Its becoming REAL

This past week we have been working on documents for our Dossier and Homestudy... Its becoming more and more real now. And once you get started on this paperwork it is so hard to SLOW DOWN. As I began getting all our documents completed and together.... something just clicked in me. The longer it takes me to do all this paperwork, the longer our child could be in an orphanage. That breaks my heart. I want to do this as fast as possible! I dont want our child to have to spend one more day than he has to until we can get to him. I keep trying to tell myself I have to pace myself, and slow down! But I cant!! I have to do everything I can to get him here sooner.
They call this part the Paper Pregnancy... I am now beginning to see the comparison being quite true... I'd do it all over again just for him... Thats the truth.

UPDATE: On our T-Shirt Fundraiser we sold 85 shirts!!! Didnt quite get to our goal, but that is pretty darn close!

Also our Chili's Dine-In Benefit Fundraiser was quite successful as well... We raised $240 towards our adoption costs!! We greatly appreciate everyone who went to eat to support us! It was awesome to walk in and see all the people we knew eating to help us get our baby boy home..

God is Amazing....

Just to give an update on how the Garage Sale went.... I am very excited to announce we raised $2,340.75!!!!!
God is definitely faithful and our provider... He will meet all our needs with this adoption, I just know it! I am so excited and just in awe of this. Thank you to everyone who made this possible and donated to or helped with the Garage Sale!!!!!! I redid our fundraiser thermometer, and it is crazy to see how much we have raised. I cant believe that we are making so much progress so quickly!

We appreciate your continued prayers and support!!!! We now have raised our funds to pay for our Home Study!!! We will soon be starting this, once contacted by our social worker... Friday we were placed with our Family Coordinator with our agency, she will be helping us with our "paper chase" of getting required documents for our Dossier, which is the official in country application they send to Ethiopia. We will begin working on this as now also. Many call this portion, the paper pregnancy. I saw a shirt the other day online that said, "Instead of Stretchmarks, you gave me Papercuts!" Haha.... and let it begin!

We will update you on all our progress!

Opened Eyes....

Its so hard to explain but I wish everyone could understand my heart. There is so much more we could be doing... So much more as Christians that we are called to do, but I feel that so many stay where its comfortable and "normal". We are called to care for the widow and orphan... How much more could we all be doing in this area? I dont think everyone is called to adopt, I think that is something that definitely has to be in your heart and you be called to do... but if your not called to adopt, what else can you be doing? Mission trips, sponsoring a child through an organization to provide their needs for a month, sponsoring an orphanage, donating to an adopting family, or even just spending time holding a child who has no one so that they could feel what love is. Make an effort, do everything you can to reach out and be HIS hands and feet to these children who literally have NO ONE. Imagine if that were you for a moment... crying but no one answering, hungry but no one to feed you, rocking yourself to sleep bc there is no one there to rock you. Ive been asked soooo many times, why would you adopt in Ethiopia, why Internationally, why not have your own children. That very heart breaking truth is why, that there are children that have NO ONE to love them or care for them! It doesnt matter what country they are in or how much it costs to give them a family, I want to be THE SOMEONE for them, and the why's of this shouldn't matter. I am doing what I can to care for the orphan, and I am doing it in a way I feel God has shown me. How about you? Ask God to show you the gifts and talents you have to make an impact in an orphans life. THEY NEED YOU! How much more could you be doing? Hard questions I know, and I ask bc Ive been convicted of this too. In us adopting and seeing the truths of all this on a way deeper level just breaks my heart to know we haven't done more, and done it sooner! Yes, we've sponsored children through organizations, and we've helped adoptive families with their fundraising... But I know there is more we could have done, more we could have gave... Now knowing how hard of an obstacle this all is, I want to do everything I can to help others that are adopting as well. When we have our funds raised for our adoption, I wont stop there... I want to help other families as they have been obedient just as we were. I want to give as much as I can to help them get their child home. I guess its something you don't understand until you've been in this position, but I get it now. What I dont get is why the church isnt doing more for this cause? Why the church isn't doing more for the families willing to take on this very hard long process.... There has to be more the church can do! For something so dear to Christ's heart, and very well expressed in his word that he wants us to do... we the church need to step up, do more, and enable those willing to take on this journey of adopting to where nothing stands between them and their child! I hope all this has opened your eyes as it has mine. Maybe its not something you "get" until you've been on the other side...but I hope you try and see the orphan with Christ's eyes and feel his pain as he hurts for them.

