off. Understandably, they were exhausted from the ups and downs of the process. Yes, they were weary, but they were not without hope. Joe and Carrie have a beautiful resilience about them that I know they attribute to the Holy Spirit. I was speaking with Carrie the other day on the phone, and she reminded me that one of the reasons she decided to reach out to CAC was because she came across a picture of my family, and she saw that we had adopted twins. Little did they know that almost 10 months later, they would be chosen to be the parents of boy/girl twins! Carrie paints pictures with words, and I know you will be tremendously blessed by what she has to share today!

I'm sure, like many others who have walked this process before, our adoption story can be best likened to a ride on a wooden (antique even) roller coaster. The ascent is filled with enthusiasm for what awaits when you finally make it to the top and have the ability to see out above the track. It is the boiling anticipation and stamina that sustain you. The descent sends your belly into your throat — the kind where you are both exhilarated and terrified simultaneously.

As we all know, with any truly great roller coaster ride, there are unexpected curves and swift moves that jerk you back and forth in your harness, keeping you on edge and awaiting the next turn or drop. There are outstanding peaks, of which you can only see out for a second, and steep drops that remind you that you have no control — where you can only hope and trust that this harness will do its job. This is the closest illustration to our adoption journey, which, in all reality, will continue as a beautiful lifelong story.

We have started many hopeful horizons in the face that plunged us into steep, unexpected drops. And though we experienced hope leading to disappointment over and over again, there was always movement — and so long as there is movement, there is life.

Joe and I were at the tail end of our willingness to continue on the path toward adoption after we encountered yet another unforeseen drop. Though we wanted children more than anything, the whiplash from years of letdowns was beginning to take its toll as the end seemed more like a hopeful imagination than a reality worth putting any more money or expectancy into.

We found Christian Adoption Consultants and decided this would be our final go-around before getting off this ride for good. It took 15 years of twists and turns to bring us to where we are today — holding our amazingly beautiful twin babies and basking in spit-up, diapers, and limited sleep. Getting here took walking through numerous adoption situations, experiencing a dozen plus rejections, enduring several failed adoptions, and learning long-suffering — in every sense of the word — that seemed as though it would never end. But, when we got into our SUV to drive home with our twin babies in the backseat safely strapped into two car seats that were loaned to us by our neighbors because we didn't have time to buy our own, and as the congratulations started to pour in, I experienced something deeper than excitement — it was long-suffering coming to an end.

The process of adoption demands perseverance — and it is impossible to have perseverance without hope, without community, and for us, without CAC. They walked with us. That’s what friends do — they walk with you, at your pace, and alongside you. (A big thanks to Kelly for walking — sometimes crawling — with us and always being present through this process and all its demands.)

And to the reader: If you are contemplating adoption, stop thinking and get on the ride.

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat!
Email me to receive a FREE inquiry packet.***

Adoption Story: Megan + Clayton

August 20, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

It’s never lost on me that my job as an Adoption Consultant entails walking hand-in-hand with families pursuing adoption. Having gone through the adoption process over 7 years ago, it’s very special to me that I’m able to connect with my families from the personal standpoint of, “Hey, I get it. I’ve gone down the path that you are embarking on. I understand what you are going through.” There is just something comforting about having an advocate on your side who understands the highs and lows, twists and turns, and uncertainties that accompany the adoption process.

I’ll never forget my first call with Megan and Clayton. We shared similar stories of infertility and the pain that coincides with it. Through the overwhelming path that led them to adoption, I sensed a strong sense of hope in their spirit. Despite their circumstances, they did not give up. I’m so glad they didn’t. Through perseverance and faith, God led them to their beautiful baby girl. Clayton and Megan, I’m so happy for your sweet family! Thank you for trusting me to help you on the journey to your daughter.

Megan shares more of their story below…

There is nothing that our God can’t do!

That has been the theme of our adoption story as God flung open one door after another. He had our daughter in mind before we met her, and nothing could mess up the story He was writing for our family.

When Clayton and I got married, we knew we wanted to grow our family right away. What we didn’t know was the struggle that growing our family would come to be. We endured three years of difficult diagnoses, miscarriages, multiple surgeries, several specialists, hundreds of medications and hormone injections, etc. In the thick of it, it felt as though God didn’t hear our prayers, our cries for a child to fulfill the desire He had placed in our hearts.

While we continued to pray and seek His will for our lives, we heard God place adoption on our hearts. As we prayed about adoption, we continued the medical route for a few more months. It was then that we reached out to Kelly Todd at Christian Adoption Consultants to gather more information about adoption. To be completely transparent, the fear of the unknown had taken hold of our hearts. What if the expecting mother changed her mind, and we experienced yet another loss? How would we afford to adopt after undergoing treatment for the past three years? What did an open adoption truly look like? A few more weeks went by, and we continued to feel God calling us to adoption. We knew it was time to be obedient and trust that He would take care of every detail. It was in that moment, when we fully opened our hearts to be obedient, that we truly felt God honor the position of our hearts and begin to move mountains.

We signed on with Christian Adoption Consultants and began working towards completing our home study, paperwork, and adoption agency applications. This process is not for the faint of heart, as it requires patience, organization, and being vulnerable enough to ask questions. Kelly was with us every step of the way. She encouraged us, answered our questions, and prayed for us. Within no time, our home study was complete, and we were able to begin receiving situations about expecting mothers who were considering adoption.

One ordinary evening we responded to a situation about a baby girl due in June. We were so new to the process, and this was only the second situation we had responded to. We said a prayer and sent a text saying we wanted to present to the expecting mother. God was on the move! That weekend in church, we sang the song ‘More Than Able’ by Elevation Worship, and it became the theme song over the next few weeks. “Who am I to deny what the Lord can do?” and “You are more than able” are lyrics I would repeat over and over.

