95: Our Adoption Story (Part 2)

Speaker: 00:00:06

Hey, I am your host, Mari Wagner,

and you're listening to The Ever Be

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Podcast where Faith Meets Lifestyle.

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I'm so excited you're here.

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Pull up a chair and listen in for

insightful, real life conversations and

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actionable steps on how to claim the.

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Full life God created you for.

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If you're a woman desiring to live

a Christ-centered life in today's

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modern world, then this is for you.

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Welcome to ever be.

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mari---trey-_2_04-08-2026_084005:

hello and welcome back to Ever Be.

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I've got Trey back on the

podcast today for part two of

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our adoption story, part two.

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Part two of many parts.

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Yes.

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And if you're listening to part two, I'm

guessing you already listened to part one.

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If you haven't, you should pause this

right here and go back and listen to

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part one, because that'll fill you in on.

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All the big things you need to

know basically about how we got

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here and that we're adopting

surprise and now we're adopting.

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Yay.

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Surprise.

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Spoiler alert.

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That's what part one is all about.

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But actually there's a lot that

has changed since we recorded part

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one, which was back in December

and a lot has shifted and so.

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We thought we would record a part two just

to share more of our story and what our

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adoption process is actually gonna look

like now since it has changed changed.

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So yeah, you wanna like,

yeah, quickly just, yeah.

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So we left off share where we left off at

part one, sharing that we, you know, the

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Lord led us to adoption very beautifully

and we were very excited about it.

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And we had discerned that we were

gonna do international adoption through

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Columbia, where Mari's from and.

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That was like, that was

what we had decided.

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That was the path that we were going down.

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And so we were, and we

were open to two babies.

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Sibling, yes.

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We were open to two, a sibling pair

babies or a sibling pair who would've

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been like a two or 3-year-old and, you

know, a six month old or 1-year-old.

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Um, or just one, you know,

whatever they had available for us.

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And whatever the Lord brought

to us, we were open to.

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Um, but then since then, but I, but

I do kind of feel like in Columbia,

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like there's a lot of sibling pair.

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Like I feel like we probably

would've gotten that.

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Who knows, who knows?

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Because the knows update to part

two is that we are no longer

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adopting from Columbia anymore.

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Yeah.

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So that's the update.

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That's the big shift.

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Basically in January, um,

president Trump passed a, or

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placed a ban on immigration visas.

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That pertained to 75 countries and

Columbia happened to be on that list.

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Basically what it means is we can't

bring a baby home from Columbia.

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Mm-hmm.

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And on the website, I looked it up

when it came out and everything, like

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they literally even had a bullet point

that said like, this specifically

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affects international adoption.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, and so what was crazy was that like.

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The way it unfolded was just

like really weird timing.

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Yeah.

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It was that, it was like timing that

was so particular and like exact

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that like it had to be of the Lord.

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Yeah.

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And that's what it feels like, honestly,

like, so we were very excited about

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Columbia and, and I think that I like

said this in part one too, but like.

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Reaching the decision of Columbia like

was very exciting, but also was a hard

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decision because I was very, very set

on getting a newborn baby and Columbia

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was not gonna provide that option.

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But I also had such a desire to adopt

a Columbian baby since I'm a hundred

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percent Colombian, and I wanted the baby

to maybe like, have a little bit of that

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in them, um, to relate to their family.

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And so there was pros

and cons for both sides.

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And in our discernment, we

ultimately ended in Columbia and

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felt really strongly about that.

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Um, and yet it took us a couple weeks

to officially tell our agency that we

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were ready to sign a contract and put

our first payment down and everything.

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And, um, we were trying to figure out

some logistical things on the side, and

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when all that didn't work out, we're

like, okay, we're ready to move forward.

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Mm-hmm.

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So.

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We were on the way to Micah Kim's

funeral and on the way, like in the car

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on the way to the airport on Thursday.

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Mm-hmm.

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We emailed the agency and we're

like, we're ready, we're ready.

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Like, send us the contract, we'll sign it.

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Send us the payment link.

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We'll send the payment right now.

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Like let's move forward.

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Yeah.

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And then that was on Thursday and then

Friday we're flying back and driving

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in the car home from the airport.

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From this trip and I open my phone and

her email goes like, this is really crazy.

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But just yesterday when you sent

the email like President Trump just

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placed this ban on immigration, visa,

Columbia applies, and we can't help

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you with an adoption in Columbia.