"He sets the lonely in families." Psalm 68:6

Update on Fundraisers!!!

Yesterday we drove across central Oklahoma! lol. We picked up donations for our upcoming Garage Sale on March 24th. We were so blessed we actually had to make 2 trips! Once we got everything unloaded, we almost have an entire house full (no one is currently living in the house lol). We are very very thankful to everyone donating for our garage sale and praying it is a HUGE success.

We are also currently doing our T-Shirt Fundraiser!!! Our goal is to sell 100 T-Shirts, which would pay the cost of our remaining Home Study Costs. We have sold 50 T-Shirts so far!!! Half-way there!!!! We are taking orders until March 28th if you would like to order a shirt, please contact me and let me know.

Upcoming Fundraiser
Monday, March 26th we are having a Dine-In Benefit Night at Chili's in Shawnee. We will receive 10% of the proceeds of everyone who voices they are with our fundraiser. This has great potential to be another very beneficial fundraiser. Please tell everyone you know that is near Shawnee about this Fundraiser.

As I had said previously, we greatly appreciate everyones support and donations throughout this time! We couldnt do this without you... Please know how much you mean to us!

The Gobbles Homecoming

These are friends of Daniel and I's that adopted twins, Faith and Grace, from Kazakhstan. We had the blessing of being apart of the adoption process with them, loved seeing these precious girls finally home with their family. We actually got to be at the airport on this day.... Today is the 1 year Anniversary of them being home!!!
Can't wait to have our own welcome home party at the airport :)

This Easter...

This Easter there are 4.3 Million Orphans in Ethiopia without families…

This Easter our family is waiting for our baby boy to be home…

This Easter we are asking you to take a challenge...

This Easter we are asking you to do one small act to make one BIG impact… 

This Easter instead of spending hundreds of dollars on Easter dresses and outfits, consider 

wearing a T-shirt… A T-shirt that represents an orphan, our child, our family… 

This Easter help us get one step closer to getting our child home, by making a simple sacrifice, and choosing to represent something so close to God’s heart on Easter…

This Easter we would love to see everyone wearing a simple T-shirt that has so much meaning to us… But more than anything, showing others the truth - that there are orphans who need us to be HIS hands and feet.

Our goal is to have 100 T-shirts sold by March 28th, this would completely pay for remaining amount of our Home Study Goal!!!

T-shirts are $20 each, or buy 2 for $35

  

Needed to hear this today...

No one really tells you how long and hard of a journey this is. Maybe they do and you just dont really grasp it... This week has been rough, and I just needed this song today. I am being refined through the flames, every part of this journey is molding me into the person God wants me to be. Every thing adds up to create in me, something new and fresh... becoming the person God has called me to be. It's hard, but so very worth it. I cant wait to see the end result of everything... our child, us, our future.... I know this will all become something so much more than we ever imagined. All from being obedient to HIS calling.  Thank you Lord for leading us on this journey... thank you for every part of it.

Desert Song

This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

Praise Report

We just wanted to share a praise report! We have met our goal of $1500 for our First Program Installment Fee. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not bad for just a little over 2 weeks of fundraising.... I am so thankful for the many people who have decided to support us and our adoption. Words cannot express how much your help and support mean to us. We need it!!!! We are being obedient, and stepping out in faith. And the support and ecouragement keep us going!

Next goal is $1600 to pay for our Home Study. We are starting on this immediately as this is the biggest part in the whole process. Once our Home Study is complete we then can start applying for adoption grants. So now we are on our way to our new goal! Ready, Set, Go!!!

Currently we are accepting donations for our Garage Sale Fundraiser which is March 24th. Please contact me if you would like to donate anything.

Thanks so much, we love and appreciate everyone who has gotten us here!