To our dear family and friends,

This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to write.

I honestly never imagined I would be reaching out like this, asking for financial help. I'm deeply embarrassed to share something so personal over text and social media, but the reality of our situation no longer leaves room for my pride or privacy.

Our growing family has had an incredibly difficult year. As many of you know, Baby Girl Tholander is due on November 12, 2026, and we have been looking forward to welcoming her with so much joy. At the same time, we've been walking through one of the hardest seasons of our lives.

In mid-October, I experienced sexual harassment at my workplace. When I reported it, my concerns were not addressed appropriately. In an effort to stand up for myself and do what I believed was right, I told my employer that I could not return to work until the situation was handled properly.

Unfortunately, it took six months before the situation was finally resolved and I was able to return to work. During those six months, I received no income, resulting in the loss of approximately $60,000 that would have supported our family.

I am incredibly thankful to be back at work, but the financial damage has been overwhelming. We are now carrying a burden that feels impossible to overcome on our own.

Our most urgent need right now is help paying our July rent, which was due on July 1. If you are in a position to help, any amount—no matter how small—would be an incredible blessing to our family. Every gift would go directly toward helping us keep a roof over our heads as we work to recover.

If a monetary gift isn't possible, we completely understand. We also wanted to humbly ask whether anyone might be willing to offer us a short-term loan that we could faithfully repay over time. We don't take that kind of generosity lightly, and even that kind of help would be an enormous blessing as we work to get back on our feet.

The stress of this season has been immense. More than anything, it breaks my heart knowing that while I've been carrying so much worry and uncertainty, my precious baby girl, now 21 weeks along, has been growing through all of it too. I want so badly to give her a peaceful beginning.

Right now, we truly need a miracle.

I believe with all my heart that Jesus is still in the business of miracles, and I have seen time and time again that He often chooses to work through the generosity and kindness of His people.

Throughout my life, God has blessed me with the most incredible community. From former choir students and their families who have become lifelong friends, to our church family, college friends, coworkers, and so many others—you have loved and encouraged us in countless ways. We are so grateful for each of you.

If you are able to help, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. If you aren't able to give financially or provide a loan, we completely understand and would be so grateful for your prayers, encouragement, and for sharing this with someone who may be able to help.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for loving our family through this incredibly difficult season.

This is only the short version of our story. If you'd like to know more, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love the opportunity to connect with you personally and share more of what we've been through.

Even if all you can do is pray for us or share this message, we are deeply grateful.

With love and gratitude,

Rachel, Erik, Noah, Jaxon, Micah, Zoe and Baby Girl Tholander