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We have know each other since the late 90's through mutual friends. We started dating in 2005, were engaged in 2007, and got married in 2008. We are active and enjoying the great outdoors. We especially enjoy getting out to do some fishing and atving when we get a chance.
We adopted our son in 2020 and have an open adoption with his birth family. This includes in person visits, video chats, and messaging back and forth with pictures/videos and updates.
Alyssa was living in Jackson, MS dancing and touring with a ballet company when Jon moved to California (where Alyssa is originally from) after college. He met Alyssa’s family through a mutual friend, and eventually met Alyssa when she was home on break. Jon was immediately attracted to her composure, beauty, and secure identity in Jesus. Jon was able to convince Alyssa to move home. We were engaged for 3 months and married 3 months later. I (Alyssa) was attracted to his confidence, his looks, and his love of Jesus. I knew that if I married Jon, I would feel secure and cared for the rest of my life.
Hello! We are Justin and Kaitlin and we are so grateful that you have taken the time to glance into our lives. Justin and I have always wanted to be parents. We had plans to have children biologically, hopes and dreams of what our family would look like, however God's plans look different for our family. After two years of infertility, negative tests, unsuccessful fertility treatments, many prayers and trusting in the Lord’s timing, we are overjoyed to start this next journey. We feel strongly that the Lord is calling us to welcome a child into our home through adoption. We have been praying for this future adopted child for a long time, and now we pray we get to meet them soon.
We recently attended a “marriage night” at our church, and we were asked to define our “superpower.” We chose the word “perseverance.” We have been through a lot together, but our faith in Christ has been our firm foundation through it all. We have been incredibly blessed in ways would could never have imagined, and we have also leaned on God for strength during times of loss, waiting, and unexpected difficulties. But through each season, we are so grateful for the love we have for each other, and even more for our faith in God, who is strong when we are not.
When we were first introduced by a mutual friend at dinner one night, little did we know all that God had planned for us. We recently celebrated our 10th anniversary. We have supported one another through late nights of studying as we were completing our degrees and celebrated graduations and job offers. We have danced together at many weddings, but we have also cried together at funerals. We have held hands in hospital rooms and nursed each other back to health. We have been isolated together in quarantine (and as it turns out, we really do enjoy each other’s company!). We have poured each other more morning cups of coffee than we can count. We have laughed together almost every single day. We have prayed through it all, and we cannot wait for the next adventure.
We are a faithful couple who desire nothing more than to do Our Heavenly Father's will. We are fun, creative, outgoing and prayerful. We try to our best to serve God in many ways, always putting God and family first. We live life to its fullest and do so by embracing God's creation, living a healthy lifestyle, fostering healthy relationships, and engaging in adventures! We enjoy the beauty of simplicity and because of this we are always happy.
Hello, we are John and Alisa Rachan.
We met in Spanish class in college at Olivet Nazarene University. We were acquaintances at first, but reconnected after graduation. John reached out to Alisa to get together since he worked at an engineering company close to where she lived. During college, she had a crush on him from afar, so instantly accepted the invitation to dinner. We spent 3 hours talking that evening and felt as if we had known each other for years. Alisa then went to live in Mexico City to do missions work with her nursing degree for a year. God was always working during this time, however, and we reconnected once again after she returned. We started dating a few months later, were engaged after 6 months of dating and married 9 months later.
We have 2 children: Eliana, who was adopted, is 4 years old, and Ava, who is biological, is 3 years old. We have always desired to have a large family and first considered building it through biological means and later through adoption. However, when we struggled getting pregnant and were diagnosed with unexplained infertility early in our marriage, we decided to pursue adoption instead of extensive medical treatments. Eliana’s name means God has provided, and we truly feel that her life was an answer to our prayers in many ways. We have an open adoption with her birth family, and we are so blessed by this relationship. Ava was a surprise gift from the Lord as well, when we did not think that we could conceive. She was born to us about 6 months after Eliana was born. Her name means breath of life, and we are thankful for her life and for the friendship that our two daughters have with one another. They are truly best friends. We have been trying to grow our family for a few years now and are feeling led to pursue adoption once again because of secondary infertility and because of the joy that adoption has brought to us already.
