It feels impossible that we first met our sweet Lucy one month ago today. So much has happened in that small, small amount of time. We have watched, in awe, as she has transformed before our very eyes. She is just so different from the frightened little girl we met in that government office on July 25. I can tell you exactly who I credit for this dramatic transformation.
1. God Almighty. The work I have seen in my daughter's heart over the course of the last month can only be explained by Divine intervention. Truly. It is almost like the Lord has rewired her heart for our family. She is comforted by us, wants to play with us, laughs with us and looks for opportunities to be silly with us. Her personality is coming out more and more; and she fits with us perfectly.
2. Bradley and Asher. These two kids of mine have been incredible with their new sister. I will be completely transparent and tell you that I was straight up terrified to bring Lucy home to two siblings. I thought it would be a jealousy-driven battle for the ages. I envisioned pushing, biting, screaming and tantrums galore from all three of them. BUT IT HAS NOT HAPPENED. Yes, there have been moments of tension and--ahem--heated disagreement. But on the whole, Bradley and Asher have welcomed Lucy with wide open arms and hearts. They invite her to play their make-believe games, they share their toys, they include her. They make her feel safe. It is so beautiful. More than anything else, this is what brings me to tears: watching all three of my non-related, we-look-nothing-alike, but we-love-each-other-fiercely kids.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. God has worked a miracle in our family. I mean it.
Think about it for a second. Imagine a toddler or preschooler that you know. A child who is not your son or daughter. Maybe a friend's kid. Now imagine going up to that kid and saying, "Ok. I'm your mom now." And then bringing that child to your home and convincing him that you are, in fact, his mom for the rest of time. That is essentially what we are doing. We have adopted Lucy, and we are now in the process of convincing her that we are her family, that we are forever, that she can trust us and even love us. It is holy work that cannot be done apart from God's grace. It is hard work that lasts a lifetime. It is worthy work to fight for my child's heart.
I know it can be done. I have seen God do it before in the heart of my son. During the tough moments, I look at Bradley, and I remember how far the Lord has brought us. How much the Lord has changed all of our hearts. How deeply the Lord loves our family. And how faithful the Lord is to those whom He calls.
I love you, Lucy, and I am so thankful that we belong to each other.
With love,
Baylor
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Monday, July 16, 2018
Three Weeks Together
Where to even begin? Three weeks ago today, our daughter was placed in our arms for the very first time. It was a day of profound emotions for all of us. Her most of all. It was a day we had longed and prayed for. A day we had begged for. The morning leading up to meeting her left me a total and complete wreck. My warring emotions nearly left me paralyzed as I swayed back and forth between excitement and fear, relief and sadness. Three weeks ago, I sat in our hotel room on the other side of the planet with tears running down my face, knowing that we were about to begin this incredible journey, and--having done it once before--appreciating more fully all of the joy and the deep, deep heartache that would now be woven into the fabric of our family.
You've heard me say before that adoption is born from loss. No words are more true. Lucy is ours, not because everything in her life was going beautifully, but because this world is terribly broken. She came to out of tragedy. Sometimes, people tell me that she is so lucky to have us. I disagree. She's not lucky.
But we are. We are the ones who get the joy of, not just knowing her, but parenting her. I don't only get to have a relationship with her, I get to have what is arguably THE MOST IMPORTANT relationship with her. I get to be her mother. I get to curate her life. I get to become her inner voice. I get to introduce her to the world, more importantly, I get to introduce her to Jesus Christ. I get to tell her that she is CHOSEN and LOVED by the Creator of all that exists.
And I get to protect her. I get to protect her heart and her story. I get to tell her over and over again how precious and cherished she is.
So there is this struggle for me. What do I share? When we brought Bradley home, the imminent arrival of his baby sister resolved the issue for me. I had almost no time to write, so not much got shared just out of default. I certainly don't have more time now, but I want to make use of the precious little time I do have. That's why I'm sitting on the floor of my room, in the dark, typing this while Lucy naps right next to me. I want to use the time I have to document the incredible miracles God is working in the life of this family I call my own.
Three weeks ago, we were holding a beautiful little girl who was a complete stranger to us. She was terrified. And rightly so. Her nanny handed her to me, and then baby girl did not let go for the remainder of the day. Alternating between crying and staring, she hung on to me. Those first hours and days are are something I will never forget. They will serve as a constant reminder of where we have started and how far the Lord has brought us.
Even today, I watch this silly, smiley girl toddle around my living room, and I am in awe. She loves to laugh and hug her dolls. She loves to snatch books out of my hands. She loves to follow her brother and sister around. And she really loves her dog. The precious child sleeping in my room has covered MILES--literal and figurative--in just three short weeks.
The Lord Almighty has worked a true miracle right before my eyes. This little girl who sobbed at the sight and sound of her dad three weeks ago, now follows him when he leaves the room. Adam spent our first week in China hiding in the bathroom so that she could play and bond with me without being afraid of him. Now, he is lucky to go to the bathroom alone because she is his constant shadow. God has answered our deepest prayer by softening her heart toward us, and it has been astounding to see.
Adoption is not rosy. It is not just adorable pictures and airport celebrations. It is a lifetime of small victories and a daily effort to hand parenting over to God. It is a constant, in-your-face reminder of God's unwavering, unfailing, redemptive love. It is an invitation to watch Him do the impossible in your own home.
You've heard me say before that adoption is born from loss. No words are more true. Lucy is ours, not because everything in her life was going beautifully, but because this world is terribly broken. She came to out of tragedy. Sometimes, people tell me that she is so lucky to have us. I disagree. She's not lucky.
But we are. We are the ones who get the joy of, not just knowing her, but parenting her. I don't only get to have a relationship with her, I get to have what is arguably THE MOST IMPORTANT relationship with her. I get to be her mother. I get to curate her life. I get to become her inner voice. I get to introduce her to the world, more importantly, I get to introduce her to Jesus Christ. I get to tell her that she is CHOSEN and LOVED by the Creator of all that exists.
