Wow, it has been a crazy around here. Lynn started back at worker (teaching) and we finished our requirements to become licensed. Last Tuesday we received our license information and became official!!! Now, we wait for a call.
On Sunday we were blessed by friends that wanted to show us support and love by giving us a shower and we felt loved and supported. We were deeply blessed and humbled at the people who wanted to give to these children that they don't know yet. The prayers are greatly needed so keep them coming
Right now we are waiting for a call, sometimes it takes a few days and other times it can take weeks. We are sorting through things we have received and getting last minute things done. We won't have everything we need and won't know what we will need until we get a placement. Diapers or underwear, formula/baby foods or whatever. We received some gift cards and we have found the convertible car seat we want to get (that is a car seat that fits 5-65 lbs, backward and forward facing).
We will update as soon as we get a placement. Again, thank you all for your gifts, donations, prayers and words of encouragement :)
Lynn and Angela
Monday, September 10, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
At the end of August we will be finished with all of the requirements to become licensed foster parents. What an amazing journey so far and we can't wait to see what God has in store next. 6 months ago if you had asked us if we had ever thought about being foster parents or adopting through the state, we both would have said "yes and it is not for us". God laughs and watches us slowing get with His Will.
I (Angela) have grown closer to God in the last few months. I can't understand how people can handle the stories of some of these children without God, I don't think I could handle it. We are excited about getting our first placements but of course we are nervous, seriously there will be little children running around our house and they will be looking to us to care for them. Reality is setting in so are the nerves but we have some wonderful people around us who are supporting us in multiple ways and we are so thankful for all of you.
There is a great need for foster families. There are so many children needing a safe place to stay and while it is one of the hardest things you will ever do in your life, it is also one of the most rewarding. Like lots of other people we were scared about the idea of a homestudy and the state invading all parts of our lives, personal interview about your childhood, marriage, friends, family, financial history and more! But, they do take a close look at you to make sure you are physically, emotionally, mentally and financially stable enough to take care of these kids, but the Missouri Baptist Children's Home people are great and they walk with you through it all. Some people are afraid of what kind of kid they will be fostering because they hear all of these horror stories, well they are true but not every case is like that. You have a say in what you can and will accept in your home and you can always say no. Children are taken away from parents or they give up their parental rights for multiple reasons, the goal of placing a child in foster care is helping the child heal while the mom and/or dad get the help they need. The best thing for the child is to go back home to be with their parent/s but sometimes that can't happen. If the parent/s lose their parental rights than the child will be available for adoption.
I can not even begin to tell you everything we have learned or why you should consider being a foster parent. Lynn and I believe this is a ministry that we are called to and Lynn as a deacon feels strongly about his role of taking care of widows and orphans. This is our way to serve, everyone has different ways. But, if you are interested and would like to know more Lynn and I would love to talk with you more and help you find more information.
Thank you for reading about our journey and for supporting us in prayer.
Angela and Lynn Tarvin
I (Angela) have grown closer to God in the last few months. I can't understand how people can handle the stories of some of these children without God, I don't think I could handle it. We are excited about getting our first placements but of course we are nervous, seriously there will be little children running around our house and they will be looking to us to care for them. Reality is setting in so are the nerves but we have some wonderful people around us who are supporting us in multiple ways and we are so thankful for all of you.
There is a great need for foster families. There are so many children needing a safe place to stay and while it is one of the hardest things you will ever do in your life, it is also one of the most rewarding. Like lots of other people we were scared about the idea of a homestudy and the state invading all parts of our lives, personal interview about your childhood, marriage, friends, family, financial history and more! But, they do take a close look at you to make sure you are physically, emotionally, mentally and financially stable enough to take care of these kids, but the Missouri Baptist Children's Home people are great and they walk with you through it all. Some people are afraid of what kind of kid they will be fostering because they hear all of these horror stories, well they are true but not every case is like that. You have a say in what you can and will accept in your home and you can always say no. Children are taken away from parents or they give up their parental rights for multiple reasons, the goal of placing a child in foster care is helping the child heal while the mom and/or dad get the help they need. The best thing for the child is to go back home to be with their parent/s but sometimes that can't happen. If the parent/s lose their parental rights than the child will be available for adoption.