A few days later, we were informed that the expecting mother had narrowed down the families she wanted to speak to, and we were one of those families! We couldn’t help but get our hopes up. We prayed endlessly, as did our family and friends. After having a phone conversation with the expecting mother, she informed us the next day she chose us to be parents! Tears of joy and prayers of thanksgiving became a part of our daily routine. However, we were no strangers to the fear and lies of the enemy. The more excited we became and the closer we got to traveling for the birth of our daughter, the more the enemy attacked. We are so thankful for Kelly as we continued to pray with us, reassure us, and check in with us continually. As she was praying for us, we were able to refocus our attention on the blessing before us.

Before we knew it, we were flying out to adopt our baby girl. Meeting her Birth Mom, watching her enter the world, and becoming her parents has been the greatest blessing we have ever experienced! Words truly cannot describe the emotions that surround this answered prayer.

We are currently living out our long-awaited dream of being parents, and we thank God every day for the little girl he chose to be ours! Adoption (and the three years of trying to grow our family) taught us to fully rely on the Lord, to find refuge in Him, and to seek His will above our own. Adopting our baby girl has been the greatest reminder that when we let go of our own plans and let God in, His blessings are far greater than anything we could imagine!

We are forever thankful for the gift of adoption, for our perfect baby girl, and for God’s faithfulness. We are so thankful for Kelly and Christian Adoption Consultants. This whole process truly takes a village, and we highly recommend having Christian Adoption Consultants as a part of your village!

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! Psalm 126:5

With love and gratitude,
Clayton, Megan, and Baby Girl

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat!
Email me to receive a FREE inquiry packet.***

Adoption Story: Melissa + Holden

June 30, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I had the immense joy of walking with Holden and Melissa on the journey that led them to their precious TWIN BOYS! The story that led them to their children was not easy, but God was faithful through it all. He provided everything they needed every step of the way. It can be scary stepping into unknown spaces, but they held tight to the truth that God was with them, even at times when they couldn’t see it. Melissa & Holden, thank you for entrusting me to walk with you on this process-it was an honor! Melissa shares their story below, and I know it will be an encouragement to you wherever you are on your adoption journey!

Growing up, I had always loved to think about my future as a wife and mom. To me, they were one and the same…you get married and have children. When my husband and I married, he was in the Marine Corps, so having a child was placed on hold. After five years, we began trying for a baby and quickly realized we needed to seek help. Eventually, we pursued IVF, and God gave us our beautiful baby girl.

Over the next four years, we continued through that process only to suffer loss and miscarriage. When we came to the end of that journey, our hearts were broken. We didn’t understand why God had allowed our heartbreak to continue. Not only did we desire to grow our family, but our daughter was very aware of our most recent loss (I had carried that baby for 9 weeks) and prayed every night for God to give us a child.

My husband had been holding onto the idea of our family adopting, but I was initially hesitant. I had family that had gone through a failed adoption and friends who did foster care. I heard about the heartache they endured, and it initially scared me. But God began to stir my heart and made it clear to me that adoption was His plan for our family.

Not too far from where we live, we noticed two adoption consulting groups, one of which was Christian Adoption Consultants. I contacted them first because I loved that they are faith-based. I was referred to Kelly, and I think we immediately found a bond when she began talking. She showed empathy and concern for our situation right from the start, and that truly spoke volumes to me. When our first call ended, I knew she was sent to us. At that time, I knew our only hiccup would be the financial aspect. We decided that that was something we knew we could trust God with, so it was time to follow through.

Two Little Feet Photography

I am such a planner, and I can remember just being so overwhelmed from the start of everything that was involved in this process. Kelly was so calming and reassuring as we navigated it together. Every time I’d be about to lose it, she’d be just a call or email away and remind me to take it one step at a time. Once we finally finished the first steps, the agency applications were something I took very seriously. In one of our agency interviews, the lady I spoke with over the phone (having adopted herself) shared a line with me that I repeated to myself more times throughout this process than I could count. She said, “Keep this mindset: It’s not IF you adopt; it’s WHEN you adopt.”

As we began receiving situations and understanding the magnitude of those decisions, we quickly realized how overwhelming this part of the process could be. The constant decisions and prayers…Kelly, again was my backbone throughout. She always guided our thinking by reminding me God knew! He would give peace if it was right, and if He didn’t, then it wasn’t for us. I remember the first no and the grief that came with it. That was followed by many more no’s. As we began to approach the one-year mark with CAC, my heart was truly just broken. All the hopes and dreams were beginning to fade into the questions of if this was really God’s call or just my selfish desires. It’s amazing what Satan can convince us of when we don’t fill our hearts and minds with God’s truths!

At what seemed like the last minute before we’d need to start updating our home study, we received a situation that I really thought was it. Long story short, we received yet another no. Our daughter was about to start school, and we had taken a family trip to the beach to end our summer. While there, I remember just being ready to quit. I was so tired and just had no drive to keep going…but God! God used that time away to renew my heart as I took intentional time with Him. I knew it wasn’t time to give up yet, and I was ready to continue until we got our baby!

Little did I know, just a week later, I’d get a message about twin boys who had just been born. Holden had been hesitant about twins all along, but I had always dreamed of having twins. I didn’t ever want to pressure him into presenting, so I left the decision to him and just prayed. We let Kelly know that night that we wanted to present! That was the beginning of one of the longest months of our lives! Haha! Three weeks later, we had a phone call with their biological mother and were matched! I can remember I sat on the floor during the call because I just couldn’t believe it could be happening. As we spoke with her, she acted as if we were already chosen, and tears streamed down my face throughout the entire call. No words can describe that moment as Holden, and I just sat there in shock, not even knowing if it could really be true!

Over the next three days, there were countless emails, home study updates, attorney calls, packing, shopping, childcare, and travel arrangements, and the list goes on. We left at the end of that week and were able to meet our babies in the NICU the following day. I didn’t know what to expect in those moments, and my emotions were just all over the place. As we sat holding our babies, the reality very slowly began to set in. We had a phone call from the biological father a couple of days after we arrived, and that was another incredible moment of this process. We didn’t really know a lot about him up until that point, but we had such a wonderful conversation, and it definitely was a gift from God. We are grateful for our sons’ Birth Mother and Birth Father. They have entrusted us with their boys forever, and the weight of that decision does not fall lightly on us. We think of them often and pray for them daily.