And I get to protect her. I get to protect her heart and her story. I get to tell her over and over again how precious and cherished she is.
So there is this struggle for me. What do I share? When we brought Bradley home, the imminent arrival of his baby sister resolved the issue for me. I had almost no time to write, so not much got shared just out of default. I certainly don't have more time now, but I want to make use of the precious little time I do have. That's why I'm sitting on the floor of my room, in the dark, typing this while Lucy naps right next to me. I want to use the time I have to document the incredible miracles God is working in the life of this family I call my own.
Three weeks ago, we were holding a beautiful little girl who was a complete stranger to us. She was terrified. And rightly so. Her nanny handed her to me, and then baby girl did not let go for the remainder of the day. Alternating between crying and staring, she hung on to me. Those first hours and days are are something I will never forget. They will serve as a constant reminder of where we have started and how far the Lord has brought us.
Even today, I watch this silly, smiley girl toddle around my living room, and I am in awe. She loves to laugh and hug her dolls. She loves to snatch books out of my hands. She loves to follow her brother and sister around. And she really loves her dog. The precious child sleeping in my room has covered MILES--literal and figurative--in just three short weeks.
The Lord Almighty has worked a true miracle right before my eyes. This little girl who sobbed at the sight and sound of her dad three weeks ago, now follows him when he leaves the room. Adam spent our first week in China hiding in the bathroom so that she could play and bond with me without being afraid of him. Now, he is lucky to go to the bathroom alone because she is his constant shadow. God has answered our deepest prayer by softening her heart toward us, and it has been astounding to see.
Adoption is not rosy. It is not just adorable pictures and airport celebrations. It is a lifetime of small victories and a daily effort to hand parenting over to God. It is a constant, in-your-face reminder of God's unwavering, unfailing, redemptive love. It is an invitation to watch Him do the impossible in your own home.
With love,
Baylor
Monday, June 18, 2018
Back in the Cocoon
I just can't believe that we leave THIS WEEK to adopt our daughter! We are officially in the chaos portion of getting ready to leave. Packing. Cleaning. Organizing. Last minute Target runs. Hugging Bradley and Asher way too much.
And as we approach our departure date, I have found myself drafting this post in my mind again and again.
We are so excited to bring Lucy home, and we cannot wait to begin the next chapter of our life as a family of FIVE. But as excited as we are, it is so critical to remember that our daughter is not having these same feelings.
We will be strangers to her for quite a while. We will have to EARN her trust and teach her to love us. Part of that involves our family staying behind closed doors for a while. From the moment we pick Lucy up, we need to be the only ones to touch her, hold her, feed, her, change her, bathe her. Pretty much everything.
This part of adopting is so important. We only have ONE chance to establish ourselves as Lucy's primary and permanent caregivers. We are not just teaching her that we are her parents, we are teaching her what parents actually are.
This part is so hard. Because you all have been so instrumental in our adoption story, and we WANT you to know her and love her in person. But, for the foreseeable future, we will have to stay in our little cocoon. We have made this plan after countless hours of research, reading and training and after having lived this experience once before. But even so, the reality of it is still so hard!
Don't worry, we will let you know just as soon as Lucy is ready for hugs from her friends and extended family! We can't wait for that day!
With love,
Adam and Baylor
And as we approach our departure date, I have found myself drafting this post in my mind again and again.
We are so excited to bring Lucy home, and we cannot wait to begin the next chapter of our life as a family of FIVE. But as excited as we are, it is so critical to remember that our daughter is not having these same feelings.
We will be strangers to her for quite a while. We will have to EARN her trust and teach her to love us. Part of that involves our family staying behind closed doors for a while. From the moment we pick Lucy up, we need to be the only ones to touch her, hold her, feed, her, change her, bathe her. Pretty much everything.
This part of adopting is so important. We only have ONE chance to establish ourselves as Lucy's primary and permanent caregivers. We are not just teaching her that we are her parents, we are teaching her what parents actually are.
This part is so hard. Because you all have been so instrumental in our adoption story, and we WANT you to know her and love her in person. But, for the foreseeable future, we will have to stay in our little cocoon. We have made this plan after countless hours of research, reading and training and after having lived this experience once before. But even so, the reality of it is still so hard!
Don't worry, we will let you know just as soon as Lucy is ready for hugs from her friends and extended family! We can't wait for that day!
With love,
Adam and Baylor
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
On the Cusp
June 13, 2015.
A day that changed my entire life. It was this very day three years ago that I first held my most precious son in my arms. In that moment, I witnessed the promise of the Lord fulfilled in the life of our family. God had asked us to trust Him in the biggest of ways. And when I reached the top of those stairs and saw my son mere feet from me, I knew that the Lord had asked something big of us so that He could give us something bigger in return.
I held that eleven month old child, still a stranger to him, and prayed that the Lord would bind our hearts together. That He would somehow make my son know, in the depths of his soul, that he is fiercely and deeply loved. I begged God to move.
And three years later, I look at my my son, my nearly four year old boy, and I see the bravest soul I have ever known. I see someone the Lord loves so fully. I see a child whom I could not possibly love any more. He is the light of my life, a CONSTANT reminder of God's faithfulness.
And here we are. On the cusp of doing it again. Begging God to move AGAIN. Pleading with Him to give our daughter a supernatural peace during these last days. Days that she does not know are the last of their kind for her. I am praying, throwing myself at God's feet, asking Him to ready her heart for us.
I remember this feeling so clearly when it was Bradley. My heart: bursting with love for this longed-for child. All the while knowing that he had no clue that we even existed. I find myself in that same place tonight. Loving our daughter deeply and knowing that, when she meets us in a few short days, we will be strangers to her.
Adoption is so many things. Not the least of which is utterly heartbreaking.
So will you pray for her tonight? Will you join me in pleading with God for her heart and soul? I am praying that the Lord would, somehow, let her know that we love her and that she is safe with us. I am praying that she sees us as permanent figures and not just another set of rotating caregivers who will be here for awhile and then gone forever.
