Adoption

Infertility

It is rough.  I say is because it really isn't in our past, it is our present too.  But the pain is less because infertility lead us to our perfectly planned family. We dated forever and a day and then married and enjoyed our life in the big city for a couple of years, the time seemed right and the jobs fell into place.  We moved back to the small hometown to start our family, except we weren't able to conceive.  The reasons seemed to matter, we did all the testing. We both have contributing factors, but likely my previous surgeries are to blame.  And looking back, the reasons don't matter at all.  Wonderful OB experience where we tried several options, month after month was filled with hope and then despair.  We moved onto a fertility specialist and tried one IUI.  Things looked promising and we even had ourselves convinced, but it was not God's plan.  God took us thru this to ready our hearts for adoption.  We took a few short months off to pray {and recoup financially} for our next option.

Adoption.

Yes of course.  We were surrounded by healthy flourishing adoptions - Our nephew from Russia, cousins from China, cousins adopted domestically.  Should we have thought of this earlier?
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father
means caring for orphans and widows in their distress
and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 1:27

The bible is clear, God's word is clear. 
Adoption was not our last option, it was the right option. 

International

Our choice was clear.  International.  And while we just knew this was God's plan, we answered a lot of questions about our choice.  We were scared, naive first time parents...we did our research and felt secure with international.  We both loved to travel.

Guatemala

I tell Sam and Joe often, God told me my babies were there.  It was our first choice.  Beautiful country, beautiful God-fearing people, foster care until adoption, close proximity for travel...really there was never another option.