Dear Birth Mother,
Before we say a word about ourselves, we want you to know that we have already been praying for you. We don’t know your name yet, but we have asked God to hold you close and to give you peace in the middle of a decision that takes more courage than most people will ever understand. The love it takes to even consider adoption for your child is a love we honor with our whole hearts. Thank you for letting us be part of your story.
We are Ephraim and Misty. We met in the most unlikely place-on an Army deployment, doing ministry side by side. Ephraim was chosen as the new chaplain assistant, which happened to be the very job Misty had been doing, and the two of us ended up serving together, praying with soldiers and walking people through some of the hardest days of their lives. Somewhere in all of that, we fell in love. Six months later, we knew, and once we came home, we got married. Faith and service brought us together before we ever dreamed of building a family on them.
Our life now is steady and full. Most mornings start at five o’clock, the two of us up before the sun, sharing breakfast before work. We come back together almost every evening for dinner, and some of our favorite nights are the simple ones, just us at home with our animals and no agenda at all. Ephraim serves on staff at our church, and ministry has been at the heart of our life together from the very beginning.
This would be our first child, and we have longed for this day for a long time. Our road to becoming parents has been tender. We walked through the loss of a pregnancy a few years ago, and the quiet waiting since then has not been easy. But God has never let our hope grow cold. We believe with everything in us that He has been preparing our home, all along, for the child He is bringing to us.
Misty is bold. When she believes in something, she goes after it, and very little stands in her way. She will tell you exactly what she is thinking, almost always with a humor that makes people laugh, and underneath all of that boldness is one of the tenderest hearts you will ever find. She cannot help but stand up for people who cannot stand up for themselves, even if it means squaring off with someone ten times her size. She loves to learn, she is forever researching something new, and she is usually dreaming up our next adventure. As a mom, she will pour every bit of that into her child. She will want them to learn everything, see everything, and grow up confident, capable, and brave enough to take on the world.
Ephraim grew up in Minnesota in what he always thought was an ordinary childhood-going to church every week, playing sports, and spending summers outside and at the lake. What he did not realize until later was how rare it is to keep those people for life. Nearly twenty years after leaving home, he is still close to childhood friends, old teachers, and people from the church he grew up in. Some of those same friends gave generously to help bring this child home, and honestly, they stopped being just friends a long time ago. They are family. He loves the way he was loved, deep and for the long haul, and he will love this child exactly like that.
Our whole life is built on Jesus. Faith is not something we save for Sundays; it is the center of everything we do. We start our mornings praying and reading our Bibles together, and when a big decision comes, we do not move until we have asked God what He wants. We want our child to grow up in a home where God’s love is not just talked about, but lived.
More than anything, we want your child to know two things all the way down: that they are deeply loved, and that God loves them even more. And we want them to know you. Whatever your situation, we will never speak of you with anything less than honor. We know what this choice costs, and we believe it is one of the most selfless acts of love a mother can give. We will make room for whatever relationship is right between you and your child, and we will make sure they always know the love that led you here. Two people who came from adoption have lived in our home, and we have seen with our own eyes how much a child’s story matters. We promise to protect yours.
We don’t yet know how God is going to write the rest of this. But we know He is good, and we trust Him with you and your child. Maybe you and your baby are the answer we have been praying for. Either way, we are grateful for you, and we are praying for you. If you have any questions or would like to reach out to us personally, this is our cell number: (763)498-1695.
With much love and prayer,
Ephraim and Misty
Christian Homes & Family Services: 1-855-313-4725 | Text: 888-313-4725 | Chat: https://christianhomes.com/