I know it can be done. I have seen it in the life of my son. And I am begging the Lord to do the same for my daughter.
With love,
Baylor
A day that changed my entire life. It was this very day three years ago that I first held my most precious son in my arms. In that moment, I witnessed the promise of the Lord fulfilled in the life of our family. God had asked us to trust Him in the biggest of ways. And when I reached the top of those stairs and saw my son mere feet from me, I knew that the Lord had asked something big of us so that He could give us something bigger in return.
I held that eleven month old child, still a stranger to him, and prayed that the Lord would bind our hearts together. That He would somehow make my son know, in the depths of his soul, that he is fiercely and deeply loved. I begged God to move.
And three years later, I look at my my son, my nearly four year old boy, and I see the bravest soul I have ever known. I see someone the Lord loves so fully. I see a child whom I could not possibly love any more. He is the light of my life, a CONSTANT reminder of God's faithfulness.
And here we are. On the cusp of doing it again. Begging God to move AGAIN. Pleading with Him to give our daughter a supernatural peace during these last days. Days that she does not know are the last of their kind for her. I am praying, throwing myself at God's feet, asking Him to ready her heart for us.
I remember this feeling so clearly when it was Bradley. My heart: bursting with love for this longed-for child. All the while knowing that he had no clue that we even existed. I find myself in that same place tonight. Loving our daughter deeply and knowing that, when she meets us in a few short days, we will be strangers to her.
Adoption is so many things. Not the least of which is utterly heartbreaking.
So will you pray for her tonight? Will you join me in pleading with God for her heart and soul? I am praying that the Lord would, somehow, let her know that we love her and that she is safe with us. I am praying that she sees us as permanent figures and not just another set of rotating caregivers who will be here for awhile and then gone forever.
I know it can be done. I have seen it in the life of my son. And I am begging the Lord to do the same for my daughter.
With love,
Baylor
Sunday, May 20, 2018
He Will Supply Every Need
People often ask how this adoption compares to our experience adopting from Ethiopia. The short answer is: It doesn't. At all.
Bradley's adoption took so long. And, for most of that time, it truly seemed like it would never actually happen. There were delays, shut downs, law changes. It felt like anything that could have conceivably gone wrong did go wrong. The Lord used that time to strengthen and deepen our faith in a way that I still cannot fully wrap my head around. He showed us that He will always be with us, in the trenches, in the impossibilities. He showed us that we had been relying on our own strength and (perceived) righteousness, not His. God took the hardest thing we have ever done and used it to show us His glory.
Lucy's adoption has swung us the other way. When we started the process early last year, we thought that it would be at least three years before we brought our daughter home. God had much different and far better plans. He brought our daughter to us after only three months of waiting. We were floored (still are!) and so thankful.
After we gave our best yes and began to take the next steps to bring Lucy home, we realized that we were going to have to trust the Lord to provide in a completely new way. At the time we were matched with Lucy, we still had over two thirds of our adoption costs left to pay for. Adam was already working two jobs, and I am with our kids full time. On paper, there was no way we could earn that much money in such a short amount of time.
But then we reached out to you, our family and community. We asked you to love our daughter in a very real way by helping us to bring her home.
And SO MANY of you responded. You gave of your resources to give our daughter a family. We are so humbled by you. Thank you.
We have also been applying for grants through adoption-focused ministries. And we are thrilled beyond words to share with you that, last week, we were awarded a matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans. This incredible ministry comes alongside adopting families through local churches and offers everything from fundraising support to grants. Their heart's desire is to see children find families. We have been blessed to be one of those families.
Lifesong for Orphans has offered our family a $4,000 matching grant.
That means that any funds we can raise, up to $4,000 will be matched. And THAT means we can potentially put $8,000 toward bringing our daughter HOME.
We are stunned and so deeply thankful. If we can do this, we will be fully and completely funded to bring Lucy home THIS SUMMER.
One of the most amazing parts about Lifesong is their commitment to partner with local churches, and OUR HOME CHURCH is our partner in this grant. That means that the money matched for our adoption will come from our church's benevolence fund. The global church speaks often of supporting brothers and sisters, of meeting the needs of fellow believers. Our church is doing that in an amazing way. Our faith family is standing beside our family and saying, "Yes. We believe in what God has laid before you, and we want to be a part of it."
How incredible is that?
So if you are still reading, and you are feeling led to donate, just follow the directions below.
Click HERE.
Where it says, "Please direct my donation to," select "Adoption."
In the FAMILY ACCOUNT NUMBER field, enter: #7733
In the FAMILY NAME field, enter: Knott Family
Any donation above $50 is automatically tax deductible. For donations below $50, you can request tax deduction receipts.
You can also mail a check to:
Lifesong for Orphans
P.O. Box 40
Gridley. IL 61744
If you give by check, please include "Knott Family, account #7733" in the memo line.
We will never be able to thank you enough for helping us bring our daughter home. We know that she is worth it, and it means the world to know that you think so, too.
With love,
The Knotts
Bradley's adoption took so long. And, for most of that time, it truly seemed like it would never actually happen. There were delays, shut downs, law changes. It felt like anything that could have conceivably gone wrong did go wrong. The Lord used that time to strengthen and deepen our faith in a way that I still cannot fully wrap my head around. He showed us that He will always be with us, in the trenches, in the impossibilities. He showed us that we had been relying on our own strength and (perceived) righteousness, not His. God took the hardest thing we have ever done and used it to show us His glory.
Lucy's adoption has swung us the other way. When we started the process early last year, we thought that it would be at least three years before we brought our daughter home. God had much different and far better plans. He brought our daughter to us after only three months of waiting. We were floored (still are!) and so thankful.
After we gave our best yes and began to take the next steps to bring Lucy home, we realized that we were going to have to trust the Lord to provide in a completely new way. At the time we were matched with Lucy, we still had over two thirds of our adoption costs left to pay for. Adam was already working two jobs, and I am with our kids full time. On paper, there was no way we could earn that much money in such a short amount of time.
