The Horton’s are adopting!
Jonathon and I got married a little over 6 years ago and it was one of the most perfect days we could have imagined. Since that time, we have always desired to have a family. We were both only children and have talked about wanting a big family. We have felt so blessed and have enjoyed every moment of our first six years together, but we have also felt the weight of infertility and loss these past few years. We would like to share just a snippet of our story.
After 2 years of trying to conceive, we found out we were pregnant in March of 2018, but unfortunately, it ended in an early miscarriage. We spent the next year and a half healing, praying, going to fertility doctors, and trying to get answers. We started talking about and feeling a pull in our hearts toward adoption in 2019 but decided to try IVF first. In September of this year, we went through IVF and got pregnant again. We were hesitantly excited because of the results of our first pregnancy. We received some bad news early on, but continued to pray in faith, and the next few weeks turned into one good report after another…but then we miscarried our second baby. This time, I ended up in the ER, and had an emergency D&C. I honestly feel so blessed to have Jonathon by my side every step of the way. These experiences have brought us even closer together and cemented our love for each other, but they were also very painful to walk through.
Jonathon and I have prayed for our future children and believe the Lord has "chosen" a child just for us. After much prayer and discussion, we feel called to start the adoption process. Every time we think of adoption, our hearts are filled with the longing for a child that we believe the Lord has designed specifically to become part of our family. One verse that feels so close to my heart is Psalms 113:9: “He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!” We all experience struggles that we may never understand this side of Heaven, but we do believe God has a plan for us to have a family, even if it isn’t through the means we originally thought it would be.
Choosing adoption also means a higher cost associated with bringing a baby home, but we believe the Lord will make a way to bring "Baby Horton" home. We are expecting our adoption to cost anywhere from $45,000 to $50,000, which feels overwhelming, but we are moving forward in faith that if God called us to this path, He will provide and be with us every step of the way. We hope that by inviting you into this process, you will see yourself as part of the community we hope to build around our child as he/she grows up as well as part of the beautiful story Jesus is writing in our lives. We have set a goal of $35,000 to help ease the financial burden that so often overwhelms and stresses adoptive parents, and we will be eternally grateful for any help that our community wants to provide. Please continue to lift us up in your prayers. Adoption can be a long and stressful process, but we also know it will be SO worth it when we hold this baby in our arms. Please pray that we will continue to walk in the Lord’s will and that every attack of the enemy would be destroyed before it even begins. Please pray for the birth mother as she makes the brave decision to choose life for her baby, but also release him/her into another family, and that she would come to know Jesus. And finally, pray for our baby. Pray that he/she would be healthy, and safe as Jesus prepares them in the womb to join our family and His family.
We are so appreciative of your prayers and any support that you can provide during this adoptive journey!
Jonathon and Carissa Horton
