The Heath's Adopt (hopefully)

And one more makes four (eventually, hopefully)…

Four is a good number; for lots of reasons.  When Joe and I talked about our family and how many children we wanted to have we decided on two to make our family a family of four.  Actually, I wanted three kids and Joe was a middle child of three and didn’t want three kids.  We weren’t willing to go to 4 kids so thus our hope was to have 2 children.   I have some health issues (namely PCOS) that make getting and staying pregnant harder.  So we always knew that our journey to have children may not be the traditional one. 

After a year of trying we were blessed with a positive pregnancy test and then several months later, Peter.  We are so blessed to watch Peter grow into a small version of himself with a healthy mix of Joe and I shining through.  Our second and third pregnancy did not end with joy rather with the sorrow of miscarriage.  After two years of trying, two miscarriages and increased health issues, lots of conversations and prayers, Joe and I have decided to pursue adoption to make our family of four a possibility. 

Adoption is a complicated journey under any circumstances.  Our life and ministry as missionaries add in some additional challenges.  We live outside of our passport country.  We travel quite a bit in-between our passport country (the US), our country of residence (South Africa) and the 4 surrounding countries (Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia and Botswana). South Africa doesn’t allow expats to adopt from South Africa until they have lived in the country 5 years (a milestone we are still over a year away from.)   And, we don’t really have a routine, each week looks different and many times involves traveling either as a family or with part of the family at home and the other part on the road. 

All of these factors added in with lots of research, conversations, and prayer, have lead us to the decision to pursue trying to adopt a newborn/infant from the US while we are there on Home Assignment from the end of March until mid-July.

We were connected with a young lady who wants to put her baby up for adoption once he is born in May.  However, we recently found out that she has decided to go with a local family.  We have found an agency willing to come to South Africa and do our home study and help us in gathering all the needed paperwork for a private adoption. Right now we are doing everything we can to be ready to adopt should that door open up.  We are cautiously optimistic and hopeful. 

We are asking for your prayers as we walk this journey.  We are at peace with growing our family in this way but it does bring with it; its own challenges and possible heartaches.  Pray with us that we would find peace and joy in the journey and that we would have patience when the waiting is long and the paperwork seemingly endless and process impossible.  Pray that God would guide us to the right family or agency to help us find the child who will make us Heath party of 4. 

We would also love your help in one other way (don’t worry it is not for money); if you know of anyone who may be pregnant and considering adoption please let us know.  Or pass along our adoption website to them.  You can find that here https://www.hopefullyparents.com/beth-joe-adopt   We do have an email dedicated to our adoption joeandbethadopt@gmail.com

Also if you are willing would you share this post on your facebook page.  Thanks! 

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or any advice on the adoption journey.   

https://www.hopefullyparents.com/beth-joe-adopt