Together as a family, we enjoy playing in our backyard, going to parks and meeting other young families, going on walks/bike rides, exploring the outdoors, doing bonfires, playing board games, and hosting friends and family in our home regularly.
In our lives, there have been both trials and joys. Through it all, we have seen God's faithfulness to provide for us and give us His peace. We are eager to participate once again in the beautiful gift of adoption because we also have been adopted as children into God's family. We hope to provide the best possible loving and caring home for another child, and will strive to teach our children to love the Lord, to be kind and compassionate to others, and to cherish every moment that God gives us.
We met at the gym where we both attended the same exercise class. Katy knew Kelly was a dentist and when her dog ate her retainer, Katy asked him after class if he could help make her a new one because her dentist was out of town. (That’s right…the old “my dog ate my retainer” trick!) And it worked! ? Katy got her new retainer and Kelly asked Katy on a date. And the rest, they say…is history! Almost a decade later, we are celebrating 7 years of marriage and growing our family!
Katy works part time as an academic advisor for a local college, and is able to spend lots of time at home with a new little one. She loves gardening, playing pickleball, trying new restaurants & recipes, and volunteering. Katy describes herself as empathetic, warm, fun, resilient. Katy loves being a mom and watching children grow, change and become who they are while loving and laughing with them along the way.
Kelly is a dentist and owns his own practice, which allows him to work 3 days a week and be at home with my family. Kelly loves learning, biking, baseball & snowboarding. He describes himself as practical and adventurous. Kelly loves being a dad and interacting in different ways with children as they grow and sharing experiences with them.
Katy said “Kelly’s calm demeanor, kind heart, and willingness for adventure make him a great dad and husband.”
Kelly said “Katy is smart and curious. With her warm and welcoming manner she draws people in whether they are dear friends or complete strangers. She is amazing at helping children grow and navigate the world.”
We are incredibly grateful that you have taken the time to learn about our lives. It is truly an honor to introduce ourselves, and we hope this gives you a small glimpse into who we are.
We are Beau and Erin, and we were both born and raised in Washington State. We have been married for almost 20 years and have desired to grow our family for more than 15 of those years. We met in high school at a summer Bible camp in 1998. We started dating later that summer and quickly realized we were meant to be together. After six years of dating and once Erin completed her bachelor’s degree, Beau proposed, and we were married on August 13, 2005.
From the very beginning of our relationship, we have wanted children but faced challenges conceiving. Our doctor informed us that it was unlikely for us to get pregnant without medical intervention. At that time, we were devastated; however, we strongly felt that the Lord was calling us to welcome a child into our home through adoption, and we found peace in that decision.
Both of us come from medium-sized families and grew up with siblings. We understand how special sibling relationships can be, and we believe that family is one of the most important aspects of life. In addition to our immediate family, we have an extended community of friends who are also very important to us.
In our home, we emphasize love and respect for one another, striving to demonstrate a love similar to that of God. We have always hoped and prayed for children. Adoption has been on our hearts for a long time, and we are very excited about the prospect of adding a child to our loving family.
If you choose us, know that you will always be an important part of your child's story, and your child will grow up knowing just how very loved they are and we would love for you to continue to be a part of their life as well if that is something you would like.
Paul and I met during our first semester at Texas A&M Veterinary school in 2012. We formed a study group together and would spend late nights at the library studying for tests. We were fast friends and started to build that foundation before we ever went on a date. Paul is steadfast and calm in life's struggles while Haley is goofy and always ready to laugh. We made a great team. Thank goodness Paul worked up enough courage to ask Haley out! Two years later we were engaged and in August of 2015 we were married! From a young age, Haley knew God was calling her to adopt. When we met, Haley shared this calling with Paul and he agreed but wanted to try for a biological child first and then adopt as a second or third. After 2 years of no luck and a diagnosis of endometriosis for Haley, we knew God had already called us to adoption. We never pursued any in-vitro because we knew God had a child waiting for us that was perfect for our family. God definitely followed through with that promise after meeting our first son, Luke. We know there is another child out there God plans to add to our family and we cannot wait to meet them!
