We have a new family we are welcoming to the Promise Love Family! Definitely check out the Campbell family’s story and video below and if you would like to donate and be a part of their adoption journey click HERE!
Welcome to the Campbell family!!
Happy Adoption Day Caleb!
Welcome Hamilton's to the Promise Love Family!!!!!
So I have had quite a few people ask me recently, is Promise Love still around? And I would like to state for the record…..We definitely still are!!! In fact, we have a new amazing family to share with you today!!!
WELCOME TO THE HAMILTON FAMILY!!!
This is one of those families that just warms your heart and lets you know there are some amazing people who live right in your own backyard. Scott and Cherrie say they are just doing what God called them to do and they just take each step with faith and obedience, but it is amazing to hear the faith walk they have chosen.
They are currently in process to adopt another little guy, Roman, into their large family and are in need of raising $18,000 for this adoption and you can donate right HERE!
Take a minute to read a little about this beautiful family and please help them bring Roman home forever!
Before moving to Florida, our family lived in Kentucky. While living in there, we
fostered thirty-seven children and adopted six. Since then, God has gifted us
with twelve more children to love and care for through quardianship and
adoption. Most of our children are medically fragile or considered "hard to
place."
We would have never imagined that this would be the life we were called to live,
but God has called us and He has prepared us for such a time as this.
Jonathan's Place is simply a family. A family that believes EVERY child
deserves a loving home.
Jonathan's Place is named in memory of our beloved son, Jonathan, who had
Down Syndrome and now resides in Heaven. He opened the door for children
with severe medical and/or emotional challenges to find a forever family in our
home. We bring medical experience (as being a registered nurse) and
compassion to help children reach their fullest potential
We are often asked, "When will you be done?" or "Don't you have enough
children?" Our response is always that we will continue to say, "YES!" until God
says, "No." This is our ministry - to care for the orphans. Please help us to
welcome Roman, a child in need of our medical expertise, into our home.
Welcome to the Dever Family!
Hey everyone! Carrie here, we’ve been kind of quiet but we’re still here! It’s so awesome that we get to work with families in all stages or their adoption journey. We have one family that is fully funded and waiting to be matched and our new family you will meet here already has been matched and needs to raise $15,000 for their adoption day that will be coming up here very soon!! Sarah has been a dear friend of mine through the wedding industry and we had convos over the last several years about adoption and it makes me SO incredibly happy to see her, Alan, and Olha as a family of 3!! I actually got to do their very first family portrait session together:-) Here’s just a little bit about them…..
Sarah and Alan Dever met and married in the year of 2019. Alan, who is self-employed as a carpenter, had been a long time friend of Sarah’s brother, Jon, who lived in the same town as Alan in Maine. Sarah lived in Florida and worked as a counselor/minister to women at a college. While Alan seemed a little too “geographically undesirable,” he eventually won Sarah over and they married August of 2019. That first year was not without its challenges as they served together Sarah’s father in his final year of life.
Sarah and Alan had no children of their own as they both got married to each other late in life. Alan had 3 adult children from his previous marriage. They talked about having kids together but knew when they first started talking they wouldn’t have children biologically but were both very open to adoption should the Lord open that door. In the fall of 2021, God saw fit to open that door.
Olha Joy was originally from the now devastated city of Mariupol, Ukraine. Her beginning years weren’t easy and she was brought to a Ukrainian orphanage at the young age of 6 upon the death of both parents. She still has an older sister, Vika, and an older brother, Serhii, who live in Eastern Europe. When Olha was 10, she was adopted by a Christian family in mid-coastal Maine. They already had two sons of their own, but no girls. They loved Olha, however, they soon realized they were unable to meet some of her needs emotionally. And they made the difficult decision to dissolve the adoption and search for a couple who could do for Olha what they could not.
Olha Joy was placed in the custody of Alan and Sarah on February 22, 2022. And she just couldn’t fit into this family any better. Same sense of humor, same crafty and creative makeup, they even look related. It’s uncanny how easily and seamlessly Olha fits into Sarah and Alan’s life down here in FL. She is a fun, active, playful, sassy, and sweet newly thirteen year old who is loving Florida living. She loves to swim, play with her friends, climb monkey bars and is excited to start school in the fall. She is already a regular helper in her church’s nursery! She’s quick to help you in need….but be careful, she’s also quick to prank you. Sarah and Alan love having her as an integral part of their family and they have already seen her blossoming in the three months she’s been in their lives. Her adoption day is scheduled for July 20th and the Olha Joy will be Olha Joy Dever…forever!! Will you help us be a part of their adoption story and donate to their goal of $15,000????
Welcome to the Skipper Family!!!!
We would like to introduce you to our new Promise Love Family! Please help us give a big warm welcome to the Morgan and Jesse!
