Valentine's Day "Share the Love" Adoption Gala

Please join us for a night with your sweetheart to raise money for our adoption.

You will be served dinner and dessert along with live music, photo opportunities, dancing, and a silent auction. 

We appreciate your support! 

Register Here on Eventbrite!

T-shirts are ready!!!

T-shirts are ready! If you have not already ordered let me know if you would like one ASAP and I will get it to you! Thanks so much for your support!!

T-Shirt Sales Adoption Fundraiser Pre-Sale

T-shirt Sales Pre-Order

On-going t-shirt sales have begun! Pre-sale is here! Make sure you get your size. 

$15 + $2.00 shipping (if applicable). 

The KY emblem is on the front pocket of the t-shirt and South Korea is on the back. 

Message, text, or email me at shellyrtyler@gmail.com to place your pre-order! 

Let me know what color shirt you would like, quantity, and size. :-) 

We can accept cash, check, donation through our YouCaring website, or PayPal. 

FAQ

First of all, thank you all for your support and prayers. 

Here are some frequently asked questions that we would love to answer for everyone to the best of our ability:

1. Why South Korea? Originally we were planning on adopting from Thailand. However, we were not eligible to adopt a younger child from there. We were told by another person to consider what child we would be best fit to parent. We would like to ultimately keep birth order of our children. We feel that with our family this would be best for a number of reasons.

2. Are we adopting a boy or girl? We are not closing the door to anything God has for us. We do truly desire a girl, so please be praying for us in this area. We feel like we will have a peace about whatever child  we are referred to be a part of our family.

3. Do we already have an agency we are working with? Yes we do! More to come on that soon!! We found a social worker who we are excited about. She loves the Lord and has 2 adopted children of her own. Please pray for her, as she is the one placing us with our child.

4. When will the child be home? More than likely at the end of 2017. It could be sooner or later. Because of the lengthy process we have a lot of steps to take to get to that point. 

5. How can I help with Fundraising? We will need lots of help throughout the process! If there I an event we need volunteers we will be sure to post our need for help! 

The Heart of the Father - Beginning Our Adoption Journey

God's heart is for his people. Any decision he has made in the past, present, and future is due to the fact that He loves each and every person that walks the face of the earth. He designed us each with a purpose in mind before we were even thought of in the natural. He gave us unique gifts and abilities that can be used to grow His Kingdom here on this earth and have an eternal impact. What is even more amazing is that He knows we are not perfect but CHOSE to graft us into His family so that we may call him Father. He adopted each one of us so that we may have a home with Him for eternity and sent His begotten Son to die for our sins on the cross! The implications of this are beyond my understanding even as I sit here in awe. I never have lost the wonder of the cross and the relationship the Father has with me.

Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)

"God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure."

After about 8 years of prayer and discussion, John Mark and I have been overwhelmed with the desire to adopt a child into our home as a part of our forever family. This was impressed upon our hearts in college as we began to discover even further our identity in Christ, what he did for us, and what he has called us to do here on this earth.

Only now is that desire beginning to become a reality. After many hours of researching, talking with others, and prayer we are taking our first steps to make this a reality. We know it is going to be a long journey but we are certain God has us in His will. We created this blog in order to share our hearts with many people at one time, post updates, and answer any questions any of our friends and family may have throughout the process. 

Here is the general overview for now:

Drum roll please... We have decided to adopt a younger infant/toddler from South Korea. 

We plan on completing our Home Study at the end of next summer/ early fall and turning in everything to South Korea by next September- October. At that time we could be referred a child at any time and then will wait a number of months before bringing the child home. When that time arrives, we will make two trips to South Korea in order to bring the child home and complete the remainder of the process state-side. 

For now we are in the preparatory phase. Throughout this next year we will be preparing our hearts and our finances. Right now we are estimating the total cost of this process to be $40-$45,000. We feel we will be able to realistically cover about 50% of the cost without going into debt. We will hold various fundraising events throughout the year and give any updates as they come. Anything that we raise above and beyond that we do not absolutely need will go to Life Impact International, an organization dear to our hearts that rescues children from child trafficking on the Thailand-Burma border. 

Upcoming events:

-Adoption-themed Christmas ornament sales November - December 2015

-Ongoing T-Shirt Sales

-Ongoing On-line fundraising on https://www.youcaring.com/tylerfamilyadoptionfund

Please pray for us during these next few years... 

Pray that we have perseverance. We know God's promises are never late (not by one hour) even if it seems like they are for us. 

Pray that we are provided for financially. We are blessed to be able to cover about 50% of the expenses independently, but we will still need help.

Pray for our marriage and our parenting skills during this stressful time. Pray for our current children's heart and that they learn more about God through this process.

Pray for our social workers that they are led by the Holy Spirit in finding our child. We are so glad to be working with someone who loves the Lord and feels this is a Holy experience!

Pray for the child's birthmother that she is safe, healthy, and has peace in her soul regarding her decision. Many mothers in South Korea choose to put their children up for adoption for various reasons, but almost never because they are unloved. Pray for this momma's heart. 

Pray for our child's foster parents. They will be taking care of our child in the waiting period before they come home. They will get to experience a lot of our child's "firsts" and we pray they love the Lord. 

Pray about how you could help us in this process. Everyone that is reading this probably knows I'm not good at asking for help, so if you ever have an extra hand to help we would be forever grateful. 

Please comment with any questions, comments, prayers, concerns, etc.