This process was truly the perfect reminder of God being the author of our story. It’s so easy in life for us to rush or plan or think we have control. But the reality is that while we can attempt all those things, our Father is good and has a much better story planned than anything we can arrange, plan or work to accomplish. It put so much of life into perspective! How incredible that our suffering led us to the greatest blessing. These babies have completed my heart and our family. I wouldn’t trade one step in our journey because they all led us here.

If you aren’t quite where we are on your journey, just keep taking the steps God has called you to. I don’t know your ending, but I do know Who does! And I know that I’ll be grateful every day for the rest of my life that we didn’t give up! He gave us our “expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). All those no’s were truly so disheartening, but our yes was worth them all.

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me to receive a FREE inquiry packet, and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Mandy + Kirk

May 09, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

It was such a joy working with Kirk and Mandy! I am so grateful that the Lord connected our paths, as it was such an honor to have a front-row seat in their adoption journey! Below they share the story that led them to their two amazing kiddos and how God bonded their hearts with them forever.

It’s so cliché, but everything happens for a reason. Some people know from the jump that adoption is in their hearts and follow that path. We were not those people. Our 5-year journey to parenthood started in 2013 after we were married. We were placed on the adoption path in 2017 after trying to get pregnant both on our own and then with specialists.

When we met our daughter, Kenna, for the first time in 2018, it was like the waters parted, and it all made sense. All of the heartbreak over years of negative tests and failed treatments just melted away. We fell in love with her instantly.

Fast forward a few years, and we were ready to grow our family again. We had briefly tossed around the idea of doing one “Hail Mary” round of IVF, but I just didn’t have it in my heart. Adoption had rooted in and taken hold of it. While our first adoption experience was wonderful, once we were “in” the world of adoption, we learned about these people called consultants… and specifically about this wonderful group of people at Christian Adoption Consultants.

We were connected with Kelly Todd at CAC, and she quickly put us on our path to finding our son. She was there with us every step of the way. From reading letters to prospective birth families to offering prayers and kind words after the disappointments of not being chosen, to the joy after finding out we had matched, and finally, the elation that came with meeting our son, Liam.

Once again, the minute we saw him, we knew we were meant to be together. Not only did we have those parental feelings of joy, love, and connection, but Kenna immediately fell in love with him as well.

So this is us… Our story isn’t necessarily what we thought it would be, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We could not love our children any more than we do. They amaze us, and we are in awe of them daily. God knew what he was doing when He joined our hearts with theirs. Our path is the path we were always meant to take, and we would do it again in a heartbeat!

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to receive a FREE inquiry packet, and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

7 Reasons Why Families Choose To Work With CAC

February 28, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

You are ready to start the adoption process, but where do you begin? When my husband and I made the decision to move forward with growing our family through adoption, we were extremely excited! But, as we began researching our options, we realized there was so much about the process that we were completely clueless about! After a few weeks of unfruitful research and trying to do it on our own, we discovered it was much more complex than we anticipated. We needed a map and a guide to help us navigate our journey.

A few of my friends had worked with Christian Adoption Consultants (CAC), and we had heard amazing reviews about the services and care they provide their families. After speaking on the phone with a consultant, we signed on with CAC the very next day! I tell everyone that working with CAC was by far the easiest and best decision we made in our adoption journey! Now I have the honor and privilege of guiding families through their own adoptive journey.

Here are 7 reasons why families choose to work with CAC:

Multiple Agency Networking– We direct families to apply with trustworthy agencies and attorneys in adoption-friendly states. At CAC, we also receive referrals from adoption agencies and attorneys looking for adoptive families.
Education & Guidance– There is more to adoption than the act itself. There is a lot to be learned along the way. At CAC, we are passionate about adoption education, and so we provide many opportunities for our families to grow in this area. We walk with our families throughout their entire 14-month contract and provide them with a step-by-step Adoptive Parent Guide Book-a resource that takes families through the entire adoption process. Our families are provided with monthly newsletters covering topics such as open adoption, positive adoption language, and encouragement for the wait.
Experienced Professionals– We’ve been around since 2006 and, since that time, have helped over 3,700 families with successful adoptions. We are one of the largest, oldest, and most experienced adoption consulting companies in the world! Our staff at CAC have over 120 years of combined adoption experience. We have two licensed social workers on staff and 8 team members who have experience working at adoption agencies. Our founders have also launched licensed adoption agencies, so they have a broad understanding of adoption, depth of knowledge in regard to licensing requirements, legal processes of adoption, and how agencies operate.
Personal Experience-Most of our staff are adoptive clients and/or former clients of CAC. We have two Adoptees and two Birth Mothers on staff who provide consultations for our families. They have an opportunity to sit with them over the phone, hear their story, learn from their perspective and ask questions. We have a staff that is passionate about adoption and who genuinely care about our clients! We understand the difficulties, joys, and challenges associated with the adoption process because we have walked through some of them ourselves.
Shorter Wait Time– The average wait time for a match after a family’s home study is complete is 7-12 months. Some families match sooner than the average time, while other families take longer. Using a multi-agency approach and a personal advocate is the best way to cast a wider net of opportunities in the adoption process.
Personal Advocate– As a consultant, we assist families in finding the right agency and adoption situation for their family. Additionally, we will help our clients navigate the warning signs to reduce the levels of risks associated with the adoption process. I love being a part of a team that prays consistently for not only the hopeful adoptive parents but the expectant mamas and birth families, as well.
Financial Advice– Adoption can be expensive. We provide families with resources and tools on how to fund their adoption through grants, loans, tax benefits, and fundraising.

From the moment we signed on with CAC, it’s as if a heavy weight was lifted off of our shoulders. We knew where the final destination was, but we were clueless about how to get there. CAC provided us with the map we needed and guided us every step of the way.