I can not even begin to tell you everything we have learned or why you should consider being a foster parent. Lynn and I believe this is a ministry that we are called to and Lynn as a deacon feels strongly about his role of taking care of widows and orphans. This is our way to serve, everyone has different ways. But, if you are interested and would like to know more Lynn and I would love to talk with you more and help you find more information.
Thank you for reading about our journey and for supporting us in prayer.
Angela and Lynn Tarvin
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Hi Everyone,
We have had some people ask how they can help or what we need. We will be licensed to take 2 children at a time, boys or girls, ages 0-6. We have 1 crib/toddler bed and 1 twin bed, we still need to get 1 twin bed so we can accommodate whatever age we have. If you have anything that you are planning to get rid of that we could use, we would appreciate it. We consider this a ministry and are excited to get started.
God blessed us with some great deals this week, we bought a crib with matching dresser, a twin bed with dresser, and a glider with ottoman all on criagslist.
Thank you to everyone praying for us and all who have given us some items to help care for the children that will be in our home. We will keep you updated!
Lynn and Angela
We have had some people ask how they can help or what we need. We will be licensed to take 2 children at a time, boys or girls, ages 0-6. We have 1 crib/toddler bed and 1 twin bed, we still need to get 1 twin bed so we can accommodate whatever age we have. If you have anything that you are planning to get rid of that we could use, we would appreciate it. We consider this a ministry and are excited to get started.
God blessed us with some great deals this week, we bought a crib with matching dresser, a twin bed with dresser, and a glider with ottoman all on criagslist.
Thank you to everyone praying for us and all who have given us some items to help care for the children that will be in our home. We will keep you updated!
Lynn and Angela
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Where to begin, the last few months have been kind of crazy! Sorry we have not updated the blog. God has sent us down a new path to adoption. We are realistic that we do not have the funds to adopt through an agency. We could not justify going into debt before we have a child we would rather use the money in raising a child and for college. Of course there are expenses and changes we have to make that will cost but it is much lower. So we do thank those who have donated to us, it has all gone towards bringing a child home.
So, here is where God is leading us. The end of April the beginning of May God really started working on me. He spoke to me in ways that I can't explain. He used people around me and things from my childhood to get me thinking about helping other children. I asked the wife of a couple in our church that preparing to become licensed foster parents if I could ask her some questions. I felt like God was leading us this way but I did not say anything to Lynn yet because I was not completely open to the idea of foster care. But, he was kinda thinking the same thing.....God was speaking to both of us. Lynn as a deacon knows that they are called to help the widows and orphans. When we talked with this other couple they put so many of those unknown fears to rest and encouraged us a lot.
In May we met with the Missouri Baptist Children's Home and learned about their programs. They provide training and conduct the home study and get you ready for licensing with the state. After the training and we get our license they will be able to place 1-2 children with us in our home to care for. We still are going to adopt but this way we can help love on some children while we wait. The stories of these children and how they come to needing a foster family is heartbreaking. If people really understood that it is not as scary as TV makes it out to be and if they heard some of the stories...I think more people would be open to becoming a foster family. There are people from all walks of life in our training group, grandparents, parents that their children are older, young families with no kids, just regular people like us. People who did not think they could ever do anything like this.
Since we started training we have been attacked spiritually and emotionally. Satan does not want these children to come into a Christian home. We continue to ask for your prayers and support. Lynn and I both have to grieve for what will never be, even though we know this is God's plan. It is hard because things that others take for granted or as stupid as this sounds things like a baby shower or bringing home a baby that is ours for the first time. Silly, yes but real.
Please continue to pray for us and encourage us. We need it :)
Oh, and if you have not read it Fields of the Fatherless by Tom Davie is a must read. Thanks for referring the book to us Konings!
