Online Silent Auction Fundraiser

We will be hosting a Silent Auction on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Huffadoptionjourney) June 2-9. Please go and like our page now so that you are able to see previews and updates on the upcoming auction.
100% of profits will go towards our adoption costs! We need to raise $1200 with this fundraiser to have our payment raised for our Dossier submission.
How will this work you ask???
We will have a photo album on our page of Auction Items, we will have a photo of each available item up for bids. To place your bid you will comment on the photo of the item that you want. At the close of the auction, 8pm on the 9th....We will have our winners, and they will have one week to get us the payment for their item.

We have over 30 items donated!
Special thanks goes to everyone who donated towards the auction:
Jennifer Lawrence (Miche bag) jenniferlawrence.miche.com
Natasha Pegg (Thirty-One)  www.mythirtyone.com/natashapegg/
Stacie Miller (Thirty-One, Naked Bee)
Carla Make (A Little Love Affair)  https://www.facebook.com/littleloveaffair
Beverly Elliott (Quilt, Pampered Chef - Tulsa area) www.pamperedchef.biz/beverlyelliott
Nancy Duncan (Scentsy- Tulsa area) www.nancyduncan.scensty.us
Jimmy Short (Mr. Klean Car Wash, The Ivy Door Gift Shop) http://mrkleancarwash.net/
Sarah Hefner (Shakeology) www.myshakeology.com/lifechangeher
Allison Deaver (Our Vintage Love) www.facebook.com/ourvintagelove
House of M http://www.facebook.com/HouseofM2010
JUNK Hippy http://www.facebook.com/JunkHippy 
Amy Rose (Pink Zebra)  www.facebook.com/amyspinkzebra
Sherri Peters (Stampin' Up) www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/sherripeters
Kelsey Jones (Scentsy, Velata)  kelseyjones.scentsy.us
Tracy Nelson (Miss Tracy's Treats) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Tracys-Treats/129723780381861 )
Christy Barnes (Bella Azur) http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002500554587&sk=info
Belinda Cain (Pampered Chef - Shawnee-OKC area) www.pamperedchef.biz/bscain
Aubrey Fryer (HomemadeCrafts Tutus)
Kyra Hawkins (Homemade Craft table)
Julie Thompson (Artzy Fartzy Gallery & Marketplace) http://www.artzy-Fartzy.com
Megan Prather (Megs Sugaboogas Crocheted Items)
Audra Williams (Beauticontrol) www.beautipage.com/audra_bc
Sherri Clymer (My amazing hair stylist at Dazzle in Shawnee, hair products)
Paige Stith (Paper Princess) Booth located in Artzy Fartzy
Leah's Boutique - http://www.facebook.com/leahsboutiqueandgifts
Foo Foo La Roo - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Foo-Foo-La-Roo
Sandra Valentine
Lori West 

Update!

We received our Home Study Final Draft in the mail on Saturday. Now that we have this document, we are able to start applying for adoption grants! Also since we received this document, we were able to move to the final step of our Dossier process. Applying to the USCIS for our approval from Immigration to adopt. We mailed this application off with our payment of $890 on Monday. It generally takes 4-6 weeks to receive the approval from this application. When we get our approval, we then (if we have got Daniel's passport back by then) can submit our Dossier!!!!!!!!!! This would mean the last of our Paper Chase! Once we submit our Dossier all we do is wait for our referral with our childs information, this could take 18-24 months!!! When submitting our Dossier we have to pay $7700. This payment pays $2000 our Mid-Payment to the agency, $800 for Dossier Translation/Authentication, $1000 for our Post-Adoption Deposit (we receive this amount if we complete our post adoption reports), $150 Courier Fee, and $3750 for the first half of the International Program fee. We have about $4700 of this payment raised. We need to raise $3000 as soon as possible, since we could receive our approval within 4 weeks. We are having a Garage Sale tomorrow, please be praying we meet this $3000 goal at that sale! We will also be having our online silent auction June 2-9th on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/HuffAdoptionJourney). Please visit closer to that date to get more information. Lots of goodies have been donated!!! Almost 30 items to bid on!!!

Break my heart for what breaks yours...

I have sat and tried to think of something to write about this... and its just so hard to put my heart into words. I recently read the book Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis. First off let me say, I think every Christian needs to read this book. Allow your eyes to be opened to the needs around you. Allow your heart to be changed. Don't let this book be one of those that you say "Oh I'll read that eventually." Do it NOW! Don't wait another minute and miss out on the greatness of having your heart changed by reading this book.

