Dear Family and Friends,
Ten years ago, we set out on a journey as husband and wife. We have traveled many roads together, but today we are asking you to join us on our next journey…our journey to adoption.
We talked about adopting a child before we even got married so this has been on our minds for a very long time. We knew before we were married that Alan had some fertility issues, but we also knew that there are medical procedures that could be done to help us have a biological child. About 6 years ago we looked into adopting a little girl out of the foster care system but the trauma that she had already endured at such a young age did not allow her to trust the love of a family at that point in her life. We were unable to adopt her. We then looked into possible fertility treatments to have a biological child, only to get the devastating news that Traci also had fertility issues and they were severe enough that there was just no way to move forward. There are many reasons why we haven't pursued adoption again until now. We can't explain the timing to you other than, God's timing is best.
This journey requires us to step out in faith and be stretched in ways that are out of our comfort zones. We are both "planners" so this has been difficult for us. There are so many questions and so many things that are unknown. We are seeking a peace that only God can give us while we are walking this road.
We are in the initial stages of adoption. At this point, we have chosen an adoption agency, Bethany Christian Services, and we are saving money to start the home study process. Unfortunately, the cost of adopting a child is significant. It will be about $23,000 by the time all of the fees have been paid. We have gone through our budget multiple times to see where we can make cuts. We are grateful and have faith that we can provide for the child's day-to-day needs, but the reality is there is a substantial amount of money required to bring our baby home. Would you be willing to join us on this journey? Whether you feel led to help us financially or through your prayers and encouragement, it all would mean the world to us and we would be eternally grateful!
There are several ways you could financially support us. This website is a crowd-funding site specifically set up for donating to non-profits. It is 501c3 approved so your donations are tax deductible. We chose this company because they will send out tax receipts for your donations and they will send checks directly to the adoption agency for us. We will post regular updates here as well as on our blog 3becoming4.weebly.com
We will also be doing several fundraising events. We already started going through our home looking for things that can be sold and plan to do a garage sale. If you are doing your "Spring cleaning" and have things you would like to donate, we would be happy to take them off your hands. Along with the garage sale, we have found a place that allows us to donate gently used or new shoes that they will pay us for by the pound. They will then ship them to Africa to allow people over there to sell them as a means to support their families. We will also be working on other things like a dinner, bake sale, auction items, collecting jars of change, and working with an online retailer to make a profit when people order through their website. If you would like to help donate items, make baked goods, donate hand made items to sell, or help us plan one of these other events, we would love your help!
Please keep us in your prayers as we embark on this journey. Pray for a peace about the process, that we know can only come from God. Pray for patience and wisdom. We know there will be heartache on this journey, but we also know what waits at the end of this road is worth the heartache we experience as we travel. Please, please pray for the birth parents! We can't imagine the things they will have to experience and the gut-wrenching decisions they will have to make. Please pray for peace and comfort for them and their families. And, if they don't already know Christ as their Savior, that through this process, they would come to know the unconditional love and redemption that we have found in Him.
This letter has been written through much thought and prayer. Honestly, for us, this may be the hardest part of this whole journey. We struggled with the thought of asking you to support us, but we also know God uses His people in mighty ways. Ephesians 3:20 says, He is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." We are confident that God will provide!
We would be honored to know you helped us bring our baby home, and that he or she will have the opportunity to grow up in a Christian home and know the love of a family and the unconditional love of Christ. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We look forward to bringing our "missing piece" home and being able to let them know how many people loved them enough to join us on this journey.
Alan & Traci Gascho