Thanks,
Angela and Lynn
So, here is where God is leading us. The end of April the beginning of May God really started working on me. He spoke to me in ways that I can't explain. He used people around me and things from my childhood to get me thinking about helping other children. I asked the wife of a couple in our church that preparing to become licensed foster parents if I could ask her some questions. I felt like God was leading us this way but I did not say anything to Lynn yet because I was not completely open to the idea of foster care. But, he was kinda thinking the same thing.....God was speaking to both of us. Lynn as a deacon knows that they are called to help the widows and orphans. When we talked with this other couple they put so many of those unknown fears to rest and encouraged us a lot.
In May we met with the Missouri Baptist Children's Home and learned about their programs. They provide training and conduct the home study and get you ready for licensing with the state. After the training and we get our license they will be able to place 1-2 children with us in our home to care for. We still are going to adopt but this way we can help love on some children while we wait. The stories of these children and how they come to needing a foster family is heartbreaking. If people really understood that it is not as scary as TV makes it out to be and if they heard some of the stories...I think more people would be open to becoming a foster family. There are people from all walks of life in our training group, grandparents, parents that their children are older, young families with no kids, just regular people like us. People who did not think they could ever do anything like this.
Since we started training we have been attacked spiritually and emotionally. Satan does not want these children to come into a Christian home. We continue to ask for your prayers and support. Lynn and I both have to grieve for what will never be, even though we know this is God's plan. It is hard because things that others take for granted or as stupid as this sounds things like a baby shower or bringing home a baby that is ours for the first time. Silly, yes but real.
Please continue to pray for us and encourage us. We need it :)
Oh, and if you have not read it Fields of the Fatherless by Tom Davie is a must read. Thanks for referring the book to us Konings!
Thanks,
Angela and Lynn
Friday, February 24, 2012
Awe
As God brings two together to become one, Angela and I see different sides of the same coin. Our different perspectives, in Christ, help us to be a whole that we hope He uses to act as His hands and feet.
While Angela is much more driven by heart, I know that I am much more driven by head. I think things through, I ask obnoxious questions to verify and validate everything, to prepare as best as possible. And while I agree wholeheartedly with Angela that the care provided by this agency with whom we just spoke seems so much more Christlike, more sincere and thorough than the first agency with whom we met, other aspects of this touched agency me, as well.
The cost of this agency is about $5000 less than the first agency. What this means to me is that we can have less debt (which we want to avoid as much as possible) and that Angela can stay home sooner. They do not charge just to be put on their list of possible adoptive parents, and they do not charge when a match is made with a potential adoptive birth mother. This gives us more time to save, to fundraise, and to see how God is going to work miracles in our lives.
Angela has said that she is more timid about asking others to support us, and in a way I am too, but I want to act in the faith of Hebrews 4:16—"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." If He has called us to this ministry, He will equip us both spiritually and financially to walk through each step.
As Angela mentioned, some dear friends who moved away a couple of years ago contacted us out of the blue saying they wanted to help us with the adoption. I was humbled, grateful, and thankful, and I thought "Each little bit helps. Thank you God for prompting them to share in our journey with us." When the check arrived yesterday, there was an extra 0 at the end of the number. And the emotion that I felt was "Awe!" Their check will allow us to apply to this new agency right away and have money left over to start an adoption fund savings account. My jaw literally dropped for a few moments, as I realized again that God is going to be faithful, just as He has always been, and that we definitely are in the center of His will as we walk through this journey.
God is much bigger than our tiny boxes can ever contain, and we can only stand in awe to watch what He is going to do!
Lynn
While Angela is much more driven by heart, I know that I am much more driven by head. I think things through, I ask obnoxious questions to verify and validate everything, to prepare as best as possible. And while I agree wholeheartedly with Angela that the care provided by this agency with whom we just spoke seems so much more Christlike, more sincere and thorough than the first agency with whom we met, other aspects of this touched agency me, as well.
