A BIG Update | Englerths Adopt

The Day that Changed Everything

Wednesday was the day that changed everything. Ben and I happened to sit on the couch at the same (rare occurrence here). We were starting to catch up on our day and we both had missed calls on our phone. I looked at mine while he read the number on his. They were the same. A second later, mine had a voicemail.

It was our agency. Our main connect is out on training so this number was someone we didn’t have saved. “I have some news for you guys. Call me back at your convenience.” We couldn’t call back fast enough. We both knew what this could be, but held our breath until we talked to her. “You received a referral. She is a beautiful baby girl.” I held my breath as she went over all the details and once we hung up, Ben and I just sobbed in each other’s arms.

It’s her. This is the little girl we have been waiting for. This is the little girl God had chosen all along. This is our baby girl. He loves her so much and now, so do we. There are so many other parts to this story we can’t wait to share someday, but for now, we know who she is and are actively pursuing to make it official and get things moving so we can bring her home!

Please pray for our family as we adjust to the news and soak it all in. Pray for our kids who are beyond excited to bring her home and the pain of not having her here yet is now more real than ever. Pray for the Lord to provide the finances needed to make it to each next step (as He has done so well this whole process). Pray for us as we navigate all the paperwork and appointments to come over this next week. Now let’s get our baby girl home!

We are now at a place where we are about $6,200 away from where we need to be in 10 days. If you are able and willing to support us financially, we would be so grateful! We are so thankful to all of those who have already supported us to get us this far!

*UPDATE: We are now about $3,200 away from where we need to be in 6 days!

Please know, this is not expected! The best support you can give our family right now is to cover us in prayer!

Here are some practical ways you can help us as we prepare for our next steps in the process:

Due to the quickly approaching deadline of August 8, the best way to support us financially right now is through Venmo, Paypal, Cash or Check.
Share our fundraising page and a snippet of our story with anyone you can! (This is tax deductible!)
Share Angie's photography business! That income is helping to fund all of this so the more clients we get right now, the better!
Share our Etsy shop full of fun printables as well as graphic tees and mugs!
We are still running a Numbers for our Daughter fundraiser with a few hidden prizes. There is still a photoshoot with me hidden in the numbers! This is a fun and easy way to participate in our adoption journey!
Pray! Praying for us does more than anything else you do for us and we so appreciate it! Pray for peace over our family that God will provide. Pray for our little girl in Bulgaria that she would have an overwhelming sense of comfort while she continues to wait. Pray for her caretakers to be gentle, kind and loving with her. Pray for all foster and adoptive families worldwide!

A Brief Update | Englerths Adopt

It's been too long since we updated here! We get asked often how things are going and the answer seems to always be "still waiting." After a busy fall and winter, we are officially updated on all our paperwork and back to waiting.

We are focused now on saving all that we can to be prepared for the exciting day when a referral comes. We will owe $9,300 at that stage of the process and then need to travel for trip one a couple months after (estimate is around $7,500 in expenses for that) so every little bit helps!

In an effort to help with the costs, we opened a gift shop called The Pursuit of Home. We’d love for you to check it out! We also have another round of Adoption Fundraiser Mini Session Marathons coming up at Angie Englerth Photography. For anyone who would like to donate a tax deductible gift, you may do that here.

Every day, we feel more and more a deep sense of longing to meet our child. We pray for her every day, many times multiple times a day. Our children talk about her as if she'll be here next week. Isabel talks about her sister all the time and all the things she’s saving for her. We are overwhelmed with joy thinking about the potential bond these two will have and we don’t even know her yet! We have gained so much peace from the Lord and while this process has been full of challenges, the Lord has used every one of them to refine us and bring us closer to Him. We pray that in this whole process, He will continue to be glorified.

Please pray for our family as we continue to wait and pray that the Lord will provide in ways only He can for our next step. Thank you!

Why International? | Englerths Adopt

I want to start with a statement that Ben and I had heard many different versions of since we began this process:

“Why Bulgaria? There are plenty of American babies that need homes.”

Let’s unpack this a bit.

First, as a mother on a journey to bring home a child via international adoption, this statement hurts. What I hear in a statement like this is that American children are worth more than other kids. American children are more valuable than other kids. God loves American children more than other children. As you’re reading this, I hope you realize how untrue that is. God loves ALL the children of the world. Nowhere does the bible say anything about American children being more valuable to him.