But then we reached out to you, our family and community. We asked you to love our daughter in a very real way by helping us to bring her home.
And SO MANY of you responded. You gave of your resources to give our daughter a family. We are so humbled by you. Thank you.
We have also been applying for grants through adoption-focused ministries. And we are thrilled beyond words to share with you that, last week, we were awarded a matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans. This incredible ministry comes alongside adopting families through local churches and offers everything from fundraising support to grants. Their heart's desire is to see children find families. We have been blessed to be one of those families.
Lifesong for Orphans has offered our family a $4,000 matching grant.
That means that any funds we can raise, up to $4,000 will be matched. And THAT means we can potentially put $8,000 toward bringing our daughter HOME.
We are stunned and so deeply thankful. If we can do this, we will be fully and completely funded to bring Lucy home THIS SUMMER.
One of the most amazing parts about Lifesong is their commitment to partner with local churches, and OUR HOME CHURCH is our partner in this grant. That means that the money matched for our adoption will come from our church's benevolence fund. The global church speaks often of supporting brothers and sisters, of meeting the needs of fellow believers. Our church is doing that in an amazing way. Our faith family is standing beside our family and saying, "Yes. We believe in what God has laid before you, and we want to be a part of it."
How incredible is that?
So if you are still reading, and you are feeling led to donate, just follow the directions below.
Click HERE.
Where it says, "Please direct my donation to," select "Adoption."
In the FAMILY ACCOUNT NUMBER field, enter: #7733
In the FAMILY NAME field, enter: Knott Family
Any donation above $50 is automatically tax deductible. For donations below $50, you can request tax deduction receipts.
You can also mail a check to:
Lifesong for Orphans
P.O. Box 40
Gridley. IL 61744
If you give by check, please include "Knott Family, account #7733" in the memo line.
We will never be able to thank you enough for helping us bring our daughter home. We know that she is worth it, and it means the world to know that you think so, too.
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19
With love,
The Knotts
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Her Name
We have SO MUCH going on in the adoption world right now. Electronic forms being completed and submitted. Paperwork crisscrossing the planet. I want to step back to breathe for a minute. and in that minute, I want to share our daughter's name with you.
It was the spring of 2010 when Adam and I first felt the Lord pull our hearts toward adoption. We were sitting in church listening to our pastor teach on the Book of Ruth. It wasn't even an adoption-focused sermon, but at the same time, Adam and I looked at each other and said that we felt the Lord telling us we would one day adopt a daughter from China. AT THE SAME TIME. We love the story of Ruth, of her faith to follow God when it was hard and her boldness in doing what she knew the Lord was asking of her even when her reputation was on the line.
So we always knew that Ruth would be a part of our daughter's name.
Lucy means LIGHT. Years ago, God used His call on our hearts to turn on a light in our lives. He opened our eyes and our hearts to adoption. Our little girl coming home is the Lord fulfilling a years old promise. She is the reason we started down this path. It is also our deepest prayer that she would come to know Jesus early and be a light for Him and His kingdom here on earth.
So now we are praying. We are praying that our Lucy Ruth comes home as soon as possible. We are praying that the Lord would continue to guard and protect her in the meantime. We are praying that He would claim her heart early and never let it go.
With love,
Baylor
Lucy Ruth
It was the spring of 2010 when Adam and I first felt the Lord pull our hearts toward adoption. We were sitting in church listening to our pastor teach on the Book of Ruth. It wasn't even an adoption-focused sermon, but at the same time, Adam and I looked at each other and said that we felt the Lord telling us we would one day adopt a daughter from China. AT THE SAME TIME. We love the story of Ruth, of her faith to follow God when it was hard and her boldness in doing what she knew the Lord was asking of her even when her reputation was on the line.
So we always knew that Ruth would be a part of our daughter's name.
Lucy means LIGHT. Years ago, God used His call on our hearts to turn on a light in our lives. He opened our eyes and our hearts to adoption. Our little girl coming home is the Lord fulfilling a years old promise. She is the reason we started down this path. It is also our deepest prayer that she would come to know Jesus early and be a light for Him and His kingdom here on earth.
So now we are praying. We are praying that our Lucy Ruth comes home as soon as possible. We are praying that the Lord would continue to guard and protect her in the meantime. We are praying that He would claim her heart early and never let it go.
With love,
Baylor
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Isn't It Interesting
I never get tired of God showing up. Never.
On Sunday night, hundreds of you joined us in prayer for our daughter's adoption case. You prayed that she would feel loved. You prayed that her caregivers would have extra strength. And you prayed that we would get the necessary document to move our case forward this week.
Well, I got a call from the director of our agency's China program this morning letting me know that the in-country staff says we should have everything we need by the end of THIS WEEK.
You GUYS! Thank you for begging God alongside us.
I want to say that I cannot believe it, but I totally can.
As soon as I got off the phone with her, I called Adam to tell him the news and he said, "Isn't it interesting how as soon as we share what our prayer needs are, God moves?"
Yeah, it is interesting. It reminds me that God WANTS us to ask great big things of Him. He wants us to come running to Him. Over and over again in my life--especially since we began our first adoption process--I have seen God wait. I've seen Him wait until we reach out to the world and ask you to join us in prayer to do something HUGE.
And I might wonder why, but I think I know. When we ask Him to move in God-sized ways, and when we do it in front of people, He alone gets the glory for moving the mountain. I can't claim victory over this paperwork glitch. HE CAN. And He can claim that victory in front of everyone who joined us in prayer or even just read about what was going on this past Sunday night at 8:30.
That is how we are called to live our lives, dear friends. We have to throw the spotlight back on God. That is where it belongs. Our victories are due to His hands moving.
And we are so thankful to have the opportunity to see God toss mountain after mountain into the sea for the good of our family and the glory of His great and powerful name.
So we don't have the paper in hand, but we should get it this week. Please keep praying with us.