The cost of this agency is about $5000 less than the first agency. What this means to me is that we can have less debt (which we want to avoid as much as possible) and that Angela can stay home sooner. They do not charge just to be put on their list of possible adoptive parents, and they do not charge when a match is made with a potential adoptive birth mother. This gives us more time to save, to fundraise, and to see how God is going to work miracles in our lives.
Angela has said that she is more timid about asking others to support us, and in a way I am too, but I want to act in the faith of Hebrews 4:16—"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." If He has called us to this ministry, He will equip us both spiritually and financially to walk through each step.
As Angela mentioned, some dear friends who moved away a couple of years ago contacted us out of the blue saying they wanted to help us with the adoption. I was humbled, grateful, and thankful, and I thought "Each little bit helps. Thank you God for prompting them to share in our journey with us." When the check arrived yesterday, there was an extra 0 at the end of the number. And the emotion that I felt was "Awe!" Their check will allow us to apply to this new agency right away and have money left over to start an adoption fund savings account. My jaw literally dropped for a few moments, as I realized again that God is going to be faithful, just as He has always been, and that we definitely are in the center of His will as we walk through this journey.
God is much bigger than our tiny boxes can ever contain, and we can only stand in awe to watch what He is going to do!
Lynn
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Blessings and Peace
Words are not coming easy right now. I am not the writer in the family, I am not good with words and I certainly do not use the proper grammar or punctuation, but I don know what is on my heart. I am just so amazed at what God has done in our lives the last few weeks.
We met with an agency yesterday and it went very well. Lynn and I had such a peace about it when we left. She was very honest with us and did not try to sugar coat anything. It is hard and sometimes things fall through and you are out money and a piece of your heart. Still we know this is the path God is leading us down.
I was so touched by the ministry that they do that I started crying in the middle of our discussion. My heart was just so overwhelmed. I told the social worker we met with that my heart aches for the birth mom and that I have been praying for her. I can not imagine the courage and strength it takes to give up a baby for adoption. I think about how scared the birth mom is or will be. This will be a very trying, emotional and stressful journey for us but I can't help but think about the woman that will give her child to us to raise and love. Please join me in praying for her as you continue to pray for us.
We, like so many other couples, stress about how we are going to be able to afford adoption and where to adopt from. God already knew this and he has been making a way for us. Lynn was able to find some computer classes to teach for a few weeks for extra income, my hours were increased at work and I am making some baby items and selling them on Etsy. BUT, the biggest surprise and blessings have come from friends in our lives even ones we have not seen in a long time. We have had one friend donate her time to offer mini photo sessions and donating the money to us. Today we received a check in the mail and it was so generous and it is enough for us to submit our application and truly begin the process. It is so humbling for people to care enough about us having a child to love. I can't tell you how much I have cried, tears of joy of course, for people to give us their hard earned money. It is so overwhelming but in a good way. The things that seem so little to some people make such an impact and to be a part of such a wonder group of people sharing the love of God with us, we feel very honored. We consider this to be a ministry that God has called us to and we could not imagine doing it without our friends and family being there with us.
We love you all and are so thankful for God's blessings. We look forward to passing on what God has bless us with.
Angela
We met with an agency yesterday and it went very well. Lynn and I had such a peace about it when we left. She was very honest with us and did not try to sugar coat anything. It is hard and sometimes things fall through and you are out money and a piece of your heart. Still we know this is the path God is leading us down.
I was so touched by the ministry that they do that I started crying in the middle of our discussion. My heart was just so overwhelmed. I told the social worker we met with that my heart aches for the birth mom and that I have been praying for her. I can not imagine the courage and strength it takes to give up a baby for adoption. I think about how scared the birth mom is or will be. This will be a very trying, emotional and stressful journey for us but I can't help but think about the woman that will give her child to us to raise and love. Please join me in praying for her as you continue to pray for us.