As with all our families, we would love for you to meet them, hear their journey and invest in their lives. So please take a few minutes to hear their adoption story below. This couple have waited and are ready to be parents!
Morgan and Jesse met in the 4th grade and were best friends, started dating in high school and 4 years later tied the knot! Talk about a beautiful love story. After trying to have children for 3 years and experiencing a miscarriage that brought them back to church and ultimately back to a relationship with God, they met a number of families who had adopted at their church. The more they prayed and talked to these couples, it became clear God was leading them in this direction. Here’s a little more about their story………..
We have seen the cost of adoption significantly increase in the last several years to now be between $40,000-$50,000 in many cases. What we do with our families is come up with their goal for fundraising which is an estimate of what their adoption cost will be minus what they have already paid or are have saved and will be contributing themselves. We are partnering with Morgan and Jesse to raise $30,000. Will you help us be a part of their adoption story by donating below?
Baby Z is home! A Gibson Family update!
If you’ve been following us at all this year, you may have noticed we haven’t had as many families in need of fundraising for adoption. We are sure this has something to do with Covid and also God just has given us a calmer year to be with our families, regroup and just support this one special family….The Gibson’s! And boy, have they been on a rollercoaster of an adoption journey this year!
They have been through TWO failed adoptions that were very hard on their family, but they didn’t give up on the calling God had placed in their heart! We are so excited to announce Baby Z is home, healthy and they are so in love with this new little man they added to their family!
The reality of failed adoptions is that there is some expenses that are lost. Because of this, the Gibson’s have an additional $6500 they need for their adoption before it finalizes in a few short months. YOU can be a part of their forever family by clicking below……
Donate Now
No one says adoption is easy and no one says adoption is a straight, wide road. It is said about adoption that it is full of unexpected twists and turns, that it is difficult to navigate, that you will feel overwhelmed and even like giving up sometimes, but in the end every piece of the journey is worth it because it brings you to someone you will love for the rest of your life. And that my friends is worth everything!
Congratulations Gibsons on the new love in your life!!! We are all so happy for you!
Welcome to our Promise Love Family Gibsons!!!
Please join us in giving a BIG promise love welcome to the Gibson family!!! Promise Love has had to take a back seat this year due to the current climate. Asking for donations during this time is a very hard thing to do, as we know everyone is in a tighter spot than normal. However, when the Gibsons applied with Promise Love, we felt this beautiful family was the fit that God was asking us to get behind! So in this time, where the world seems to be upside down, take heart…good is still happening in the world! Be a part of the good!
The Gibsons have put in $20,000 of their own funds and now they are currently in need of raising $30,000 towards the remaining fees for their adoption. They are matched with a birth mom who is due August 24th!!!! That’s right around the corner. So we want to support them in reaching their goal!!!
Would you consider a gift of any size?
Donate Now
“May the Lord give you increase, you and your children"! Psalm 115:14
From the Gibsons:
We are blessed to experience the love and joys of parenthood with our three children Saniah 9, Caleb 11 and Kadin 12. Seeing them grow in their talents, explore new skills such as basketball, hockey, piano, dance and gymnastics and experience special family moments that we create together has made our hearts swell and is one of the greatest joys of our lives. Understanding the importance of a child being raised in a stable and loving home, we have been heartbroken over the years again and again to learn about the hundreds of thousands of kids who are shuffled around for years in foster homes. We are even more saddened to know that existing foster families are not able to support even half of these children who will grow up never knowing what it means to be loved and secure.
The question we asked ourselves…”is what can we do”?
The answer we felt fit out family the best was to become adoptive parents!! We have a heart for children as well as birth moms who find themselves in desperate situations. We want to be able to give a child the life that his/her birth mom chose them to have.
We are so grateful to be matched with a young birth mom currently, who has chosen us to provide a loving and stable home for her child. As we anticipate adding this child to our family to be loved and cared for, we ask for your support with the significant financial obligations that are part of this process. With over $20,000 invested on our end, we still need to raise nearly $30,000 by placement in just a few short months! Your support means so much to our family, especially during this time when giving is a stretch. But we know God rewards a cheerful giver! So we know He will bless you in return as you sow into a future generation. Thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts!
Love,
The Gibsons.
It's National Adoption Month! Welcome Anastasia!
November is our favorite month of the year…National Adoption Month! This year we are celebrating by helping a single foster mom who reached out to us recently and we were blown away by her story!!!
She has been a single foster mom since the age of 26 and has fostered 8 children in that time!!! She has never felt led to adopt any of her foster kids until now. She is hoping to adopt a little girl who has been in her care for over a year now. They have bonded in a beautiful way, read below in her own words about this special little girl.
