I’ve spent my career telling people’s stories. It’s one of the greatest gifts of my job. I’ve always tried to take extreme care in the telling because they are so intensely personal to the people who are living them. The one I’m about to share with you is not only personal for them, but it’s personal for me, too. But before I introduce you to Kip & Hope, I must first give a little context.

Hope’s mom is my best friend. She has been for 20 years. I’ll always know how old our friendship is because our friendship is the same age as Abbey. I met Kellie when I was about to give birth to Abbey. She brought her youngest, Caroline, over to play with Haley while I was on maternity leave, and we’ve been part of each other’s lives ever since. We tell the story often that Abbey’s first word was “Opie” for Hope. YES! This is a TRUE story. Abbey said, “Opie” before she said “Mama” or “Dada.” {And yes, Hope, I shared this story in your reference! Sorry! It’s just one of my favorites.}

In July 2008, Pete, the girls & I attended Hope & Kip’s wedding in Virginia. It was the most joyous and beautiful occasion! Hope was a stunning bride, and Kip, a handsome groom. I was honored when they asked me to do the scripture reading during the ceremony.

Many of you walked with us (personally & on-air) through the passing of Hope’s dad, Chris, almost 4 years ago on Easter Sunday, March 31st. You held their family up in prayer, and your prayers were surely felt.

I’ve only hi-lited a few things, but suffice it to say there has been lots of life together in the last 20 years. Graduations, birthdays, holidays, you name it. So, to tell you this family is special to me would be a gross understatement. They ARE my family.

Recently, Kip & Hope started the adoption process. A week or so ago, their home study was approved (OF COURSE!) and I immediately called Hope. I’ve asked them if they would be willing to share their story. I believe with all my heart that God has a child hand-picked just for them! And when I tell you this child will hit the parent jack-pot, oh my goodness, will they!

I also believe there is encouragement, power, and healing that happens when we share. But, more than anything, can I sincerely ask for your prayers for Kip & Hope? Would you pray that they are matched with THEIR child? This truly would mean the world to me. Thank you!

From Kip & Hope:


We have always wanted to be parents. But what we didn’t know, was how hard it would actually be to become parents. Becoming pregnant is taken for granted today. It seems like our natural right. We can choose to become pregnant like we can choose anything else, whenever it suits our plan. Society teaches us to plan our lives, to take control of our destiny, and to avoid anything unprepared for. There is simply no circumstance in which we are denied exactly what we want, exactly when we want it. Until, of course, we are. We have been unable to conceive children. We have suffered pain and loss. Our plans have been thwarted. And yet we have found joy. We are joyful because we have learned that it is not our plan that matters, but God’s. Knowing that our lives are lived according to His plan is worthy of joy and thanksgiving.

God has whispered into our lives that we will have children. He is now leading us on a path to create our family through adoption. And we are incredibly joyful for that. This is our story about finding joy in loss and following God as he leads us on His path to creating our family.

Thirteen years ago we had our first date. There was an instant connection, dinner lasted four hours, and we didn’t want it to end. We fell in love like a cliché. We knew from very early on that God had placed soul mates across the table from one another and that we would spend the rest of our lives together. Our conversations revealed shared values that allowed us to be open and honest from the very beginning. There was no wariness in opening our hearts to discussing family early on. We both saw in the other an amazing future parent and our love was deepened knowing our children would share the characteristics and personality traits we loved in each other. We were married after college, lived in a few different cities, made great friendships, and in the back of our minds checked the boxes of our plan as we neared the time we would start our family.

When that time came we could not have been more excited. But as the months passed without a positive test, we began to worry. Our patience was tested and as anxiety set in we began turning away from God. We tried to grab as much control over the situation as we could. If only we planned more, we thought, we would get pregnant. But that was not God’s will.

We had discussed adoption early in our relationship, before infertility, as one of those far off things we would do some day. We knew how much we loved each other, and we wanted to offer that to a child in need of a loving and stable home. It was a reflection of our deepening recognition of God’s love for all his children, and something we wanted to reflect in the world.

Our love is one of God’s blessings that has carried us through profound loss. In 2013, we lost Hope’s dad, Chris, to cancer. Chris was a phenomenal man of faith. He was the rock in Hope’s family. And as he reached the end of his life we wanted a baby more than ever. We ached to have the baby we felt entitled to. If only we could get pregnant, our family could experience joy. It would relieve the pain of loss we were facing. When God took Chris we were crushed. Our hearts felt irreparably broken. It made no sense that something so permanent could seemingly just happen. We had been given no choice in the matter, and could not even produce a child before we lost him, as some eternal recognition of the cycle of life and rebirth.

As time passed we tried to take even more control. We moved on to thermometers, calendars, and test strips. Month after month, and year after year, we were met with the same result, no pregnancy. Doctors reassured us that Hope was healthy and told us to continue to try. After several years we knew something was wrong. We finally sought medical intervention with a new doctor, and surgery revealed that Hope had been suffering from Stage 4 endometriosis, a disease that causes infertility. Despite the seriousness of the diagnosis, we were comforted to at least have an answer. But this knowledge brought the realization that we had suffered another loss, the loss of natural conception.