Several myths related to adoption often interfere with birth mothers, birth families, and prospective parents pursuing adoption. It is essential to learn about adoption from various perspectives and understand the challenges and blessings available to those going through adoption. Here are some myths along with the truths that should be explored:
The birth mother will regret her decision for the rest of her life: Adoption is so painful that most women regret the choice all their lives. A birth mother who chooses adoption will have serious emotional problems; adoption is a more traumatic experience for a woman than abortion.
For the birth mother facing an unplanned pregnancy, making an adoption plan can be a very positive choice. Adoption does involve a significant loss for her, and it will probably be accompanied by sorrow. However, any option she chooses involves some gain and some loss. For some, the decision is more challenging than expected, and for others, they know it is the right thing all along. Counseling, adoption support groups, and supportive family members often make the grieving process much easier to manage.
Overall, women who have placed a child in adoption do very well, moving on to good jobs, continued education, marriage, and having children within that marriage. When the adoption experience is handled properly, most birth mothers feel good about their decision years later.
Birth mothers are uncaring and soon forget about their babies. A birth mother who cares about her child would not think of adoption; adoption is an irresponsible solution. Pregnant women who choose adoption take the easy way out. A birth mother will eventually forget about the child she placed in adoption.
Birth parents are making loving parenting decisions when they plan adoptions. Birth parents who make adoption plans fulfill their parenting responsibilities to ensure their child’s long-term needs are met in the best possible way. To do this, they must put their child’s needs above their own – a sign of maturity, responsibility, and selflessness. Adoption is by no means taking the easy way out. It is a difficult decision, and women, especially, need to be supported in this decision by those around them.
Some young women facing unplanned pregnancies have found it helpful to learn about adoption firsthand through a birth parent who has been through the process. Birth mothers never forget their children. They always hold a special place in their hearts.
Adoption damages the child. Adopted children are not well-adjusted; have mental health problems; are damaged by the experience; grow up to have serious psychological problems; feel bitter or rejected.
Most adopted children do well in life. Numerous studies have been undertaken on adopted children, teens, and adults. What these studies have shown is that adoptees:
Most adoptive parents are unfit. Adoptive parents are not as fit to raise a child as their biological parents; no one can love a child as much as a birth parent; God is punishing childless couples, or He is sending a message that they should not be parents; adoptive parents are abusive.
Adoptive parents are as fit and capable as any cross-section of biological parents. TV shows have often portrayed adoptive parents as cruel and unfeeling, and abusive adoptive parents seem to make headlines in the newspapers.
Actually, adoptive parents are screened more carefully and are more mature (usually older) on the whole than parents who have children biologically. They really want to be parents, or they would not be willing to go through the many things necessary to adopt. Research shows that their children turn out just as well as non-adopted children.
While we must not downplay the tragedy of child abuse, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that it occurs particularly or even frequently in adoptive families. In fact, there is evidence to the contrary. Biological children face as much or more abuse than adopted children. Abuse due to adoption is a dangerous myth that needlessly perpetuates birth parents’ worries and often deters them from considering adoption at all.
There are many examples of parents who have built their families through adoption. The overwhelming majority cannot imagine loving a child or children more than the ones God has given them through adoption.
The adoption process is secretive. A birth mother will never know anything about her child and his or her adoptive parents; adoptive parents know very little about their child’s background; birth parents have no say in the choice of adoptive parents.
Today’s adoption process seeks to share information on a level that will benefit all involved – birth parents, adoptive parents, and most importantly, the child. Virtually all agencies today consult with birth parents to determine what type of family they would select. Many agencies provide the birth parents with family profiles from which to choose. A birth mother can request pictures, letters, and mementos to be shared for a time after the placement of their child occurs. Adoption today is very open, and the amount of contact between the birth parents and the adoptive parents and their child is worked out individually.
Today it is rare for a child not to be aware of how he came into his family. The agonizing over “telling a child he is adopted” of days past seems to have led to the myth that adoption was something bad to talk about. Today, details of how a child came into a family are shared from day one in age-appropriate ways that stress love, permanence, and respect for birth parents who made such a difficult and loving choice to give their child a family.
Adapted from Pierson, Anne and Ring, June, “Five Myths About Adoption,” Loving & Caring