Testimonial: How Katelyn’s Fund Helped Us Bring Home Our Son
Kara and I (Jeremiah) have known since we were 18 years old that we were called to adopt. You could say it was our “teenage rebellion” against normalcy. We believe there are countless beautiful reasons to adopt, but for us, after having three biological children, the main reason was this crazy idea that we could make a difference in a child’s life—and maybe even in the life of a brave birth mother.
Now, let’s be honest here, adoption is not for the faint of heart. It’s like riding a roller coaster while juggling flaming torches. And oh, by the way, there’s a steep price of admission! The financial costs, the endless paperwork, and the emotional ups and downs can feel like too much. More than once, Kara and I thought, “Are we nuts? Can we actually do this?” But every time we felt overwhelmed, we remembered that this wasn’t just some whimsical dream—it was a calling from God. So, with the confidence of two people who have no idea what they’re getting into, along with our children, we stepped out in faith.
And that’s where Katelyn’s Fund came in. The grant they provided wasn’t just a check—it was truly a lifeline. It allowed us to focus on the really hard stuff—like getting our home ready, convincing our three kids that they would indeed have to share their Legos, and preparing ourselves emotionally for the journey ahead. The grant honestly took a huge financial burden off our shoulders and let us focus on the important work: loving a child we hadn’t even met yet.
Our first big test came three and a half years into our journey. After close to 50 cases, we’d finally matched! And just weeks after we matched, we would be in a nursery meeting who we thought would be our new son. We were the first ones to hold him, we named and prayed over him, and they even gave us one of those celebratory birth certificates with his tiny little footprints. But a few days later, just as we were about to sign the final papers, the birth mother’s caseworker walked in and said, “She can’t do it. She thinks she wants to keep the baby.”
It’s hard to put into words how that felt. So imagine the best day of your life turning into the worst in the span of a heartbeat. But surprisingly, grace and grief hit us all at the same time—grace, because we truly wanted the best for this brave mom and her baby, and grief, because it felt like a piece of our hearts was being taken away. And, you know, it’s amazing how much you can dream for a child in just three short days. But we had to surrender those dreams to God, praying that this little one would live a life filled with love, hope, joy, and family—even if it wasn’t with our family.
Looking back now, we can see how God used us during that time to minister to the birth parents. While our hopes for adoption were shattered, we knew in our hearts that God put us there for a reason—to prophesy, to pray, and to love on that child until his parents could get to a place where they felt ready to keep him. And though it was a painful loss for us, we can say with confidence that we were exactly where God needed us to be in that moment.
For months after, it felt like the wind had left our sails. We were offered several adoption cases, but our hearts just weren’t ready.
Five months later, while working out with my brother, I heard God say, “It’s time!” This profound experience left me emotional, and I could feel His presence strongly. Although I didn’t immediately understand the message, I trusted that clarity would come.
I got home, and Kara asked if I’d seen the latest adoption case that we had received in our email that very morning. I hadn’t seen it, and, to be honest, I didn’t feel we were ready—mentally, emotionally, or financially—but I still shared with Kara what I had heard. Then she looked at me as if to say, “Well, what the heck are you waiting for!” So, like the 50-plus times before, we submitted our family’s profile.
The next day, Kara pulled into the driveway but didn’t get out of the car. I went outside to see what was going on, and through the window she mouthed the words, “WE MATCHED!!!” I was stunned. We matched. Hallelujah, we matched!
A week later, we met our son’s beautiful birth mother on FaceTime. She told us she had been praying for a family that would love her child and give her a second chance to be a part of his life. And that was exactly our heart as well. On March 30, 2023, little Revel River Isaiah Carlson was born. He came home to a family of three doting siblings, two adopted cats, and one very excited rescue dog—all of whom had waited four years for this dream to come true.
How our lives have been changed by this little guy! We revel in God’s faithfulness every single day. True to his name, we revel in the joy and laughter he brings. We revel in the beautiful relationship we have with his birth mom and the transformation we’ve seen in her life as she discovers her true worth. We revel in the fact that not only has Revel’s life been changed, but our lives have been changed, his birth mom’s life has been changed.
And finally, we revel in the generosity of all of you who have given to Katelyn’s Fund. Because without your gift, our little gift wouldn’t be here today. Thank you for making our family complete. Thank you for helping us bring Revel River home. And thank you for allowing us to revel in this beautiful, grace-filled journey. Because of this incredible experience with Katelyn’s Fund, we’ve even found the courage to get back on the adoption roller coaster once again for a second time.