Next, let’s talk about the cultural component. We are not going to stand here and pretend that the cultural diversity our child brings into the family won’t matter. We are not going to pretend that our child won’t look different from us. She will. We aren’t going to pretend that leaving her country, the only home she has ever known, and her culture behind isn’t going to be hard. It absolutely is.

Let’s talk about international adoption in the world now. Many countries have come a long way over the last few decades when it comes to domestic adoption. They have far more resources and better programs put together to help find children families that need them. That said, there are still far too many orphanages in this world. There are far too many children left “unwanted”. To be available for international adoption, most children are first eligible for domestic adoption. When they reach eligibility for international adoption, this typically means all other paths to adoption have been exhausted and the child remains without a family. Sadly, the children left in these orphanages tend to be children that have more special needs.

God has so clearly placed adoption on our heart to lead us to this point. We don’t know what our daughter will be like or what special needs she may have, but God has softened our hearts and opened our minds to what we can do through Him. We will never succeed on our own, but through Him, we know all things are possible.

Now let’s rewind a little to exactly why we ended up in Bulgaria. When Ben and I started this process, Bulgaria wasn’t even a thought in our mind. When we thought of international adoption, Europe didn’t even appear as an option. The more we learned about Bulgaria and the children in need there, the more we felt drawn to adopt there. Once we officially decided and applied for the Bulgaria program, we felt such immeasurable peace that we were exactly where God wanted us.

I’d like to take a second to share a song that has meant a lot to us lately. You may or may not know, but Steven Curtis Chapman is an adoptive dad with a very powerful story. I’d encourage you to look that up and read about it if you don’t already know it. He recently wrote and released the song “Still”. I pray that as you listen, it encourages your heart and draws you closer to the Lord. Listen here.

November Auction | Englerths Adopt

As many of you know already, we are in the thick of the paperwork process for our international adoption. We are soon ready to submit our dossier (hopefully we will be registered by the end of the year). We have one last fundraiser planned for this year that we have been working very hard on behind the scenes. To say we are grateful to the businesses that participated would be an understatement. We had a response we never could have imagined and received donations from more than a dozen local businesses. We wanted to take a minute to spotlight them and share what will be available in the auction from their business. If you have something you’d like to donate for the auction, please see the details below or simply contact us.

Thank you!

First up is Fox Meadows Creamery. If you’re local, I’m sure you are already more than aware of Fox Meadows. They offer delicious ice cream sourced straight from their farm as well as lunch and café drinks. They also recently opened a new location in Leola so if you haven’t tried them yet, be sure to stop in! Fox Meadows generously donated three $10 gift cards for the auction.

Painting with a Twist is a fun art studio that has painting and partying mixed together in a unique experience! Ben and I took a class here together last year and had a blast! Not only do you leave with your own art, but you have so much fun while you’re there! Painting with a Twist generously donated a seat to one of their classes along with one of their paintings for the auction.

Courtyard Café in Denver has tasty treats, delicious meals and yummy café drinks! They are a local staple in Denver and have always been committed to being involved in the community. If you haven’t been there yet, I’d encourage you to stop in with a friend and take advantage of their cozy atmosphere to catch up! Courtyard Café generously donated a $25 gift certificate for the auction.

Refreshing Mountain Retreat and Adventure Center is just that – a year-round retreat and center for family friendly fun and adventure. They offer ziplines, escape rooms, a wildlife center, a community pool (seasonally), horseback riding lessons, obstacle and ropes courses, homeschool classes, school field trips and so much more! They also have a beautiful display of drive through lights at Christmastime. If you’ve never been, I highly encourage you to check out this Lancaster County gem! Refreshing Mountain generously donated a 4 pack of passes for their Wildlife experience along with a 4 pack of passes for their obstacle course.

Foxchase Golf Club is a beautiful golf course perfect for golfers of all skill levels. They also offer an Indoor Golf Simulator and a fully stocked pro shop. They have been in businesses for over 30 years and are a great resource whether you need gear or instruction. Fox Chase generously donated passes for 4 to golf on their course.

Cherry Crest Adventure Farm is a destination for kid friendly family fun! Located in Ronks, Cherry Crest offers so many fun attractions from a corn maze, discovery barn, and pedal carts to their hay chute slide, barnyard jump, duck races and cabin builders. I couldn’t possibly list all their attractions, but I encourage you to check out their website or stop in and see what they offer for yourself! Cherry Crest generously donated a 4 pack of passes to visit their farm.

