"Desired" - Jeremy and Kari's Adoption Story

Towards the end of 2017 Jeremy and Kari got connected and officially started with us at Christian Adoption Consultants. In less than 12 months they would be holding their precious daughter in their arms! The journey in between was filled with unexpected insights that God wanted for them to experience. Listen to Kari as she shares their story:

“Our family has had adoption on our hearts for years. It all began when God started opening our eyes to beautiful adopted children living in our community. As we sought to foster relationships with these wonderful families our eyes were opened to the need. We became passionate about coming alongside families who have adopted and form relationships with them. We then got involved hosting children who were in crisis through an organization called Safe Families. Through their mini-homestudy process we knew God was opening an incredible door.  After helping families in crisis and hosting children we decided to take the next step and become foster parents, and we hoped to adopt if necessary. Once our license was complete we had many phone calls for placements and we hurriedly got ready to care for these kids, but unfortunately each placement fell through and we didn’t quite understand why. We were beginning to feel the call from the Lord that a move across the country was a door he was opening, we realized this may be why we hadn’t had a placement yet. We knew this was God’s plan, but boy was it hard knowing we would have to start our licensing all over again. Our licensor gave us a copy of our foster care homestudy. We didn’t realize at the time what a huge gift that was. It ended up making our adoption paperwork so much easier.

After we moved we felt God refining us and strengthening our faith even more. We were finally ready to take the financial leap towards domestic adoption. We were always so afraid of the cost before, but seeing God provide during our move we were ready and knew this was our next step in this new location he brought us to. We’d had domestic adoption on our hearts all along. We quickly began our homestudy, got connected with Dawn and signed on with Christian Adoption Consultants. We had been researching adoption for years and they were well recommended. We jumped in and we were SO excited. We began mountains of paper work and the emotional process of creating a profile book. When that was done we began lots of fundraising and I started a business that has not only helped us fundraise but is also helping people around the world out of poverty, funding others’ adoptions, empowering women and so much more. I never knew this process would lead me to a dream job! 

During the fundraising there were months of waiting. The waiting was HARD! We don’t feel like we waited very long, but from an emotional perspective if felt like years. We questioned if this was the right path, we prayed, we longed, but through it all we clung to HOPE. We knew the hope God had given us would get us through this trying process. His hope kept us. His hope gave us strength. His hope guided and got us through the most difficult parts. Hearing “no” from a prospective birth mom was never easy, and it never got easier. Each time we just prayed for these incredible birth mothers making such a hard choice that they would have courage and know clearly which family would be best for raising their child. We trusted God’s sovereignty and clung to it daily. 

Then one day we got the call that we had been chosen! We celebrated and were beyond excited! I was helping a friend deliver a baby when she heard the news, it sure was incredible. But then a week later we heard the hard news that this courageous birth mom decided to parent. We were so sad, yet so proud of her for choosing life and deciding to parent and we wished her all the best. A situation came up pretty quickly after that, we wouldn’t have had the courage to present to this birth mom if we had not had such a wonderful lesson through this long waiting process of how good God truly is and how much we can place our trust completely in his hands. We felt hopeful to present and a part of me felt like this baby may be the one! On November 6^th during a fundraising event I got the call that our amazing birth mom had chosen us! We were floored and excited and felt beyond honored! Our baby would be arriving in less than six weeks and we were SO excited, hopeful, and ready!!! We knew this was a God given “yes” and we knew we could fully be excited and hopeful, yes things could change, but we were going to focus on the excitement of the “yes!” After all there was no inclination that things would change and we were not going to live in fear.

