Love, the Seahawks, and the Miracle Adoption
Not many couples share a love of football like Alexis and
Chris Lundberg. The young couple grew up watching the Seattle Seahawks and when
mutual friends introduced the two Seahawk fanatics at a preseason game, Chris knew
he’d found the love of his life.
In 2004, they were the first Seattle couple to
marry on the 50-yard line at the Seahawk stadium.
Soon after, they bought season tickets and faithfully
cheered for their beloved Seahawks each season. They built their lives together and are now
parents of two little boys who both seem to have inherited their parent’s
football passion.
On a mission trip to Africa, Chris felt a stirring in his heart about adoption. Once home, he and Alexis prayed and researched their options for international, foster care and domestic adoption. For their family, the domestic adoption was the best fit, but working with an adoption agency like they wanted to do, came with a price tag of $20,000-$40,000—an amount way out of reach.
The couple continued to work hard, save the needed money, and pray. Even their son’s nightly prayers asked God for a baby sister to come to their home.
The couple continued to work hard, save the needed money, and pray. Even their son’s nightly prayers asked God for a baby sister to come to their home.
But the adoption journey has been heart wrenching too. "Last year we thought we were close to meeting our daughter as we were matched with our beautiful birth mom. We fell in love with her immediately. She challenged us, stretched us, and loved us. A month before she was due, our daughter lost her heartbeat."
Then came the night that Chris had an unusual dream. The number 32,000 came
to him, and he dreamed about selling their Seahawk tickets for that vast sum
of money. “Right before I woke up, I heard this voice that said your faith is
too small, and I jolted awake.” The dream gave him the sense they needed to
sell their Seahawk tickets for $32,000.00.
Ironically, later that day they received notice their grant
funding for the adoption didn’t get approved. The couple made the decision to
try and sell the tickets. True, the tickets only have a face value of $55.00 each,
but as Chris explained, the tickets have been such a part of their lives
together. Selling them would give someone a chance to be part of their family’s
adoption miracle.
When no one stepped up to buy the tickets, Chris and Alexis
went on a Seattle radio station to give away the tickets to the big game between the
Seahawks and the Saints. Lots of people called in with their adoption stories
and reasons why they’d like to go. They selected a dad and his young son to
take the tickets.
While they hoped their tickets might have brought them the much needed adoption money, it did bring them hope. The adoption stories from the radio audience encouraged them and gave them hope for their own miracle.
While they hoped their tickets might have brought them the much needed adoption money, it did bring them hope. The adoption stories from the radio audience encouraged them and gave them hope for their own miracle.
The framed picture: Some things are worth the wait |
The nursery awaits and their hearts are all ready. But while they're waiting, working, and saving the adoption money, they also created some much needed
fundraising tools—like the Alexis and Chris Lundberg Adoption Fundraising website, and offering the Seahawk 2013 play-off tickets and the entire 2014 Seahawk game tickets on Ebay. Alexis also compiled her delicious family recipes in a cookbook for sale here.
The Lundbergs have a welcoming home and loving hearts yet face a huge adoption fee. If football fans, faithful folks who love kids, and all those with generous hearts could spare the price of a latte, or a movie, or even think of it as a present under someone else’s tree, you’d be helping one more child be given the gift of a family.
And what a special family indeed! Here’s our chance to be part of a beautiful story and offer what we can to help make the Lundberg’s miracle happen.