We, like so many other couples, stress about how we are going to be able to afford adoption and where to adopt from. God already knew this and he has been making a way for us. Lynn was able to find some computer classes to teach for a few weeks for extra income, my hours were increased at work and I am making some baby items and selling them on Etsy. BUT, the biggest surprise and blessings have come from friends in our lives even ones we have not seen in a long time. We have had one friend donate her time to offer mini photo sessions and donating the money to us. Today we received a check in the mail and it was so generous and it is enough for us to submit our application and truly begin the process. It is so humbling for people to care enough about us having a child to love. I can't tell you how much I have cried, tears of joy of course, for people to give us their hard earned money. It is so overwhelming but in a good way. The things that seem so little to some people make such an impact and to be a part of such a wonder group of people sharing the love of God with us, we feel very honored. We consider this to be a ministry that God has called us to and we could not imagine doing it without our friends and family being there with us.
We love you all and are so thankful for God's blessings. We look forward to passing on what God has bless us with.
Angela
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Here we go!
How to even begin? After four years of marriage, God has led us to a new path. There is so much we do not know, but we have had incredible people come into our lives to help us understand the next steps to take.
God has allowed us the challenge of infertility. Like most challenges, it is not something that we would have chosen on our own, and it is a difficult struggle to face. However, we believe that walking through infertility together has drawn us closer as a couple, as we need to communicate with each other to walk through this.
In Fall of 2010, I (Lynn) continued my graduate work in English as a Second Language. This required a four hour round trip commute weekly, and I was blessed with finding a local student with whom I could carpool. Many of our conversations on those long drives tended toward the topic of adoption, and of the things that he and his wife had already discovered. In November of 2010, a couple at church spoke about God calling them to adoption and how they brought two beautiful daughters home from Ethiopia.
These events led Angela and I to start talking about what part adoption might play in our lives. We prayed about this, and we felt like God was telling us to move forward, step by step.
The first step that we needed to follow was to move into a different house. Angela had moved into the house I owned when we got married. We had wanted to have more space anyway, but we clearly felt like God was leading us to a different new home where we would start a family together. We spoke with Angela's parents about this, and they encouraged us in the process. We worked the first few months of 2011 to finish her parents' basement into an apartment for us to live in while we got our house ready to sell. Several close friends were very instrumental in these two simultaneous remodels. We moved into her parents' house Easter weekend, and we had the house ready to go on the market in June. After two months on the market, with no views at all, we decided to list the house as a rental. At the end of August, we found great renters who have been in the house ever since.
We began our house hunt in late July. We found a great real estate agent who is a friend of Angela's parents, and she worked very hard to find us a house that met our needs, and even some of our wants. We moved into our new home on Oct. 21. Our corner lot, with a 2-car garage, almost twice the living space, and more...has been a great blessing, and our hearts have felt that God has now opened the door for us to begin the official adoption process.
In October, I met another family in our church who have also dealt with infertility and adoption. Recently, they had dinner with us and told us their story. They were a great encouragement to us, and gave us so much useful information. Just over a week ago, we met with the director of Adoption & Beyond, the agency this couple had used, and we received a notebook that outlined the extensive home study process, along with the significant costs. The director told us that an adoption budget for an agency adoption with them should be set at $20K.
Our Sunday School class has been incredibly supportive, and by God's great wisdom, an adoption lawyer and his wife recently joined the class. The lawyer pulled me aside on Sunday and told me the importance of cautious optimism throughout this journey, recognizing that adoptions do in fact fall through, but that God had the right child for us to call our own. We have an official appointment with him at the beginning of February to ask more detailed questions about the legal side of things and the private adoption process. The lawyer told me that he does many, many adoptions a year (this was very encouraging to me), and that if we were to find a birthmother on our own, the cost would be much closer to about $7K. We do not know the path God has in store for us, but this figure seems much more doable in our sight. However, we want to humbly approach God in boldness and faith, never limiting Him in how He wants this adoption to take place. If we follow this journey in our strength for our glory, we know that we will not be as blessed as if we follow this journey in a faith that must be dependent on Christ Jesus day by day to meet our very needs.
