Our Adoption Support Letter | Courageous Homekeeping

Dear [Friends and Family],
It is amusing to me to imagine how I would have reacted, had I somehow known back in high school, how my life now was going to look. I wanted 3 kids? that was it. No more, no less. The surprise of triplets on our third pregnancy has indeed taught us the important lesson that we can in fact do all things through Christ who strengthens us! Also, that God?s plans are so much bigger and better than our own. As most of you know, Josh and I feel a calling by God to adopt and provide a good home for a child who otherwise wouldn?t have one. Josh and I don?t feel like we ?need? to adopt. We already have a bunch of children! But we feel called to live out this gospel story to the world around us.

We began the adoption process in February with Christian Family Adoptions, and have enrolled in their African American Infant Program. What this means, is that in the end, we will end up with a newborn baby who doesn?t ?match? the rest of our family. You may wonder why we have chosen this route. First of all, we feel that with our current family situation, a newborn would be the best fit.. Secondly, we have chosen the AAI program, because there is such a huge need for black children in American to grow up in good homes. Did you know that:

*72% of black children in America are born to unwed mothers?
*Only about 30% of black children grow up in 2 parent families?
*African Americans make up 15% of our population, but are 32% of the children in foster care?
*It takes an average of 9 months longer for black children to be adopted out of foster care than white children?
*That NON-black babies are 7 times more likely to attract the attention of white parents?
*White couples will pay an upwards of $38,000 MORE for the adoption of a non-black baby?

Whatever the reasons for these statistics, the reality is that African American children have the odds stacked against them. We feel called to do something about it by adopting some of these children into our home.

Similar to sending out support letters for a short or long term mission, we are sending out this letter, asking you- our friends and family for support in the mission that we are on for the rest of our lives.

First of all and most importantly, we ask for prayer. We need to be lifted up in prayer for wisdom in our decisions, and for God to make our paths clear.

Secondly and almost as important, we would humbly like to ask for financial support. Despite being domestic, adoption is expensive. That?s just the way it is. In order for this adoption to go forward, we need to have somewhere around $15-25,000. Any way you dice it, it?s a LOT of money.

Josh and I could take a few years and save all of this money on our own. But we feel that it is important to allow you to partner with us in this important mission. It is the calling on all of us as Christians, to care for widows and orphans. Not everyone is called to bring an orphan into their home, but it is our job to do what we can to care for them. There are many ways to do this- but if this is a mission, if we are a family, who you can believe in, then we would ask you to prayerfully consider donating to our family and to our orphan.

There are a few easy ways to help. You can give us cash or a check written to Josh and/or Kristi McKenney. You could use a credit or debit card and donate through our Paypal account linked to our adoption website.?You could head up a fundraiser for us. Every little bit helps.

God already has a baby in mind for us. We don?t know if it is a boy or a girl, we just know that they belong in our family. They are our children. And we need help to bring them home.

?I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.? John 14:18

Sincerely,
The McKenneys- Josh, Kristi, Bryce, Jayden, Kynden, Ellyanna and Adelynn

Source: http://www.courageoushomekeeping.com/featured/our-adoption-support-letter/

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