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We're actually shutting down

our entire Columbia branch.

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We're shutting down our entire

Columbia adoption program.

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Like period.

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And we're like, I like I'm reading

this email out loud to Trey in the car.

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Yeah.

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And I just like am reading it a couple

times just kind of in shock and disbelief.

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Like, what?

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Yeah, I know.

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I did not.

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I had no, I, it was like took me so

long to process what was happening.

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We were both like, how is this possible?

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Like, just like what are the odds

of this logistically happening?

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And then also like discernment wise,

we like, I was like, did we like.

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Did we discern wrong?

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Like were we not supposed to do this?

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Like God, like I was just

very confused with the Lord.

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Mm-hmm.

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And so, because it did feel like we, and

very intentionally it like, and carefully

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like discerned this, obviously, like we

spent a lot of time in prayer and we, we

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spent a long time coming to this decision.

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Yeah.

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And so specifically Columbia.

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Right.

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And so it was very jarring or

confusing and um, we felt like, oh

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my gosh, like did we discern wrong?

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Like what is happening?

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And honestly, it just felt like, like

obviously, I mean the whole process to

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even get to the decision of adoption

period, and then the whole process of

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getting to the decision of Columbia

and adoption was very like difficult

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and challenging and like emotionally

and spiritually, like taxing on mm-hmm.

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Um, our, just like our lives.

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And it was, and then we felt so confident,

so excited about funding adoption, that

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then it just felt like God kind of ripped.

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The rug out from under us.

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Yeah.

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And it was hard.

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It was like hard hearing that news.

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It was hard.

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And we had already, we made the

decision in October and so we had

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already spent, I mean at least a

month, really envisioning this path.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, and for some reason this

is what the Lord wanted and

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we had a good cry about it.

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I will say that like there was

about 24 hour period where.

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We were very sad and it's hard

to go from like you envision what

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this family's gonna be like, what

this future's gonna look like.

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The process of adopting in Columbia is

also very different than US adoption.

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Um, and like the result of like.

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Whether the adoption is open or closed

and how the baby got there and the

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relationship, all of that is different.

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And so like we really had an expectation

of like what it was going to look like

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and then quickly it was, it was changed.

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So that was all difficult to really

wrap our heads around and everything.

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And so we definitely had a

little bit of time where we

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were like really upset about it.

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But at the same time, I think we

honestly received just like so much

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grace coming off of this like amazing.

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Funeral that we were at.

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I mean, I mean it was, it was the

grace of that, of truly recognizing

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in a profound way that our lives

are not around and we don't have

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control over, over, over our lives.

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And like God is ultimately the

one that's in control and, um.

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And we just like, regardless of what

or where he's leading us or like what

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is happening in our lives mm-hmm.

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Like that we don't have, like,

we just, we have to trust him.

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Mm-hmm.

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Like there's no better option than

to just trust him and, um, yeah.

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Yeah.

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And, and so I remember like, I was

calling my parents just like crying.

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Okay.

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So typical Mari and Trey,

like are coping mechanisms.

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Are very unique and you know,

you, you don't have to tell us

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whether they're healthy or not.

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Um, but basically we were really

sad and we're like, let's throw

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ourselves into a new home project

because that will make us feel better.

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Yeah.

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So and so, so literally like next morning.

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We like went to Home Depot and

like bought material to do like

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wainscoating trim in our bedroom.

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'cause I'd been wanting that for

a while and we're like, what,

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what better time than right now?

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Now what better time than right now

to start a whole new home project?

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It's, it is like, well.

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Like this is something

that we have control over.

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Yes.

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We want to do it.

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It's a project that distracts us.

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So we just like threw ourselves head

into this literal, literal, we're like,

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okay, well everything just fell through.

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How do you say that?

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Fell?

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Yeah, fell through.

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Just fell through.

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So we're gonna go make our bedroom

pretty 'cause we can control that.

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Um, and distract ourselves with that

and distracted ourselves with that.

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But anyways, we were at Home Depot, Trey's

picking out trim and I call my parents,

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call me back 'cause I had called them

earlier and I'm telling them about this

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and I'm just, you're crying at Home.

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Home Depot crying in Home Depot like.

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I don't understand what God is doing.

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Like I mm-hmm.

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Like I don't understand his plan.

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I'm trying so hard to surrender, to

follow his will, like what is going on.

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Yeah.

