Ryan Zies

The Journey Continues…

It was evident early on in our relationship that adoption would be part of our family’s story. Ryan has a beautiful story of adoption along with Alaina’s grandmother fostering over 80 children in her lifetime. And for both of us being pastors, there is something very special about what adoption is, looks like and symbolizes. For us, adoption looks like heaven touching earth. It looks like the over abundant love of Jesus in a tangible way…. In how we will love a child and birth parent(s) as Jesus would.

There was a moment a few weeks after getting engaged, as we sat in a doctor’s office discussing Alaina’s health journey, when the doctor discussed that biological children were not going to be in our future. There was this moment that our eyes met, both confident in knowing that God had other plans in co-creating our family’s story. And that plan is the journey of adoption.

Our intention is to invite our family and friends to be PART of this journey of adoption WITH us. Whether that is through PRAYER (praying for us daily for wisdom and discernment and safety + health of our future child and birth mother), or ENCOURAGEMENT (continually encouraging us along a journey that can sometimes feel overwhelming and stagnant), or GIVING (through financially donating through this tax deductible platform) we want you to join us in our journey.

One recent statistic by Adoption Network says that â…“ of all Americans consider adoption, however, only 2% of all Americans actually adopt mostly due to the financial cost. According to NYTimes.com, adoption costs can be up to $40,000 and in some cases exceeds this number.

We wanted to update you on where we are at in the process. We’ve talked with numerous adoption agencies and were even approved to start the journey with multiple agencies. We have been learning so much about what is involved in bringing our child home. From educational classes, supporting the birth mother with essential needs and financially partnering with an agency and attorney. As we decide upon a home study and agency that aligns best with our values in the process, here is a breakdown of what our financial liabilities and commitments will be:

• _ Home Study & Agency Fees : these will be 50% of the cost of adoption and due within 30 days of signing with an agency (our immediate need is fundraise this portion as it's the next crucial step in our adoption process)_

• Legal & Attorney fees will be the remaining 50% of the cost of adoption and due when there is a placement of our child

There is an African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” While we were researching and understanding the meaning of this proverb, we came to the conclusion that it's really about the values, responsibilities and life experiences that help to shape and influence the child.

We invite you to help be a part of our “village” and hope you’ll join us on this journey home for our child.

We will continually use this platform along with our IG @theziesfamilyjourney to update our progress as we pursue adoption.

Love,

Ryan & Alaina Zies

UPDATE 7/17/22

We have officially submitted our application to our adoption agency, Adopt Help. We have submitted all of our paperwork and Adopt Help will be processing all of it. The expected timeline will be within 90 days we will become active adoptive parents, meaning our family adoption book will begin being presented to prospective birth moms.

We ask for your prayers: -Pray that our paperwork goes smoothly and expedited in the process

-Pray for our future child and birth mom (parents) that they are healthy and have a community of support around them

-Pray for the final stages of our fundraising as we are 50% of the way to be fully funded

UPDATE 4/16/22

The Journey Continues…

When we wrote our first adoption letter last year, we chose the word “journey” not really knowing the true meaning and how significant it would represent our adoption process.

JOURNEY: something suggesting travel or passage from one place to another, the journey from youth to maturity, a journey through time.

We wanted to update you on where we are at in our adoption journey. On April 15, 2022, we officially began our home study with American Adoptions. After 4 hours of interviews (both one on one with the social worker and a couple interview), we successfully ended with the excitement of hearing that we could complete our home study process on April 30, 2022.

Our social worker gave us a checklist to complete by April 30 that includes: buying a car seat, finishing the baby crib with plenty of bedding, and finalizing a few baby safing items around the house (gates, etc.).

As we have done some vigorous research in finding the right adoption agency for placement, we have found that the cost can be significantly higher than we expected. In our last update, we were at 75% of raising our total goal of $40,000. After guidance from American Adoptions, we have increased our goal to $60,000 (this is a range due to case by case situations). This increase is due to the possibility of birth mom needs (health related issues, wellness visits, hospital expenses) and travel depending on which state she will be located in).

We are continuing our fundraising through AdoptTogether (https://adopttogether.org/families/zies). This platform is 503(c)(e) and is fully tax deductible at year end, whether business or personal tax deductions can be claimed.

Here is our ASK:

PRAYER As we finish our home study and sign with the right adoption agency For the health of the birth mother, birth father, and baby wherever they may be For patience in matching with the right situation for baby placement Our fundraising goals to be met prior to being matched Our marriage to continue to be strengthened and that we’d continue to fall more in love with each other as the days continue

We could not do this process without you and your support. We will continually use this platform along with our IG @TheZiesFamilyJourney to update our progress as we pursue adoption.

We LOVE you all and appreciate the prayers, Ryan & Alaina Zies

UPDATE (11/23/21):

The Journey Continues…

What a JOURNEY! We truly stand captivated by how Jesus has been leading us and leading the support around us. As many of you know, Alaina accepted a new job in Gilbert/Mesa, AZ to lead all of the kids teams and programming for a multisite church, Central Christian. We are in the midst of packing, driving, moving, unpacking, and creating a new village of community in a place we have seen God open doors to. Our move to Arizona doesn't affect our process and we will be starting our home study as we land in Arizona.

As we have continued in our adoption journey, we started originally by interviewing agencies and trying to find what the best match would look like for our family values and beliefs. As we met with dozens and were accepted by a handful quickly after meeting them, we realized that we needed to be in a financial space to be able to make decisions to move onto the next steps. We humbly and with great excitement want you to know that we have about 75% of the total funds for our adoption process (we have one donation that is still processing and another that was donated outside the platform). This has been such a beautiful journey for us as many have contributed to be a part of our journey.

We ask for continued prayers as we get settled into a new city, in a new area, and create a new community that will be a strong part of our adoption journey. We truly appreciate all of your prayers, check-ins, and donations.

We will continually use this platform along with our IG @theziesfamilyjourney to update our progress as we pursue adoption.

We LOVE you all and appreciate the prayers,

Ryan & Alaina Zies