With love,
Baylor
On Sunday night, hundreds of you joined us in prayer for our daughter's adoption case. You prayed that she would feel loved. You prayed that her caregivers would have extra strength. And you prayed that we would get the necessary document to move our case forward this week.
Well, I got a call from the director of our agency's China program this morning letting me know that the in-country staff says we should have everything we need by the end of THIS WEEK.
You GUYS! Thank you for begging God alongside us.
I want to say that I cannot believe it, but I totally can.
As soon as I got off the phone with her, I called Adam to tell him the news and he said, "Isn't it interesting how as soon as we share what our prayer needs are, God moves?"
Yeah, it is interesting. It reminds me that God WANTS us to ask great big things of Him. He wants us to come running to Him. Over and over again in my life--especially since we began our first adoption process--I have seen God wait. I've seen Him wait until we reach out to the world and ask you to join us in prayer to do something HUGE.
And I might wonder why, but I think I know. When we ask Him to move in God-sized ways, and when we do it in front of people, He alone gets the glory for moving the mountain. I can't claim victory over this paperwork glitch. HE CAN. And He can claim that victory in front of everyone who joined us in prayer or even just read about what was going on this past Sunday night at 8:30.
That is how we are called to live our lives, dear friends. We have to throw the spotlight back on God. That is where it belongs. Our victories are due to His hands moving.
And we are so thankful to have the opportunity to see God toss mountain after mountain into the sea for the good of our family and the glory of His great and powerful name.
So we don't have the paper in hand, but we should get it this week. Please keep praying with us.
With love,
Baylor
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Will You Pray With Us?
Well, I suppose it would not be an international adoption without a bump or two along the way. Sadly, we have hit a big one. Ten days ago, we received a letter in the mail from our immigration officer. It is the letter you do NOT want to get. It's called a Request For Evidence (RFE). Basically, it means that the immigration officer assigned to our family's case thinks something in our family's file is lacking and he has, therefore, requested further evidence before granting permission for our daughter to enter the country as a U.S. citizen.
At it's core, an RFE is a good thing because it is the United States doing its due diligence to ensure that children being placed for adoption do, in fact, need to be adopted. We fully support that. What is frustrating for us is that we feel like what immigration is asking for should have already been in our daughter's file. A clerical error, more or less...at least that is what we are hoping. I'm not going to go into any more detail as to what our officer is looking for, as that information is part of our daughter's story and not ours to share. But suffice it say that we are STUCK and a little nervous. Our case cannot move forward until our officer receives what he is asking for, and what he is asking for is a critically important piece of documentation.
An RFE is a HUGE setback because there is no definite time frame as to when it will be resolved. We were really hoping to get the documentation we need to move forward some time last week, but that did not happen.
So we are, once again, turning to you. We are asking you to pray with our family to help bring our daughter home. Each day our case is delayed is another day our daughter spends without a family. And that reality breaks our hearts.
Tonight at 8:30 CST we will be praying for the following things:
-That our daughter would feel safe and loved every single day
-That her caregivers would have extra energy and patience as they go about their work
-That we would receive the necessary documentation THIS WEEK in order to move our case forward
These are ENORMOUS prayers. Each one will take a miracle. I mean that. And I am certain it is no coincidence that our church's sermon this morning was all about connecting with God through prayer, how He knows what we need before we ask, how He is able to do all things. And the part that stuck with me the most: when we pray according to His will, it will be done. God's heart is to set the lonely in families, to be a Father to the fatherless. Scripture shouts these truths.
So will you pray with us? Will you pray and ask the Lord to move these mountains? If you can commit to joining us tonight, will you leave a comment below, or on Facebook or Instagram? We love to see how the Lord moves when we come together before Him.
Love,
Baylor
At it's core, an RFE is a good thing because it is the United States doing its due diligence to ensure that children being placed for adoption do, in fact, need to be adopted. We fully support that. What is frustrating for us is that we feel like what immigration is asking for should have already been in our daughter's file. A clerical error, more or less...at least that is what we are hoping. I'm not going to go into any more detail as to what our officer is looking for, as that information is part of our daughter's story and not ours to share. But suffice it say that we are STUCK and a little nervous. Our case cannot move forward until our officer receives what he is asking for, and what he is asking for is a critically important piece of documentation.
An RFE is a HUGE setback because there is no definite time frame as to when it will be resolved. We were really hoping to get the documentation we need to move forward some time last week, but that did not happen.
So we are, once again, turning to you. We are asking you to pray with our family to help bring our daughter home. Each day our case is delayed is another day our daughter spends without a family. And that reality breaks our hearts.
Tonight at 8:30 CST we will be praying for the following things:
-That our daughter would feel safe and loved every single day
-That her caregivers would have extra energy and patience as they go about their work
-That we would receive the necessary documentation THIS WEEK in order to move our case forward
These are ENORMOUS prayers. Each one will take a miracle. I mean that. And I am certain it is no coincidence that our church's sermon this morning was all about connecting with God through prayer, how He knows what we need before we ask, how He is able to do all things. And the part that stuck with me the most: when we pray according to His will, it will be done. God's heart is to set the lonely in families, to be a Father to the fatherless. Scripture shouts these truths.
So will you pray with us? Will you pray and ask the Lord to move these mountains? If you can commit to joining us tonight, will you leave a comment below, or on Facebook or Instagram? We love to see how the Lord moves when we come together before Him.
Love,
Baylor
Monday, April 2, 2018
Wow. Just WOW.
Yesterday marked one whole month since we saw our girl's face for the very first time. It's been one whole month of being absolutely blown away by God's favor and faithfulness in the life of our family, one whole month of totally readjusting our plans, one whole month of trying to get our heads around the reality that we have a daughter who will be coming home this summer.
Referral day left us stunned, marveling at God's goodness and wondering how on earth we would be able to pull this off. And that is where we went wrong. WE are not going to pull this off. God is. A referral this soon is so beyond our capability to manage, and that reality is leading us to trust in our mighty God in a whole new way.
