John & Lauren Sponaugle

"Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation." Psalms 68:5

If you don't know us, welcome to a part of our story! We are (currently) located outside Birmingham, AL where the Marine Corps has told us to set up shop for the next few years. Our two dogs are currently enjoying the big backyard. While the pitter-patter of paws is plentiful in our house, we have been missing the blessing of having our own children. While, in the past 4.5 years of marriage, we have attempted to add the pitter-patter of little human feet to our halls; we have been wildly unsuccessful. While the desire to raise biological children gradually transformed into the desire to raise any children, we began looking into the many options available, from non-invasive fertility testing to adoption. Having received a clean bill of health and no explanation for not being pregnant, we have taken this as a sign from God to wade into adoption with open hearts. This is where you come in.

You may think to yourself, "Well you can support two dogs, adoption shouldn't be that difficult…" Well, the fact is that though the number of children in the United States and across the world who need a loving home is immense, the average cost of domestic adoption is around $45,000. Not many young couples can meet that amount on their own, us included. This is why we are looking to family and friends to help us with our fundraising goal of $42,000. This is the estimate for legal fees, travel costs, agency fees, and the home study(s) for our particular situation.

Through Lifetime Adoptions, the agency we have partnered with, we will be connected with birth mothers, given legal and home study referrals, provided support and education throughout the process, and lifetime birth mother support even after the adoption is finalized. Their services will cost $24000. Home studies in Alabama cost upward of $3000 and must be renewed every 6 months until the adoption is finalized, around $1500 for each renewal. Legal fees will be around $2000. Support for the birth mother, if feasible, will be around $5000. Finally, travel costs will vary depending on which state the birth occurs so we have those estimated at $8000.

• The current milestone is to be shown to birth mothers by the end of March, requiring the full agency fee paid. (We will update this profile for each milestone!)

We are excited to see the child God has planned for us. We hope that by inviting you into this process, you will see yourself as a part of the community we hope to build around our child as they grow up.

(P.S. donations through this website are tax deductible if that makes a difference for your support!)