“In July 2018 I received a call for a foster care placement for a little girl who was 9 months old. I said yes, and she has been with me ever since. We have been through so much together in the last 15 months. The ins and outs of what she has been through and the details of her case along the way have been more than anyone should have to endure. When I first met her, her fear of abandonment was inconsolable, her trust for adults was non existent. Over the past year we have worked so hard in therapy to form a bond that has been remarkable and has noticeably changed her approach to relationships. She is one of the smartest, bravest and strongest little girls I've ever met. She teaches me so much about life everyday through the strong will and happiness that she exhibits in even the hardest situations. I have been with her for every visitation with her family, every emotion left lingering from those visits, every doctors appointment, every visit from the state workers, every therapy appointment, and every single good and bad day since I said yes. I was blessed to be able to see her do all of her firsts; from the simplest things like rolling over and sitting up, to her first steps, first words, and now her new found awesome dance moves. When I was presented with the question of adoption a few months ago my whole world changed. I could not fathom how it would be possible to afford a child as a single parent, but I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life watching her learn and grow.
Although I had not planned on being an adoptive parent, all of that has completely changed. The only barrier left is the financial challenge of providing childcare. As a night shift worker at the hospital, not only is childcare hard to find but it tends to also be more expensive due to the unusual hours.
The relationship we have formed is something I never expected to happen in this way, and I can no longer picture my future without her. Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story and for your consideration in donating to our journey. Please keep us in your prayers as we move forward with such an amazing life change.”
- Anastasia
So, we have a goal to raise enough to pay off her vehicle, the amount she has left is $12,500. This will help her to be able to afford to pay for the nightly child care she will need since she is a night night shift CT technologist. As a single mom, Anastasia needs to continue working and after the adoption will not have child care paid for. To be a part of their story donate here or below to reach our goal for this amazing mom!
Thank you!
Promise Love Family
Welcome the Helms Family to the Promise Love Family!!!
We’ve been so blessed to have some awesome families we’ve presented to you this summer! And today we have another one! I hope you enjoy reading about these sweet families and their journeys as much as we do! Today we are introducing you to the Helms family…and what better way for you to hear who they are then directly from them! Please watch their video below and share their story!
Our goal for the Helms family is $10,000! Scroll down to donate or go here!
A quick update on the Helms family….THEY JUST BECAME MATCHED WITH A BIRTH MOM THIS WEEK!!! BABY IS DUE IN JULY….THAT’S THIS MONTH!!! We will keep you updated on the Helms family!
IMG_9428.TRIM from Promise Love Foundation on Vimeo.
Here’s the Helms story!
We are Cody and Victoria Helms! We met in February of 2015, and instantly became inseparable. After a year of dating,Cody proposed following a helicopter ride over downtown Fort Worth, Texas. We got married just 5 short months later! Cody has been a local Firefighter/Paramedic for the last 6 years and Victoria is an Anesthesia Technician in the O.R.We always knew we wanted to be parents; however, we decided to wait a couple years before trying so that we could grow in our marriage together. Just 8 months into our marriage, Victoria began to have some health complications and underwent a minor surgery. During that time, we were told if we wanted to have children we needed to start trying, as Victoria would most likely need a full hysterectomy in the future, potentially much earlier in life than most would expect.We started trying immediately and were so excited about the hope of starting our family together! After an unsuccessful 10 months of trying Victoria knew something wasn’t right and called her doctor to have some testing and blood work done. Her results came back a month later indicating that she was not ovulating and had low progesterone levels. The suggested treatment was to start a particular medicine,and we thought it would be an easy fix for the issue. The doctors also recommended running some tests on Cody to rule out any male factor infertility,so we decided to go ahead and do that. We wanted to know what we were dealing with so we could have every chance possible for success. A couple months later we received the results from Cody’s testing, and it was worse than we’d anticipated. Because of the issues with both of our bodies, we were told we could never conceive children—that it just wasn’t in the cards for us. To say the least, we were heartbroken to receive this news. Over the following months, we grieved—grieved the loss of time spent trying to conceive, not knowing it wasn’t possible; grieved over the betrayal we felt from our bodies; and grieved the loss of the future we had always assumed and pictured would happen. We spent a lot of time in prayer and with our families, who rallied to support us during this time.Early in our relationship we had talked about adoption and both knew that it was something we wanted to together at some point. In those early conversations we did not know exactly how adoption would play in our family planning journey,however,we knew it would be apart of growing our family. The night after Christmas of 2018, we took a leap of faith and filled out a form to receive some more information on adoption. After that, we began to research everything we possibly could about adoption and started to actively take steps to pursue it. By February 2019, we completed our home study, and by the first week of March we signed on with our agency. The process was officially underway,and we could not have been more excited! Based on the recent placements the agency had made, we were told there was a good chance we would be placed within 6 months!!With excitement and the renewed hope of finally being one step closer to adding a precious child to our family, we have both been working lots of overtime as we prepare financially to welcome a sweet baby into our home. As much as our hearts have been ready, we believe that God’s timing is absolutely perfect. We know that He has been and will remain with us during our season of waiting so we will continue to praise Him through it, and as we wait, we will continue use this season to prepare as much as we can–emotionally, physically, and financially—so that when the time is right, we will be ready when we finally meet our beloved baby!
