Jeremy & Ashley Albright Family
Church: Central Baptist Church, Decatur, AL
Unknowingly, God has been preparing Ashley and I for a journey our entire lives. Ashley’s desire for adoption began at an early age from the testimony of a teacher who adopted from China. As for me, I grew up with friends in the Alabama Baptist Children’s Home. Our paths cross the summer of 2008 while attending a Christian camp and we would later married December 12, 2009.
After several years of trying to have children, we were told that the chances we would have biological children would be very low. We won’t lie and say we were ok with the news; we were broken. But that’s part of our journey. Ephesian 1:5 says “God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ.”
In April of 2012, Ashley and I moved to Decatur, AL as I was called to the position of student pastor at Central Baptist Church. It was at CBC that we officially began our adoption journey. In January of 2013, we began filling out the paperwork and prayerfully asking God to direct us in our next step. In February of 2014 we were paired with a birthmother. We immediately began making preparations. Seventy-two hours from taking custody of the child, we were notified that the birth mother had chosen to parent. We were devastated. After a time of grief we chose to get back into the game. In December of 2014 we were once again paired with a birth mother. Forty-Eight hours from taking custody of the child we were once again notified that the birth mother had chosen to parent.
After several days of prayer and counsel, we felt God calling us make drastic change in our journey. Psalm 77:19 says “your way was through the sea, your path through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.” In January of 2015, we withdrew from our adoption agency. Ashley and I spent two years partnering, praying with, and financially invested in an agency. Knowing that our investment was non-refundable, we chose to take a leap of faith and trust God.
On the recommendation of friends and family, Ashley and I chose to partner with Bundle of Hope Adoption agency. We were immediately paired with a birth mother, due in February. We took out a loan and hit the road. We spent the next four days in a hotel waiting only to return with no child and more questions than answers.
They call the adoption process a “journey” – a long and often difficult process of change. At this time, we are still praying and seeking God’s will for our lives as it pertains to our adoption. We are extremely indebted to our family and friends, our church and for the ministry of Katelyn’s Fund, that provides emotional and financial support to families journeying through adoption.
