The Family Builder Fund in Action

Our journey to becoming parents began approximately five years ago. After six months of trying to conceive, we learned that we were facing some fertility issues. We continued to try on our own for the following couple of years, but we were still unsuccessful.

Through a series of events, God called us to go to Beijing, China, to teach and help some families that were living there for the school year of 2004-2005. During the months leading up to our departure for China, God brought many people into our lives who had adopted or were in the process of adopting. We began tossing around the idea of us possibly adopting in the future.

While in China, we had the opportunity of visiting a few of the government orphanages, and a couple of private orphanages. Our hearts were burdened for the children that we met. We began praying about what God would have us do in the future, and told the Lord that we would be willing to adopt if that is what He had planned for us.

When we returned home in the summer of 2005, we still had not been able to conceive. After visiting infertility doctors, and after much prayer, God made it very evident that He had a special child for us that He wanted us to adopt. We began researching agencies and programs offered.

We were impressed with CWA’s reputation amongst some of our friends who had adopted through them, and began praying about the different programs being offered. We both felt a deep peace about the country of Kazakhstan, and after three days of praying about it, we knew that was where God was leading us. But, we had one problem…How were we going to pay for this adoption?

Despite our concern about the financial responsibility, we were confident that God was leading us to do this, and sent our application to CWA the first week of January of 2006 to begin the process of adopting a baby boy from Kazakhstan. We gathered enough money from our own personal savings to get the adoption process started, and to complete our home study. Once those funds were depleted, we asked God to make Himself known in this adoption, and provide the next amount that we were going to need.

We began researching different grants available for adoptive families, and found that CWA offered a grant for its’ families. We applied, and CWA’s Family Builder Fund gave generously to our adoption. Along with this grant, and another grant we received, financial help from family, friends, and our church, we were able to travel to Kazakhstan in September of 2006 to get our son, Samuel James, completely debt free!

As his name implies, God did hear our prayers and blessed us with a special little boy. We stayed in Karaganda, Kazakhstan for seven weeks before bringing Samuel home just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We were met at the airport by very anxious grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousin to see the new arrival. Samuel has filled our home with joy and our hearts with love. We are so thankful for CWA’s Family Builder Fund that helped make this adoption a reality. We give God the glory for His faithfulness to us.

Thurston and Amber Faulkner

Would you like to have your family featured in one of our adoption stories? Please let us know by emailing Tana Alfrey, Communications Assistant.