Welcome the Slaviks to the Promise Love Family (Emergency and Critical Need)
The Slavik’s at Disney with their 2 biological children before they started fostering.
A few months ago, I was invited to a friends birthday to speak about Promise Love! While I was there, I met another incredible foster mama and human being….Kelly from Foster Florida Pinellas! Besides the fact, that we had a ton in common, I knew God was building a valuable connection for Promise Love to be able to support not only adoptive families, but foster families. I mentioned to her we would love to start helping critical and immediate needs that are larger than just food, clothing and furniture. She said she would be happy to let us know when she knew of a family in this position, that could use some larger support!
Enter Slavik’s…
When I spoke with Aaron (dad)…you could hear the heart and passion for the kids in his home and the kids in care that he was unable to help. It was inspiring that a father has this much heart invested in to these kids!
He explained that him, his wife and their 2 bio children were wanting to desperately take in the 6 year old brother of their little foster daughter who had been in 6 homes in 3 weeks!!! The only thing standing in the way of this was a bigger apartment!!
They had met him and were 100% willing to bring him into their home so the siblings could be together and this sweet little guy could stop bouncing around….but unfortunately, there apartment did not meet the space requirements for licensing to approve it.
So they were reaching out to see how they could fundraise the money to be able to move to a larger apartment! We knew we had to help!
What we need is $6000 to get them first/last months rent and deposit and a few much needed items, such as washer/dryer to get them moved in. We are praying you will partner with us to get this critical need taken care of.
As previous foster parents, we know how taxing this can be on a family and how without support foster parents give up…and that’s not what we want to ever see happen…especially just because of lack of finances. We also don’t ever want a foster family to say no to permanency for a problem that is solvable if they just have some support and involvement from the community!
Get to know them a little below:-)
Will you join us in helping the Slavik’s? Your donation is tax deductible and it ALL goes straight to the family.
Welcome the Blairs to the Promise Love Family!
I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
We met a beautiful family inside and out recently, and are so excited to share their story with you today! Please give a big welcome to the Blair family!
There is so much to be said about this amazing family, but the thing that continues to show through above all else, is their love for Jesus and their family! They have 4 beautiful girls and soon will add a sweet baby boy to their family. They are currently matched with a birth mom who is expecting in July!!
One of the things that has stood out to us in the short time we have known the Blairs is how they have allowed their faith to overcome their fears in adoption and how God has met them every step of the way!
Fear is one of the biggest challenges when you are walking the adoption journey. There are so many things you could be afraid of. It’s inspiring to watch the Blair’s reach for the Lord and let him wipe away all their fears and be obedient to what he has placed on their hearts!
Here’s how you can help the Blairs and be a part of their journey (we will post updates, of course!).
Pray for their family, the birth mom, the baby and the funds they need to be there when they are needed.
Share their story! Know someone who could use encouragement in overcoming fear in adoption or just fear in anything. Share this video with them.
Give! Adoptions don’t happen without funds. Private infant adoptions can be as much as $40,000 Families feel so blessed and loved by your giving! We watch it happen with each family.
Thank you for coming alongside them with us on this journey! We can’t to see them as a family of 7!!
An unexpected double blessing...The Gravante Family Story!!
Foster Care Adoptions are near and dear to our heart here at Promise Love.
Our prayer is that one day we will see no more kids waiting for a family but just families waiting for kids.
We know this world will always have broken parts, but we believe the people of God can step up to the bat for these kids and solve the problem of waiting children here in the United States. It’s completely doable!
Today, we want to share a special family whom I have known for years and met through our local church. Carol and Joe have been my neighbors, friends and Carol has been our family babysitter for years now. When I met her, her 3 grown boys were just leaving the nest. Without any children at home anymore but truly loving children and being around them for years, she was venturing out to a new part of her life. During this time, I was in desperate need of a sitter who could watch 4 young kiddos with lots of wisdom and energy! At the time, we had 2 that were adopted from foster care and just needed someone very special who could handle their challenges and behaviors. Carol was so positive and loving with them, it was a God sized fit for our family.
Along the way, Carol and Joe started to pray about adoption…hearing all the stories of waiting children and the need, God started to move in their heart.
At the time, they were hosting male foreign exchange students and felt God clearly speak to them that this was preparation for giving a permanent home to boys who didn’t have one.
