 Where are you from originally?
I am originally from Minneapolis, MN! I was born and raised in the cities and will always be a city girl at heart! Where are you going to school and what are you planning to pursue upon graduating? I am currently attending North Dakota State University. I will graduate with a bachelor's in Health Services and plan to continue on with my education and get my Master's in Social Work somewhere in the cities! What drew you to adoption and interning with CAS? Some of my closest friends were adopted and I have always admired the adoption process and the amazing gift it gives families. When deciding what I wanted to do for a career, working with an adoption agency always had a special place in my heart because I love working with others and impacting their lives in such an amazing way. What do you like to do when you aren’t working? When I'm not working I love to spend time with friends and have game nights or stay in and watch movies on DisneyPlus! Can you share a favorite quote or something that inspires you? "Faith does not make things easy, it makes them possible" Inspired by Luke 1:37 and Phil 4:13. This quote has always inspired me because not everything in life comes easily, but with faith in the Lord there is nothing you can't accomplish. Nicole is our first intern from NDSU! We are currently accepting applications for the fall.
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 Where are you from originally? I grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota. Where are you going to school and what are you planning to pursue upon graduating?I am currently attending the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota with majors in social work, psychology, and pre-occupational therapy. After graduation, I am planning to become an adoption social worker. What drew you to adoption and interning with CAS? I originally became interested in adoption after a taking a mission trip to Ukraine and working with kids in the orphanages there. I have always loved working with children and seeing their lifestyle in that environment really inspired me onto this path. I chose interning with Christian Adoption Services because of my interest in becoming an adoption social worker, but also because my faith is extremely important to me and their mission statement fits my beliefs in the importance of a good Christian home as a foundation for a child. What do you like to do when you aren’t working? In my free time I enjoy reading, playing sports, and traveling. Can you share a favorite quote or something that inspires you? “God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls, and coal into diamonds using time and pressure. He’s working on you too.” This is a quote by Rick Warren that really motivates me in the midst of hardship and trials because it reminds me that God is using these circumstances to form me into the person he desires me to be, and that without times of challenge and discomfort, I will never reach my full potential. Averi is our first intern from University of Mary, and we are so grateful for our Bismarck office already having the opportunity to pour into the next generation of social workers. We are currently accepting applications for the fall.  Where are you from originally?
I grew up in lakes area in the city of Fergus Falls, MN. Where are you going to school and what are you planning to pursue upon graduating? I am currently attending Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) and I am pursing social work. I hope to be working in an adoption agency or even explore medical social work post graduation. What drew you to adoption and interning with CAS? I myself am adopted from Mexico and have always been interested in the process of adoption. I stand for everything that CAS believes in and I am very honored to be interning here. What do you like to do when you aren’t working? I enjoy outdoor activities like kayaking, boating, skilling in the winter and keeping up with the Fargo Force. Otherwise going to a variety of concerts, doing art projects and traveling. Can you share a favorite quote or something that inspires you? I am a part of the campus ministry Chi Alpha and this year has been about breaking the darkness on campus with God's love. So the verse I am sharing is Isaiah 60:1-3 “Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, BUT the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn”. To me this verse is a great reminder that God will forever be on his thrown and we will always be in his light. We are thrilled to have Lilly this spring, as well as Nicole who started part-time and Averi in Bismarck (her post will be up soon!). We are currently accepting applications for the fall. By: Jason and Allison Our journey to parenthood was long—filled with starts and stops, hope and sorrow, struggling to yield to God’s sovereignty, and finally finding a good deal of contentment, trusting in God’s perfect plan for us. In many ways, the fact that this road did finally bring us to parenthood was a surprise—an unexpected gift, but one that brought us tremendous joy. In the last year, God doubled that joy—again surprising us. We had been married for 18 years when God gave us our son Joshua in December 2015 through adoption, and we thought he would likely be our only child. The cost of adoption is significant, and we were not sure that it would be possible again. In addition, we were both 41 when he came home, and we knew that agencies have age restrictions for those seeking to adopt a child. Although the thought made us a little sad, we genuinely believed that our family of three was complete, and we sought to savor every moment—every first, every milestone, and every new experience.  But God…In the summer of 2017, God moved us to North Dakota, and the desire to give our son a sibling stirred in us. That desire grew and grew, and we believed God was leading us to explore the possibility of adopting again. On the recommendation of friends who had been among Christian Adoption Services’ first families placed with a child, we contacted CAS to see if indeed it might be possible to add to our family. In February 2018, we began the home study process. By July, our home study was completed. We so appreciated how [CAS] worked quickly for us, knowing how important it was to move on this desire and direction from God. Because our son is African American and we were seeking to give him a brother or sister who looked like him, we applied to an out-of-state agency for placement of a child.  The Lord moved—and He moved quickly. While we had some money saved, it was through foundation grants and gifts from generous family and friends that our adoption was fully funded by early October. Our out-of-state agency began showing us to expectant mothers in early November. In mid-January, we were notified that an expectant mom had chosen us to parent her baby. Just a few days later, our daughter was born (a month early!), and by the end of the month, our Mercy was placed in our arms. God is so good! We are in awe of how God worked on our behalf. We did not know if we’d ever have children at all, and God has given us two precious ones. Sometimes that thought still overwhelms us! We are grateful for CAS and for how they worked with us—first to complete our home study, then to recommend an out-of-state agency, and then in our post-placement time. Our journey to Mercy was filled with God’s clear leading and provision, and she is a gift to all three of us. There will never be adequate words to express the gratitude in us for God’s good plan for our family and His sweet and gracious gifts. Invest in families like Jason and Allison on Giving Hearts Day, February 13th. Your gift of $10 or more is matched by generous donors to further the mission of displaying God's love to babies, birth parents and families in North Dakota and Minnesota.   I allowed myself to focus on the fears that played out in my head: "What if they change their minds?" "What if it confuses him?" "What if he uses it against us?" Then slowly, through prayer and CAS educating us on the benefits of openness, the Lord started changing my heart from a focus of fear to one of hope for relationship.
