We were a bit late with a Christmas card this year, so it turned into the New Year's card above instead. We also included an adoption announcement and letter about our adoption. Here's the letter sharing about our adoption and letting people know how they can support us....
Dear Friends and Family,
We've officially started the adoption process again! Our
home study is done, we’ve been properly fingerprinted by the FBI, and our
adoption profile book (just think glossy-GQ/hipster pics of myself and you’ll
be close) has been submitted to our agency. As long as the FBI doesn’t
get wind of the time Silas rolled off the bed headfirst while we were in the
kitchen, we should be declared “fit to parent” and well on our way to baby
#2. Needless to say we’re excited. Mindy prays we get a baby tomorrow. I then counter her prayers with a prayer of my own
for a longer timeline that will let me finish remodeling the bathroom.
And then I remind Min, “The fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much.” As for Silas, we’re pretty sure he’s ok
with the idea of a sibling, so long as it doesn’t detract him from his trains
and trucks.
While Silas was napping the other day, Min and I were trying to articulate the difference between this adoption process and Silas’s adoption. Last time we were green and had no idea what to expect. This time, however, comes with the benefit of memory. Adoption pushes past what is manageable and predictable, but God’s very real provision and care last time around make banking on God’s resources this time a bit more of a reality. The preacher in me would call this faith.
This time around also comes with a clarity of conviction that we’ve grown into these last couple years. To state the obvious, adoption made us a “trans-racial family”, which is one way of saying Silas has better hair than anything his mother and father could have produced. Being a trans-racial family in Orange County means we stand out. Two white-as-can-be parents chasing after a toddler with an afro makes for a peculiar scene at the beach. Peculiar as it may look, we’re convinced that trans-racial adoption is normal in God’s economy and reflects both the strangeness and the goodness of the gospel itself. Not the thin sort of gospel that promises “heaven when you die” at the bargain price of a one time prayer and nothing else. But rather, a thicker, Jesus-oriented gospel that really does shape how we order our lives now. This gospel says in Christ there is no dividing line or hostility between races. This gospel says in Christ we’re all adopted. This gospel says in Christ there is reconciliation and peace to be had in a broken world.
That being said, we’d really appreciate your support in the following ways:
First, we would really appreciate your prayers. Please pray for the process, for the baby, for the birth family, and for us. The love and sacrifice required to place a baby for adoption is both heartbreaking and beautiful. So, please pray for the birth family, and the birth mom as she grapples with this decision. And please pray for us, that we would draw our strength from God and trust him through this process.
Second, We could use your financial support. Adoption is quite expensive but we are confident that God will provide, as he always does. We are still amazed at how well we were provided for with Silas's adoption and know God will make a way again. If you’d like to support us financially, there are a couple of ways you can do so.
1) We have two fundraising sites, one of which is tax deductible. Both of these sites take a small percentage of the donation, so if you prefer to mail a check, that is another option. The sites are:
While Silas was napping the other day, Min and I were trying to articulate the difference between this adoption process and Silas’s adoption. Last time we were green and had no idea what to expect. This time, however, comes with the benefit of memory. Adoption pushes past what is manageable and predictable, but God’s very real provision and care last time around make banking on God’s resources this time a bit more of a reality. The preacher in me would call this faith.
This time around also comes with a clarity of conviction that we’ve grown into these last couple years. To state the obvious, adoption made us a “trans-racial family”, which is one way of saying Silas has better hair than anything his mother and father could have produced. Being a trans-racial family in Orange County means we stand out. Two white-as-can-be parents chasing after a toddler with an afro makes for a peculiar scene at the beach. Peculiar as it may look, we’re convinced that trans-racial adoption is normal in God’s economy and reflects both the strangeness and the goodness of the gospel itself. Not the thin sort of gospel that promises “heaven when you die” at the bargain price of a one time prayer and nothing else. But rather, a thicker, Jesus-oriented gospel that really does shape how we order our lives now. This gospel says in Christ there is no dividing line or hostility between races. This gospel says in Christ we’re all adopted. This gospel says in Christ there is reconciliation and peace to be had in a broken world.
That being said, we’d really appreciate your support in the following ways:
First, we would really appreciate your prayers. Please pray for the process, for the baby, for the birth family, and for us. The love and sacrifice required to place a baby for adoption is both heartbreaking and beautiful. So, please pray for the birth family, and the birth mom as she grapples with this decision. And please pray for us, that we would draw our strength from God and trust him through this process.
Second, We could use your financial support. Adoption is quite expensive but we are confident that God will provide, as he always does. We are still amazed at how well we were provided for with Silas's adoption and know God will make a way again. If you’d like to support us financially, there are a couple of ways you can do so.
1) We have two fundraising sites, one of which is tax deductible. Both of these sites take a small percentage of the donation, so if you prefer to mail a check, that is another option. The sites are:
www.youcaring.com/kinnieradoption
(takes about 2.5%)
www.adopttogether.org/kinnieradoption
(tax deductible & takes up to 5%)
2) You can also shop our Etsy site. We have some items
available right now and will be adding more as we make new things. The site is www.findingsunday.etsy.com.
3) We are having a dinner and silent auction on January 30th in Santa Ana, CA. Anyone is invited to join us for dinner and to bid on some wonderful items. We are also looking for donations to our silent auction. If you have any goods or services to offer or just want to put together something for us to auction off, we would be so appreciative. Our silent auction was our most successful fundraiser last time around, so we are excited to be having one again.
Lastly, we would love it if you could share our story with others who you think may be interested in supporting us. Feel free to share our fundraising sites on social media or to pass the information along to friends. We have lots of extra adoption cards that we would be happy to mail to anyone wanting to pass them along. We know there are so many people out there with a heart for adoption, and we would love for them to share in our story!
3) We are having a dinner and silent auction on January 30th in Santa Ana, CA. Anyone is invited to join us for dinner and to bid on some wonderful items. We are also looking for donations to our silent auction. If you have any goods or services to offer or just want to put together something for us to auction off, we would be so appreciative. Our silent auction was our most successful fundraiser last time around, so we are excited to be having one again.
Lastly, we would love it if you could share our story with others who you think may be interested in supporting us. Feel free to share our fundraising sites on social media or to pass the information along to friends. We have lots of extra adoption cards that we would be happy to mail to anyone wanting to pass them along. We know there are so many people out there with a heart for adoption, and we would love for them to share in our story!
Thank you all so much for your support and love!
Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy New Year!
Nick, Mindy and Silas Kinnier
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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