Longwood Gardens is a unique destination for tourists as well as locals. Located in Kennett Square, Longwood Gardens offers beautiful displays of gardens and fountains. Whether you’re enjoying the Cascade Garden, walking the forest walk, or taking in the conservatory, there is so much beauty to take in. They offer lots of fun experiences from tours to classes and even light shows. Longwood gardens generously donated two passes to visit.

Complete in Box is a local family-owned game store in Ephrata. They are more than just a game store though; they offer an experience. My kids are always begging to go visit! They have a lounge area with a mini arcade to enjoy. They carry all kinds of video games from vintage to brand new. They are also very knowledgeable and will help you track something down even if they don’t currently have what you are looking for. In addition to video games, they have an entire section of their store dedicated to comic books. If you’ve never been in Complete in Box, I highly recommend stopping in and seeing what all they have to offer! Complete in Box generously donated a $25 gift card and a tee shirt for the auction.

Javateas is a welcoming café in Ephrata, with another location in Wellspan Hospital, that offers delicious gourmet coffee along with some light fares. Javateas is a great place to grab and friend or two and meet up to catch up! They also offer live music at times as well as free Wi-Fi if you want to stop in and get some work done. Javateas generously donated a $25 gift card for the auction.

Bounce Kraze is a family operated business providing fun for kids of all ages! They are Lancaster County’s only indoor Inflatable Park. They offer bounce houses, slides and obstacle courses as well as a dedicated toddler area. They also have an arcade, snacks and coffee, offer birthday parties and events, as well as rentals of the inflatables! It’s a great place to stop in with your kids and let them burn off some energy! Bounce Kraze generously donated 2 passes to stop in and see what they offer! These will be available in the auction.

Peaceful Valley Furniture is a staple of Lancaster County. With locations in Intercourse, Strasburg and Green Dragon in Ephrata, Peaceful Valley Furniture offers quality Amish made furniture. Peaceful Valley Furniture generously donated a $50 gift card for the auction.

Dairy Queen needs no introduction. It’s classic, nostalgic and delicious and located right in Ephrata. Dairy Queen in Ephrata generously donated 2 gift certificates for their signature ice cream cakes.

Weaver Markets is a staple to those in the Adamstown area. They are more than a grocery store offering a small restaurant in house, rentals for events on their lower level and the most delicious deli salads you’ll ever have! Weaver Markets generously donated a $30 gift card for the auction.

Laser Dome is a full recreation center unlike any other. They offer Laser tag, a laser maze, a rollercoaster simulator, Xbox zone, pinball alley and so much more! They make a great place for a birthday party or just a fun place to take the family for a night of fun! Laser Dome generously donated two all day passes for the auction.

Freckled Pear Co. is small business based out of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They are two friends with the same artistic passion who not only love creating beautiful pieces of jewelry but also love creating items with meaning. If you haven’t already, go check out their shop! Freckled Pear graciously donated a gift bag including earrings, a necklace and bookmark.

Smucker Village is a truly unique shopping experience in the heart of PA Dutch Country! With Corner West, The Treasure Place and The Corner Coffee Shop, you will get the full shopping experience! Smucker Village has generously donated a $25 gift card along with four coffee cards to The Corner Coffee Shop.

Angie Englerth Photography - Of course I will also be adding a session with me to the auction items! This will include the session fee as well as print credit toward whatever you’d like.

We also have friends and family that have generously donated themed gift baskets in the following categories: Men’s Spa, Women’s Spa, Baking and Cooking, Local Flavor.

Want to get involved?

If you’d like to donate an item or themed basket to our auction, please contact Angie at amenglerth@yahoo.com or by phone at 717-799-0901. We appreciate all the donations we’ve received so far and hope you’ll join us for the online auction to get some Christmas shopping done and shop local all while supporting our family’s adoption journey!

The Home Study | Englerths Adopt

The Home Study

If you are familiar with the adoption process, then you know all about the home study. If not, let me give you a brief rundown.

The home study is basically a written report on our family. It covers everything from our family history, our work life, our home layout, our community resources, our hobbies, how we deal with stress, how our friends feel about our parenting/marriage/adoption and so much more!

This process takes time. We needed to have our fingerprints taken, background checks done, a water test on our well, lots and lots and lots of training and education, as well as doctor appointments with letters of recommendation. We also needed to submit a mountain of paperwork from birth certificates, passports, social security reports, income statements, pet vaccinations and so much more! Part of the process also includes interviews with our social worker (individual, couple, and our older kids) and a visit to the house for a walk through home and safety check. The process is very thorough (as it should be).

