Adoption

Romans 8:14-16

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have
received a spirit of adoption.
When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God...

This is good news that we are all adopted in Christ. I'm doubling up on blogs today because of delightful news from the Rev. Cathy Russell, a former paid minister at St. Paul's, and her husband John who worked for us for free! While they were with us they began the process toward adoption. It was demanding, including an adoptive parent "boot camp" which was an surprise to me. Adoption in this province has rigorous parameters that aren't applied to giving birth.

I spoke with Cathy earlier this year and she told me that they had two little apples in their eyes, sisters who were in the system. Well, this afternoon I got the good news.

Dear Friends

Please find attached a photo of John and I with our adopted daughters- Kendre 2.5, (pronounced Kendra) and Winter, about to turn 8. We started to have visits with them a couple of weeks ago, and they will come for a first sleepover this weekend, for which we are really super excited!

We began the adoption journey in Bowmanville, and now we are realising our dream of becoming parents. I am currently off on 9 months of parental leave so that I can be at home with Kendre. Children's Aid who matched them with us, will monitor the placement for six months minimum, after which they will recommend that the adoption be finalised.

We are SOOOO blessed to be the family chosen for these children who have no health issues, who are warm, active and meeting all their developmental milestones. Winter is very bright, articulate and imaginative- and she is a true survivor. Kendre is a smiley, giggly, runaway train of energy determined to do everything her big sister does. (yikes!)

The adoption process is a lot like applying for a job- and alas, it kind of turns everyone- children and potential parents into commodities. But in the end, the prospect of receiving the gift of these
wonderful, amazing, resiliant children is exactly that- pure gift, pure grace, since there is nothing one could do or ever hope to do to "earn" or "deserve" such an amazing and sacred gift- times two!

We welcome visitors after they have had a little time to settle in, and we will be taking them on the road to meet some of the important people in our lives (ie YOU)

We ask you to remember us all in your prayers as we prepare to enter the whirlwind of our new family configuration! And as much as this is a joyful time for us, we are conscious that it is also a time of loss, especially for Winter who will always have memories of her birth parents, and for the birth parents themselves who are grieving this momentous change in their lives.

Feel free to spread the news!

Love, Cathy