We are filled with such awe and have so much to say to you, but our words fall short. What we can promise to you is that we will love your child with all of our being. We can't wait to pour out our hearts into this child, so they know how much they are loved by us and our extended family. We would like to have an open communication with you and foster a relationship that will build your child's confidence and character. We promise to remain patient and grateful to whatever you are willing to allow. You are important and will always be an important part of this child's growth and story. We promise to provide love, support and encouragement for them to thrive and discover their own gifts and skills. We promise to travel with your child, share the magic of learning process, and make curiosity and discovery a part of their life. We promise to give your child a loving home, a nurturing family, lots of kisses and snuggles and many adventures along the way.

Jennine About Steven: I love that Steven is an extremely hardworking man and works many hours to use his skills and gifts to bring about a difference in people's lives. Steven is very focused and motivated. He likes to stay active and workout and also encourages me to stay active. He enjoys learning new things whether it is fixing something around the house or learning new surgical techniques to help his patients. He is also very calm natured and an excellent listener. He has deep compassion and humility for helping others whether it is his patients or our community. He is involved in supporting causes that are very near to his heart, our local food pantry and the humane society. I love that I have my best friend in my partner, and I know that he will be a wonderful father to our future child.

Steven About Jennine: Jennine is the most loving, selfless and compassionate person I know. She always puts others before herself. Every day when I get home the first question she always asks me is, "How was your day?" She works with people who are sick she brings calm and peace just by her gentle touch, calming presence and listening ears. She is dedicated to making sure the ones around her feel loved. In particular, she always makes sure her nieces and nephews feel loved (and she's fun too). There's a reason she is the favorite aunt "Honey Mama". She is also a very strong woman. She knows her values and will defend them against anybody. These are just a few of the countless things that I love and respect about Jennine, my love and partner and that I know will help her to be an outstanding mother.

We are an interracial couple and we come from very different cultural backgrounds. Jennine's parents are from Pakistan, but she was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. She immigrated to the U.S. with her parents and four siblings in 2004. She has a culturally diverse upbringing and appreciates the beauty of difference, whether it is difference of race, culture, gender or beliefs. Being a South Asian American, she understands the significance of maintaining one's connection with their racial and cultural roots.

Steven is from rural Kansas with a family background of farming. His family is mostly from Germany and Switzerland. He brings with him the welcome and openness of different nationalities and races as well as the desire to continue learning about others.

We have always been inclusive of each other's cultural differences. We describe our union as "East meets West." It is a beautiful blend of eastern and western values. We have friends and extended family who also come from different cultural backgrounds. Being culturally inclusive is important to us because it brings wholeness and understanding to our relationship. These values are balanced in our union where we relate to two different value system with open hearts and minds. We hope to raise our child in the beauty of our cultures and be mindful of their own culture.

We live in a small city in Illinois which is a vibrant diverse community to raise a family. Our neighborhood was established in the 1970's and has a good mix of ages including many young families, cultures and professional backgrounds. We love living here and taking advantage of several walking trails, parks and community lakes. We have four parks within walking distance from our home.

Our ranch-style home offers 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms with a partially fenced backyard which gives us a lot of room to entertain and play. Jennine's favorite place is the kitchen where she enjoys cooking and Steven baking. The kitchen opens up to a cozy family room where we spend a lot of time watching TV, relaxing or reading. The kitchen and family room also have access to the backyard where we enjoy having family and friends.

There is an array of recreational activities in our community which include a state park, skating park, ice rink, 20 public parks, a children's museum, a petting zoo and the annual five-day summer festival which provides wholesome, fun activities and entertainment for children. We have two school districts one of which is included in top 25% of public high schools in the country. The university in town also offers exciting events for the community throughout the year.

We enjoy living an hour away from Chicago and love visiting the "Windy City" for music, art, and food.

Family is very important to us. Both of us are fortunate to come from families that are tight knit and have foundations of love and faith. Steven is the middle child out of three and Jennine is the fourth child out of five. Steven's parents are retired. Jennine's mother recently retired and her father manages their business. Both sets of grandparents love to spend time with their grandchildren and "spoil" them. They are excited about a growing family and having more grandchildren to enjoy and cherish.

Both our careers brought us to Illinois. Steven's family lives in Kansas and Michigan while Jennine's family lives in Illinois and Delaware. However, we get together with family on Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas and many celebrations which include birthdays, graduations and birth of new babies.

We both believe that family is not just what you're born into but what you make out of relationships. We are blessed with so many friends who are our "family" and share our excitement and hope to become parents. We are godparents to two friends' children and Jennine is a godmother to one of her nephews.

We are committed to parenthood and providing your child with the love and stability of a fun-loving family.

It took us the longest to write this letter because this letter cannot fully encompass all we would like to say to you and how we feel. We have looked forward to writing this letter from the beginning of our adoption journey but when it came time to write, all we could feel was deep awe.

We want to thank you for taking the time to go through our profile and getting to know us. Although this is an exciting time for us, we are aware that it is a challenging time for you and we hope that no matter what you decide, you find peace in your decision. As you face this difficult decision, please know that you are covered in prayer and love by two strangers who will be very fortunate to meet your little one and include them in our fun loving and joyful family.

We have been married for six years and after finding out that getting pregnant on our own was not an option, the decision to adopt came very naturally from wanting to grow our family and share our love. We both have family members and friends who received the gift of adoption, and their dream was made possible because of the courageous decision of birth parents like you. We feel called to parenthood through adoption, knowing how much love we have to give.

We met ten years ago when Jennine was pursuing her master's degree in seminary and Steven was in General Surgery residency. At that time, both of us had busy schedules, so we soon realized the essence of spending quality time with each other and those we love. We both feel strongly about spending quality time with our future child and to fill their life with all the love, guidance and encouragement. We both have our dream jobs and carry strong work ethic. Our current work schedule allows us to be off on the weekends and holidays. Jennine will be a stay-at-home mom when we become parents.

We want to travel with our future child and experience the world as a family. We want to raise their curiosity and fill them with wonder. We also want them to know that life is about caring and sharing, and that one can live a fulfilling life when we can experience the highs and lows of life together.

We also want our future child to know their story. We will respect and care for their story, so they know who they are and how they made us a family. We will honor you as a part of their story and a part of our family. We will wholeheartedly welcome you if you choose to stay in contact with your child and us. We both are wholly committed to each other, our marriage and family. We promise to love your child and be committed to them as long as we live. They will be a part of us, our family and our journey.

We feel excitement, humility and deep love at the thought of our future journey with your child. We believe that parenthood is one of the greatest gifts we could ever receive as a couple and we will forever be indebted to you - our hero. We know that this decision will change all our lives, and we are so deeply grateful that you are trusting us to love and raise your child. No words are enough to express our gratitude.

With all our love and prayers,

Steven & Jennine