When we began our journey, we were told this process can take 4-6 months. Much to our surprise, our wonderful case worker had our first draft written after about 6 weeks! That brings us to where we are now. We have a few more pieces to finish to complete our dossier and then we are ready to send it in!

We are currently waiting for approval from our placement agency. Once we receive that, we will be able to complete the rest of our paperwork for the dossier. In the meantime, we are focusing on spending time together and doing all the fall things! We went to the apple orchard for the tenth year in a row with Ben’s grandparents, we ventured to the fair, we’ve been to all of J’s soccer games, we made lots of apple pie filling and we’re in a great rhythm with homeschool!

Part of sending in our dossier includes paying a large fee, $9,000 to be exact. We so far have raised and saved a little over $5,000 so we are close! God is providing exactly what we need when we need it so we are trusting he will do the same here. If you’re interested in being a part of our journey in this way, you can read about some different things we’re doing here.

Sharing our Why | Englerths Adopt

Sharing Our Why

I thought it was about time we share our why. Why are we adopting? Why international? Why Bulgaria? These are common questions so we wanted to take some time to break it down to you all.

It's no secret that our biological children did not necessarily come easily. We miscarried between Jackson and Sawyer and again between Sawyer and Isabel. Throughout those years, I (Angie) also dealt with some medical issues from a tumor in my sinuses to a kidney infection that landed me in the hospital. Ben and I felt peace in 2020 saying that we knew we were done having biological children.

Fast forward to the Fall of 2021 and I began to have a feeling of wanting another child. I brushed it off thinking it was just typical baby fever and it would pass. Fast forward again to the Spring of 2022...After time spent in prayer and in the word, I just couldn't shake the feeling. I felt God was calling us to have another child, but I knew we were done biologically. Ben and I talked about adoption back in our dating years and early in marriage, but we hadn’t talked about it in years. This was not a small feeling that was easily shaken so I finally decided to bring it up to Ben. Much to my surprise, Ben was not shocked by my idea to adopt and actually said he had been thinking the same thing, but wasn't sure how I'd feel. WOW! We were both in awe of how God was working in us personally and when we came together, we were already on the same page.

We decided to loop in our friends and family fairly early on as we were seeking wisdom for what adoption looked like for us. We didn't really know anyone who had adopted and didn't know too much about the process in general. We began attending all sorts of webinars and speaking with different agencies about the different paths we could take. We ultimatetly felt called to international adoption.

Once we chose our agency, we spent time looking into all the different country programs and praying about which would be the best fit for us. Our agency suggested Bulgaria for us and if I'm being completely transparent, I just shrugged it off. Bulgaria wasn't even on my radar. Ben was totally on board with it, but trusted God's process of getting me there. Eventually, I had an unexplainable moment of peace that I'll never forget. I was folding laundry and while I didn't hear God audibly, I felt so strongly He was telling me to go with Bulgaria. I hesitate to even share this part because I know some people will think it's crazy, but this is what happened. God so clearly wanted me to give up control here. He reminded me that this adoption wasn't my idea, but His and His plans are greater than anything I could come up with. It was such an exciting feeling I actually called Ben at work (something I hardly ever do) to tell him. He was so funny and just responded with "I was wondering when you'd come around!" That day will forever be engrained in my memory because it was such an overwhelming sense that God was calling us to adopt from Bulgaria.

God has moved mountains for us already and I can't wait to see what else He does as we move forward with this process.

Englerth Family Adoption | Numbers for our Daughter Fundraiser

Will you consider choosing a number (or 2!) from our "Numbers for our Daughter" board and donating that amount toward our adoption expenses? You will forever be a part of her story and your gift will have eternal impact.

As a small token of appreciation, you will also have a chance to win a prize! The Englerth kids chose 5 of the numbers to hide prizes under. If you choose a number with a heart under it, you could win a $5 coffee gift card (3), a cheesecake from Angie, or a photography session with Angie!!

UPDATE: There are currently only 14 numbers left and we still have 2 prizes hidden! One is a photoshoot with Angie and one is a gift card to Courtyard Cafe on Main in Denver!

To participate, leave a comment or send an email with your chosen number. Payment can be given through the donate buttons below, billed to your Paypal address if left in comments, or mailed/given to us. I will update the board regularly for the next several weeks to show what numbers are left.

Donate - Venmo

Donate - Paypal

fundraising page (Tax deductible)