God writes each of our stories beautifully. He knows the path we will be on. He guides us gently, lovingly and is always there during the hard times. God wrote our baby’s birth story beautifully. We arrived in Utah the night before her due date. We met the most incredible, courageous, beautiful woman, our baby’s birth mom. She was going to be “our” birth mom. It was surreal. We were so nervous to meet her. Yet so excited! The moment she met us we both knew the gravity of this meeting and we both began to cry. We had a wonderful meal together sharing life and future hopes for this child that would be arriving the next day. Sweet Javeyah Hope arrived right before Christmas. We had the beautiful gift of being at the birth supporting our birth mom through labor and all through the hospital stay. We became a family over those few days. I will never fully be able to express what our birth mom truly means to me. She was such a beautiful person who loved her daughter so much and wanted the best possible future for her. She made the hardest, most courageous decision and we will forever love her for that. Javeyah means “desired” and boy was she desired and longed for. We had her birth mom pick the spelling of her name since she fell in love with the name we had thought of when we shared it with her. Her name has a Hispanic heritage as does our daughter, and her birth mom loved that.

For a few days we were transported to another time it seemed, a time of hopeful anticipation, unselfishness, deep care, respect, deep bonding, and love. It was the most incredible experience of our lives and we are so grateful to have had the privilege to adopt. Thank you for reading our story.”

Maybe you have been waiting, longing, and been uncertain of your own adoption journey. I'd love to talk with you more and share some encouragement. Feel free to reach out to me anytime:

Dawn: (813) 360-7368

wrights@christianadoptionconsultants.com

Why I became a Christian Adoption Consultant.

 Everyone has reasons for what happens in their lives.  Reasons we start to do something.  Reasons we step out in faith.  Reasons we change jobs or move.  Our reasons for working for Christian Adoption Consultants are many!   

 One is that when we found out about Christian Adoption Consultants we were in the midst of a failed international adoption.  We couldn't do foster care because "we had too many children", and we were doubtful that with 7 children we could even do a domestic adoption.  We were heartbroken, devastated, and felt like we had no hope of adopting again.

Until we found out about Christian Adoption Consultants through a blog I had read.  The family I was reading about had just adopted their 10th child through Christian Adoption Consultants so I immediately called and asked how they did that which led us to call CAC right away!

At the time were Christian Camp Directors and had a busy retreat planned for that weekend so very little time to talk about it.  That Monday however we started working with Christian Adoption Consultants.  Let's just say we had a whirlwind experience that led us to our baby girl and by the end of the week she was in our arms and ours!!!

 This is not a typical story, but it is ours and we were thankful!  We loved that even as a "larger" family (at the time remember we had 7 kiddos) that there was someone out there that would work with us, and welcome us to work with them.  They showed us through the entire process!  We didn't have to feel overwhelmed with how do you know you are working with a good agency?  Will we have to wait years to get matched?  How do I know what questions to ask?  All of that and so much more was answered by working with Christian Adoption Consultants. 

 It's not hard to see that this sweetheart changed our lives again!  Then of course we brought home 2 years later her "older" sibling.  Of course they are only a month apart.  Michael brought a new dimension to our family that we were thrilled about.  Michael came home to us through Christian Adoption Consultants Special Needs Program. 

 So why did we become Christian Adoption Consultants?  Easy!  When you have had 2 great experiences with people who know what they are doing and wonderful to work with you want to be a part of that! 

 So here is our Top 10 reasons:

1) We love helping families through the adoption process.  Seeing their faith as they wait for their little ones to arrive and then seeing them grow as a family.  It is very rewarding!

2)  Getting to pray for our clients and their families is a wonderful thing.  Drawing closer to God through being on your knees for other families is great!

3)  Encouraging others on this journey.  Having been on many adoption journeys ourselves as well as reading and watching others is something that we feel we can do.  It isn't easy and we remember and know those feelings well.  So being there to just encourage and root for our families as they show their profiles is rewarding.

 4)  Sharing the ups and downs of adoption.  You see it isn't just a journey for a little while until our clients are matched.  I love keeping up with our clients and being there for all of the ups and downs.  There are sometimes when it gets hard.  That baby you prayed for, for months is awake all night every night.  You have added another child and now juggling everything is a little tougher than you thought.

Oh and the joys of seeing them roll over, take a first step, meet siblings, and the millions of steps towards going to school, those adorable costumes this time of year, opening Christmas gifts, and many many more great memories! 

5)  The privilege of praying for the many birth families.  This is dear to my heart as we have birth families of our own we pray for, but each child represents their birth families as well.  Those who made a huge unconditional gift of life!