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And my dad was like, you could look at

it that way, or you could look at it as

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like, God has never been more clear like.

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You only have one door

to walk through now.

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Mm-hmm.

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You were deciding between us

infant, inter, or infant domestic

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adoption or international adoption?

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International adoption closed.

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'cause we weren't open to to

adopting from anywhere else

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internationally except for Columbia.

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And now the only door that's

open is US infant adoption like.

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That's the door you can walk through now.

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'cause he was like, do you

still feel called to an option?

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We're like, yes.

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Like, like that was abundantly clear.

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We know that that's what

we were called to do.

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And he's like, well then

the door is wide open.

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Yeah.

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There's only one option.

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Like you don't have to like fear,

you're gonna choose the wrong option.

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Yes.

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Or whatever.

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It's like there's just.

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God's like, here you go.

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And in my heart, I felt like when

he said that, it's like it reminded

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me because my dad, he's such a great

dad, he treats me like a princess.

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Truly he'll do anything for me.

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I'm like 28 years old.

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And literally, every single time

I call him, he picks up the phone.

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No matter if he's an important work

meeting with the CEO of whoever,

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he always answers my phone.

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He's like, Hey, I'm in a meeting.

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Really important meeting,

but are you okay?

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Do you need anything?

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Like literally without fail?

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And so.

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That just like him saying that reminded

me of just like my own daughter with

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the Lord and just like, yeah, like

God, I do trust that like God would

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change immigration laws so that I

got the exact baby he planned for me.

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Like if we were going to go full send

with Columbia, and he was like, look,

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that was just a stepping stone to

the end result and I actually have a

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baby for you here in the US newborn.

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Honestly, quicker timeline, easier

process like, and you were gonna

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walk through, quote unquote, like

the wrong door, like he would

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shut down immigration laws for me.

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Mm-hmm.

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And so in that moment, I felt like

God's little princess and he's guiding

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us and there was just like a washing

over of peace and, and we talked about

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it like that night and the next day.

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And we were like, we still

feel really confident in this.

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Let's walk through this door.

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Yeah.

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So it was Friday.

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Get the news.

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Friday night, Saturday or Friday night.

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We're devastated.

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Mm-hmm.

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Saturday we're throwing ourselves

into a new home project.

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Still super sad.

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And then Sunday we're like,

all right, everything's better.

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We're doing it.

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US adoption literally.

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So.

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Literally Monday morning

we sent them an email.

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Tuesday signed a contract.

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Yeah.

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Got on a phone call.

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Submit the payment.

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Yeah.

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Signed a contract.

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Submit the payment.

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They literally were like,

we have one more slot open.

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That's true.

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Yes.

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That was also a great timing and like

so providential because they, she

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literally said like, this is such great

timing, like we have one spot left

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for this, like this round or whatever.

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This round, this opening.

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They can only take so

many people at a time.

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They only hold so many clients and

so until like a client is like.

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Then they like open up for a new client.

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So she's like, we literally

have one client spot left.

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Um, we signed the contract,

we got that spot and.

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And then I think what was also

providential is like when we got on

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a phone call with her, she told us

how, so they work with like adoption

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agencies in a lot of different states.

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So we'll likely have to, we will have to

fly to pick up our baby wherever it is.

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Um, but what she said that I also

was thought was providential was that

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Arizona started working with them again.

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Um, they like didn't.

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Have need for families

outside the state for a while.

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'cause the demand in state

to adopt was really big.

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And then it kind of dwindled and they

were looking for families out of state

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and she was telling us how a ton of

Hispanic babies cases come from Arizona.

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And like within the last like week or

two of them working with them again, like

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four cases had, or three cases had already

been like placed within their clients.

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And so we were just like, wow.

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Like.

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Who, I mean, who knows what

God has in store for us.

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Yeah.

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Who knows?

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Like, maybe it's a American

baby, maybe it's a Hispanic

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baby, like maybe it's literally

a Colombian baby, like in the us.

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Like, who knows?

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But that was just another thing that

I was like, wow, like even that door

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is opened, like another door's opened.

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Um, so it just felt like we were, we

were where we were supposed to be.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, and that's what, that's

the process we're in now.

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Yeah.

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So, and, and like, who knows, right?

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Who knows why.

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We discerned Columbia

adoption to begin with.

