Thankfulness: Our Journey and Our Village

It is the beginning of November, traditionally a season of thankfulness.  It seemed like a perfect time to talk about our journey and our village.  However, if you are new to our story let's get you caught up.
As a teenager I was exposed to adoption in my church and my youth group.  I was also exposed to the stories of children all over the world.  This started a spark inside me.  At that time I had no idea how it would grow.  However, it is clear now that this was all part of God's plan.  He started to build our village.
I met Tyler in 2011, just a few weeks after graduating college while we were both working at Sonic.  There was always a chemistry between us, but neither of us said anything.  I accepted a job in Ohio in early 2012 and soon moved.  When back in Tennessee on vacation almost a year later, Tyler revealed his feelings for me and soon after we began dating.  By this point I knew I was being called to adopt so we discussed this very early in our relationship.  God continued to write our story as we agreed that we would begin growing our family through adoption.  We got married in August 2014 and we are excited about the growth of our family.
We plan to adopt.  We are very interested in adopting from Ethiopia.  We also think we will probably pursue this through Bethany Christian Services.  So that is the beginning of our journey.
Now more about our village.  They say that it takes a village to raise a child.  Our children are on the other side of the world and I am already finding this to be true.  Starting with their birth family, then who is raising them now whether that be another family member or an orphanage.  I continually pray for this group.  They are beginning to shape who my children will be.  I am glad God has chosen them and thankful for all they continue to do.
Then there are the people who will be a part of the process.  The staff at the adoption agency.  The people in country who handle paperwork.  The person who will do our homestudy.  They are part of our village.  They are essential in bringing our children home.
Our family and friends...you make up a large part of our village.  You stand beside us and support us.  I'm sure I will call more than one of you in tears during various parts of our journey.  I also know you will share in our joys and be a part of our children's lives for years to come.
There is also another continually growing group of people who are part of our village.  These are the people in our lives who have adopted, are in the process of adopting, or desire to adopt in the future.  These people understand the journey on a different level.  All of our stories are unique but they all intertwine.  These are the ones we will turn to for the tips and tricks.  They are the a continual encouragement and a reminder that we are not alone.
And finally, there is you.  We are inviting you to be a part of our village.  This will look different for each person.  Some of you will pray for us (and our children and the rest of our village).  Some of you will support us financially.  Some of you will support us emotionally.  Some of you will support us in ways we didn't even know we would need or want.  Is God calling you to be a part of our village?  We would love to share more with you about God is doing in our lives.