6)  Working to share our adoption knowledge!  We have fostered, adopted through foster care,  sibling groups, older children, at birth, different skin colors, various alcohol and drug exposures, special needs, international adoption, regular domestic adoption......  We love sharing our hearts with people about all of the above.  Sometimes people just want to know that someone understands their questions.  I have never worried about sharing what we know with people.  Clients have many times said I am not sure how to ask ........  We are a safe place to ask any and all questions regarding adoption!  So ask away!

 7)  I am pretty sure I have the best job in the world, but what makes it even better is that the other consultants I work with are amazing!  We often converse with each other and are able to encourage and ask each other questions sharing important knowledge to pass on to our clients.  This just makes working with Christian Adoption Consultants even better!

8)  There is a real need for adoption!  I tell people all the time that although there are some programs that seem to take longer there is a real need for adoption domestically and internationally.  This was a myth I believed for years especially regarding domestic adoption.  It is not true and we have families getting matched all the time dispelling this very myth.  

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9)  We get to live our passion!  Jason and I love adoption which may be obvious since we have adopted 9 children, but in all reality our children get to live it with us.  We get to share about our clients with our children when they get matched.  When the child is placed with them.  When I am on the phone searching for a family for a specific situation.

Listen getting to have your work be your passion is great and getting to see the joy on your children's faces because they get it too is even greater!

10)  We love it because Christian Adoption Consultants worked for us- twice!  It has been such a blessing to us that we want to share it with anyone who will listen.  We want everyone to know that domestic adoption, international adoption, and special needs adoption doesn't have to be scary.  It can be amazing and we can help!

Now for even more amazing news!  

Between October 29th- November 7th we are offering 

a 10% discount!!! 
(On the top 3 packages) 

So if you have questions now is the time to ask away!!!

Don't let the unknown keep you from adoption ask your questions now and we are happy to answer them for you!

CALL 813-360-7368

OR EMAIL WRIGHTS@CHRISTIANADOPTIONCONSULTANTS.COM

The Wright Family Story......(updated and shortened)

How we became a family.....a shortened version :)

 So this is Jason and I back in 2000 our very first of several homestudies that have been updated each several times :)  A visiting camp friend took it for us, and at the time we were in Iowa serving at a Christian Camp.  We had been married 4 years which at the time was the allotted time frame you had to be married to adopt domestically.  Of course God opened our hearts to foster care, and a camping friend that had another friend was fostering this precious little girl from the time she was 5 months until she was 14 months.   They were grand parent age though and wanted to find a great family to adopt her.....

 We just got our foster care license in February 2001 and we just got back from a National Camp Gathering when we got a phone call about a beautiful toddler who would eventually become our Abigail.  Of course there was a possible biological father that stepped in the day of the termination hearing....BUMP....and then we had to pass an interview......BUMP....in which they told us they were interviewing people who had darker skin.....BUMP!  Praise God we were chosen and she came to live with us permanently. 

 This is a day trip to France we took when we flew to England to show off the new grand daughter to Jason's family. 

 In January 2002 after initial BIG BUMP of Andrew not being placed with us until he was 7 1/2 weeks old (he was not with his biological mom it was a political type thing). 

 He then came home to us and we celebrated in a big way later that year Abigail Marie Wright officially joined our family June 19th!!!  Yeah!!!  Of course there were a few more BUMPS in the system as we waited to hear if Andrew would join our family forever or not. 

 But we kept believing, loving, caring, and praying......

 And staring at these 2 precious faces.......and then we found out that year that another little baby would be joining us later..........

 Matthew came to join us at the end of year November 27th he was born :)  He came home with us 2 days later a day after Thanksgiving!!  YEAH!  And we found out that for a gift in 2003 in January 6th we would officially adopt Andrew James Wright!  YEAH!!!!  Another huge blessing.