If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to receive a FREE inquiry packet, and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Molly + John

February 06, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

As an adoption consultant, I have a front-row seat in watching God’s plans unfold for amazing couples, just like John & Molly. A few questions I often ask families inquiring about our services here at Christian Adoption Consultants is, “What led you down this path? What brought you here?” I will never forget the sheer vulnerability that poured from Molly’s heart when she answered those questions. There was not a dry eye on the phone. As Molly shares below, their adoption story did not pan out as they expected it would, but God did not waste their wait. He never does. Molly and John, it was an honor to assist you on the journey to your beautiful baby girl!

As far back as when I was a 12-year-old little girl, I remember being somewhat aware of the topic of adoption. I had a cousin who was adopted, and the thought of adopting was planted in my heart. Fast forward many years later, and the topic of adoption came up again. My husband and I welcomed twin boys. During my labor, I had very serious complications that eventually led to me not being able to have any more biological children. I brought the topic of adoption up to my husband, but at the time, he was not on board. This conversation continued to happen over many years. I still felt the tug of adoption on my heart, but my husband just wasn't feeling the same way. I continued to pray over and over that the Lord would either change my husband's heart or mine. It was the year 2020 when I first saw my husband's heart change. That fall, he came up to me and said, "I'm ready.” And thus, we began our journey to adopt.

I knew from the get-go that I wanted to work with an adoption consultant. The world of adoption felt overwhelming and confusing. I wanted someone who could help guide us along the way and pray for us. I had heard of CAC in my research, and I reached out to them for more information. We were immediately set up with an informational call with Kelly. After asking a few questions, I knew this was the route I wanted to take. We quickly signed up to work with Kelly, and we are so thankful we did.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it, the process was tough-mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Even though I tried to prepare myself for how hard it was going to be, there is just nothing one could do to totally prepare for what it is going to be like. From the Home Study paperwork, the tough conversations you have to have as a couple, to the rejection you feel when you are not picked by a birth mom-it's just difficult. There were so many times I had to surrender everything to God and choose to praise Him despite feeling defeated.

Everyone always tells you that "waiting" is the hardest part and it's true. In my head, I thought our wait would be quick. In every case that we would present, we couldn't help but get our hopes up. "Maybe this is the ONE," I would think to myself. I would begin to envision how our family would change, how I would prepare for the baby, etc. And then when we would get the email. "I'm sorry, the expecting mom has chosen to go with another family.” All those dreams came crashing down. I would allow myself to be sad about it for a while. I didn't know how not to be sad when not chosen. I knew that I trusted God, but that didn't make it any less sad for me.

Throughout all the ups and downs, Kelly was always there to lend a listening and comforting ear. She would pray for us when we were frustrated. She would encourage us when we were down. I can't tell you how much this meant to me during all the hard waiting times of adoption. She was also there to answer the numerous questions that would arise during this time. Each agency is so different and so there are always things that we would run past Kelly when we were unclear about something. She was quick to reply and always so patient with us.

During our time of waiting, we just kept reminding ourselves that God was in control. That HE knew what was best for our family and that we would trust him with that.

When we first read about our daughter's situation, we felt excited but also kept our excitement at bay. We were drawn to the case, but we had learned from past experience that nothing is a sure thing. We told the agency that yes, we wanted to be presented. The day I got the call was the day after Mother's Day and the day before our twins' birthday. I remember looking at my caller ID and seeing a state listed, and it was the same state as the agency where we presented. My heart immediately started beating faster. I remember the person from the agency telling me that we matched, and I immediately started crying. It felt surreal! I was elated, excited, nervous, happy, all the emotions! I immediately face timed my husband at work, and he could tell just by looking at my face that I was calling with great news. We were both just so excited! I then made the calls to some of my dear friends who had been praying for us for such a long time on this journey. Their joy was palpable!

We matched with our daughter’s Birth Mom in May, and our daughter was due a few months later. We immediately started to plan a time when we could meet our daughter’s Birth Mom. I was, of course, nervous and excited. What would it be like? How would the conversation go? It was very neat because I had immense peace on the day of the meeting. I felt a sense of calm, and I know it was because we had so many people praying for us. When we arrived to meet her, I immediately gave her a hug. I'm a hugger, so I told her that, and she smiled and gladly hugged me back. It was so neat to have dinner with her and her family. The conversation just flowed. My heart just felt so much peace and happiness.

Fast forward a few months, and it was the end of July. We had just hung out with some friends that day and got home in the evening. I heard my phone ring, but I missed the call. I went to get it and immediately saw that the call was from our social worker. I looked at my husband and said, "It's baby time; I just know it.” I called the social worker back, and she told me that, yes, our birth mom was in labor. Cue the adrenaline spike! At this point, it was 8:30 pm, and we had a 10 hr drive ahead of us. I already had a bag packed for the baby, but we still had to pack ourselves. We rushed around, called our friend to come and stay with our boys, and then called my parents so they could come and stay with the boys until we could return.

We had been invited to attend the birth, and we weren't sure we were going to make it. All the while, we were receiving updates from the social worker. It became clear that we weren't going to make it for the birth. Although disappointed, we knew it was out of our hands. Our social worker was great at sending us updates. We got the text at around 4:00 am that our daughter was born! We couldn’t wait to meet her!

When we got to the hospital, I remember slowly walking into the room and seeing our daughter in that little hospital bassinet. She was starting to wake up and fuss a bit, so I asked if I could hold her. I scooped her up and just stared at her precious little face. I couldn't believe that after all the years of prayer and longing, I was holding my daughter. My heart could burst. I was so happy. I remember looking at her and thinking, "You are the one we have prayed for all of these years.” I also remember thinking, "God, you are so so good.”

We are so thankful that we have an open adoption with our daughter's birth mother. That was something that was very important for our daughter’s Birth Mom and us as well. We communicate very regularly via text. We also facetime occasionally and will see her around the time of our daughter's first birthday. We want our daughter to know how loved she is by her Birth Mom! The fact that she is in our lives and can tell her that as she grows up is so amazing!

This process definitely taught me a lot about trusting God and surrendering my plans to Him. I, of course, had the perfect idea of when it would be ideal to match. And while it didn't go badly, it definitely took longer than I thought it would. This process really taught me to not only say I trusted God but showed me how to trust God. With every "no" we got, I had to surrender that plan or dream to God and say, "I don't understand, but I trust you, God.” That was really hard. But it grew my faith and taught me to surrender my plans for His.

