The Conaway Eight-Foster Care and Adoption Story

The Conaway family adopted three kids with TBHC. They started out doing foster care with the hope of one day adopting. They have had a long and rewarding journey and we cannot wait to share their story with you.

I knew that God had laid adoption on my heart when I was 15 years old. I married my husband in June 2007, and at the time, he did not feel the same desire I did. I remember feeling so confused and a little heartbroken, but I trusted God with His timing. He never shut it down completely, but I knew God had to be the one to put that desire in his heart. Over the next five years, we had three children. The Lord called us to move to Texas in June of 2016. It was a big adjustment leaving family and starting over new.

It took time, but we settled in and found a church we loved. I started to feel the Lord speak to my heart again about adoption. I spoke with my husband about what I was feeling, and he agreed to at least go to a meeting at TBHC with me. To be clear, we had no desire whatsoever to do foster care. I was the person who could never see myself letting a child go and dealing with that kind of pain etc. However, we serve a God who sees what we can not. He knew we could handle it. It was never an easy process, but we trusted God with what we both felt would fill the most significant need. We had challenging moments and beautiful moments in our journey with TBHC. We fostered seven kiddos and provided respite for countless others. Three of those seven we were blessed to adopt.

Our second foster placement will always stick out to me the most. They were responsible for changing our hearts forever. Two sweet boys came to us, and they were scared and confused. My heart was so heavy and broken. Why do parents do this? Why do they deserve them back? See, something you have to know about fostering is being honest about where your heart is. Ours were sad and bitter and confused why any parent could hurt a child like this. Boy, that changed. We got to see the most beautiful redemption story, and those two boys reunite with their mama. This mama loved them so much, and she fought fiercely to get them back and was so thankful to us for taking them in and helping her. We loved those boys so much, and it was still heartbreaking to see them leave, but we needed them more than they needed us. Our hearts need to be softened that things aren’t always so cut and dry. These kids should always go home if it’s safe and healthy.

After all of that, we took a break, and then came our first adoption story. Our son, we received from the hospital at two weeks old. He was 3 pounds and fragile, but our hearts fell as deeply in love as they possibly could. After we received the call about this baby, we received another phone call about another baby boy who needed a home and love. He was only six days old. At first, we hesitated about having two fragile newborn babies only six weeks apart, but ultimately we said yes! Let me tell you how great our God is. He knew yet again what we could not see. Those boys needed each other. They have been raised like twins and are blessed to have each other as brothers.

The story gets even better. Before we adopted the second baby boy officially, we knew he had a sister that needed a forever home as well. We didn’t have to hesitate with that decision much. We had met her through previous visits, and she was a precious girl. So she came to live with us as well. She loved her baby brother so much. She was excited to be with us and start her new life. We were nervous about how well she would adjust to us being older, but she fit right in. She is in between my other daughter’s ages, and it was a great fit. All adoptions were final in 2019. We have seen God’s mercy in every step of this journey. We felt led to TBHC, and He knew we would need the kind of support that TBHC gave us. We had plenty of ups and downs, but we always have felt the most family-like support from them. Fostering and adopting is not an easy process. You have to consider yourself, your marriage, your children, biological family, and the children you take in. There are many hearts involved. We struggled, our children struggled, everyone struggles through the process, but having a supportive agency and a God like ours, I promise you, Gods got this!

Our family is now complete, and we are so thankful for TBHC and everyone who supports them. In helping them, you support and fill the hearts and needs of families in so many ways. Thank you.