 Oooops these next two photos are out of order sorry......but these were in 2003 & 2004...of course you can kind of tell because Matthew can't walk in the photo below, but up above he is walking around Silver Dollar City with my parents :)

 So here we were and then at the end of 2003 and after a few more BUMPS.....and bruises we were able to adopt Matthew December 22nd, 2003.  YEAH!!!  Now most people would look at our family as complete....wonderful....cute....one girl two boys......all very squeezable!

 I mean really look at these three charmers! 

 Then in 2004 after moving to Louisiana we took the foster care classes again....I mean there are sooo many children that still need homes and we could help out if only temporarily.  So we signed up leaving our children with volunteers from the camp so we could take the weekly classes. 

 And 2 weeks before our summer staff arrived in May of 2005- Joshua weeks shy of 3 years old and Sarah who had just turned 1 came to us.  Can you see the mischief in their eyes?  Yeah me too.  Our hands were full, we were a lot of times overwhelmed, but we were loving every minute of it!

 Oh yeah, just to make it more fun we had Hurricane Rita blow through our neck of the woods and had to evacuate 4 months after they came here!  You know just to make things more interesting!  he he he he :)   Just to make it more interesting after we returned to find our home with little damage Praising God and getting electricity back.....we had to leave for England.  This was a trip we had been planning well before we knew of our placement of Joshua and Sarah.  In case you are wondering, yes this caused a few setbacks, but in the end we overcame that.  But it broke our hearts to leave them for 2 weeks nonetheless. 

 Then in May 2006 Elizabeth 5 1/5 months came to us.  Now after TOO MANY BUMPS TO COUNT in Joshua, Sarah, and now Elizabeth's case and 2 years later we were still hitting BRICK WALLS EVERYWHERE!!!  Praise God their smiles and love kept our hearts on them and not the world who by then thought we must be out of our right mind. 

 But I mean look at this cuteness!!!  Elizabeth was a doll and by now we really had thought we were getting closer to the end of the journey. 

 Well......that didn't happen.  And instead MORE AND MORE BUMPS  came along.  Did I mention any and everything that could happen in a foster care case did.....on and on......

 And yet again......we couldn't get enough of our crazy life!  And by then you must be thinking they are done- right?  I mean 6 children! 

 Here we are at my younger brother Scott & Amy's wedding day.  We traveled back up to Iowa to share in their special day. 

 FINALLY!!!!!  In March 19th 2008 we were able to adopt Joshua David Wright, Sarah Joy Wright, Elizabeth Anne Wright!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This was a long time coming and believe me it was a time of GREAT rejoicing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  As God would have it this special day came the week of Easter- how perfect! 

 Here we are at the Smokies...enjoying our hiking!  :)  Then the day after the adoption (ok truth be told it may have been a few day before the official day) we sent in our application to All God's Children to do an Ethiopian adoption!  Oh yeah, by this time we were already nuts and just heading down the slope :)

 We were matched with our Hannah Grace within a couple of months of signing up and we weren't finished with our home study yet.  God matched us anyway and we worked like crazy people in the middle of summer our busiest time to get our dossier and homestudy completed!  She had spina bifida and scoliosis....but we didn't see that we saw a perfect baby girl that was meant to be in our arms forever. Whew....we did it....we got a court date for August 4th.....and then Hannah Grace went to be with Jesus July 18th.....  BUMP!!!!

Our beautiful Hannah Grace!  One day we will meet again in heaven, you are our sweet angel and we miss you daily!!

 After getting away from it all on vacation we were matched with this handsome man.  Of course if you know about Ethiopian adoptions you know that the courts in Ethiopia close August September timeish.  We had 3 court dates before we finally passed.  Ethiopia started a new government agency called the Central Agency.  BUMP!!!  So rather than flying in October, November.....

 We flew December 26th, 2009 and met our Jonathan on December 28th....flying home January 2nd. 

 How can you fly to Ethiopia and not be changed forever?  After seeing the beautiful, kind hearted, loving people that are our brothers and sisters. 

 At the Ethiopian dinner night out with our travel group.  By the way for those adopting now you have to make two trips, but back then it was one. 

 Our hotel.....

 Jonathan's family- aren't they beautiful people?  YES!!!!!!  A meeting and day we will never forget!

