Disruptive Hope Newsletter (Feb 2024)

Friends & Family -

We’re excited to update you on Disruptive Hope's families and fund as we look to the year ahead. In our last newsletter, we introduced you to 3 new families who are back in the adoption process thanks to your generosity. We are thrilled to share good news from all of them!

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Our Families:

We continue to keep up with Stephanie & Joseph, Jill & Charlie, and Brianna & Tyler since their adoption finalizations. Here's an update from Stephanie. They still have a relationship with Rio (who they had to relinquish at 4 months old) and his biological family. Shortly after this happened, Disruptive Hope helped make it possible for them to adopt their son Finn who will be 2 in April!

"It’s such a breath of fresh air to worry about normal things in our family now: teething, sleeping, socialization, and injuries (and there are a lot of injuries with this energetic son of ours)! God has been so gracious to us to allow us this season of rest and the mundane. Finn is now 1.5 years old! He is getting in-home services targeting his expressive language and we can see so much growth as he is beginning to speak in 2-word phrases! His favorite words are “go”, “sissy” and “go sissy!” He loves water, running around and everything to do with trash trucks. We are so fortunate to still be in contact with Rio Wilder (yes, they kept his name we gave him)! He just turned 2 years old and we got to FaceTime with him on his birthday! In all, Finn continues to be the epitome of joy and laughter in our home and we are so blessed to call him ours forever! He was worth the wait and the past hardships we have gone through. God has regularly used our story of heartache to encourage and minister to others- all for the gospel!"

We shared Brooke & Mathew's story with you in November. They experienced 2 disrupted matches and at the time our fund was insufficient to support them. Thanks to your generous help since our last newsletter, they were able to reenter the adoption process and welcomed their baby boy Wyatt in December! Please read their story on our blog to learn more about what your support has meant to them.

"Our adoption story did not go how we thought it would. It was truly a test of faith and perseverance, but as we held our baby boy in that hospital room, all of the disappointments and sadness disappeared and were replaced with joy. We love him unconditionally and our girls are so excited to have a little brother. We're still working through the process to make it final, but are so excited for the day that Wyatt is officially our son. We are truly thankful for Disruptive Hope giving us the financial and emotional support we needed to feel comfortable continuing with our journey. It made us feel seen and not alone in what we were going through and ultimately helped us persevere and meet our baby boy. Thank you!"

Nicole & Eric have rematched with a baby due in June! While they’re forever grateful for another chance, waiting after a disrupted match (4 in their case) is an emotional and daunting experience. We ask for your continued prayers and love for them. We look forward to keeping you updated on their journey.

Jessica & Chris experienced heartbreak this summer after the baby boy they matched with passed away shortly before birth. We are thrilled to hear they've also rematched and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a baby girl later this month. This will never take away the pain of the baby who was lost, but your support has helped them find light in the darkness.

If you experienced a disrupted match and would like emotional support, our network is here to help. Kayla (from one of our first support network families) explained how Disruptive Hope encouraged her during this challenging time. Check our her post to hear more about their powerful adoption journey.

"It was a breath of fresh air to talk to my support partner Chelsea and process our experience. I remember talking to her for an hour by phone one day and felt I had known her my whole life. I was amazed that someone that didn’t even know me would take the time to hear my story and check in with me often. She always seemed to check in at just the right time - when I needed it most. I was so glad to have Disruptive Hope during that season supporting me, encouraging me, and checking in with me as it was a lonely and painful time. I know they were praying for us and God used them in my life. I am so grateful to them and highly recommend them to anyone seeking support."

Our Fund:

Thanks to your generosity to date, the Disruptive Hope Fund has delivered:

• +$89,000 in donations

• 3 families with finalized adoptions

• 1 family with a placement awaiting finalization

• 2 families who have been rematched and waiting for placement

• 28 families who have been part of the Disruptive Hope Support Network

If you're interested in donating to help more families, please click the button below.

Donate to Help More Families

Our Future:

As we look toward what's next for Disruptive Hope, we're always looking for opportunities to share our story, the stories of these families, and find more adoptive families to help. We're learning about the best ways to do this as we go and would love any advice you have to share at disruptive.hope.fund@gmail.com. Thank you all for your continued love and support!

With Love -