Hannah's Tears - New Home Page!

Please find Hannah's Tears Ministry/Apostolate 

on our NEW Home Page

http://hannahstears.net

God bless and Thank you 

for following US!

Forever, For Always, No Matter What : Catholic Adoption & Home Education Blog: Our Adoption Story

Forever, For Always, No Matter What : Catholic Adoption & Home Education Blog: Our Adoption Story: "Our Adoption story was written by a good friend, Heather Schultz, for The Catholic Times in November 2009. Note: we brought Anna and ...

"The Dunlaps are just like any other family.   Yes, Bob and Jennifer Dunlap have adopted all of their children, but the couple insists they have only done what anyone else can do. November is National Adoption Month, and Jennifer says although “not everyone is called to adopt, (everyone can) pray for kids waiting for families, and possible even help financially.”

Nuns on the RUN

Yes, this is an old video, but something to celebrate!

The Running Nuns

Check out the Running Nuns @ http://runningnuns.blogspot.com/

New Edition of ‘Adoption Nation’ Released

New Edition of ‘Adoption Nation’ Released

Adam Pertman

A couple of years ago, I shared the keynote speaker podium at an adoption conference with Adam Pertman, author of Adoption Nation and executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.When I was researching my book, The Adoption Decision: 15 Things You Want to Know Before Adopting, Adam’s book — and the Adoption Institute — were essential resources.  Adam is one of the world’s top researchers in the field of adoption. He’s my adoption hero. So you can imagine that I was more than a little intimidated to be a co-keynoter with him. Read more

Adoptive Parents Needed

A single mom needs to find a family for her unborn baby. Baby has spina bifida and hydro (that is all that is known at this point). Adoption fees are heavily subsidized in this instance. Baby is 20 wks. Please let me know if you hear of anyone that is willing to adopt this baby.

Please send your response to prayer(at)hannahstears.org for contact information.

Banana, Bear, and Bophie: Our Decision to Adopt Again Part 2

After beginning discussions, we decided to put all adoption talk on hold until after our Christmas break. I had enough on my plate and I wanted to enjoy our break. I also was really struggling with how to handle our current household chaos. We spent our holidays brainstorming ideas to help me manage it all, to help me get some more sleep, to help the kids get school back on track, etc. The strategies we put in place made a world of difference. Despite getting sick for almost the whole month of February, I felt like I had things more under control.  continued here

Banana, Bear, and Bophie: Our Decision to Adopt Again Part 1

Banana, Bear, and Bophie: Our Decision to Adopt Again Part 1: "Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes." ~ David Platt (h/t to an old friend for posting it on Facebook)

Banana, Bear, and Bophie: Our Decision to Adopt Again Part 1

Banana, Bear, and Bophie: Our Decision to Adopt Again Part 1: "Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes." ~ David Platt (h/t to an old friend for posting it on Facebook)

Elephant Ears

Jesus loves

YOU!!!

Trust in HIM!

Mother Teresa's Secret Fire

Unless you become...

In the deepest recesses of the human heart of every grown man and woman is a child......the child within is the most authentic part of our being, that which is without pretension, affectation, the true, the humble self......

This is the child God wants to pick up and lay upon his breast, this is the child that Mary wants to feed and nurture unto eternal life, the true little, authentic self.....

Man may strive to make all kinds of heroic efforts to please God, serve God, pray to God, but what God desires is simply our hearts and love....that gift is within the possibly of all, and that is Gods justice, wisdom and love.....

Behold the Parenthood within the Trinity... that is our mirror.

Part II from a Poor Clare Colettine Sister (TMD community)

for Part I go to As a little child...

Exploring Adoption FYI

Exploring Adoption

'The Adoption Network' I'm passionate about helping churches and faith-based organizations start adoption/orphan care ministries.

In the November issue of Adoption World e-zine, I announced that I am donating copies of my book, The Adoption Network:

Your Guide to Starting a Support System, to churches, denominations, seminaries, para-church organizations, and faith-based adoption events.

What a response! During the past two weeks, I have shipped out over 700 books! People have ordered anywhere from one to 200+ copies at a time. Several church denominations have requested copies for every church in their region.

Now that I'm relatively caught up, I thought I'd let the rest of the world know about my mega-ministry book donation.

A bit about the book:
The Adoption Network is a 112-page, softcover workbook for those who want to start a face-to-face community of support for adoptive and foster parents, first/birth parents, and/or adopted people of all ages.