No one can really prepare you for the ups and downs that come with this journey. You can read every blog or every story, but just know yours will be unique to you. My advice would be not to have timeline expectations on when your match will happen. Make sure you and your spouse talk through how you're doing emotionally and mentally throughout the process. My husband and I dealt with disappointment in this journey very differently, and that was hard at times. I would also encourage you to have a support system. Share with your friends and family so that they can pray for you. Prayer is huge during this journey and very needed. There were many times I wanted to give up, or I was emotionally exhausted, and it was because of prayer and encouragement from friends and family that we were able to keep going. My other piece of advice sounds so cliche, but it's true. Trust God along the process. You may hear some hard "no's," but trust God that this is not the child for your family.

Professional Photos by Tiffany Brubaker Photography

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to request a FREE information packet!***

Adoption Story: Jenna + Matthew

December 30, 2022 by Kelly Todd in Adoption, Faith, Motherhood

It was an honor walking with Jenna and Matthew through the journey that led them to their son. Jenna & Matthew, I am in awe of your strength and faith throughout the ups and downs of the adoption process. The courage you had to continue moving forward despite the obstacles you encountered is an inspiration to many! Jenna shares their story below.

As long as I can remember the Lord placed the desire in my heart to become a mother. Growing up, I struggled with some health issues. In light of this, I was recommended to see a fertility specialist. After having a few tests done, they revealed I was not eligible for fertility treatment and I would be unable to get pregnant on my own. Despite our struggles with infertility, being parents had always been something my husband and I both wanted. We wanted to be able to give a child a loving home. We felt like God was using everything in our lives that we had been through to lead us to this amazing journey of adoption. After soul-searching and praying, we realized that our goal was not to experience pregnancy, but to become parents and add a child to our family. After reaching out to a few different people that had successful adoptions and hearing their stories, we knew God was solidifying our decision to pursue adoption.

We hired Christian Adoption Consultants after receiving a recommendation from a friend that also used CAC during their adoption journey. We were assigned to our consultant, KELLY TODD. Right from our initial phone call I knew we were in great hands. Never before have I spoken to a stranger over the phone and poured my heart and soul out over the question, "What led you to adoption?" She listened and by the end of this initial phone call we were both in tears and knew that God had placed us with each other for a reason. Kelly was with us the remainder of our process!

We started our adoption journey by hiring a home study agency, recommended to us by CAC. We completed state clearances, physicals, autobiographies, questionnaires, financial paperwork, home visits, etc. Once we were approved we moved into the next phase-the adoption profile book. Our profile was completed by their on-staff graphic designer who specializes in creating adoption profile books. After our home study was complete and while our profile book was being created we began applying for adoption grants, recommended to us by CAC. They had an entire list in our Adoptive Parent Guide Book, so we just went through them one by one to see which ones we qualified for and applied.

After our book was completed, we took advantage of the multi-agency approach and began applying with agencies. When agencies start sending us possible adoption cases, Kelly would give us her professional input on the risk involved and her thoughts on the situation. If we decided to move forward with presenting, we wrote a letter and Kelly would look over it and give feedback. She was our advocate throughout the entire process.

The waiting in the adoption process is difficult. It's something that you are told will be a struggle, but it's something that you truly don’t understand until you are in it. You can do all the research and complete all the necessary steps in moving forward with the adoption process, but the waiting is something that no one can prepare you for. It's lonely, dark, and at times discouraging.

For my family the waiting process at first didn’t seem long. We were matched with an expecting mother early in our journey. We were so excited! However, she ultimately decided to parent. It was extremely difficult to process. What made the pain seem even more intense was that I am a twin and my twin was due to deliver her baby 2 days after the expecting mother's due date. I had been dreaming about raising our kiddos together. Our caseworker with the agency told us she understood if we needed time to grieve, but we told her that we wanted to continue moving forward in the process.

As we grieved during the holidays, we were hopeful that the new year would bring us hope and joy. Our nursery room became my quiet place with the Lord in prayer. I remember praying for God to turn my hurt and sorrow into something beautiful. I remember praying for the Lord to fill this room with so much love and laughter. I prayed and prayed as potential cases came through. I reset my prayers for the new year to start praying for every single individual expecting mother that I got the pleasure of reading about. I prayed for every single woman and her situation. If we were not chosen I prayed for the child and the family that was. We knew our “nos” were someone else's “YES” and that gave us hope in this process!

God’s timing is truly remarkable! I began the summer with unexpected health issues that had led me to have unexpected surgery. I saw that I received an email from an agency sending us a possible adoption situation and they wanted us to look over everything and decide if we wanted to show our family profile to this expectant mother. I felt God telling me to apply even in the midst of my situation. Not too long after we got “the call." It was our consultant, Kelly Todd, telling us that the expecting mom had chosen us! We immediately broke down and were just in disbelief and in awe of what was happening!

The weeks leading up to our son’s birth we had the opportunity to build a relationship with our son’s birth parents. It was such a special time. The week prior to our son’s due date we flew out to Arizona in hopes of meeting up with our birth mom. The day finally came when we got the phone call from our son's birth mother that she was in labor! We were given the honor of being in the delivery room with her. She had told me leading up to delivery that she wanted to be the one to hand me my son after he was born. When she placed her son into my arms she said to him, "This is your mommy." I just felt a sense of peace as I looked into his eyes. I knew at that moment the Lord truly had a beautiful plan for my family all along.

I pray that our story can be an encouragement to other families. This road can be extremely difficult, long and emotionally tough, but my family made it through the other side and you can too. Let me tell you, we would go through this process again and again to be led to our son.

