Shideler Adoption Journey

Our names are Mark and Rebekah, and we are excited to adopt!

We've been married for five years, but for the last four and a half years we've been unable to have a baby despite our efforts. After conversations with doctors and friends, we've chosen adoption as a way to have a child - not as a last resort, but as our first choice. We believe that adoption is one of the best ways we could spread Christ's love, and we're so excited to start our adoption journey and give a needy child a home.

Unfortunately, the cost for adoption is well beyond anything we could afford on our own. Just to be approved for adoption costs $1-2,000. Hiring a consultant to reach out to agencies all over the US so we can get a baby in a reasonable amount of time will be another $4-5,000. Without a consultant, the average wait time for adoption is 3-5 years; but with a consultant, the average wait time is 6-12 months. The cost for the adoption itself (such as legal and medical fees) can range from $40-50,000, and then there are expenses on top of that (like traveling to receive the baby).

We are seeking to raise $55,000 to absorb the cost of all these expenses. Giving to this need would be an investment into the life of a needy child so he/she could have a stable, loving home and be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Gospel. In our baby's room there will be a picture that says "You were loved this much," and underneath we'll put the name of every person who gives to show the child they were loved and prayed for by so many people before they even arrived.

Would you pray about donating to this cause to change a child and a family's life?