December 4 Update and GoFundMe Page

As we began the process in September, we were planning to pay for the first few steps (homestudy and waiting list) and then raise the rest of the funds while we waited on the waiting list. That is how we did it on the last adoption. However, the agency would like us to have all the money in hand before our homestudy can be approved. This way we are ready with all of the funds as soon as we are matched with an infant. This means we are not on the waiting list yet and we won't be able to be on it until we have all the funds.

Given this requirement, we have started a Gofundme page. We currently have $11,000 saved for the adoption. The Gofundme amount is set at $12,000 which covers the rest of the needed funds (that is, 10,000 for placement fee and 2,000 for travel/legal fees). We decided to do an online fundraiser to let others outside of our community know about our plans and so people know how to pray for us as we pursue this adoption.

Emily Wells, Kate's sister, is hosting the page here.

We would also ask that you pray for us as we seek to raise the rest of the funds. We are still hoping we can be on the waiting list by January 2019. Please pray that God would smooth the way for us. We are thankful for what the Lord has done for us thus far and we are excited to see where He takes us next.

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An overview of the process

The adoption process is a series of checks and balances to provide a safety net for adoptive families, birth families and adoptees. It can be long, but it's necessary. Application - we applied to the agency in the Summer and filled out a short questionnaire. Infant Training - the training course that the agency provides is fantastic and worth every penny. The caseworkers who run it are the main caseworkers in the program. We'll be working with them later on in the process. They covered all the basics and answered any questions. Home study - this is a massive compiling of paperwork regarding personal history, family history, medical health and financial status, residence safety and other necessary information to assess the adoptive family's preparedness. As of November, we're finishing this stage of the process. Profile - this book is a short, 20 page collection of pictures and information about us and our life. It can contain info about how we met and o...

Explaining Adoption Costs

An adoption in Idaho can vary in cost depending on the type (foster, etc) but with the agency we are using, the average cost is about $21,000 to $24,000. These funds go to our agency to cover their important work in the process. Here are the costs for our current adoption with descriptions for each part. Registration Fee ($250): This covers the paperwork to sign up. Training ($500): This covers the two days of training(~12 hours) that we received at the agency in Boise. Home study ($600): We are assigned a local case worker who comes and inspects our home to ensure that everything is safe: baby proofed, smoke alarms, etc. The caseworker also helps us compile all the documents the agency needs to approve our home study. The paperwork is about the size of a small book (~100 pages). The caseworker reads through and checks everything for us. Infant Waiting list ($4000): This is for the waiting list and for help compiling our profile book. The profile book is a description of...

God's Surprising Grace

“His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.” (Lam 3:22-23) God’s grace is constant and steady. Every day holds a lot of common and ordinary graces that everyone shares: breath, life, food, clothes, sleep, work, and laughter. And then some days God offers us a large dose and it reminds us of how surprising all his gifts are. We don’t own any of our days or any of our breathes. They are all gifts and they all come unbidden. God is superabundant and he just gives. Kate and I have been waiting and praying for our adoption for over three years. It was a long wait. Life was busy and God was very kind to us, providing us with friends to pray for us and also giving us the funds for the adoption itself. We were very thankful for those things. Very regularly we would have people ask about our adoption and tell us they were praying for us. Those quick conversations were encouraging little reminders from God. It was a whirlwind when God matched us with Pilgrim. We found out about the ba...

Sumpter Family Adoption

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