Grafted In - The Sloan Adoption

Our story begins nine years ago. We met in January of 2006 at Lee University, had our first date on Valentine's Day, fell in love over the summer of that year, were engaged before the end of the year, and married the following November in Rock City, Chattanooga, TN.

We both love God and music. We moved to Michigan in 2007 for a career path in Ministry. We enjoyed each other for the first five years of our marriage before we decided to try and start a family. We have a beautiful 7 year old gray bengal tiger cat named Munchkin that is our "fur baby" and is spoiled rotten to the core. Beth is a Credit Counselor for a non-profit credit counseling company in Portage, MI, and I, TJ, am the Worship Arts and Media Pastor at Dexter Lake Church in Battle Creek. We have wonderful friends and family near and far, and grow in love with each other more every day.

Our adoption story really started two years ago, 2013, when we expereienced three devestating miscarriages. These really shook our faith and tested our marriage, but we've come through stronger and more resilient. Although we still have unanswered questions, we believe that God is for us and is on our side. We had a strong support group in friends and family that rallied around us during this tough time. We know we are loved. Since then, we've been hesitant to try again, afraid of heartache and loss once more, as well as an endeavor to become healthier and lose weight has also delayed us.

During the past half year or so, God really has been speaking to both of us about adoption. After much prayer and conversation, we believe we are finally ready to start that process. We are not giving up on having kids naturally, but believe this is what God wants us to do now. And we belive in his plan for us and that our family will grow, through adoption or natural child bearing.

That's the whole reason for "Grafted In." Romans 11:7 says "you...were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree." As Christians, we believe we have been grafted into the family of God by the work of his Son Jesus. We want to do the same thing with a beautiful child becoming a part of the Sloan family. Where they can be accepted into a loving, safe, nourishing family environment where they can thrive to become all God has meant for them to be.

We started this GoFundMe.com page to raise funds for our adoption. Being in the ministry, it's understood what we do is not for the money, and we don't have the resources to do this on our own. We believe in the community around us, both the church and friends and family, to help us in our endeavor to adopt a child and be parents to this child that will be "grafted in" to the Sloan family with as much love and support any child can recieve.

There are two goals we have, through our agency, Bethany Christian Services. The first goal is $4,700, which will help us cover the initial costs and upfront fees of paperwork and application fees and our home study fees as we become official waiting adoptive parents. The second goal is a daunting $16,000, which covers all legal and court fees, and medical costs for the birthparents that is due 6 months after they terminate their parental rights.

We thank you for any support you can give. We cherish every gift, prayer, and encouraging support you send our way. Thank you and God bless you!