"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." - John14:18

Just as Jesus told his disciples that he would return to them (in the form of the Holy Spirit) after the resurrection so that "we" would have a helper and a protector. Likewise, Michael and Avianca Loundermon, have decided to pursue God's calling for them to adopt a child in need of a loving home.  We, Kyle and Kallie Pritz, are greatly honored to be coming alongside the Loudermans in this way by setting up a GoFundMe page, so that friends and family can also help support this wonderful cause.  
  
Michael and Avianca Loundermon are two of the most faithful and genuine Christians we know. The first time my husband and I met Michael, we could tell he has this unshakeable faith and love for Christ. He loves talking about how much God has done for him and is continuing to do. All of you reading this know what we are talking about. His passion and love for talking about Christ is infectious! As for, Avianca, she is one of the most generous and caring people. Shortly after marrying Michael and joining Journey Church, she has ceaselessly served in Journey's youth group each week, as well as participated/co-led the women's community group during the pandemic that we are all part of together. During our time together in community group, Michael and Avianca have shared their mutual desire to adopt a baby. Moreover, arriving to the decision to adopt doesn't generally happen without the couple having experienced some form of pain along the way. In the Loundermon's case, Avi, was diagnosed with kidney disease in her twenties, and was told by her doctor that she would most likely struggle to conceive in the future.  Fortunately, she had already grown up with the desire to adopt a child someday. As for Michael, he doesn't care if his children are biological or not, he just knows he wants to be a father someday. Let's just say God knew what he was doing when he brought these two people together.  

As wonderful as the thought of adoption is, there is also the glaring reality of how much it actually costs to adopt. The Loundermon's have have been very transparent about how they planned to save and finance for this adoption. They have stewarded their money well in supporting Journey Church, saving for the adoption, and have made sure they are debt free so that they could save every last penny for the adoption process. Nevertheless, they still have quite a ways to go to finance the cost of a U.S. domestic infant adoption.  If any of you are familiar with adoption here in the U.S. you know that it can cost the adoption family a small fortune. In fact, it is estimated that an average adoption can cost between $25,000 to $40,000, and it can be even more expensive to adopt internationally. No one has to be a mathematician to understand that this is a staggering and painful amount for most families to try and come up with on their own. (Below is an article that breaks down all of the costs that are associated with pursuing adoption.)

The Cost of Adoption 

So, here is a moment of truth for us Christians that already have children and don't plan to adopt--  we as Christian are called to care for the orphans even if we don’t personally feel called to adopt (James 1:27). This is our opportunity to help care for this child that has already been ordained by God, before this child was even conceived, to be raised by the Loundermons. Let us bless this couple, abundantly, and enable them to do the act of something so selfless and so loving to bring that beautiful  and perfect little baby into their home. On a positive note, since the Loundermons started the adoption process they have been seeing God's mighty hand working in amazing ways and things are beginning to move along quickly. They are beginning to meet potential mothers, which means they could be chosen very soon. Your prayers and support would mean the world to them, and will help them secure an adoption sooner. Let's help to  fill their household with joy and laughter that only a precious child can bring!

Let me leave you with this beautiful quote:

"You may not have my eyes or smile but from that first moment you had my heart." - Kathy R. Jeffords


P.S. If you have any friends or family who would also like to contribute money, please feel free to send them this page.


Many blessings to you all,


Kyle & Kallie Pritz