A close friend of mine has talked with me most of the way through this journey over the last several years. When he heard of Angela's and my heart for adoption, he felt led to give us the funds to cover the home study and some initial adoption costs. We are so blessed by friends who give out of the abundance that God has given them, and we are humbled to see this as a confirmation that God is clearly directing us down this path.
Blog posts are supposed to be short and sweet, but it is hard to condense years of thoughts into a few short words. I will end with this verse that has tugged on our hearts for the last year:
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
May God bless you as you consider the path that God has for us, and listen to the still small voice for the path that He has for you, as well.
Lynn
God has allowed us the challenge of infertility. Like most challenges, it is not something that we would have chosen on our own, and it is a difficult struggle to face. However, we believe that walking through infertility together has drawn us closer as a couple, as we need to communicate with each other to walk through this.
In Fall of 2010, I (Lynn) continued my graduate work in English as a Second Language. This required a four hour round trip commute weekly, and I was blessed with finding a local student with whom I could carpool. Many of our conversations on those long drives tended toward the topic of adoption, and of the things that he and his wife had already discovered. In November of 2010, a couple at church spoke about God calling them to adoption and how they brought two beautiful daughters home from Ethiopia.
These events led Angela and I to start talking about what part adoption might play in our lives. We prayed about this, and we felt like God was telling us to move forward, step by step.
The first step that we needed to follow was to move into a different house. Angela had moved into the house I owned when we got married. We had wanted to have more space anyway, but we clearly felt like God was leading us to a different new home where we would start a family together. We spoke with Angela's parents about this, and they encouraged us in the process. We worked the first few months of 2011 to finish her parents' basement into an apartment for us to live in while we got our house ready to sell. Several close friends were very instrumental in these two simultaneous remodels. We moved into her parents' house Easter weekend, and we had the house ready to go on the market in June. After two months on the market, with no views at all, we decided to list the house as a rental. At the end of August, we found great renters who have been in the house ever since.
We began our house hunt in late July. We found a great real estate agent who is a friend of Angela's parents, and she worked very hard to find us a house that met our needs, and even some of our wants. We moved into our new home on Oct. 21. Our corner lot, with a 2-car garage, almost twice the living space, and more...has been a great blessing, and our hearts have felt that God has now opened the door for us to begin the official adoption process.
In October, I met another family in our church who have also dealt with infertility and adoption. Recently, they had dinner with us and told us their story. They were a great encouragement to us, and gave us so much useful information. Just over a week ago, we met with the director of Adoption & Beyond, the agency this couple had used, and we received a notebook that outlined the extensive home study process, along with the significant costs. The director told us that an adoption budget for an agency adoption with them should be set at $20K.
Our Sunday School class has been incredibly supportive, and by God's great wisdom, an adoption lawyer and his wife recently joined the class. The lawyer pulled me aside on Sunday and told me the importance of cautious optimism throughout this journey, recognizing that adoptions do in fact fall through, but that God had the right child for us to call our own. We have an official appointment with him at the beginning of February to ask more detailed questions about the legal side of things and the private adoption process. The lawyer told me that he does many, many adoptions a year (this was very encouraging to me), and that if we were to find a birthmother on our own, the cost would be much closer to about $7K. We do not know the path God has in store for us, but this figure seems much more doable in our sight. However, we want to humbly approach God in boldness and faith, never limiting Him in how He wants this adoption to take place. If we follow this journey in our strength for our glory, we know that we will not be as blessed as if we follow this journey in a faith that must be dependent on Christ Jesus day by day to meet our very needs.
A close friend of mine has talked with me most of the way through this journey over the last several years. When he heard of Angela's and my heart for adoption, he felt led to give us the funds to cover the home study and some initial adoption costs. We are so blessed by friends who give out of the abundance that God has given them, and we are humbled to see this as a confirmation that God is clearly directing us down this path.
Blog posts are supposed to be short and sweet, but it is hard to condense years of thoughts into a few short words. I will end with this verse that has tugged on our hearts for the last year:
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
May God bless you as you consider the path that God has for us, and listen to the still small voice for the path that He has for you, as well.
Lynn
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