 The now "old" Hannah's Hope building (our agency's transitional home) for over 60 children needing a home. 

 Just got home....and yes at this time Jonathan still didn't want anything to do with me really.  That has since changed :)

 Later in 2009 at my cousin's home :)

 Our pics for our updated homestudy for our next Ethiopian adoption........or so we thought.  The minute Jonathan had been home 9 months (ok ok a little sooner than that by a couple of weeks) we sent in our second application to All God's Children International. 

 But this next adoption that should have officially happened at the end of 2009 or at the latest the beginning of 2010 for our Naomi....would never happen.  Thanks to technicalities of the uscis (even though they approved us a year prior?? not that I am bitter or anything).  BIG BUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Then in March we heard about the fact that it is indeed possible to adopt domestically even if you have several children from a blog friend.  We signed up with Christian Adoption Consultants on March 22nd.....we were given a possible situation right away of a little boy who needed a home and we thought this was it.....but BUMP the agency started asking all kinds of accusing questions of our large family and on March 23rd Joanna Faith Wright was being born.  We got a call saying I know you may not be interested, but.....and when we called Mother Goose Adoptions we did it out of - well maybe. 

 By the morning of March 24th it was Deb O'Kane calling us from Mother Goose Adoptions saying she is yours if you want her.....want to fly out today.  Well let's just say after the other agency's hesitancy and our hearts saying "is there a reason not to?"  And well within 24 hours I was on a plane to go meet our Joanna Faith Wright!

 

(***NOW we work for Christian Adoption Consultants and get to help other families find the sweet little ones missing from their homes!!!!  :)   Want to know more- go click on the tab above!)

 Everyone meeting us at the airport when she was just a little over a week old at Houston's airport.

 Here we are as a family of 10!!!!  Easter morning :)

 And of course here she is.....our little doll! (not the one on the left :) he he he)  Just blame it on my husband's sense of humor :)

And here we are in October 2010!  With GG (my grandma).....and all our precious gifts.  Now if you notice that is 8 children in February 2001- March 2010!  You will also notice my bold print BUMPS in the road.  Lots of them.  BUT the BLESSINGS of our family are sooooo much more than all of those!  I wouldn't trade any tears, any stress, any craziness, any deep dark canyon times, for a single minute with my babes.  They are our world.  They are our ministry!  God has placed each and every one of them in our home.  Not easy, but worth it!

 Then we moved to Florida in 2011, and our story continued through craziness of that move, finding a job, etc.  Somewhere after the process of getting settled in our new home Jason and I heard separately from the Lord about a special needs adoption.  When we both found out that God has laid it on our hearts.....we got moving......

We were homestudy ready for #9 at the end of 2011, and signed on again with Christian Adoption Consultants- with their special needs program (any child over 3, sibling groups, and any child with a known diagnosis). 

 Enter our next miracle......Michael.  His story is hard, hard to hear, hard to even share......but he is a living miracle!  For a full version you can go here.   

 This time the process took a few months and we were thrilled to bring home this little guy who has rocked our world!  Who has challenged every thought I have ever had about - could I parent a child with different needs. 

 Michael's diagnosis I share parts of just to be honest and open.  He has Cerebral Palsy, is HIV +, autism (although not clearly diagnosed mostly because at this point it wouldn't change his therapies), and well.....there is a list, but that doesn't matter anyway!  By the way- he is now undetectable, walking with a walker, and making all kinds of huge changes!!   

 That is how we became this crazy family!  The ones that gets looks and stares ;).  The ones that take up a whole row at church.  The ones that are a walking billboard for adoption- which I love because people it is all about God's testimony! 

 

 

 The famous question.......are you going to adopt more children............our answer- we are open to what God has in store!  :)   And that is the updated and shortened version of the Wright Family Story! 

Have questions?  Would love to answer questions on domestic adoption, international adoption, foster care, adoption through disruption, HIV adoption, special needs adoption, sibling group adoption, pretty much any kind of adoption!!  Send me an email wrights@christianadoptionconsultants.com or give me a call 813-360-7368!  I am happy to answer any questions I can!  :)