Adoption Story: Ryan + Katie

December 05, 2022 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I had the pleasure of walking with Ryan, Katie and their 4 sweet kiddos, through the adoption journey that led them to their beautiful daughter! As you will read, the story to their baby girl was not an easy road, but they continued placing their trust in the Lord through the ups and downs of the adoption process. “Faith” and “perseverance” are two words that come to mind when I think of this amazing, godly family. I know they would attribute these qualities to God’s grace and strength in their hearts and minds, and I couldn’t agree more. Ryan and Katie, I am in awe of the story God has written and continues to write for your wonderful family! Thank you for entrusting me to walk with you on this sacred journey and for your willingness to share a little about it with others!

When we started on our adoption journey it was because we felt convicted by our belief in the sanctity of life and God’s calling in the book of James to care for orphans. We wanted to be more than just pro-life in word, but also in action. Ryan’s biggest hold up on this journey was the financial end of things (it has been amazing to watch God provide). Katie’s biggest hold up was a doubt that an expecting mother would pick a family with four biological kids in it. (This fear was also set aside in time.) Adoption to our family is represented by the word “YES”! “Yes, God, we trust you with our fears and family, finances, and future.”

We found Christian Adoption Consultants through a search for a guide. Though we have four biological kids, this was our first trip into the world of adoption. We wanted someone who had walked the path before us to help us avoid the pitfalls and educate us in the mountain of things we didn’t know. We reached out to CAC. We were only a few minutes into a phone conversation with Kelly before we knew we had found the right guide for us. She was equal parts knowledgeable and compassionate. Having the opportunity to learn from Kelly’s firsthand experiences along with parents who had walked both sides of the adoption journey was so incredibly helpful. Working with CAC and their multi-agency approach was truly the right decision for us, and we are so grateful that God led us to that first conversation with Kelly.

It is easy to look back on this end of the path, and speak of gratitude and God’s providence, but walking the path itself was far from easy. It came with more than its fair share of heartache, disappointment, and frustration. The adoption process can be messy. There is a lot of pain out there in the world, and when you sign up to step in and pray diligently over individual situations, you open yourself up to that messy and that pain, even if only indirectly. We actually walked through two failed/interrupted adoptions on our way to our daughter, and the pain of those was very real and excruciating, not just for us but for our kids as well. In these times, we clung to God all the tighter. Perhaps it is better to say that He proved His faithfulness over and over as he carried us whimpering along in his comforting arms. Again and again we ran to one of our favorite verse from the book of Jeremiah chapter 29: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Here is a bit of how our story unfolded:

At the beginning of the year, we were matched with an expecting mother. Though we did not have direct contact with her, for several months we had the opportunity to love on her through small gifts, notes, and prayer. Months later a precious baby girl was born and the mama chose to parent. We took some time to grieve and process, but continued moving forward in our journey. A few months later we were matched again with a mama due in just a few weeks. One week later, baby was born and the mama chose to parent. Our 18+ month adoption journey was a roller coaster ride of all kinds of emotions. On the one hand, we were thrilled that they felt equipped to parent their child, but it was still an extreme sadness that washed over us as we were ready and willing to welcome a new child into our home.

In October, we received a call from an agency about a baby born situation. Our case worker let us know that a baby girl had been born, that the mama had chosen our family, and that we needed to get there as fast as we could! We hopped on a plane the next morning and spent the next few days at the hospital getting to know this sweet mother and creating a beautiful relationship with her. She made the most difficult decision of her life and placed her beautiful baby girl in our lives forever. We are so, so grateful for her selfless heart and her ability to entrust her daughter in our care.

God has taught us much about patience and peace in the waiting throughout this journey. It is easy to give lip service to “trusting God,” but when the rubber meets the road this can certainly be harder in practice. Still, God is faithful, and we are so blessed. Our little lady, Monroe, is such a joy and we (all six of us along with our extended family and friends) are enthralled with her. We are excited to walk into the future with her in our arms and to see how our relationship continues to grow with her Birth Mother. What a blessing to have so many people in Monroe’s life who love her.

Adoption Story: Tim + Alli

October 17, 2022 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

As an Adoption Consultant with CAC, I have the honor and privilege of guiding families through the adoption process. In 2020 Tim and Alli welcomed home their first son with our assistance. I was honored to work with them for their 2nd adoption that led them to their sweet daughter, Tessa. Alli and Tim, it brought my heart so much joy to see God’s plans unfold for your beautiful family! Today Alli shares the joys and trials that led them to their children. If you are struggling with the wait that comes with the adoption process, I know her words will be an encouragement to you!

Tim and I always wanted a big family. We loved kids and couldn’t wait to become parents after we were married. We wish we could say adoption was always on our hearts, but it was not in our “life plan” when we got married. Neither was infertility. We tried to start our family for 8 years with failed after failed treatment. Throughout those 8 years, God was whispering adoption into our hearts the whole way.

In 2019, God opened our hearts and led us clearly on the path of adoption. Through research and prayer, we were led to Christian Adoption Consultants, and they have been the greatest blessing in our lives. CAC has been with us through the ups and downs of 2 adoptions, including an interrupted adoption. They were always there to guide us, encourage us, and even comfort us through prayer during moments of difficulty. In February 2020, we adopted our first son, Hudson, and our lives were changed forever. Our hearts were bursting with love for not just him, but his Birth Mother and the joy adoption brings. God quickly put it into our hearts to adopt again, so that Hudson and his sibling would have the bond of adoption together.

In August 2021, we reached back out to CAC and began our journey to our baby girl, Tessa. This time God paired us with Kelly as our adoption consultant. She was always such a joyful and uplifting guide through the entire process. We went into the process with softer hearts and more open eyes than the first adoption. However, we did underestimate how many emotions would come flooding back – emotions of uncertainty, doubt and at times despair. The finances, waiting, unknowns, and remembering the interrupted adoption did overwhelm us at times. We tried to busy ourselves focusing on Hudson and loving the moment of being a family of 3, before the baby came. Kelly was always there to be a voice of reason and lift us up in prayer. It was a moment in our life where we were reminded God is in control, that he is in the heart of every adoption situation.

