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
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