The book provides step-by-step instructions and worksheets for how to: develop a mission statement plan a budget recruit leader ship create workshops, support groups, social events, mentoring programs, and more. While The Adoption Network specifies how to create faith-based ministries, it is generic enough that it can be used for any type of adoption network. The book retails for $9.99, so getting multiple copies for the price of shipping/packaging is deal that can't be beat.

The generosity of some dear friends enabled me to purchase several thousand copies of The Adoption Network (yes, authors have to purchase our own books!).

I'm "paying it forward" by donating copies of my book to ministries. Do you know people who could use this handbook? Whether it's one individual, a planning team of 20, a regional governing body of 200, or a conference of 2,000, I will donate copies of The Adoption Network.

I request two things:
You pay shipping (let me know how many books you need and I'll calculate actual shipping costs).You "pay it forward" by giving the books to those who can use them. Feel free to use the books as door prizes (not door stops), as small group study guides, and as gifts for church leaders and others interested in adoption/orphan ministry.

Contact me today: laura@laurachristianson.com, and we'll set up your book shipment.

Tell everyone you know about the ministry giveaway of The Adoption Network, and feel free to link to this post or reprint it on your own blog/Web site.

Foster Care or Adoption: That Is the Question? ~ Guest Post from Heidi Hess Saxton

*This has been reposted as of, September 30, 2008. This post has had search problems, because of human error. If you have been searching for this post and have had problems, please accept my humble appologies. "Foster Care or Adoption: That Is the Question?" can also be found on the main Hannah's Tears blog site under Septembers listing. Thank you for your patience and prayers. God Bless!

Post from Main Site: Friday, September 12, 2008

I would like to welcome my sister in Christ, Heidi Hess Saxton. I am very grateful to her for coming to my aide on how to discern foster care and adoption.I have to admit, I know nothing about this, except for those whom I have known that adopted or were adopted. Heidi comes to answer many questions to put our minds to rest but maybe it will lead us to pray more deeply and maybe consider the question, "Is God asking me to adopt?

"That is the question in many of our hearts these days. How do we answer this question and put it to rest in our minds and hearts? Prayer and more prayer... and then there's more....read on....

Should We Consider Adoption or Foster Care?

A Guest Post by Heidi Hess Saxton

Founder of the "Extraordinary Moms Network"

"How did you and your husband decide to become foster parents?"

It's a question people frequently ask me when they discover we foster-adopted our two children. Most often, their tone indicates that we have done something extraordinary, even heroic.

In reality, no hand from heaven came down to deliver a special invitation to us. No angel materialized on our doorstep, kids in tow. Instead, God used our natural desires to have a family; a series of doors presented themselves to us, which we tested one at a time until we found the one that had our children behind it.

Door One: Acknowledge Grief and Fear

From the beginning, we knew that it would be highly unlikely that the ordinary path to parenthood was in store for us. A fertility specialist confirmed that my medical history and or ages made it unlikely that we would conceive without assistance. And yet, we were sure of two things: (1) If God wanted us to become parents, it would happen in His way, in His time. (2) We refused to let infertility wreak havoc on our marriage, as it had preoccupied and even destroyed the marriages of other couples we knew. We remained open and trusting, simply taking life one day at a time.

I was very fortunate in that Craig and I always seemed to be on the same page where these decisions were concerned. I knew couples where one - usually the woman - longs to enlarge their family, while the other is content just as things are. One is eager to adopt ... while the other holds back because of the expense, or the inconvenience, or out of fear of what adding an "unknown quantity" might do to the existing family dynamic.

Door Two: Gather Information

In situations like this, it's important to arrive at a mutual decision based not on fears, but facts. Talk with other adoptive and foster parents to find out the names of reputable agencies in your area - then go to an information meeting or two. Online sources are also available; websites like adoption.com or tools like the "Adoption Guide Planner" can help you decide which kind of adoption for foster plan is best suited to your family situation.

Adoption need not be expensive, especially if you consider foster care or foster-adoption. You do not even need to own your own home, and a wide variety of resources are available to assist couples with more heart than money. In the state of Michigan, for example, children adopted out of the foster care system continue to receive the monthly subsidy and medical insurance benefits that they received while they were wards of the state; they are also eligible for a variety of benefits ranging from free hot lunches to free college tuition.

