My husband and I felt called to adoption after no longer being able to have children of our own. As we researched options that also called to our spiritual needs to serve, Gateway Woods was presented to us as an agency. We could not have been more pleased with Luci Koch and the team at Gateway Woods. They really took the time to get to know us, and to help us. They approached every situation with a servant heart. It was in their help that we reached out to two other agencies that really matched our desire of a Christian, God filled adoption journey.

A social worker at one of these agencies connected us with our birthmother directly, and we began the process of a private placement adoption. We could not have gotten through this process without our faith in God, and the wonderful people at both agencies who were such a tremendous resource for us. In less than a year from when we were adoption certified, we welcomed home a healthy and very happy baby boy, named Ben. Our daughter helped us pick out the name as Ben is derived from the Latin translation, gift from God.

"Our daughter helped us pick out the name as Ben is derived from the Latin translation, gift from God."

It is often that people tell us how lucky that Ben is, but we don't feel that way at all, in fact, we very much feel like the lucky ones to have Ben in our lives. The process of adoption was life changing for Tim and I and we have not only a greater sense of purpose after adopting, but also great respect for how God's plan unfolds in each of our lives. Our birthmother had such a heartbreaking story, and we realized how being born to a family that loves us and also realizing God's love for us can make all the difference in someone's life.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't pray for our birthmother, or think of her. She will forever be a part of our lives and our hearts. We stay in touch, I send cards and pictures, and we recently met for dinner with Ben. When Luci explained the benefits of an open adoption, I was skeptical, but I will say our open adoption has been good for both of our hearts. Jesus says we should "be the light", and it has given us great opportunity to do just that.

We couldn't imagine life without our dear, sweet, Ben, or this experience to meet and walk in faith with a complete stranger with a shared interest of providing the best life possible for a child of God. Our hearts are full, and this is an experience we wouldn't have had without the help of so many and our faith that God had a plan for us, even though it didn't match our own plan for our lives. Our story has a happy ending, but also a beautiful beginning in finding ways to share our own experience, share in the need to trust the Lord, and to live a life of compassion, humility, and grace.