About a week after being matched, we came to you--our community-- with a need. A BIG one. We thought we had at least a year to get everything we needed saved in order to complete this adoption. God turned that timeline on its head, and we were left to trust Him to provide for us to bring our girl home. And He led us to you. We did something so completely out of our comfort zone, something I had promised myself I would never do. We asked you to prayerfully consider supporting us by donating directly to our adoption. My stomach was in knots when I published that post.
But then God use YOU to absolutely blow us away. In the last three weeks, YOU have donated nearly $9,000 to help us bring our daughter home.
I am speechless.
You are giving our family the most incredible gift there is. You are allowing us to become parents to this precious girl. You are using your resources, your hard earned resources, to say that you believe children deserve families. You are telling us that you love our daughter, that she matters to YOU, that her life is important and that she deserves a mom, a dad, a brother and a sister (a dog, too).
You are part of our story, of her story. And we will never be able to thank you enough. But I'll say it anyway: Thank you for loving our family. Thank you for believing in us and walking with us. Thank you for loving our daughter, for helping us get to her. Thank you for responding when God spoke to your heart. Thank you for being our village. Thank you.
Click HERE to see what you have done!
We love each of you so dearly.
Baylor
Referral day left us stunned, marveling at God's goodness and wondering how on earth we would be able to pull this off. And that is where we went wrong. WE are not going to pull this off. God is. A referral this soon is so beyond our capability to manage, and that reality is leading us to trust in our mighty God in a whole new way.
About a week after being matched, we came to you--our community-- with a need. A BIG one. We thought we had at least a year to get everything we needed saved in order to complete this adoption. God turned that timeline on its head, and we were left to trust Him to provide for us to bring our girl home. And He led us to you. We did something so completely out of our comfort zone, something I had promised myself I would never do. We asked you to prayerfully consider supporting us by donating directly to our adoption. My stomach was in knots when I published that post.
But then God use YOU to absolutely blow us away. In the last three weeks, YOU have donated nearly $9,000 to help us bring our daughter home.
I am speechless.
You are giving our family the most incredible gift there is. You are allowing us to become parents to this precious girl. You are using your resources, your hard earned resources, to say that you believe children deserve families. You are telling us that you love our daughter, that she matters to YOU, that her life is important and that she deserves a mom, a dad, a brother and a sister (a dog, too).
You are part of our story, of her story. And we will never be able to thank you enough. But I'll say it anyway: Thank you for loving our family. Thank you for believing in us and walking with us. Thank you for loving our daughter, for helping us get to her. Thank you for responding when God spoke to your heart. Thank you for being our village. Thank you.
Click HERE to see what you have done!
We love each of you so dearly.
Baylor
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
LOA!
We are so, so excited to share that we have received our Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from China! What does that mean? It means that we have been officially accepted by the government as Lucy's prospective adoptive parents. This is an ENORMOUS milestone for our family!
So what now?
Now we fill out another heap of forms to get the different approvals required. Yaaaaay paperwork!
And, of course, the big question: When do we leave? Well, today our social worker said to expect travel in 2.5-3 months. So it looks like it will for sure be early summer when our family officially grows by one more precious soul.
Adam and I are just stunned. This is all happening so quickly. And it is INSANE to type that about adding children to our family. We are thankful to the core to our great and glorious God for His provision in our family. And we are thankful for you, too. So many of you have encouraged and supported us along the way. You have prayed for us, spoken truth to us, cried with us, rejoiced with us, and reminded us of God's unwavering faithfulness. Thank you.
Many of you have asked how you can help over the coming months. Here are some things we have going on:
1. Prayer. We so desperately need your prayer. Please pray for our daughter, that she stays healthy, that she stays safe, that she feels love every single day, that God gives her peace and prepares her heart to join our family. Please pray for Bradley and Asher, that the Lord would prepare their hearts for this great big change, that they would continue to know how deeply we love and cherish them both. Please pray for us, that we would rest in God's peace during the next few months, that God would renew our strength for the first few months home.
2. Yard Sale: If you are local to the Birmingham area, we are having a yard sale on April 14. If you have items you are looking to get rid of, we will take them off your hands! We are accepting any and all donations, so send us your junk!
3. Donations: We shared last week that we are breaking into new territory with this adoption and doing something that is so uncomfortable for us: asking our community to prayerfully consider donating toward our adoption. And you all have been so amazing. In just a few short days, you have donated 10% of our remaining adoption costs. WOW! If you are interested in supporting us in this way, you can click HERE to be taken to our fundraising page.
Today, we are celebrating being one step closer to our precious girl!
With love,
Baylor
Friday, March 9, 2018
Trusting God in a New Way
Now that the adrenaline rush of last week's biggest surprise ever is starting to subside, I am finding myself feeling wholly and completely overwhelmed by God's grace and favor in life of our family. I absolutely cannot believe that this is our life. I was telling Adam last week that feel as though our life as a family has come full circle. When we originally felt the Lord leading us to adoption in 2010, He drew our hearts to China. We weren't old enough yet to meet the requirements, but we knew that adoption, especially adoption from China, was going to be a part of the Knott family story one day.
As years progressed and we fought to bring Bradley home, the Lord was continually asking us to trust Him, to believe in His holy sovereignty. He was asking us to walk by faith and not by sight. And it was so hard, because the things we could see terrified us, made us believe that our vision for our family was simply impossible. There were days, even months, when it looked like we would not be able to adopt from Ethiopia. And then, with one phone call, our lives were forever changed. We saw God's faithfulness revealed in the face of our son. The Lord showed us, through Bradley's adoption, that He can be trusted in every circumstance, that we can throw our lives at His feet and KNOW that He is good.
And then there was sweet Asher, the surprise we never saw coming. When we were told that biological children would not be part of our life we mourned deeply. We grieved the loss of what we though our family would be: a beautiful reflection of what we imagine the family of God to be like. Over the years, the Lord was again asking us to trust Him. And it was so hard. But slowly, He broke us down and then rebuilt us, teaching us all along the way that He is worthy of our love, our loyalty and our trust. So when we found out about our first daughter, we were reminded again of God's faithfulness, of His goodness, of His perfect timing.
