Love Chose Us — Help Us Choose Him

Dear friends and family,

Over this past week, our lives have changed in a way we never expected. Many of you know that we were preparing to host a young mom and her baby in our home. However, after much prayer and emotional processing, the baby’s mother made the courageous and heartbreaking decision to permanently separate from her child — and she asked us to adopt him.

We have stepped forward in faith and love to welcome this precious boy into our family as our son.

We are working closely with a Christian adoption agency, Gifts of Grace Adoption here in Lafayette, along with an attorney to ensure that this adoption is handled ethically, compassionately, and with care for everyone involved — especially the baby’s mother, who is receiving the resources, information, and emotional support she needs.

As you can imagine, this transition has been very fast — unfolding within just a week — and we were not prepared financially for a private adoption so close to the holidays. The attorney fees are $5,000, and the required home study is $2,000.

We are trusting that God will provide — He always has. And when He says to move, we move.

If you feel led to contribute toward these adoption expenses, your support would be a true blessing to our family and to this little one who now has a safe, loving, permanent home.

Even if you cannot give financially, we deeply appreciate your prayers:

for the baby’s mother

for our girls at home as they adjust to this change and our older boys.

for Rich and me as we step forward in faith

and for this sweet child’s future

We are humbled, grateful, and amazed at the way God is writing this story. Thank you for walking with us, supporting us, and loving us through this unexpected but Spirit-led journey.

With love and gratitude,

The Bender Family