Katie chose to leave her "comfortable" life to move to Uganda to do mission work. She shares her experiences and the things that she has seen while there. And the life changing realities of the things we take for granted every day! While reading this I started thinking of the mission trip that changed me....

I have always had a heart for missions, there has always been compassion in my heart for those around me. Recently, I know this is pathetic, I learned the sad truth that not everyone has this trait. Not everyone sees the needs of others and wants to help, not everyone hurts when they see others hurting. I do. Daily my heart aches for those that are hurting or suffering. I hate seeing other people hurt. One of the hardest things I have ever done was go to Matamoros, Mexico and help with a Foster Home that housed around 15 children. There is an American woman and her mother who left their comfortable lives to go to Mexico and care for children. They have a home that they take in some orphans, and many of the children there - their parents drop them off for periods of time that they cant care for them, or they leave to work, or just so the children can go to school. These are months of these children being separated from their families. One child changed my life. Hugo was his name. I still remember his face, and his precious smile. Crying right now just thinking of him. When we first arrived, he had so much hatred and anger in his heart. He wouldn't speak to anyone, started fights with the other children.... and God showed me his hurts. He broke my heart for Hugo, just like His broke for him. This child was hurting, he was angry, he was left with strangers by his family because they couldn't care for him. I'm sure in a child's eyes it is not possible to grasp why his parents could just abandon him there. He had to of been terrified, let alone have a any idea what his future would hold. How frightening, and how lost he must have felt. God showed me ways to get Hugo to let me in, he called me stupid and dumb at first... making fun of me in any way possible in the meanest ways he could. But I didnt give up, didnt quit him. He was pushing to see if I would stick it out, to see if I was really there. And slowly but surely this precious child that God loved dearly came out! He began to smile, he even HUGGED ME often!!! I just began pouring into him as much as possible in my time there, telling him how awesome he was, how funny his jokes were... I wanted to build him up in every way I could! I hope I did something in Hugo's life for the better, and hate that I was never able to follow up with him. (I tried sent several letters, and never received any response back) But the funny thing is, he changed me. He made my life better!!! It wasn't just about me doing something for Hugo, God was using him to do something for me. I will forever be changed by this beautiful Mexican boy, and will never forget all he taught me. God does something not just for the people your reaching out too, but he wants to bless you in that as well!!! Your missing out on blessings by ignoring the needs and hurts of others. Pray that he breaks your heart for what breaks his, and do something about it!

Bigger

This week my eyes have just been opened to the reality of....my day to day frustrations, disagreements with others, conflicts with friends and family... There are things that are so  much more important, and BIGGER than these things. We make such a big deal of day to day problems and issues, when you think about the rest of the world... children in third world countries are dying because they lack the medical care they need, children are in orphanages begging for attention and love but continue to not get it, family's are being faced with the death of their child being near due to the battle of cancer. These things are worth your time and attention. These things are worth the angst and hurt we often times give so easily to ridiculously small problems. Why and How can I sit here and be upset that that person talked behind my back, and this problem at work is so frustrating, when there are literally people battling for their life?? It all becomes so much more small and insignificant when you look at it that way. Be content, be thankful for your day in and day out struggles, when you compare what your life could be. When you consider that your lucky to have such simple and easy problems, as you look at the harsh world others are facing.

Many of you may have never heard of the Everaards, they are the district youth directors for Oklahoma Assembly of God. Recently they learned their sons cancer has come back, and worsened. Hospice has been brought in and... they wait. Wait for the unimaginable tragedy that will forever break their hearts. If you have a moment, a brief moment, lift this family up in prayer. I cant even begin to think of the pain they are facing. Ive seen the awful awful effects of cancer on my grandpa, I cant begin to think of a child facing this ugly disease. Makes me sick to think of it. But thats exactly what Im talking about. My problems are nothing compared to this. How SELFISH of me, to feel sad or dwell on the little things that I have faced in my life, while this child is simply fighting for his. Let his story change your life, let it make you different. If nothing else let Gray make you appreciate the little things you've been given. Be content. God has spoken this to me over and over this past few weeks, and I am trying... not for me, but for children like Grayson that show me life isnt something you can take for granted and its something worth being content in and appreciating even the trials.
Read his story at www.pray4gray.com