Knapp Family Adopting Baby Boy

Virginia Knapp is organizing this fundraiser.

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We are the Knapps, and we are adopting baby boy Slate!! Our names are Chris, Virginia, Daisy and Violet.

After having two miscarriages, God put in our hearts an increasingly strong desire to adopt. For 6-8 years, it was a nightly prayer. Nightly with Virginia, the girls would pray for adoption before bed. Likewise, Chris and Virginia prayed to adopt, if it was the Lord’s will. It became such an automatic prayer that at a certain point, we never believed it would actually happen, regardless of the willingness and desire God planted in our hearts to open our home to an adopted child.

To compound this empty prayer feeling, every adoption agency in PA was financially unattainable when Virginia researched in 9/2018. God gave Virginia the idea of searching for smaller, less known agencies in PA towns. In early 9/2018, she found Adoption By Choice, which is a small, non-profit, Christian agency, linked to the Women’s Care Center of Erie County. Lisa from the agency called her back that same night, giving good news that the total cost would not be more than $23,000, half and less than half of all other agencies in PA!

We are a very close family, without the distractions of TV and electronics, living on top of a mountain in a cabin surrounded with hundreds of acres of woods and open pasture. Our “neighbors” are far off seasonal camps and wildlife. Given this beautiful, remote setting, we literally spend all our time together. Chris and Virginia are fully physically involved, good parents to our daughters, hiking, skating all year, playing games, working out together, fishing, camping, studying nature & herpetology, geology/rock collecting, astronomy, scouring all affordable museums, enjoying all music, movies, etc… The girls are very well adjusted, mature young ladies, seeking the Lord’s will in their lives, as they remain close to us in all aspects of their lives. Introducing little Slate was a prayer God answered for them and a huge lesson in waiting on the Lord.

We have seen God’s hand on all the details. Our adoption journey has been short and with the blessing of incredibly no problems or obstacles! We took over a year to complete lengthy, time consuming adoption requirements, involving many steps; however, it all smoothly unfolded. Our profile was not made public until 10/2019. The birth parents chose our family in her final month of pregnancy, and we got the exciting announcement call from our agency on 6/2/20!

Our baby boy was born 7/1/20 in Erie, and we named him Slate Ezekiel. After Virginia and Slate spent 5 days in the hospital (Chris and the girls were in a nearby hotel), he was discharged with the us, as the adoptive parents, and our agency Adoption By Choice!

We are in truly love with little Slate. As with all of us, he is a child of God, and we are privileged to be the ones that God has chosen to raise his son. We are excited to show him Jesus, as we love him throughout his life ahead. We believe that our most important task as parents is to guide our children to Jesus as their Lord, Savior and Friend. We are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to our Lord Jesus, who not only gives us the desires of our hearts but strengthens us each new day, as we live to serve him, no matter our circumstances.

The Lord gave us the money to pay for all adoption fees to date. However, most of the fees are due after the placement of the baby in the adoptive home. There are now two placement fees, two lawyer fees and three post placement visit fees with travel costs, including an updated Home Study.

We have saved some money and will continue to save as much as possible. If we could have a dollar for each time we have kissed him, we would already be wealthy! Unfortunately, kisses do not turn into cash! J

We are fully trusting God to provide every detail for his perfect plan. Please do not feel that we expect you to give. If you feel led to give, we are extremely grateful. Moreover if Jesus is your Savior, your prayers are good enough!