They decided to start by mentoring teens first who were in Foster Care with an organization called I Matter Too! Through this process, they met a foster mom who had 2 amazing foster sons Javan and Zander. As they got to know them, they realized that these were their boys….this is what God had been preparing them for! They asked Javan and Zander to be part of their family!
Their three biological sons, grandchildren, and the rest of their family were in full agreement that Javan and Zander were perfect additions.
On March 7, 2019 in the courthouse they became an official part of their family…even though they had been in their hearts for years already!
Along the way, Carol had some physical challenges from chronic Lyme disease and the physical damage that it caused. She had to make a decision as to whether or not to go through with God’s plan as she knew she was not perfect and didn’t always feel capable. But God always makes a way!
Carol and Joe love taking the boys to theme parks, festivals and other activities with these two awesome young men. They have always been active and love the outdoors, but when Carols back became to bad to walk or be as active as she once was, a motorized scooter was needed for her. After receiving an anonymous donation, we were able to give back to Carol and Joe by purchasing a motorized scooter just in time for their adoption day!
We were so happy to be able to help in this way. Sometimes its the little things that make the most impact!
Thank you to everyone who supports Promise Love , in prayer, by sharing about us, or by giving! You truly make a difference in our adoption and foster community!
THE REDEMPTION STORY! THE BRIGGS STORY (PT. 2)
Hi Friends and Supporters!
As we approach the end of March and the end our fundraiser for the Briggs family (To donate to the Briggs family, go here), I am reminded of whats coming!
Easter is in just a few short weeks and it’s the time of year where we are reminded of God’s Redemptive Power!
How he takes a hopeless heart and fills them with joy! How he takes our broken pieces and makes us whole. That’s only something He can do! As you go into the celebration of the resurrection of our Savior, remembering what He did for us, be reminded as well how He has adopted you into His family through His only Son. We are all adopted and we are all redeemed!
Here’s the not final piece of the Brigg’s journey but the redemption story He has given them through a tiny little baby….just the same way He used a tiny little baby to redeem us all.
Here’s the story in Hannah’s own words.
“We have our little girl. God is so kind to give her to us.
Looking back, we clearly see why God had us walk down the path we did, to be scammed out of our adoption savings, to cry more tears than I have ever cried,and to go through more heartbreak than we have ever experienced. It was all for this little bundle.
We received a text from our adoption agency on Monday, November 26th, that a baby girl had been born and that she needed a family. We didn't have much information at all but felt a complete peace about the situation and decided to present to the birth mother right away. In a matter of hours, we were chosen to be her parents! Birth mom signed over her rights the very next day and the days that followed we prepared to travel to our baby.
OUR baby!It seemed so surreal! We were parents!!!
We were told Coco could be in the NICU for a few weeks because she was born 7 weeks early and only weighed 3 pounds, 10 ounces. Josh planned to stay the first week and then travel back to work and I would prepare to stay until Coco was discharged from the hospital, however long that would be. We traveled to her later that week and when we walked into that NICU unit, we were motioned to the little incubator that housed our baby. They removed the blanket covering the incubator and we looked on our beautiful Colette for the first time.
What a little beauty she was! Josh gave me a delighted exclamation, "She's so precious!" and I stuck my hand through the glass window to lay it over her tiny body and whisper, "Hi, baby girl. Mommy and Daddy are here."
The baby girl that we had been praying for all along was right in front of our eyes. Our prayers had not been wasted. The Colette that we had talked about and prayed for was this tiny beautiful little creature. God had taken those prayers that we had thought were going toward a particular child and had administered them to her. He had prepared us to be her parents all along. Before the foundation of the world, this child was meant to be in our arms, and our hearts forever. God miraculously protected our little one and she has amazed the doctors and nurses over and over again.
One of our beloved NICU nurses even told us that in the 30 years that she had been a nurse, she never saw a case quite like Colette's and the progress she had made. It is all a testament to God's protection and the answer to so many prayers by not only her parents but the countless people that have prayed for her since the beginning.
Our days in the NICU were such a blessed time as we bonded as a new family of three. We spent time reading and singing to, feeding, changing, bathing, cuddling, and studying every little feature of our baby girl. She is so beautiful and such a picture of God's grace and faithfulness to us. She is far more amazing than we could ever hope for and we can't wait to spend our days treasuring her and showing her the love of Jesus.
This past year has been one of the hardest of our lives but also the most rewarding. It has been so amazing to witness God's faithfulness to us first hand and to have a daily reminder before us that He is sovereign and He is good.
We want to thank every single person who has prayed for us, sacrificed financially to bless our little family, and have encouraged our hearts along this adoption journey. We have had family and friends spend countless hours helping us raise money, given sacrificially, and have come along side us when we wanted to give up. You guys will always have a special place in our hearts and your gestures have meant more to us than you will ever know.”
