We were married June 1985 and were infertility patients for approx. 5 years. We saw a specialist for 2 years. We now have 2 children.
Tyler, our 1st child is our biological son conceived thru IUI, born January 1993 (after 7 ½ years married). Our second is Cameron our bi-racial son adopted 4 years later, December 1996, through Bethany Child Services in USA through private adoption.
Our Story
It was 1996 and our first child, Tyler was turning three. We’d been through the ups and downs heartaches of five years of infertility the first time around, it was an emotional roller coaster we didn’t want to get on again. Starting on another journey of infertility treatments was too much of a gamble. We would surely spend too much money and emotional energy on the process and still not have any success in conceiving and delivering a second child.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” The desire of our hearts was to have a second child, and that our first child, Tyler, grow up with the blessing of a sibling. We had always prayed through our years of infertility, “God grant us the desires of our hearts, and if our dreams are not in your plans for us, please change those desires.” So, again we put our faith in Scripture. We focused our hearts and minds on delighting in the Lord, and we were confident that he would, in His way, satisfy our desires.
Another thing we were sure about was that there are many unwanted pregnancies and orphans in the world. We have strong convictions about abortion and caring for underprivileged. It was not a difficult decision for us to begin the procedures to adopt our second child.
Toward the end of 1996 we drafted and sent a letter to the Heath Clinics of all the Christian Colleges in USA, and hired an adoption attorney. We also had registered with a private agency working with women in crisis pregnancies. What follows is an excerpt from the letter we wrote to introduce ourselves to women who were considering giving their baby up for adoption.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purposes in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:28
For our first 7 years of marriage we were eager to be parents. We wondered why God was not granting us the desire of our hearts. Month after month we worked with an infertility doctor. It was a time of disappointment and discouragement, but we had confidence that God always knows what is best. Finally God answered “yes” just before Mother’s Day in 1992.
Four months into our long awaited pregnancy, Jim’s father was diagnosed with terminal cancer that would quickly take his life. Through Dad’s last months of pain and discomfort, God, with perfect timing, had provided a great source of joy: his first grandchild. We hadn’t known through the years of waiting for a child, that God’s timing would be perfect for us. Rarely this side of heaven do we get answers to our questions of why God is slow to answer or silent. In this situation, he was gracious to show us his reasons for answering “wait.” As a newborn baby, our son Tyler was still small enough to be held safely in grandpa’s weak arms in the few months before he died.
Now, here we are, four years later. This little Tyler prays every night that God would give him a baby brother or sister; the desire of our three hearts. Being parents has been the greatest experience of our lives and yet our infertility problems have worsened. Wherever you are, you are reading our letter because you are wondering what the future holds for you and the child you are carrying.
God is a good God, and he cares so much for you, for us, and for your baby. Our prayers are with you as you make these important decisions in the days to come.
With hope for a bright future,
The Creasmans
Jim, Kimberly & Tyler
Two months later, our Christmas cards were delayed in the sending. Here’s the letter we sent out with our cards a few weeks after Christmas:
January 13, 1997
In late August, when we decided to pursue a domestic adoption, we began praying that it would come together quickly; specifically, that a birthmother would choose us by Christmas, December 25th, and that a baby would be in our home early in 1997. Not that God needed a date, but we thought it couldn’t hurt to let him know our desires….
We left December 3rd for a two week mission trip to Asia (we were exploring options for serving in Singapore and Indonesia). We had not been able to finish all of the adoption application paperwork, or the required home study. Never-the-less, while in Indonesia, we received a fax from the agency to which we were applying for adoption. They were notifying us that a birthmother had chosen us. She was due December 25th. “Are you interested?” We faxed back, “YES!”
The day after we arrived back to LA, we learned that the baby had been born early (December 14th). In a whirlwind of meetings, a rush of paperwork, and a fog of jet lag we decided that this 6 pound, 11 ounce baby boy was the answer to our prayers. Only 5 days after arriving home, he was our son! We brought him to church the day he was adopted, and our first week back from the trip. Some people thought that the pastor had brought a baby back as a souvenir! We washed all of Tyler’s newborn clothes with the laundry from our trip!
We are still stunned at how quickly this has happened, yet it is exactly what we prayed for! What a wonder-filled Christmas to hold our adopted newborn while worshipping the newborn Jesus. He came so that we might have the opportunity to be adopted as His children. We thank God for his goodness and have great confidence that He brought Cameron into our family.
More than 7 years down the road now, we thank God everyday for the joy and challenge of raising our boys. We continue to pray whether God would want us to adopt again (though we’re not getting any younger!). There is nothing in life that gives us such a clear picture of our heavenly father’s love for us than being parents. There is nothing better to help us understand and share with others the wonder of being adopted as heirs of God’s kingdom.
Our prayer for you would be that God would deepen your love for, and trust in him as you wait for him to fulfill the longing of your hearts. May He grow in all of us a yearning for him as deep and passionate as our longing to have children. May he strengthen your character and deepen your compassion for others who hurt as you walk this part of your journey.
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