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I mean, there could be a million reasons

and we'll never know exactly why until

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I have a couple we get to heaven, but

like, we have some thoughts like, yeah,

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one, maybe it was like the initial like

process to like get our hearts ready

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for adoption and to get us excited about

it and to like help us kind of gently

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lead our hearts to being, you know,

really open and desirous of adoption.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, and he, God was using

Colombian as a, as a way to get

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our hearts ready for adoption.

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It could also be our baby just literally

wasn't conceived yet, or wasn't born yet,

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or isn't like, wouldn't have been ready.

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And so he needed to just like delay us for

a couple months because he knows us right.

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And like Tre and I are

powerhouse work horses.

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Like if the Lord says go, we go.

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Right?

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: 00:15:02

And so maybe the Lord was like,

okay, gotta prep their hearts.

330

: 00:15:05

Like, okay, hold your horses

baby baby's not ready yet.

331

: 00:15:10

Like, yeah, so baby still needs to cook.

332

: 00:15:13

Like, I don't know.

333

: 00:15:13

You know who, so who knows?

334

: 00:15:15

It could have been timing as well.

335

: 00:15:16

And like, like you said,

like we won't know.

336

: 00:15:19

Until we get to heaven, we, we just

literally won't know the reason.

337

: 00:15:22

But it doesn't really matter.

338

: 00:15:24

Matter.

339

: 00:15:25

No.

340

: 00:15:25

'cause we, I mean, we're,

we're where the Lord wants us.

341

: 00:15:27

We're confident in that.

342

: 00:15:29

And there are, you know, there

are a lot of perks to adoption

343

: 00:15:33

domestically in the United States, so

some of them are, it'll be a quicker

344

: 00:15:36

timeline than doing international.

345

: 00:15:38

It's supposed to be, yeah.

346

: 00:15:39

It'll be a, uh.

347

: 00:15:41

Newborn baby.

348

: 00:15:41

So we will literally get to go to the

hospital and pick up a fresh little baby.

349

: 00:15:45

Every time you say that,

I literally would cry.

350

: 00:15:48

Yeah.

351

: 00:15:48

Yeah.

352

: 00:15:48

And so like we were, we were willing to

surrender that and to like ha and wait

353

: 00:15:52

a little bit longer of a timeline and to

not get that newborn that's so special,

354

: 00:15:57

uh, because we felt the Lord called us to

a Colombian adoption, but then, you know,

355

: 00:16:01

the Lord just gave us that right back.

356

: 00:16:02

Mm-hmm.

357

: 00:16:03

And now we will get to like, have and love

this baby from day one of its life and.

358

: 00:16:08

Um, and it, we won't have to wait as long.

359

: 00:16:11

Like we're already impatient

and I know it's hard.

360

: 00:16:14

It's so hard to wait.

361

: 00:16:14

It's such a process.

362

: 00:16:15

It's been a long wait already.

363

: 00:16:16

And, um, so now that's beautiful

that it won't be as long and mm-hmm.

364

: 00:16:20

Um, and yeah, we, who knows what

the baby, the Lord has, but, um.

365

: 00:16:25

Do you also, where, where

are we at right now?

366

: 00:16:27

Do you wanna share that kind

of where we're at right now?

367

: 00:16:29

Yes.

368

: 00:16:29

So now that we are officially doing

the United States infant, right.

369

: 00:16:32

Domestic adoption, we've been full swing

for the past, like two months doing that.

370

: 00:16:36

Yeah.

371

: 00:16:37

Yeah.

372

: 00:16:37

And so, I mean, there's a lot of

paperwork that has to be done.

373

: 00:16:41

It's it, the process is

basically broken up into two

374

: 00:16:45

phases and it's like phase one.

375

: 00:16:47

A lot of the work is on you.

376

: 00:16:49

You're completing a lot of

checklist items, providing

377

: 00:16:53

documents to your home study agency.

378

: 00:16:55

Filling out questionnaires and

forms all about your life and your

379

: 00:17:00

past and your marriage and your,

your childhood and your parents

380

: 00:17:03

and how you grew up and everything.

381

: 00:17:05

Like they need to know

everything about you.

382

: 00:17:07

Um, and then like, and then just like

some workshops and education, like we

383

: 00:17:13

have to do a lot of online education.

384

: 00:17:15

Mm-hmm.

385

: 00:17:15

About adoption, about babies.

386

: 00:17:18

We got a CPR class done yesterday.

387

: 00:17:20

Like there's just like a lot of like.

388

: 00:17:22

Little things like that

that have to be done.