And now we face something completely foreign to us: an adoption that is moving at lightning speed. When my phone rang last week and Maggie told me that we had a daughter on the other side of the world, my soul fell silent except to say, "Thank you, Lord." I know that only He could have done this. Adding children to our family has always been so difficult, so fraught with obstacles, so seemingly impossible. And in that one moment, the Lord, in His infinite goodness, redeemed years of grief and hardship. It is as if He is extending His hand of grace directly to us and merely asking that we take it.
And we are so honored to do it, to add another life to love to our family. She is already so dear to us, and we are so ready to have her home. But here is the tricky part about an adoption that moves faster than you expect: We are now in the position of having to trust God in a new way. We are having to trust God to provide financially in a very short amount of time. Prior to last week, we thought that we would be matched this time next year. So we have been diligently saving and planning fundraisers (t-shirts, yard sales, etc.). And it looked like we might be OK just doing that.
But now things have drastically changed. We are planning on traveling to bring Baby Knott #3 home in June. That means we have about three months to finance our remaining adoption costs, which, at this point, are substantial. After much discussion and a lot of prayer, we are going to do something that I swore to myself I would never, EVER do. We are going to turn to you, our community, and ask that you prayerfully consider helping us bring our daughter home by donating toward our adoption.
I don't like asking for help. I actually pretty much hate it. But I love my daughter more, and I know that there is no way we can get to her and bring her home in this short amount of time on our own. We have applied for grants, and we are still planning yard sales. We are still saving as much as we can, but we need help. We have set up a YouCaring link that you can donate to, if you feel so led. PLEASE do not feel obligated in ANY way. We know this is asking a lot, and, believe me, we feel plenty awkward doing it, but we are trying to step out in faith and believe that the Lord will provide a way for us to bring her home. I have included the link below.
CLICK HERE
I could never say it enough, but thank you. Thank you for loving our family. So many of you prayed right alongside us to bring Bradley home. And then you prayed Asher safely here. And then you prayed for this adoption. Our family would not be where we are without you, and we want you to know that we know that. You have been the hands and feet of Jesus in our life.
With deep love,
Adam, Baylor, Bradley, Asher and Lucy
As years progressed and we fought to bring Bradley home, the Lord was continually asking us to trust Him, to believe in His holy sovereignty. He was asking us to walk by faith and not by sight. And it was so hard, because the things we could see terrified us, made us believe that our vision for our family was simply impossible. There were days, even months, when it looked like we would not be able to adopt from Ethiopia. And then, with one phone call, our lives were forever changed. We saw God's faithfulness revealed in the face of our son. The Lord showed us, through Bradley's adoption, that He can be trusted in every circumstance, that we can throw our lives at His feet and KNOW that He is good.
And then there was sweet Asher, the surprise we never saw coming. When we were told that biological children would not be part of our life we mourned deeply. We grieved the loss of what we though our family would be: a beautiful reflection of what we imagine the family of God to be like. Over the years, the Lord was again asking us to trust Him. And it was so hard. But slowly, He broke us down and then rebuilt us, teaching us all along the way that He is worthy of our love, our loyalty and our trust. So when we found out about our first daughter, we were reminded again of God's faithfulness, of His goodness, of His perfect timing.
And now we face something completely foreign to us: an adoption that is moving at lightning speed. When my phone rang last week and Maggie told me that we had a daughter on the other side of the world, my soul fell silent except to say, "Thank you, Lord." I know that only He could have done this. Adding children to our family has always been so difficult, so fraught with obstacles, so seemingly impossible. And in that one moment, the Lord, in His infinite goodness, redeemed years of grief and hardship. It is as if He is extending His hand of grace directly to us and merely asking that we take it.
And we are so honored to do it, to add another life to love to our family. She is already so dear to us, and we are so ready to have her home. But here is the tricky part about an adoption that moves faster than you expect: We are now in the position of having to trust God in a new way. We are having to trust God to provide financially in a very short amount of time. Prior to last week, we thought that we would be matched this time next year. So we have been diligently saving and planning fundraisers (t-shirts, yard sales, etc.). And it looked like we might be OK just doing that.
But now things have drastically changed. We are planning on traveling to bring Baby Knott #3 home in June. That means we have about three months to finance our remaining adoption costs, which, at this point, are substantial. After much discussion and a lot of prayer, we are going to do something that I swore to myself I would never, EVER do. We are going to turn to you, our community, and ask that you prayerfully consider helping us bring our daughter home by donating toward our adoption.
I don't like asking for help. I actually pretty much hate it. But I love my daughter more, and I know that there is no way we can get to her and bring her home in this short amount of time on our own. We have applied for grants, and we are still planning yard sales. We are still saving as much as we can, but we need help. We have set up a YouCaring link that you can donate to, if you feel so led. PLEASE do not feel obligated in ANY way. We know this is asking a lot, and, believe me, we feel plenty awkward doing it, but we are trying to step out in faith and believe that the Lord will provide a way for us to bring her home. I have included the link below.
CLICK HERE
I could never say it enough, but thank you. Thank you for loving our family. So many of you prayed right alongside us to bring Bradley home. And then you prayed Asher safely here. And then you prayed for this adoption. Our family would not be where we are without you, and we want you to know that we know that. You have been the hands and feet of Jesus in our life.
With deep love,
Adam, Baylor, Bradley, Asher and Lucy
Monday, March 5, 2018
A Mountain Thrown Into The Sea: Seeing Her Face
So on Thursday morning, I was sitting in my car in our church parking lot about to go in and teach an ESL class on the proper use of the present continuous tense. As I was trying to eat my granola bar and finish my coffee, my phone rang. It was Maggie, our social worker. I immediately thought, "Which form did I forget to sign?" Our papers have only been in China since the end of November, so I knew nothing had expired, and I was planning on a 12-18 month wait for a referral.