Josh, Hannah and Colette Briggs
IT WAS ALL A SCAM!! THE BRIGGS STORY (PT.1)
Josh and Hannah experienced something recently that was heartbreaking! The kind of thing that makes you question where you went wrong or how did you not see this coming? It makes you stop and question if you should continue on the journey to adoption or maybe this isn’t meant to be. Emotionally it’s hard, but also financially it’s hard too.
Josh and Hannah had saved and fundraised for a long time in the hope’s of becoming parents through adoption, just to have that money lost by someone who was scamming them the whole time. Read firsthand here the blog post Hannah wrote during this time on her personal blog Thistle Harvest and join us in helping re-coupe a portion of what was stolen from them here as we continue our March Madness Basketball inspired fundraiser for the Briggs family.
“As many of you may know by now, we heard the heartbreaking news last week
that our adoption match was a scam. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the
email informing us of the FBI investigation, telling us to reach out to some
lawyers that we had never spoken with, to receive more information. We had to
find the hard facts out for ourselves and determine if this birth mom we had
spoken with on the phone was a figment of our imagination.
After some investigation, we were told (and proved it to be true) that our birth
mother and baby were completely fabricated and that a woman was hired to
speak to us on the phone on different occasions to make us feel safe and secure
about the placement. I told this crooked social worker and her accomplice (our
"birth mother") how excited we were to be parents, how I was purchasing things
for our little girl, preparing her nursery, and that I prayed for them every single
day. "Birth mom" even asked me if I was excited to find out that it was a girl and
our gender reveal video was shared with our social worker who seemed
genuinely excited for us.
I know it is difficult for others to understand, but this was the closest we had ever
been to becoming parents. We have been through many fertility treatments but I
haven't ever had the privilege of carrying a baby, even for a short amount of time.
This baby girl was very real to us and had already taken hold of our hearts. We
called her by name and dreamt of what the future held for the three of us.
I will never fully understand why we were chosen to walk this path. Our trust has
been severely broken. There have been times that I have cried so hard that it's
been difficult to breathe. We had to close the nursery door for a few days so that
we would not be reminded of the deep pain we both were feeling.
We have taken some time to grieve our loss and while we are still fighting the
gross injustice, heart-wrenching pain, and breach of trust, we are trying to move
past this nightmare and fulfill our dream of having a family. We won't let this
horrible act discourage us from pursuing our child. God never stopped pursuing
us and we refuse to give up. We want our children to know someday without a
shadow of a doubt that we loved them fiercely and pursued them with everything
we had. Throughout this whole ordeal, I am constantly reminded of the Father's
love for us and how He pursues us and loves us with a perfect love. We are his
children and He will never stop fighting for us.
Our plan now is to fight for justice. To do everything in our power to get our story
out there when we are able to speak out and advocate for adoptive parents, for
birth mothers, and for their unborn babies. No one should ever take advantage of
some of the most vulnerable people in the world and if they do, they should know
that they will pay dearly for their crimes.
We are fighting to try to recover the devastating financial blow that we have been
dealt. We are desperately trying to get our money back so that we can continue to pursue adoption.
We know our baby is out there and at times we have become so discouraged that this circumstance has delayed our journey to find them.
Just the other day, I was speaking with Josh and I was frustrated that we were
going to be delayed in our adoption and didn't know when we would finally be
able to add to our family. I felt like the Lord spoke to both of us in different ways
but revealed the same truth: that His delay wasn't a denial. Nothing catches Him
by surprise. We fully trust in His sovereignty. Everything He places in our lives is
divinely orchestrated by the God of the universe. He makes no mistakes. Even
these unfortunate circumstances and the timing will lead us to the baby that He
has always meant for us to have
.
We are stepping out by faith and our continuing our adoption journey. Please
pray for us, pray for our baby and birth mother, and pray that God would restore
what evil men have taken. “
Come back for part 2 of this story next week! It’s gonna be a good one!
Welcome the Briggs Family!
It’s March and that means Basketball! Not only do we love helping adoptive families but we love sports too…so we are having some fun this month and matching them together to help one amazing family!!!
Please give a warm welcome to Josh, Hannah, and Colette….their story will pull on your heart strings! They have had a very difficult and unique adoption journey that is ending in a sweet way….finally holding their little girl:-)
For the month of March we are partnering with them to raise $15,000 or score 15,000 points to recoupe the money they lost and can never regain due to an adoption scam.
Hear their story below and jump in the game here! Don’t forget to share and challenge others to score too!
A Simple Lemonade Stand Day with BIG meaning!!
Like, Share and Lemonade…thoughts from Bret…aka. Dad!
