Dear Birth Parent(s),

We have been praying for the day when you would read this letter and your heart would connect with ours. We are proud of you for choosing life for your child, and we understand that you are now faced with one of the most difficult decisions of your life. Although we know the road you're on is full of uncertainty, we want you to know that you are not alone. We have chosen the path of open adoption because we believe that adoption is about much more than our desire for a baby. It is about uniting people who care enough about a child to give her the best life possible. We cannot imagine what you must be going through, but the Lord knows all about it, and He will let you know what is best if you put your trust in Him. It is our sincere hope that you find what it is that you are looking for on your journey whether or not adoption becomes a part of it.

Just a little over a year ago our lives were forever changed. After finding out that we might never be able to have a biological child, we thought our dreams of parenting had come to an end. We had always pictured ourselves as parents; in fact, in our most intimate conversations about our hopes and dreams our sentences almost always began with, "When we have children…" Sometimes we talked about the fun side of parenting. While Beau wanted a little fishing buddy, I pictured myself covered in flour from head to toe, laughing hysterically and helping to cut our sugar cookies for Santa. We even planned for the more practical side of parenting. "Should we start a college fund?" We'd wonder, "Or take out life insurance?" Soon we had built our lives around the idea that one day we would be a family.

After the tears were gone from the pain of learning we would not be able to conceive, we dusted ourselves off and began to move forward the best that we could. In the weeks and months that followed, the most amazing thing began to happen! On quiet evenings or long car rides, we'd find ourselves revisiting that old, familiar conversation: "When we have children," one of us would start in, "I want to make sure that we encourage them to follow their dreams." It was through these conversations that we soon realized that our own dreams of parenting were not over. We had heard stories about birthmothers whose choice of life for her child was the most natural decision in the world. For us, our own decision to pursue an adoption was as easy as deciding to breathe. We both shared the feeling that God was calling us to become adoptive parents and that somewhere there was a mother and a child who needed us.

We have always believed that adoption is part of God's perfect plan for creating families and that the process itself has the power to bring people together in a powerful, meaningful way. Beginning as early as possible in his/her life, when we talk to your child about the adoption, we will tell him/her about the day we met you and the day that you made the most loving and courageous decision that a mother can possibly make. We would love to be able to share details about the day that he/she was born and describe how we all laughed, hugged, cried, and laughed some more. We recognize and honor the powerful physical and spiritual bond that you've shared with your child over the past months. As parents, we will stress the importance of your child's bond with you as we write to you about their progress and eventually help them to write their own letters to you.

The most important thing to remember in this process is to follow what your heart tells you. Search out the Lord's path for you, and no matter which path He chooses for you, it will be the right one. In the meantime, we are here for you. We want to offer our sincere hopes and prayers for you and your child. We want what's best for both of you, and we will continue to keep you in our prayers in the months and years ahead.

Sincerely,

Beau & Sarah