389

: 00:17:24

So the first part is a lot on

us to try and get that all done.

390

: 00:17:28

Basically.

391

: 00:17:29

It'll basically take as long as you take.

392

: 00:17:31

So like you could have it all take

a year if you go really slow, we're

393

: 00:17:34

trying to go as fast as possible.

394

: 00:17:35

Mm-hmm.

395

: 00:17:36

So we're trying to like cram it all in

and get that all done as fast as possible.

396

: 00:17:40

Once all that stuff on your part is

done, you turn that into your home

397

: 00:17:44

study agency and the home study

agency reviews all of that and.

398

: 00:17:49

They schedule some home visits first.

399

: 00:17:53

Actually, they schedule some home

visits first, so they come visit your

400

: 00:17:55

house and from what we were told, it's

like it's three visits in our home.

401

: 00:18:01

One week apart.

402

: 00:18:02

So for three weeks you have

someone coming over and they wanna

403

: 00:18:05

interview you, learn about your

life, learn about your marriage.

404

: 00:18:08

They basically ask you everything

that you like filled out in those

405

: 00:18:11

forms, but more in like, yeah, in

depth and in greater conversation.

406

: 00:18:16

Um, and then after that's done,

then they review everything

407

: 00:18:19

you've turned in, everything they

gathered from your home study.

408

: 00:18:22

And then that's basically when we

just start to wait, like mm-hmm.

409

: 00:18:25

Wait for them to review it all.

410

: 00:18:27

And ultimately approve

us to be set to adopt.

411

: 00:18:31

Yep.

412

: 00:18:32

And then from there, once that's approved.

413

: 00:18:35

We're very much just waiting on the call.

414

: 00:18:37

Mm-hmm.

415

: 00:18:38

Yeah.

416

: 00:18:39

So what does the call look like so, well,

yeah, so right now we are mostly done

417

: 00:18:42

with all the paperwork and we're gonna

be kinda on the home study providers

418

: 00:18:48

timeline to when they can get out to our

house and schedule those home visits, and

419

: 00:18:52

then on their timeline for how long it

takes them to process all the paperwork.

420

: 00:18:56

Come to an actual like decision to

review our file and to approve us.

421

: 00:19:01

And then once we are approved, like Mari

said, then we're like quote unquote live.

422

: 00:19:05

And then from there it's a total mystery.

423

: 00:19:10

Like it's any day it could, it could

literally, like once you're approved

424

: 00:19:14

in live, you can start receiving

cases, um, of potential like matches.

425

: 00:19:21

And so what that looks

like is we'll receive.

426

: 00:19:24

A case from an agency?

427

: 00:19:27

Well, from our like, like our consultant.

428

: 00:19:29

Consultant, yep.

429

: 00:19:29

And it'll just be a file, like

giving us some information about

430

: 00:19:34

the child and the birth mom and

whatever information that they have.

431

: 00:19:38

We'll have a chance to review

that and submit either yes or no.

432

: 00:19:41

Do we wanna present our

file to the birth mom?

433

: 00:19:44

And so if we say.

434

: 00:19:45

Yes, then our file will then get

presented to the birth mom, along with

435

: 00:19:50

any other families that also receive that.

436

: 00:19:53

That case and decided to present.

437

: 00:19:55

So the birth mom could receive five 20.

438

: 00:19:59

I don't really know how many, I

don't really know what the number

439

: 00:20:00

is, but I don't know how many cases,

uh, the birth mom receives, but then

440

: 00:20:04

she receives all the people, uh,

and then she gets to decide who she

441

: 00:20:08

wants to place her child, uh, into

which family she wants to pick, so.

442

: 00:20:12

Mm-hmm.

443

: 00:20:13

Um, so then.

444

: 00:20:15

Then like we can get start, we will start

getting presented cases from, I mean, as

445

: 00:20:20

soon as we're live, we can start receiving

cases and presenting to these birth moms.

446

: 00:20:24

Mm-hmm.

447

: 00:20:24

And then it's just a waiting

game for if they said yes or no,

448

: 00:20:27

if they say yes or not to us.

449

: 00:20:28

Yeah.

450

: 00:20:28

And so.

451

: 00:20:29

That's why it could take literally

like a few days or like a week, like,

452

: 00:20:33

I mean, it could be the very first

baby, like Hypothe, hypothetically.

453

: 00:20:36

It could be Yeah, the first baby.

454

: 00:20:38

Yeah.