Most people drive by a lemonade stand without stopping but it only takes a few customers to make a kid’s day.
Now, imagine that by getting just a few people to stop you can change a child’s entire life! That’s what we’re doing today with lemonade stands in our neighborhoods! We’re selling lemonade, real and virtual, to bring Luke to his forever home, finally!
Because we’re tackling a project a little bigger than your normal lemonade stand…we need your help to reach a visibility and scale bigger than just our street. We need to sell a lot of lemonade to bring this guy home and that means Luke needs lots and lots of people to drive by.
Here’s how you help: LIKE, SHARE & LEMONADE.
First, LIKE the page and any of the subsequent posts you see about Lemonade for Luke. Each like from outside our network, especially over time, boosts visibility, effectively getting more people to drive by. Likes are easy and helpful, so thank you.
Second, SHARE Luke’s story with your network, adding anything you want, and asking them to help. Nobody feels comfortable asking for tens of thousands of dollars, but everybody feels ok about buying lemonade to help a kid.
Finally, LEMONADE. Sell some, buy some, tell your friends to buy some. Seriously, LEMONADE. We are setting up real lemonade stands today with downloadable signage and you can buy virtual lemonade all work through the Promise Love Foundation.
Why work with the Promise Love Foundation?
Tax deductible lemonade! No, seriously, your virtual lemonade donation is tax deductible!
Promise Love’s complete focus is helping with the direct and ancillary costs that impact adopting families. How we came in contact with the Promise Love Foundation is it’s own little miracle story, but working with them comes down to REACH, ACCOUNTABILITY and PAYING IT FORWARD.
Stories like Luke’s need to be told to have a happy ending and Promise Love has the REACH to help many people hear his story. As a tax deductible 501c3 charity, the Promise Love Foundation also provides ACCOUNTABILITY and trust that allows us to ask for help beyond our immediate circle.
Last, but not least, because Promise Love works to help one family at a time, if we’re fortunate enough to raise more than needed to bring Luke home, any extra lemonade dollars will CARRY FORWARD to help another child reach their forever home. oh, and they’re really nice, and really capable, and really cool.
Thank you for your support and swarming our family this week with love, together we can make this a reality!
Bret Tobey
Happy World Adoption Day!!! :-)
We are so excited to be celebrating World Adoption Day today!
It’s a “extra special” one for us here at Promise Love because the Tobey’s are our first family adopting internationally!
We have 3 days left for the #lemonadeforluke campaign and we are praying you continue to swarm this family with LOVE at a much needed time!
What better way to celebrate #worldadoptionday then with a glass or 2 of lemonade! All of your lemonade purchases go directly to this family and are tax deductible….that’s a pretty sweet deal!
Don’t forget to post your own selfie on fb with a smiley face today:-)
Where do they go from here? (Brenda's recent trip to Haiti to see Luke)
Many of you have messaged or wondered what does this process actually look like going forward for the Tobey’s! Will this just be another round of disappointments and lost money for them? Or how is this time different….Brenda did this write up for us after her most recent visit with Luke! We hope this helps you understand the complexity, but also the hope that this time looks different for them! Read what Brenda has to say!
“Mid October afforded me the opportunity to head to Haiti on another medical mission trip. It was an exciting time for me, but also a time filled with great anxiety over seeing Luke. It had been two years since my last trip.....the longest time frame that has lapsed in all of my trips to see him and I knew in my gut what that meant. He wouldn't remember......
Sitting at the kitchen table upon our arrival, Luke told Momma Bonnie what I has suspected would be true, he didn't remember me….
Truth be told I wanted to break into a million pieces. My heart was shattered. It was one of those punch in the gut moments that makes you question all things in your life in one second. I wanted to cry like a child, both because I was crushed and because I was overjoyed that he hadn't been wondering why I hadn't come back for him.
The good news was Luke wasn't feeling the pain of our adoption process the same way I was… and for this I was grateful.
It has always been a huge blessing to me that Luke was so young during this adoption process that he had not idea what was going on (or rather NOT going on with our adoption,) Throughout the process it has been my goal to protect him from knowing that we are adopting him for fear of him being hurt by the time and troubles.
Adopting from Haiti has been the most unreal and frustrating experiences that doesn't even make sense to most adults let alone trying to explain it to a child.
Luke's health, happiness, and well being has always been my priority and he is blessed to have that covered in his current living situation so my job was to keep him safe from the heartache of his adoption. He understands us to be his "sponsors." Sponsors help cover the costs of the children at Cabaret Haiti Mission and often are even able to visit with the children they sponsor while on mission trips to the home so its not uncommon to have a relationship with your sponsored child. Luke understands that our family loves him, prays for him, visits him, AND most importantly bring him special presents :)
He's no different than our children here in America...... an adult comes home with a suitcase and they want to know what we brought them right!?
