What can we say to you that will help you to know how much we appreciate you for what you are doing for your child? It is a difficult decision and we trust that the Lord will lead you to find the right situation for yourself and your child. Just thinking about you making such an important decision makes us love you and appreciate you and the type of parent that you are. We hope that you have support around you, but even if you do not, know that there are people praying for you and remember that the Lord is always there to support you even when no one else is.
We would like to take a second and just introduce ourselves better.
About Ben (Carmen’s perspective)
Ben is loved by everyone who meets him. He is loving and caring and always trying to help the people around him. He puts the Lord first in his life and me second, which is how it should be. He is funny and charming. He is hard working and dedicated. He treats me like a queen and is always willing to do what it takes to be the best husband he can be. He is amazing with children. We have the chance to work with young children in our community and church and all of the children flock to him. I am the one on the sidelines, but I understand. He is just so easy to love.
Ben was born in the Philippines and lived there until he was five years old. His mom was able to bring all three of her sons over to live with her in Oregon. Ben’s dad was not able to immigrate for another six years. This experience of living without a dad and spending so much of his childhood in a single parent home has really helped Ben to have a special understanding of the importance of a father figure in a child’s life and the blessing it is to have both a mom and a dad as a part of your childhood. I know that he will not take for granted the time that he has with our children. Ben was able to return to the Philippines as a missionary and was lucky enough through that experience to better understand his culture and where he comes from. Our children will have a dad that can bring this wonderful culture into their lives.
About Carmen (Bens Perspective)
After our second date, I knew Carmen was everything I hoped for in a woman. She is witty, quick on her feet, compassionate, feisty, driven, and very intelligent. She has been my guiding star, without her and her consistency I would not be the man I have become. What she wants from me and herself is the pursuit of being the best we can be, and every day she strives to be the best she can be just for me. Carmen is selfless and she will do whatever it takes to help me feel happy. These traits have shaped her personality to become the mother that children need. My hope is that my future children will look to her as their example and inspiration, just as she has become for me.
Carmen is the third oldest out of seven children. Early in life Carmen moved back and forth from Utah to Canada. Her mom is from Canada and her father worked for the Church Education System and was assigned there. Carmen served an honorable LDS mission in Taiwan. She pursued her interest in Asia by completing a bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies. With this background she was able to establish a commendable resume due to her work experience. That experience has led her to work for numerous companies utilizing her talents and abilities. Because of the dynamics of growing up with seven siblings, serving a mission, and having professional work experience I believe she was able to acquire an understanding on how to be able to instruct, discipline, and inspire a child to live with an appreciation and respect for the different peoples, personalities, and cultures that make up our world.
About Us
We met at a singles dance while we were both living in Southern California. Neither of us knew the impact that attending that one activity would have on our lives. We were engaged only two months later. We will celebrate our fourth anniversary this year and what an adventure it has been. After the first year of married life in California, we moved to Utah to be closer to family, purchase our first home and allow Ben to finish his degree. Both of us have always worked full time while Ben also went to school, but we recently felt like it was very important for Ben to go to school full time and finish up his degree. Carmen works for a company that understands the importance of a family and she will be able to work full-time from home while acting as the main breadwinner for our family. Ben will be able to set his school schedule so that he is home with the children on the rare occasion that Carmen is working at the office. We know that this is not traditional, but we also feel that the Lord provided Carmen with experience and talents that will help her provide for our family until Ben is done with his education.
We have done a fair share of traveling between the two of us, but our home is the place where we want to spend the majority of our time. We love coming home after a long day of work/school and spending time together. We both love the same TV shows, we enjoy playing video games, walking our dog together, going out to eat and we especially enjoy road trips. We love road trips because we enjoy seeing new places and spending long hours in the car just getting to know each other even better. We truly are best friends. We are excited for the time when we will be able to share this with children. We both learned from our own experiences the importance of a strong relationship between a father and mother. We know that being parents will not be easy, but we look forward to the opportunity and know that we can do it with the help of the Lord.
We are so grateful to you that you would take the time to get to know us better. We know that you want what is best for your child and we are amazed at the strength that you are showing just by being here right now. When we are able to bring a child into our family we will always honor and respect the parents who allowed us that opportunity. Our children will always know where they came from, who they are and the amazing love their parents have for them. Because we believe that a child can never have too much love, we look forward to the opportunity to get to know you and your family and make you a part of our extended family if that is what you choose.
With Love,
Ben and Carmen
Thank You
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