We’re adopting... RYAN’S biological sibling!
Donation protected
After 3 years of infertility, our prayers were answered September 2018 in the most beautiful and perfect way through the birth of our adopted son, Ryan. Over the last 14 months our hearts have experienced a joy that we never knew existed. Ryan's adoption was only possible because we said yes to starting a crowdfunding campaign- we took a leap of faith, trusted God, and allowed ourselves to be vulnerable. Despite being uncomfortable with the idea of crowdfunding, we took the advice of close friends and family, and started a Go Fund Me page. We needed to raise $50,000. We didn't think we'd come close to meeting that goal, but... GOD SHOWED UP! And so did YOU, BIG TIME! It was because of God's love and your generosity that we became parents.
Since Ryan's birth, we've been trying to figure out the next step in growing our family. We have continued to struggle with infertility, and we agreed that the timing was not right to adopt again solely because of the cost.
But God had a different plan...
One month ago, on a Saturday morning we received an unexpected phone call from the adoption agency we worked with for Ryan's adoption. They called to tell us that his BIRTH MOTHER WAS PREGNANT, and that she WANTED US TO BE THE PARENTS.
We were shocked, speechless and overwhelmed with so many emotions! The thought of not only having another baby, but Ryan's biological sibling, brought us to tears. The agency told us we had until that Monday to give them an answer. That felt like too short a time to make such a big decision. We quickly realized after hanging up the phone that we didn't need two days to make a decision, we hardly needed two minutes. We were all in. We both felt this was God showing us how He was going to grow our family. Soon after that, the worries and doubts started to flow in. Would the cost be the same? How would we afford it?
After giving the agency our answer, we learned this adoption would be even more expensive than our first one. This was mostly due to a change in the birth mother's living situation. Again, fear crept in; but we felt God continuing to nudge us. We couldn't let money be the ONE THING to stop us from bringing Ryan's sibling into our home.
With Ryan's adoption, we prepared over six months to raise funds before being chosen by his birth family. This time around we were caught off guard, having no time to prepare financially.
The upfront cost of this adoption is almost $22,000 ( which was due within the first week) with the total cost estimated between $55,000 and $60,000. It's easy to become overwhelmed by those numbers, but we've seen God move in this situation before and trust He will do it again. Thankfully the agency is working with us to move forward without having all of the funds available now.
After expressing our doubts and fear about crowdfunding again with a close friend, he shared this thought with us:
There are people in this life who God calls to adopt.
There are also people in this life who God calls to come alongside those who adopt, to help make it possible.
We are asking that you come alongside us any way you feel comfortable; whether that's prayer, supporting us financially or simply sharing our story with loved ones, peers, co-workers, business owners, etc. We believe YOU can make a huge difference in the life of our newest little addition coming in April!
We are overwhelmed, nervous, and scared; but more than anything we are beyond excited to welcome the newest member of our family in just a few short months.
Thank you in advance for giving the gift of life by helping us on our newest adoption journey. Love, Hunter, Kelly and Ryan **We are asking you to keep our new baby, the birth mom and family in your prayers. We recently learned they’re in a very difficult situation.
Since Ryan's birth, we've been trying to figure out the next step in growing our family. We have continued to struggle with infertility, and we agreed that the timing was not right to adopt again solely because of the cost.
But God had a different plan...
One month ago, on a Saturday morning we received an unexpected phone call from the adoption agency we worked with for Ryan's adoption. They called to tell us that his BIRTH MOTHER WAS PREGNANT, and that she WANTED US TO BE THE PARENTS.
We were shocked, speechless and overwhelmed with so many emotions! The thought of not only having another baby, but Ryan's biological sibling, brought us to tears. The agency told us we had until that Monday to give them an answer. That felt like too short a time to make such a big decision. We quickly realized after hanging up the phone that we didn't need two days to make a decision, we hardly needed two minutes. We were all in. We both felt this was God showing us how He was going to grow our family. Soon after that, the worries and doubts started to flow in. Would the cost be the same? How would we afford it?
After giving the agency our answer, we learned this adoption would be even more expensive than our first one. This was mostly due to a change in the birth mother's living situation. Again, fear crept in; but we felt God continuing to nudge us. We couldn't let money be the ONE THING to stop us from bringing Ryan's sibling into our home.
With Ryan's adoption, we prepared over six months to raise funds before being chosen by his birth family. This time around we were caught off guard, having no time to prepare financially.
The upfront cost of this adoption is almost $22,000 ( which was due within the first week) with the total cost estimated between $55,000 and $60,000. It's easy to become overwhelmed by those numbers, but we've seen God move in this situation before and trust He will do it again. Thankfully the agency is working with us to move forward without having all of the funds available now.
After expressing our doubts and fear about crowdfunding again with a close friend, he shared this thought with us:
There are people in this life who God calls to adopt.
There are also people in this life who God calls to come alongside those who adopt, to help make it possible.
We are asking that you come alongside us any way you feel comfortable; whether that's prayer, supporting us financially or simply sharing our story with loved ones, peers, co-workers, business owners, etc. We believe YOU can make a huge difference in the life of our newest little addition coming in April!
We are overwhelmed, nervous, and scared; but more than anything we are beyond excited to welcome the newest member of our family in just a few short months.
Thank you in advance for giving the gift of life by helping us on our newest adoption journey. Love, Hunter, Kelly and Ryan **We are asking you to keep our new baby, the birth mom and family in your prayers. We recently learned they’re in a very difficult situation.
Organizer
Hunter Gilstrap
Organizer
Monroeville, PA