Luke’s favorite superhero is Captain America….seems fitting:-)
This trip was filled with many blessed moments of serving my Haitian friends and providing medical care they would otherwise not have access to. It was also filled with lots of great Luke moments that I cherish.
In addition, I was able to connect with some new contacts that are helping with our adoption on the ground in Haiti and that is extremely important. Most people in my position have had to move to Haiti for a period of time, usually a few months or so, in order to complete their adoption. Literally being there in Haiti working on the adoption and being in the face of the people that make the decisions is like no person I could hire. It’s really the only way to complete an adoption in our unique situation. So as we work diligently on paperwork, process, and relationships/connections we also work on a plan for one of us to relocate and be the force that wraps this up and brings our boy home. The idea of that seems overwhelming, but we know ultimately God is in control and He has all the details already worked out, so we will just trust in His timing!
Right now we have the attention of the right people and we must move now to continue moving forward and gaining momentum!
I am so excited and so scared all at once but mostly I am confident Luke is our son and he is meant to be here as part of our tribe. The gratitude I have for you all joining us in whatever capacity you are able to is the greatest blessing!! WE are making this happen! WE are bringing Luke home, together! A million thanks still could not convey the gratitude we feel for for this LOVE SWARM that’s surrounding us during this week! “
Love, Brenda
LEMONADE STAND SATURDAY!!! A Tobey Kid Event!!!
When we first started throwing around ideas of how we were going to raise the money to bring Luke home forever, the Tobey kids were excited to get in on the action! They came up with a great idea to have kids and families around the city or even country do their own Lemonade Stand for Luke! And even came up with a graphic that you can print and post on your stand!
We thought this was such a great idea and wanted to incorporate the Lemonade theme into the entire event! Besides who doesn’t love a good glass of lemonade and here in Florida it’s pretty much always a good time to drink Lemonade since it’s a million degrees outside all the time!
So recently when Brenda went to see Luke she had a glass of lemonade with him and took this adorable photo together! We love how the Tobey’s are involving their kids in this project and they want to challenge you to be a part of the fun this Saturday, November 10th!
Come be a part of the fun HERE and don’t forget you can also buy a virtual glass of lemonade HERE!
Do For One What You Wish You Could Do For All
Today we want to tell you a little bit about the little guy you are pouring into and loving on through this time! The little man the Tobey’s have fell in love with and can’t wait to be able to hold and hug him everyday!
Luke has been in the orphanage since the death of his mother in March of 2012. His mom died when Luke was just a couple of weeks old and his father and his aunt brought him to the orphanage certain he was near death. Brenda and the team arrived in the morning and as you heard on the video, met Luke for the first time and stepped right into the role of caretaker for him. She fell in love with this tiny baby and strongly felt this one was different from the rest! This one was meant to be in her arms for longer than just a week during her stay.
Luke’s biological father knows where he is and has come to the orphanage a couple of times to see him, but is unable to care for him. He also has other children and even when offered the support to reunify with the family, desired to have Luke stay where he is. He has come to meet The Tobey’s during their visits to see Luke and has expressed his happiness in their relationship with Luke. He has verbalized to the authorities as well that he has a strong desire for Luke to be adopted by the Tobey Family.
The name of the orphanage Luke currently lives in is Cabaret Haiti Mission, Inc. You can check them out here!
https://www.cabarethaitimission.org
Luke's parents at the orphanage are Mike and Bonnie Snider or Papa Mike and Momma Bonnie as they are called by all the children who live there. They have lived in Haiti at the Children's home since 2010 and are the loving parents to the 50 kids living there!! Luke is actually pretty spoiled:) Since he's been there since he was several weeks old, he has made his way "upstairs" where the kids are only allowed on special occasions, he can often be found sharing a cup of coffee with Momma Bonnie in the am or even stealing a snuggle in bed. When Brenda goes to visit Luke, she stays at the orphanage with them and Luke is her wake up call:-) He likes to come into where we stay and sneak into bed for cuddles.
Mike and Bonnie have made the adoption process tolerable for The Tobey’s because they know he is loved and cared for so very well. They do an incredible job of loving on all the kids!
Currently Luke is obsessed with Captain America. He attends school and loves to play soccer like all kids at the orphanage. He loves praise and worship and he likes to perform dances and singing on open Mic night every Saturday night in the commons area of the orphanage.
Luke will turn 7 in January. This is 7 birthdays, 7 Christmas’s, 7 of everything that we have missed sharing with him. Many firsts of walking, talking, playing, days of school etc. Though these firsts haven't been experienced here at home with his family at the orphanage, the Tobey’s have been able to share in much of the joy of these special events because of the contact with Mike and Bonnie and their regular visits.
