"We came to realize the full depth of our longing to adopt these three beautiful girls one night in November 2014. Cody was standing in the kitchen making dinner (as is characteristic of our little duo since Ashley only knows how to properly make Ramen noodle soup), when all of a sudden he held his face in his hands and began to weep. Through tears he said, "I just love them so much, Ash... and... I think God's calling me to be their father." What Cody didn't know is that Ashley had been having a recurring dream for months on-end wherein the two of them welcomed these sweet girls into their forever family. In that moment, it was clear that God had been uniquely and individually preparing our hearts and minds for something extraordinary. He was calling us to truly consider adopting our nieces into our family to raise them as our very own daughters.
The road to doing so, however, was clearly laden with seemingly insurmountable obstacles and so we began the process of intentionally seeking the Lord in prayer. Though we wanted desperately to share our hopes with the decision-makers involved in the girls' lives, time in prayer continually yielded a call to wait on His timing. And so, we waited. For months, we waited. In the season that followed, our relationships with the girls deepened and we began to recognize a strong and indescribable connection with each of them. And although these seemed like indicators that the Lord was moving and that we ought to be too, we again heard His distinct voice of wisdom urging us to wait on Him.
It wasn't until October 2015 that we finally were granted an open window of opportunity to share our hearts with one of the decision-makers. And although the response was a resounding, "Thanks but no thanks," we knew that this conversation was the seed that God would use to take root and eventually bear fruit. The very next day, something extraordinary happened. Someone in our community of faith, with whom we had little to no interaction at the time, approached us and shared a vision God had given him about us... and friends, it was a vision of adoption. "God is going to give you children whose childhood has been taken from them and you're going to teach them how to be kids again, you're going to teach them how to play, and you're going to model the love of Christ for them." These words, these prophetic words, cut straight to the core of us, and we wept like babies.
These girls have experienced more heartache, more disappointment, and more pain than any seven, eight, and fourteen year old should ever know. And no matter how hard their parents tried, they simply could not provide the kids with a safe and stable living environment. As a result, they were removed from their home in May 2013. Although we all waited in hopeful expectation for their mom and dad to complete their case plans, change their lifestyles, and bring their beautiful children home, after three years they have yet to do so.
Friends, there is no denying that God has so masterfully orchestrated the events of our lives in such a way that His redemption can be known intimately by us all. And this divine union of familial love is so tangibly laced with the grace of God. We could not be more grateful nor humbled to know that our lives might be granted the honor of speaking for the lives of these beautiful girls. Will you join us in raising the needed funds for private adoption as we seek to finally give these girls what they desperately need: permanency and stability found in a unified and loving family? May the Lord bless all that you set your hand to for the glory of His name. " - Cody and Ashley Swobod