I answered, and she responded with a very happy sounding, "Hey, Baylor, How are you?"
My heart immediately dropped into my shoes. There is only one reason an adoption social worker uses that hopeful, upbeat tone of voice.
YOU GUYS. WE HAVE BEEN MATCHED WITH OUR DAUGHTER.
I had no eloquent words for Maggie. No gracious response. I was stunned into near silence.
Somehow, I managed to listen as she told me a little bit about our precious girl and that she would email us her file and picture. I feel like I am usually pretty well-spoken, but I could barely get out complete sentences. At some point, I told her I needed to talk to Adam and that I would call her back.
I ran upstairs and told our ministry leader that I could not, in fact, give a lesson on the present continuous tense today but that my lesson plan was in her inbox. She graciously understood and I raced off to Adam's clinic.
On the way, I called him and called him and called him. No answer. So I did what I only do in emergencies. I voice paged him. He, of course, thought something was wrong, but I told him to just call me back right away.
He did, and I got to break the very best kind of news to him. We have a referral! He was just as shocked as I was.
A few moments later, in a supply closet at his clinic, we saw her face for the very first time.
And later that afternoon, we got to do the most AMAZING thing. We got show Bradley and Asher their new little sister for the very first time.
I answered, and she responded with a very happy sounding, "Hey, Baylor, How are you?"
My heart immediately dropped into my shoes. There is only one reason an adoption social worker uses that hopeful, upbeat tone of voice.
YOU GUYS. WE HAVE BEEN MATCHED WITH OUR DAUGHTER.
I had no eloquent words for Maggie. No gracious response. I was stunned into near silence.
Somehow, I managed to listen as she told me a little bit about our precious girl and that she would email us her file and picture. I feel like I am usually pretty well-spoken, but I could barely get out complete sentences. At some point, I told her I needed to talk to Adam and that I would call her back.
I ran upstairs and told our ministry leader that I could not, in fact, give a lesson on the present continuous tense today but that my lesson plan was in her inbox. She graciously understood and I raced off to Adam's clinic.
On the way, I called him and called him and called him. No answer. So I did what I only do in emergencies. I voice paged him. He, of course, thought something was wrong, but I told him to just call me back right away.
He did, and I got to break the very best kind of news to him. We have a referral! He was just as shocked as I was.
A few moments later, in a supply closet at his clinic, we saw her face for the very first time.
These are screen grabs from a video, so pardon the blurriness.
But I think the sentiment in clear.
We are in love.
And also in shock!
And later that afternoon, we got to do the most AMAZING thing. We got show Bradley and Asher their new little sister for the very first time.
Bradley's first words?
"We go get her now?"
My feelings, exactly.
Asher's first words to her new sister?
"Hi!"
Oh, dear friends, we are awed and humbled by God's abundant grace and favor in our family. With our first adoption, it seemed like we ran into every single brick wall that existed, like we would never get to Bradley. And then with Asher, well, we just didn't even think she was in the realm of possibility for us. And now, to see the Lord extend His hand of mercy to us in this powerful, tangible, real-life way....well, we are speechless expect to say, "Thank you, Lord."
So it looks like we are going to travel to China early this summer to bring our girl home. That's in like three months. GULP.
More is coming soon on what the next few months hold in store, but for now, we just ask you to join us in thanking our great and powerful God for working a MIRACLE for our family's good and His glory!
“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain,
‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart
but believes that what they say will happen,
it will be done for them."
Mark 11:23
With love,
Baylor
Monday, January 1, 2018
Resolution State of Mind
It's the first day a brand new year, and I've got resolutions on my mind. But leading up to today I had something else on my mind. What did I feel like I was missing in 2017? Where did I miss out? I found my answer in, of all things, a Christmas carol.
"O, come let us adore Him,
O, come let us adore Him,
O. come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord."
When I look back at 2017, I feel like I missed out on so many opportunities to adore my Savior, to give Him the honor and glory He so rightly deserves. I'm so tempted ALL THE TIME to rely on myself and try to do things on my own. And as a Christ follower, I simply cannot do that. I have to recognize my complete and utter dependency on Jesus.
So as I sit here tonight with resolutions on my mind, the one that jumps to the front is to make 2018 the year that I shift my gaze to Jesus. I want to see everything in my life through the lens of Jesus Christ. I want to be a wife whose devotion to her husband honors the Lord. I want to be a mother who raises her children to seek God first. I want to be a friend who bears the burdens of those she loves, who points them back to Christ when they are tempted to walk away.
So how on earth am I going to do this? NOT BY MYSELF. I know that it will be Jesus alone who changes the posture of my heart and my life. But I also know that I have to do the work, too. So I am trying to start the year off by being more focused, more intentional with my time. I am trying to manage my time in a way that honors God. Literally writing every single thing I plan to do that day on a calendar to make sure I have account of what I am doing.
It is my prayer that God will reveal Himself to me in brand new ways this year, that He will show me aspects of His character I have not yet seen and that He will further amaze me with His profound love and abiding grace.
Happy New Year to you!
Baylor
So as I sit here tonight with resolutions on my mind, the one that jumps to the front is to make 2018 the year that I shift my gaze to Jesus. I want to see everything in my life through the lens of Jesus Christ. I want to be a wife whose devotion to her husband honors the Lord. I want to be a mother who raises her children to seek God first. I want to be a friend who bears the burdens of those she loves, who points them back to Christ when they are tempted to walk away.
So how on earth am I going to do this? NOT BY MYSELF. I know that it will be Jesus alone who changes the posture of my heart and my life. But I also know that I have to do the work, too. So I am trying to start the year off by being more focused, more intentional with my time. I am trying to manage my time in a way that honors God. Literally writing every single thing I plan to do that day on a calendar to make sure I have account of what I am doing.
It is my prayer that God will reveal Himself to me in brand new ways this year, that He will show me aspects of His character I have not yet seen and that He will further amaze me with His profound love and abiding grace.
Happy New Year to you!
Baylor
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