Author: Karen Schlindwein/Amalie Bowling
Located in: Waukesha, WI
Submitted: October 03, 2015
Tell us a little about yourself. Karen Schlindwein, married for 29 years to Tom, lives in Wisconsin. Following an infertility journey that ended in miscarriage, they were connected to Lois in 1991, who chose them to be Amalies adoptive parents. In 1993 Ruth chose them to parent their son, Joseph.
The couples new found faith in Jesus Christ led Karen to co-facilitate Hope, a ministry for couples experiencing adoption and/or infertility. She has since been blessed to counsel many through their adoption journeys.
Karen recently retired from a 30-year insurance career where she was a Regional Claim Manager. She enjoys church activities, choir, boating, volunteering at an HIV/Aids organization, scrapbooking and, most importantly, family.
Amalie Bowling and husband, Jason, married in 2012, also live in Wisconsin. Amalie has a deep passion for adoption and those who are adopted. She and Jason dream of opening a group foster home (Chosen) to show children that family comes in all shapes and sizes, but love is the most important thing that we share in this life.
Amalie earned Biblical Studies and Youth Ministry degrees from Emmaus Bible College in 2013 where she was the yearbook design editor and Editor-in-chief. She works as a Claim Examiner, co-leads a youth group with Jason, and is Administrator of Childrens Ministries at their church. Amalie enjoys crafting, painting, helping people, working with children, and most of all, family.
What was your motivation behind this project? It was our hope to:
1. Honor the birthmothers who created our family for their decisions that have affected many lives.
2. Share a positive story about adoption from multiple perspectives not just the adoptive family.
3. Lay a foundation for Chosen a future non-profit ministry that will spire to provide adoption/fostering Education, emotional financial and material support to adoptive/foster families and to facilitate a group foster home for children who are in need of a loving family.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? Adoptive and foster families, birth families, adoptees and anyone who has a heart for adoption, foster parenting or children who need a home.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? We have had the blessings of talking to many people who have been affected by infertility, adoption or fostering and have gained many new insights and perspectives.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? Our inspiration were the birth mothers that brought our families together and our faith in Christ.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: Dear Lois is a unique perspective of our adoption journey told through letters written to our children's birth mothers as our children were growing up. The perspectives of the birth family, adoptive family, and adopted children will take the reader on an emotional journey from the heartbreak of infertility to the joy of family woven together.