455

: 00:20:38

Like hypothetically, like

there is no timeline.

456

: 00:20:41

Mm-hmm.

457

: 00:20:42

Because it's not like you're not in a

wait list in order of when you went live.

458

: 00:20:46

Mm-hmm.

459

: 00:20:46

And there's no priority list.

460

: 00:20:48

Like no family gets priority over

another one because it's not about that.

461

: 00:20:52

It's literally about.

462

: 00:20:54

What baby matches best with the

family and the parents that, that

463

: 00:21:00

are, are able to parent that baby.

464

: 00:21:02

And it comes down to the

birth mom deciding who she

465

: 00:21:05

wants to place the baby with.

466

: 00:21:06

And so there's just no way to.

467

: 00:21:09

Figure out what the timeline

looks like for that.

468

: 00:21:12

And I know people who got matched

literally weeks, like three weeks,

469

: 00:21:16

four weeks after they went live.

470

: 00:21:19

I actually think I found some

girl on Instagram who literally

471

: 00:21:21

got matched the next day.

472

: 00:21:23

Yeah, after she went live.

473

: 00:21:25

Yeah.

474

: 00:21:25

And then of course the possibility's

always there of it being six

475

: 00:21:28

months, nine months, a year.

476

: 00:21:30

Like it's really like,

it's just God's timing.

477

: 00:21:33

Like whenever that baby that is

supposed to be, ours is born.

478

: 00:21:36

Yep.

479

: 00:21:37

And then, and then, so one that's

crazy is 'cause you have no idea when

480

: 00:21:40

you'll actually match, but then once

you do match, it could be a birth

481

: 00:21:46

mom who is still pregnant and won't

have the baby for a few more months.

482

: 00:21:50

Typically, what we're told is that.

483

: 00:21:53

These moms are usually

in their last trimester.

484

: 00:21:57

So like we're not gonna be matching with

somebody who is still has nine months

485

: 00:22:00

or eight months of their pregnancy left.

486

: 00:22:02

Likely not.

487

: 00:22:02

Yeah.

488

: 00:22:03

Likely not.

489

: 00:22:03

Like it'll either be somebody who's

in their last trimester, or it's

490

: 00:22:07

what's called a drop case and the

baby is literally already born and

491

: 00:22:10

they are like, get on a plane today

or tomorrow and come pick up the baby.

492

: 00:22:15

Like it's usually like the day or like

within dates of like the baby being born.

493

: 00:22:19

Mm-hmm.

494

: 00:22:19

Um.

495

: 00:22:20

Then like mom is now just now

choosing that she wants to

496

: 00:22:23

put the baby up for adoption.

497

: 00:22:24

Or maybe she knew, but she like never got

around to seeing families or whatever.

498

: 00:22:29

Yeah.

499

: 00:22:29

Is now getting around to it.

500

: 00:22:31

And so basically, yeah, like if

that's the case, they call you

501

: 00:22:34

and they're like, mom picked you,

baby's born, die, get on a plane.

502

: 00:22:37

So it could be either, it could be like.

503

: 00:22:38

Oh, you've matched, you have two months,

here's a due date, or you've matched,

504

: 00:22:42

you have a few weeks before the due date,

or, oh, you've maed the baby's born.

505

: 00:22:45

Come pick it up.

506

: 00:22:46

And from, from what we asked and

what I've seen, it's like it both

507

: 00:22:50

are just as likely it seems like.

508

: 00:22:52

Yeah, that's what it seems like.

509

: 00:22:52

So yeah, so that's, that's

kind of where we're at.

510

: 00:22:54

And that's what's crazy about

this whole thing is like there's,

511

: 00:22:57

there's yet more unknowns.

512

: 00:22:59

Oh, yeah.

513

: 00:22:59

Like, we still don't know

what the timeline is, like.

514

: 00:23:02

Mm-hmm.

515

: 00:23:03

We just know we're closer.

516

: 00:23:04

We just know like every day we're

one day closer, but literally,

517

: 00:23:09

like, it could be this summer.

518

: 00:23:11

Mm-hmm.

519

: 00:23:11

It could be this fall.

520

: 00:23:13

It could be this winter.

521

: 00:23:14

I don't know.

522

: 00:23:14

Yeah.

523

: 00:23:14

I don't know.

524

: 00:23:15

I have no idea.

525

: 00:23:16

And so we're kind of like, okay, do

we like start preparing a nursery?