My initial hesitancy toward openness evolved into a strong desire for it. We were eventually chosen by the sweetest birth parents who also desired openness. What an incredible blessing it has been.... Continue reading Christmas newsletter As we wrap up National Adoption Month, we reflect on the tough stuff of adoption. Yes, this is a month to celebrate the beauty that is a family coming together, but we don't forget that it is often forged out of a heartache. This is absolutely a month for sharing positive adoption language, because without it we perpetuate the negative stigma for birth parents and adoptees. However, we acknowledge some adoptees are processing how they feel about their own story. Their love for their parents may be strong, but it may still come with doubts and frustration about the choices other people made for their life. We'll close this month with a reflection on bonding from one of our adoptive moms. We hope that no matter where you are in the adoption circle, you can come to appreciate the love shared in this difficult journey...  Dare I say it out loud? Am I willing to speak my reality when it seems as though no one else is talking about it? For me, bonding didn't happen immediately. In a lot of ways, it has come more intentionally than naturally. Sometimes it was downright hard and I found myself grieving the loss of the fairytale idea that love flows easily.
But there is so much beauty in our story. There is comfort in knowing that love doesn't just happen or not... and if not, then what? There is hope in knowing that love is a million tiny choices all strung together. Many of my choices were not made out of innate and immediate boundedness, but rather, out of the vision I have for the relationship I desire with my son in the future - and making choices now that actively lead us there. Thankfully, in other ways it has felt so beautifully natural to love him. In fact, as he has grown, there has been an obvious shift. The momentum of bondedness has taken off and the moments of natural closeness have started to outweigh the need for intentionality and suddenly all those moments of actively making the choice to love all seem more than worth it! It's okay, healthy even, to acknowledge when love doesn't flow easily. I can tell you that there is rich reward in the choice to let it grow intentionally. My heart beams when I can honestly say my love for him is deep and rich, and it's much more real than a fairytale.  Where are you from originally?
Portland, Oregon! 😊 But spent just as long living in the Twin Cities before moving to the F-M area. What do you love about working at CAS so far? The people. And I don’t just mean other staff but also the volunteers and clients – everyone is just so positive and kind. It has been such a blessing to me personally to be allowed to work in such a wonderful work environment. What drew you to the field of adoption? To be honest, when I began working at CAS it really was just meant to be a temporary situation – filling a need for a fellow ministry that also filled a need for our family. I hadn’t given a lot of thought to the topic of adoption beyond knowing that as a believer we are adopted as sons and daughters of God, and here on earth, adoption is a blessing to families and children. It didn’t take long for me to see how much of what is done here at CAS is really ministry. Yes, we provide a service, but it is so much bigger than that – and to be able to play a small role in sharing the love of God through assisting with the adoption process has been a blessing to me. What do you like to do when you aren't working? My husband and three kids keep me pretty busy with various activities, but when I get a chance for “me” time, I enjoy reading, singing, playing board/card games, and spending time with my sister-friends. Can you share a favorite quote/verse or something that inspires you? Phil. 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This a favorite reminder to me and an often prayed verse for others as they go through various struggles.  I am from Fergus Falls, MN and am currently going to school at MSUM. I will graduate with a social work degree this winter and hope to find a job soon after. I am most interested in working with youth in some capacity. My heart has been drawn to adoption for as long as I can remember, and so the opportunity to learn more about it and spend time working at a faith-based adoption agency is really exciting to me!
When I’m not working, I like to water ski and be at the lake during the warmer months, spend time with good friends, and read a good book. A favorite Bible verse of mine is Psalm 73:28. “But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds.” We are thrilled to have Caitlyn with us this fall and applications are being accepted for winter/spring!  Our staff went to a screening of the movie Unplanned about former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson. It is a compelling story, mostly because it is true and shows very directly what the procedure of abortion is like. Earning an "R" rating solely because of showing the graphic reality of both a surgical abortion & medical abortion (with medication RU-486), the film is difficult to watch and does a good job of showing the humanity on both sides of the abortion debate as the story unfolds. The film is only scheduled to play theaters through this week, so don't miss your chance to see it and support the hard work of getting this controversial true story out in front of audiences. After watching the film, I couldn't help but think of the work CAS does with abortion-vulnerable people and efforts to provide services to post-abortive women who are struggling. Pat just wrote a story for our spring newsletter about a recent conversation with such a woman, and these important stories are vital to keep abortion from being normalized/rationalized and to identify the pain and regret. We serve a God who forgives - read more about Pat's story...   Where are you from originally?
I am originally from Garfield, MN, a small town close to Alexandria, MN. Where are you going to school and what are you studying? I am currently attending Minnesota State University Moorhead and enrolled in the social work program. I am excited to graduate in May with my bachelors degree. What do you love about interning at CAS? I love interning at CAS because I get to be a part of peoples lives to help them grow their families through adoption. It is amazing to see God’s hand guiding everything we do here at CAS. What do you like to do when you aren’t working? When I am not working I love spending time outside with my family and friends . I enjoy traveling all over the world and seeing this beautiful earth God has created. Can you share a favorite quote or something that inspires you? A verse that has guided me through my life is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and , not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future" We are thrilled to have Katie this spring, and we are currently accepting applications for the fall. |
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