Hello from Nebraska!

We are delighted to share our story, and we would love to hear as much of your story as you are comfortable sharing.  Adoption was put on our hearts long ago, and we are now eagerly awaiting the joy of becoming first-time parents through adoption. Faith, family, ministry, and music are a few of our loves that we are excited to share with your child.  We are open to a boy, girl, or twins of any race, and we would be thrilled to share photos, letters, and yearly visits if that is your desire!

Jon is a youth and worship pastor, and Sharayah works part-time as a nanny and as an accompanist.  Our common faith, passion for music, and calling to vocational ministry drew us together, and we have been married for eight years now.  Early in our relationship, we discussed adoption as a possibility for growing our family, though we did not anticipate infertility would also affect our journey to parenthood.  Together, we enjoy going for walks, spending time with our friends and their children, and having movie nights.  We look forward to the day we will be able to include your child in these activities!

One of the first things that drew me to Jonathan was seeing him run around (leading a game) with a herd of preschoolers during a mission trip.  Jonathan has a tender heart, a playful spirit, an impossibly quick wit, and a knack for making people of all ages and backgrounds feel accepted and at ease.  He is flexible and not easily rattled, and he is a gentle, but strong and creative leader.  Playing sports, dabbling in videography, preaching, and flying drones are some hobbies he enjoys in addition to being a talented musician.  He looks forward to going on adventures, playing soccer, and teaching our child guitar.  

Sharayah has always wanted to be a mother and consistently displays a loving, tender nature to others.  Her passion and desire to reflect Christ in her life leads her to love well and show grace and kindness to all while using her wisdom to help so many others navigate the trials of life.  Sharayah enjoys playing the piano, crocheting, spending time with our dogs, and using her artistic abilities to paint, write, design cards, and decorate cakes.  She is excited to teach ourchild how to do all of these things as well as live a life that brings glory and honor to God.

Our families are ecstatic about our adoption plans!  Both sets of our parents have been married for over thirty years and share the same faith.  Sharayah has one younger brother, and Jonathan has two older brothers and two older sisters.  All of our siblings are married, and we have six nephews, three nieces, and another nephew on the way!  Jon’s siblings are spread out over Minnesota, Kentucky, Ohio, and Nebraska, but we keep fairly close contact and look forward to having a family reunion soon.  Sharayah’s family and Jon’s parents are all in Colorado, so we travel there frequently for holidays and visits.  

Our five-bedroom house is nestled on a corner lot in a quiet family-friendly neighborhood in the middle of a small rural town.  It is within walking distance from a well-maintained park, the local schools, and a gorgeous lake with a walking path and a playground area.  We have two outside dogs (Hank and Drover) who enjoy lounging on our covered deck in our fenced yard or soaking up the love from our friends around our fire pit while we roast marshmallows.  We also have a small indoor dog (Nika) who loves to look out the big corner windows in our living room.  The nursery will be set up soon!

We promise to deeply love and cherish your child as our own.  We will teach them about their story and will speak of you with honor and respect.  We promise to teach and model Biblical principles, to offer understanding and support, and to guide your child into healthy relationships with themself, others, and God.  We will read to them every night, sing with them every day, play hide and seek, help with homework, and walk with them through life. 

If you would like to learn more about us, please call or text Lifetime at 1.800.923.6784.