526

: 00:23:19

Do we start like buying things

just so that we're ready, like

527

: 00:23:21

in case we get a drop case and

they're like, come get your baby.

528

: 00:23:24

Like, I don't wanna be scrambling, like,

oh my gosh, we have to go buy a car seat.

529

: 00:23:28

Like, yeah.

530

: 00:23:28

You know?

531

: 00:23:29

Right.

532

: 00:23:29

So I think kind of what we've, the

route we're gonna take, at least what

533

: 00:23:32

we've talked about so far is mm-hmm.

534

: 00:23:34

Once we're.

535

: 00:23:36

Live, then we will really

start like preparing.

536

: 00:23:39

'cause it could be any week from then.

537

: 00:23:40

So it's, yeah, a lot of that

preparation will, uh, we'll start

538

: 00:23:43

doing that as soon as we're live.

539

: 00:23:45

Yeah.

540

: 00:23:46

So.

541

: 00:23:48

So that's that.

542

: 00:23:49

We're talking baby names.

543

: 00:23:51

We have a list.

544

: 00:23:52

Oh yeah.

545

: 00:23:53

Um, I am, I am pinning

inspo for a nursery already.

546

: 00:23:58

Good.

547

: 00:23:58

So I'm already on that.

548

: 00:24:00

Already started the registry.

549

: 00:24:02

What?

550

: 00:24:02

Expect nothing less.

551

: 00:24:05

And it's just been really beautiful,

like pretty much tear up anytime

552

: 00:24:09

I open up the registry because I'm

like, what do you mean I get to

553

: 00:24:11

like buy a baby carrier or like.

554

: 00:24:14

Pick out cute baby clothes.

555

: 00:24:15

Mm-hmm.

556

: 00:24:16

Or like pick out a stroller.

557

: 00:24:17

Like I get to do that.

558

: 00:24:20

Yeah.

559

: 00:24:20

And like, prepare for our baby.

560

: 00:24:22

Like, it's just so special

and we're just so grateful.

561

: 00:24:25

Oh, and the thing about the nursery

that's kind of tough though,

562

: 00:24:29

is that like I really want it

to be either girly or like boy.

563

: 00:24:33

Oh yeah.

564

: 00:24:33

But we won't know.

565

: 00:24:34

But we won't know.

566

: 00:24:36

The only way we'll know is if somehow we

matched with the baby and the mom decided

567

: 00:24:40

to find out the gender, and we still have

like month, two months, don't have month.

568

: 00:24:45

To not, like if they're pregnant, they

might, oh, they might have to kind out.

569

: 00:24:47

We should ask about that.

570

: 00:24:48

But, um, but they, but it would

have to be like, we, we match

571

: 00:24:52

and the mom's still pregnant.

572

: 00:24:53

It can't be a drop case.

573

: 00:24:53

Right, exactly.

574

: 00:24:54

The drop case.

575

: 00:24:55

I mean, you'll just find out right away

and then you'll know obviously, but Right.

576

: 00:24:58

You'll be also on a plane,

but you'll also be on a plane.

577

: 00:25:01

You won't really have time.

578

: 00:25:03

So, I mean, and I know that in

the end, like newborn baby, like

579

: 00:25:07

doesn't really need its own room yet.

580

: 00:25:08

And so like.

581

: 00:25:09

Yeah, exactly.

582

: 00:25:10

It's just the planner in me that

like wants to get it done and is

583

: 00:25:12

very excited about it, but I know.

584

: 00:25:14

Yeah, and we've been waiting so long.

585

: 00:25:15

So you have, I have ideas and I just

wanna do it, but I know that we can

586

: 00:25:18

totally do it, like after we get the baby.

587

: 00:25:21

So yeah.

588

: 00:25:22

So yeah, so those are our updates.

589

: 00:25:25

Um, the other update is that

the adoption process and the

590

: 00:25:30

whole thing is very expensive.

591

: 00:25:32

And so to help, it's very

expensive kind of fundraise.

592

: 00:25:35

Uh, and help financially support us.

593

: 00:25:38

We decided to launch a new rosary on

West Coast Catholic, where it's a mission

594

: 00:25:42

rosary, and so 50% of the proceeds from

the purchases of this rosary will go

595

: 00:25:47

towards us to help fund our adoption.

596

: 00:25:49

So it's a small way that you can.

597

: 00:25:52

Support us if you, if you so choose to.