Neither is the age of a couple necessarily a barrier. Remember that no two children are the same, or have the same level of need. Couples who feel too old to do the "diaper brigade" may be a godsend for a grade-school child or teenager whose opportunities for a real home diminish with each passing year. Those who long for a baby - but who are willing to open their hearts a little wider, to include the infant's older brothers or sisters - can find the blessings multiply with the challenges. In many cases, families willing to consider a child with special needs (both temporary, due to trauma, and more long-term physical and developmental needs) or a biracial child often discover that love comes in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Door Three: Prepare Yourself

So what do you need to be a good foster or adoptive parent?

Patience. Whether dealing with bureaucratic red tape, a toddler who hides food in the closet, or a boy-crazy teen, you will have ample opportunity to practice virtue.

Support. Even experienced parents will quickly discover that adoption and foster care is an "extended family affair." When extended family lives too far away to be of practical assistance, it becomes that much more important to cultivate a support network - even if you have to pay for it temporarily. (In the beginning, a large chunk of our subsidy checks were spent on babysitters and housekeepers.)

Faith. Adoptive and foster parenting is not for wimps, or for those with an over-inflated sense of self-reliance. Extraordinary parenting (investing yourself in the life of a child you did not bring into the world yourself) requires spiritual strength, cultivated through prayer and the sacraments.Time. A child that comes to you through adoption and foster care will often require special attention, especially in the first months that he or she joins the family. Especially for the first six months or so, the child needs one primary caregiver to assist with the bonding process. Depending on how he came to you, he may also have physical and emotional problems that may not immediately present themselves. Remember... parenting is a marathon, not a sprint!

Door Four: Make a Choice

As you gather the information you need, continue to ask the Holy Spirit to make your way clear to you. Remember that while God calls us to take up certain challenges in life, ultimately the choice is ours to make. Adoption and foster care is an adventure for the whole family ... and yet, timing is very important.

For example, you may decide to postpone adding to your family until your youngest child is in school, or even wait until all your children are fully grown. Or you may decide that a younger sibling is just what you and your children need to grow in virtue!If after gathering the information you need to make your decision together, and you conclude that adoption and foster care is not appropriate at this time, there are other ways to make a difference in the life of a child. You can volunteer as a tutor or mentor through your local school or "Big Brother/Big Sister" program. Become a CASA volunteer, who befriends and advocates for foster children currently in the system. Volunteer as a respite worker for foster or single parents. Host a fundraiser to assist families from your church who are pursuing international adoption, or organize special needs children, and offer them practical support - even sitting with the child while they go to Mass for an hour of uninterrupted prayer.If you have a heart for kids ... there are always children who need you!

Heidi Hess Saxton is the founder of the Extraordinary Moms Network and the author of "Raising Up Mommy: Virtues for Difficult Mothering Moments."

Patron Saints for Adoption

St. Clotilde

St. Thomas More

St. William of Rochester

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta


Please find many sites available on this site that may help you with your adoption process. Also check out our friend Heidi Hess Saxton's site: Extraordinary Moms Network and her adoption support.

Blessings to you as your build your family!

Adoption Networking

Laura Christianson, is a beautiful Christian woman who has written a book called "The Adoption Decision" and another called the "Adoption Network".

Please go to this link to read more about Laura Christianson and her adoption resources:

http://www.exploringadoptionblog.com/adoption/2008/09/starting-an-adoption-support-network-youtube-video.html

Catholic Adoption Resource

Are you interested in adoption but afraid of the high costs involved?

Go to: Little Flowers Foundation

National Adoption Conference

2008 National Adoption Conference

September 24-26

Adoption Story

Here's a letter from Christy, who wanted to share her adoption story with us.

I would like to share our adoption story. We have one biological son who is 4 y/o. He was born 4 months early, and we decided that adoption would be the way to expand our family. We began exploring adoption in early 2006. When we were ready to begin in early 2007, we began an adoption to Vietnam. We have changed course over the last several months b/c the adoption from VN to the US will end in September. We do not currently have a referral and our agency will not have us a referral before the close of the program. We then regrouped and began a domestic adoption w/ our local Catholic Charities. (They were not accepting families when we started the adoption in 2007.) We are about to update our home study and have our profile viewed by birth parents. Please pray for us b/c it will be hard if a second adoption fails.

Christy

God bless you Christy, we're keeping you in our prayers!!! Thanks again for sharing your story with us. Please send us any updates if you can.

If you have a story that you would like to share, please email us at Hannahs.Tears@gmail.com