While doctors gave us a low probability of conceiving naturally, they reassured us that we could get pregnant through IVF (in-vitro fertilization). Science was going to finally make us parents. But months of procedures and shots, lots of money and emotions, proved unsuccessful. Science did not make us parents. Our faith was tested again. It was very painful to experience this loss, when science felt like such a sure thing. We were heartbroken because we had done everything in our power to bring a child into the world and we felt thwarted at every turn.

After our failed attempt at IVF, we did a lot of talking to God, and more importantly we tried to listen. We tried to understand why we had suffered these losses. We realized that what we actually lost was the notion that we had any control over our lives at all. And at that time we began to have adoption truly pressed on our hearts as God’s plan for us.

Hope, who was an elementary school teacher, had the opportunity to teach a handful of adopted students and always felt a strong connection with those children. They were sweet and loving. Hope believes God puts people in your life to prepare you for what is to come, and truly feels that God put these children in her life to prepare her heart for adoption. Also, one of Kip’s grandmothers was adopted. She was incredibly important to him and filled his family with love. These relationships prepared both of our hearts for adoption.

While we felt God preparing us for adoption, we were also scared. In our brokenness we both feared that building our family through adoption would not be “the same” as everyone else, and therefore not good enough. Through the loss of our ability to conceive a child, in the pain, confusion and anxiety that we experienced, we listened for God. We listened for him to calm our hearts and again direct our path. And we believe we heard him. We heard him in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

There was a chasm between our plan and God’s will. We have been unable to conceive a child. And that was God’s will for us. We are commanded to give thanks for this and to be joyful. We knew it would be painful to move away from our desire but we rested in this verse because we were moving closer to God. And today we feel joyful. We are incredibly thankful for God to have put us on this path.

Now we wait. We joyfully prepare our hearts to be matched with a birth mother. We wait to meet the child God has chosen for us – our child. We are truly joyful that we will have the opportunity to love and support a child. We know that without adoption this opportunity may be lost to us. And while we are joyful, we are also aware of another loss. Our hearts ache for the mother of our child, who will experience profound loss when she places her child for adoption. We pray that she too will find joy. We are profoundly thankful for her because she will shepherd this child through the most vulnerable time of its young life. She too is an integral participant in God’s plan for our child. And now we wait – joyfully.

10 comments

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Kip and Hope, I feel so strongly that the child that the Lord has planned for you is already alive and waiting to be born! God will bless all of you as you begin your family – father, mother, birth mother(s) and child(ren).

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Thank you, Heidi. I truly cannot wait for the day that I get to post that they have a baby!! I’m believing with you!

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I need you to contact me asap, we have just found out that my daughter (who isVERY young) is pregnant. We are looking for a family and my heart soared when I read of Hope and Kip. Please contact me so we can arrange a meeting. I truly feel this is their baby. Without a doubt, GOD IS GOOD!!
Danielle Wilson 4702559758

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Matthew 18::19 -20 tells us ” Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning ANYTHING, that they ask, it WILL BE DONE by My Father in heaven For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them I come in agreement for This child for Kip and Hope. Children are a gift from God and He is going to bless them with a child just right for them. God bless you all

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God has prepared your baby, I stand in belief. Prayers

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Carmen, have them call me.. Hitch has the number.

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Carmen, my family has been blessed by the gift of adoption. I have a cousin who was adopted and is now a mother of an adopted son. I have anither cousin who struggled with infertility and IVF (she lost triplets) and is now a mother to an adopted son. While I have not personally walked this journey I have many family and friends who have walked and are walking this journey. Thank you Hope & Kip for sharing your story. I will be praying for Hope, Kip and their child and the birth mother.

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What a beautiful sharing of love, hope and faith! The Hughes family is truly a remarkable family and I pray God has many wonderful things in store for them all – including a beautiful healthy baby who will be blessed beyond words to have Hope & Kip for parents!

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Wow. What a powerful, beautiful story of walking by faith and learning what it looks like to really trust God….I say beautiful because often we don’t see the beauty God is weaving into our stories until farther down the road looking back, when we can see Him using all things together for good….and yet here y’all are, in the middle of trusting, and you’re finding (-choosing-) joy. What a testimony!!! So encouraging -thank you for sharing your journey with us. It grew and challenged my faith as i read. I can’t wait to see what God does and how He brings YOUR child (/children) to you…praying for His perfect timing, but also praying that timing is soon. 😉 Hugs and blessings upon you both!!

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Thank you so, so much for sharing your story, Kip and Hope. I am praying with you for your precious baby that, I trust, will come at the Lord’s most perfect timing. I can’t imagine the struggle of impatience, frustration, and wondering while you wait. I also pray, in this season while you wait, that Jesus makes his presence feel SO near to you, that He gives you peace that only He can bring as each day passes. And I canNOT wait, as Car Car said, for the day we get to read about that dear baby love that has entered your beloved family! The Gospel is already so, so beautifully reflected through your family!

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