598

: 00:25:54

Mm-hmm.

599

: 00:25:54

And you can support us, not just

financially by purchasing the rosary

600

: 00:25:57

and give us a little like, gift there.

601

: 00:25:59

Uh, but also more importantly, prayer.

602

: 00:26:01

And whether you buy the rosary or not,

you can pray on the rosary and pray

603

: 00:26:04

for us adopting and all families that

are going through the adoption process

604

: 00:26:08

and the birth moms of these, um,

incredible people that are giving up

605

: 00:26:11

their chi, their children for adoption.

606

: 00:26:13

Um, so you can pray the

rosaries that you buy.

607

: 00:26:16

For that intention.

608

: 00:26:17

Yeah.

609

: 00:26:17

Or if you're not buying the

rosary, just we just ask that.

610

: 00:26:20

Continue pray for, pray for us

and just pray for us in general.

611

: 00:26:21

Just pray for us.

612

: 00:26:22

And so this rosary, it's

called the Holy Family rosary.

613

: 00:26:25

Um, it's really, really beautiful.

614

: 00:26:27

So in September when we launched

the, um, seven Sorrows rosary, those

615

: 00:26:32

hail Mary beads were so popular.

616

: 00:26:34

People absolutely love that rosary.

617

: 00:26:36

Um, but not everybody

618

: 00:26:38

knows

619

: 00:26:38

or praise the seven star rosary.

620

: 00:26:40

So, but it's like a different.

621

: 00:26:42

Format of rosary.

622

: 00:26:42

Yeah.

623

: 00:26:43

Yeah.

624

: 00:26:43

It's a different style of rosary.

625

: 00:26:44

So I designed this holy family

rosary with those same beads,

626

: 00:26:48

but it's a traditional rosary.

627

: 00:26:49

So if you loved those beads,

but you wanted 'em on a

628

: 00:26:51

traditional rosary, this is it.

629

: 00:26:53

The centerpiece is so beautiful and we

picked the holy family because they are

630

: 00:26:58

a beautiful model of an adoptive family.

631

: 00:27:00

So, and they have been, you know,

a big part in our entire marriage,

632

: 00:27:03

but especially during this.

633

: 00:27:05

Uh, discernment for adoption.

634

: 00:27:06

Yeah.

635

: 00:27:07

Yeah.

636

: 00:27:07

And this rosary, like Rey said,

is a mission-minded rosary.

637

: 00:27:10

So it'll first help fund our adoption,

but once we are fully funded,

638

: 00:27:15

um, it's going to continue being

a mission-minded rosary and help

639

: 00:27:19

other families with their adoption.

640

: 00:27:21

Mm-hmm.

641

: 00:27:22

We're gonna just like

be keeping an eye out.

642

: 00:27:24

If you know families, like please

let us know and like we want to

643

: 00:27:27

be able to contribute to other

families' adoption journeys.

644

: 00:27:31

'cause we know it's expensive

and it takes a village.

645

: 00:27:33

Um, and so we just wanna be

able to support other families

646

: 00:27:35

on the same journey as well.

647

: 00:27:37

So yeah, I'll make sure to link that.

648

: 00:27:39

Uh, rosary in the show notes.

649

: 00:27:41

You can check it out.

650

: 00:27:42

Please spread the word.

651

: 00:27:44

Um, so many of you already I've seen on

Instagram are sharing our announcement,

652

: 00:27:48

are sharing about the rosary.

653

: 00:27:49

We just can't thank you enough for all

the support throughout all the past couple

654

: 00:27:53

years, all your prayers, your encouraging

words, your kind words, and then now

655

: 00:27:57

spreading the news about our wonderful,

um, adoption and this beautiful rosary

656

: 00:28:03

that can support us and our family.

657

: 00:28:05

So I'll make sure to link

that all in the show notes.

658

: 00:28:07

And the more you can spread

the word, the better.

659

: 00:28:09

Thank you so much.

660

: 00:28:11

Yeah.

661

: 00:28:11

Like I said, just thanks so much for

all the love and support over the

662

: 00:28:15

past few years of truly the suffering

and the now the joy of sharing

663

: 00:28:19

in this, this news with you guys.

664

: 00:28:21

Mm-hmm.

665

: 00:28:21

Yeah.

666

: 00:28:22

And know that we'll be

praying for you as well.

667

: 00:28:24

Um, you're definitely kept in

our prayers, so thanks guys.