Our Story

Justin and I (Rachel) met when we were around 9 years old while attending the same church. We became friends in high school and started dating. We broke up for several years but renewed our friendship while we were both attending college and began dating again. We were married after graduating college. We both worked in EMS (we even worked as partners on the same ambulance for awhile) and Justin went on to also become a firefighter and a nurse.

   We had always wanted to grow our family through adoption but thought it would be after having biological children. But God had other plans for us (as He often does) and after 6 years of struggling with infertility we began the process of adoption. Much to our surprise and delight, we were matched very quickly and within a few months our daughter was born (Feb 2011) and the adoption was finalized in May 2011.

   The beginning of this year, we again felt the call to begin the adoption process. But having just paid off the debt from our first adoption, we thought we would pursue an adoption out of foster care. But again God had other plans, and while we were attending our first MAPP class to become foster parents we received a text from our daughter's birthmother that she was pregnant again and were we interested in adopting this baby as well.  Of course we are beyond elated at the chance to adopt our daughter's biological sibling (a sister, as we have since found out)!

The 127 in our blog name is from two Bible references that are very near and dear to our hearts:

James 1:27 "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

 I Sam. 1:27 "For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him."

We praise God for all He has done and will continue to do to build our family as He sees fit. We covet your prayers as we continue on this journey.

The Dilkes Family