Throughout our entire journey of infertility and adoption, we always turned to Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

On our journey to Tessa, we presented to a handful of cases and were not chosen. But the day we saw Tessa’s situation, we had a sense of love and peace for her Birth Parents and felt God’s presence stronger than ever when we read it. It was a longer match time, a little over a month, which felt like forever. When we did get her Birth Parents decision, we were over the moon. We didn’t know if she was a boy or girl until our first call with the Birth Parents who let us know it was a girl, and our hearts were overjoyed. Of course, the first call with the Birth Parents is nerve wracking and emotional for all, but we were able to talk like we knew each other for years, even though we hadn’t even met. It was special to have both the Birth Mother and Father on the phone with us. They chose us because of our first miracle, Hudson. They wanted their baby girl to have a big brother.

We got the call on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Her Birth Father texted us she was in labor and going to the hospital. 2 hours later she was born! We scrambled to get on the last flight out that night. The next morning, we met our baby girl in the nurse’s station. Holding her was surreal. She was a beautiful and healthy baby girl. As parents we always dreamed about how we would meet our babies. With her, it was in the hallway of a busy hospital, yet a quiet moment between her and us. We cried in joy and thanksgiving at God’s miracle of life and that he led us to this precious baby. The next few days were hard, but incredibly beautiful. The hospital gave us a room with her Birth Mother across the hall. She would walk over several times a day to see Tessa, hold her, and talk to us. The Birth Father would also come over to check on us, and baby Tessa. Their eyes were filled with both joy and grief as they placed their daughter with us. Saying goodbye to them was one of the hardest things we’ve done. The miracle of adoption is filled with both pain and joy. We love them and pray for them daily. We keep in touch, sending pictures and updates monthly or more.

God changed our hearts in innumerable ways through our journey of adoption. We had to give him control of our family and see the miracle work of his hands in adoption. We cannot express how much gratitude we have for CAC and the agencies they work with. They navigate through difficult systems, processes, emotions, and situations so we as adopted parents have an advocate and partner throughout the journey. We would not be here today as a family of four without Kelly and CAC!

Adoption Story: Josh + Rachel

October 06, 2022 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I had the joy of walking with Josh and Rachel through the adoption journey that led them to their sweet boy, Shepp! Although the story to growing their family was not easy, they never gave up and continued to place their trust in God, despite their circumstances. It’s my prayer that Rachel’s words would be an encouragement to you today!

Once we both decided to move forward with pursuing adoption, I was full steam ahead. I never imagined how much the next year would change me. I was so quick with filling out our adoption agency application, getting home study documents submitted and then filling out the questionnaire asking our preferences. I remember us both thinking we wanted a closed adoption-after all that’s what most people who are clueless about adoption think it is. After we had our home study approved and were an active and waiting couple I felt so lost-I needed to be doing something. I switched from listening to my usual podcasts to all adoption story podcasts. It really changed my perspective on open adoption completely. It made me realize it wasn’t just about us-this will be a part of our child and their birth families life forever too. It took Josh a little longer to come along to understanding the importance of this-he has changed through first hand seeing how true this is.

I struggled so much with the wait. I had such consuming anxiety about just wanting it to happen and not knowing when it would. We quickly got the nursery all set up and after about a month into our wait I started going into the nursery every night after work and reading the Bible and praying about our journey. I prayed every day for our child's Birth Mother-that she would know without a doubt that we were the right family when she saw our profile and that God would protect them both. I clung to knowing that God is in control.

A few months into our wait I was praying to God to help me know if we were on the right path. As I was praying I got a message on my phone. I looked at it and a family member had sent me a link to a blog post that one of her friends wrote about refinement in the waiting room-talking about how God was working through the wait. I knew this was true, I had already seen how much I had changed and my perspective on adoption had changed. The blog post was written by Kelly at Christian Adoption Consultants. The next week I signed on with CAC and got to work signing on with additional agencies.

A few weeks into our time with CAC I got received a message from an expecting mother who found us online. After talking back and forth for awhile, she said she wanted to place her baby boy with us. Although we knew self-matching was riskier, we felt peace about moving forward. We spent a lot of time talking and getting to know her. Although she ended up choosing to parent, we understood. We actually have become friends and are still in contact to this day!

We were back to waiting! As I was struggling so much with the wait, one thing Kelly said in an email really stuck with me and got me through. She said “Nothing you do can mess up what God has planned.” (Or don’t do). It’s so hard knowing what cases to apply to and if you get something wrong the impact it could have, but it really helped me get back to reality that God had a plan. it was January when I got an email from Kelly recommending another agency for us to apply with. We signed on with them and just about a month after being active with them we received the long awaited phone call saying we had been chosen and baby was due exactly a month from that day! Everyone always says the call will come when you least expect it, which is so frustrating when literally all you do is think about getting the call- but I really was home from work sick in bed when I got the call, so maybe there is some truth to i!

The following day she had an ultrasound and found out she was having a baby boy. I just knew that was little Shepp!

Kelly was such a great person to help and lean on throughout our time with CAC. We had a very stressful few days after Shepp was born and she was a great source of encouragement and prayers! We have such a heart for Shepp’s Birth Mother and are so grateful to her for making us parents together. Although it was the hardest year of my life, God changed us and our hearts so much during that time. It's our deepest prayer that Shepp will always know how deeply loved he is by God, us and his Birth Family!

Adoption Story: Mary + Dillon

August 07, 2022 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I had the pleasure of walking Dillon and Mary through the adoption process from the very beginning of their journey until they held their TWIN BOYS in their arms! Their journey was filled with ups and downs, disappointments and numerous “no’s.” People outside the adoption circle may not understand the complexities and the emotional toll that the adoption process can have on a family’s heart. It isn’t easy. It takes a lot of courage, faith, and strength to persevere through this journey. But Dillon and Mary never gave up. I watched as this sweet couple placed their hope in God and not their circumstances. Today, Mary shares a little bit of their journey with you.

Dillon and I were so blessed to be able to work with Kelly at CAC. I have always believed that God sends us people when we need them most and He did just that with her. When we first signed on with CAC we were so excited and so anxious. I made the comment to my husband “I will not get my hopes up I just pray we have a baby or know something by Christmas.”

Early June we received our first situation. I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. We chose to present, but were not chosen. Days turned in to weeks and weeks turned in to months. All of the “no’s” turned in to heart aches. One morning in early December, I texted my husband from work and told him I did not want to present through the holidays. I wanted to make it through Christmas so no one would be asking questions. I felt numb at this point. But then God stepped in.

A few hours after I sent that text we got an email about an expectant mother due with twins. I called Dillon on my lunch break and told him all the details. We decided together to present. We both agreed to keep it to ourselves so if we didn’t get matched..again.. we didn’t have people asking at holiday gatherings. And then a miracle happened. 319 days after signing on with CAC, being told “no” more times than we could keep track of and countless prayers, we got the call. “She chose you!” We got this call a week before Christmas. We cannot explain the love we feel for these two boys. We wouldn’t change one thing about our story because every no, every tear shed, everything we experienced before we even started the adoption process…all of these circumstances led us to our boys and we can’t imagine our life without them!

To families in the wait right now I can relate to what you are going through. Even on days where you feel like you are never going to get your “yes,” keep the faith. That is something we struggled with as the months went by. While we were in the wait it was difficult to hear others offer their advice-“It just isn’t your time yet,” etc. But now looking back I see that they were right. God’s timing is best. There were days when I felt like God couldn’t hear my prayers. But when we held our boys for the first time all of the “not yet’s” and “no’s” made so much sense. On the hard days don’t forget that God is still there. You may not feel Him, but know He is there and He has a plan for you and your family.

Adoption Story: Rachel + Adam

July 25, 2022 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

As an Adoption Consultant with CAC, I have the honor and joy of guiding families through the adoption process. It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly! I’ve had the opportunity to meet the most amazing families and share with them in their joys and losses. The adoption process is not for the faint of heart. Adam and Rachel’s story to their son is a testimony to that! Their perspective throughout the ups and downs of this process was truly inspiring. God’s grace shined through their entire journey even when things did not unfold as they planned. I pray Rachel’s words would be an encouragement to you today!

Even before we adopted our son, adoption was already a big part of our life. My faith journey and growing up years were significantly impacted by the adoption of my sisters. They joined our family when I was 12 years old. My husband was interested in it as well, but not sure of the timing. Staring secondary infertility in the face took a few years to come to grips with. This was not the way we saw things working out.

Once God made it clear to us adoption was in fact His plan for us, it was by the recommendation of a very sweet couple who had adopted previously that shared how necessary and helpful Christian Adoption Consults was! We quickly looked into their suggestion. How thankful we are we did! Kelly Todd was and has been a pure blessing! From helping to navigate the adoption world, being a constant encouragement in the many "not yets", failed matches, and a fellow believer in Christ who has walked through hard things herself, Kelly was phenomenal! We are so thankful we had her care and expertise along the journey!

Shortly after we signed on with CAC, we matched with an expecting mother! We were thrilled and in disbelief that it had happened so soon! Not too long after she chose us, the agency called to let us know that she had miscarried. We mourned the loss for her and with her. Our hearts were broken. Although it was not easy, we continued moving forward in the adoption process. We walked through 2 more interrupted adoptions where the expecting mamas chose to parent. Although we trusted God had purposes for these matches, there was so much we didn't understand. We continually entrusted it all to the only One who does. If God had used us to provide needed support, love, and prayers for birth families in hard places, it had to be worth it all in God's economy. We knew for sure God had radically increased our dependency upon Him, as well as, created a greater compassion for the needs, and lostness of birth families. If this was growing more into the likeness of Christ, we wanted it. However, it was nothing we would have ever chosen! We never expected it to be this hard.

I'll never forget the phone call we received on July 19th. We were matched with a precious mother due in a month. The tears of disbelief, fear, and excitement filled my eyes.As we continued living cautiously, yet hopeful, we received a call our son's birth mother was admitted to the hospital two weeks early. Everything was OK, but we needed to travel many states away as soon as possible! We drove all night and arrived to our destination! If there is anything we had learned along our adoption journey, it's that God's plans are not our own (Isaiah 55:8-9). Just as we were about to communicate with the agency that we were ready to meet this precious child and birth mother, we were told the birth mother wanted the night with the baby to herself. We understood. We also had been through a few other matches and this was sounding all too familiar. After some prayer, some tears, and rest we accepted that if we could come alongside a struggling mother, we had done just what God wanted. In fact, we weren't sure we could continue on emotionally and financially, but if this was the end of the journey, our reward was in Heaven. It was going to be ok.

Against all odds, she was still willing to meet us! Due to regulations at the time, only one person was allowed to visit. The following morning at 10 am I was so honored to be invited to visit! The visit was one of the best days of my life too! Blessing a mother with gifts and flowers, holding her baby, (which I would not have ever dreamed of asking to do, but she immediately offered), and being able to verbally tell her of our care for her, that we trusted God knew exactly where her child should be placed, and her bravery to carry a child in a less than ideal circumstance was exhilarating! We were happy cheering her on even without becoming the adopted parents of her child. God had given us peace and joy in this all.

Honestly feeling the door was closed for adoption with this particular situation, we made plans to visit a dear missionary family a few hours away. It was a grand treat to get this opportunity! There was good God was providing for us!

Later that evening as we pulled into the parking garage, we received a phone call from the agency. This brave and loving mother decided to continue on with her adoption plan! We were stunned. We didn't tell any family or friends, just to see what might develop as we had to wait until the following morning for the agency and social worker to meet with her.

The next morning on August 15, 2021, after many logistical changes, waiting, and more waiting, our son joined our family! We kept pinching ourselves this was for real! Video chatting with our daughter to show her her new brother was amazing! God had finally provided a sibling! We were in awe of all God had done! His faithfulness to lead us through what felt so purposeless, hard, and lonely at times gave way to the preparation He had done in our hearts and minds for our son, his birth mother, and adoption in general. The wait was difficult, but God’s provisions on the other side were so much better than we could have ever hoped for! God was intimately involved, even when it looked like so much was constantly falling apart! We were reminded that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” James 1:17.