We wanted to update everyone on paperwork! We have done lots of
paper chasing, to get all required forms ready for our Dossier
submission!!! Wanted to post a list of all the required documents we have completed and what we are still working on, just
to give you an idea of what we have been busy doing the past month. There are a few things to go, but we are pretty close to being finished! Thus we will need to raise our remaining $4500 for Dossier Submission soon! Please be in prayer with us that God provides this remaining amount to get us through this point. Also, if you notice we have completed our Home Study, we will start applying for Adoption Grants once we receive the final draft of this. Please be praying with us that we are able to get a grant to help with our remaining costs of our adoption. God is awesome and faithful, we continue to give him all the glory for as far as we have gotten thus far!
Husband’s Birth Certificate - Complete
Wife’s Birth Certificate - Complete
Marriage Certificate -Complete
Husband Physical Exam Form - Complete
Wife’s Physical Exam Form - Complete
Proof of Medical Insurance - Complete
Proof of Life Insurance - Complete
Financial Statement - Complete
Husband’s Employment Letter - Complete
Wife’s Employment Letter - Complete
Home Study - Complete
Letter of Reference (3) - Complete
Husband’s Police Report - Complete
Wife’s Police Report - Complete
Power of Attorney - Complete
Dossier Cover Sheet - Complete
2 Passport Photos per parent - Need to do
Family Photo Pages - Session completed, waiting for prints
Copies of Passports - Brittni's Complete - Daniel's Complete
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Why International?
Throughout our adoption process, 2 months to the day, we have had numerous people share their opinions, concerns, and thoughts on the fact that we should be adopting from the US (Domestic Adoption), "our OWN country" and not Internationally. In these last 2 months, I cannot even begin to give you a number of people that have made this statement to us. I'm not going to lie, this breaks my heart a little. Not on a personal level, but just as a Christian, makes me sad. Below is why...
See... my thoughts on this are in regards to the verse:
Romans 12:4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function.
I feel that each Christian has their own "function" or calling. Some are to be pastors, missionaries, teachers, adoptive parents, foster parents, counselors, worship leaders, servants... etc. All of these different callings or desires God has specifically given each of us personally, what is for you isn't what He has in store for me. What is my "function" isn't for someone else. Everyone plays their own role to fulfill His purpose for His kingdom. I feel this applies as well to where you are called to adopt from, whether it be China, Ethiopia, Russia, US, Haiti, and so on. In God's eyes... they are ALL his children! Every single one of them! His desire is that all of them have someone to love and care for them. If everyone adopted from China and it was the only place, imagine all the children all over the world that would be left with no one to care for them. But instead, God amazingly calls us to a variety of places, and meets the needs of a variety of children through each adopting family. I think that is incredible!!! Does my heart break for every single orphan? Yes, definitely! I wish I could do something for every single one of them, but I can't! God has equipped other people to go forth to all of these places that he has specifically placed on their hearts to do that. Just as he has called me to Ethiopia! I never would dream of telling another person that Ethiopia is the only place to adopt from, and that they must adopt from Ethiopia. Because they may not be called to Ethiopia, or even Africa for that matter. God leads us where he wants us, and I truly do not believe it is just for the sake of the child. I know for a fact, that when we make our trip to Ethiopia to go to our child, our lives will be impacted just by the travel to the country! God may have something amazing for us there, and some very big eye opening experiences for Daniel and I while we are there. Our adoption has the ability to impact so much more than just us or our child, and by us going somewhere to adopt that God has not led us....it could change ALL of that. Change our future, or even yours by being a part of it all... maybe there is something about our adoption that God wants you to see and include you in as well. Us choosing US when we aren't called to could take away your blessing as well. This is simply my heart... to do as He has called us, I don't know his plans for our adoption. I can only trust that He is using my obedience for something specific to meet His purpose.
This is just something that has been on my heart, and I want people to see the truth. I know that you think you are helping the children in the US by pushing people who are called to adopt to adopt from here. But really you may be robbing them of their purpose. Sit back, and enjoy the ride... trust God that He has not led us astray, and realize that your "opinions" could lead someone in the very wrong direction for them, and they could miss their "function" or calling and miss out on something so much more that God has for them.
See... my thoughts on this are in regards to the verse:
Romans 12:4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function.
I feel that each Christian has their own "function" or calling. Some are to be pastors, missionaries, teachers, adoptive parents, foster parents, counselors, worship leaders, servants... etc. All of these different callings or desires God has specifically given each of us personally, what is for you isn't what He has in store for me. What is my "function" isn't for someone else. Everyone plays their own role to fulfill His purpose for His kingdom. I feel this applies as well to where you are called to adopt from, whether it be China, Ethiopia, Russia, US, Haiti, and so on. In God's eyes... they are ALL his children! Every single one of them! His desire is that all of them have someone to love and care for them. If everyone adopted from China and it was the only place, imagine all the children all over the world that would be left with no one to care for them. But instead, God amazingly calls us to a variety of places, and meets the needs of a variety of children through each adopting family. I think that is incredible!!! Does my heart break for every single orphan? Yes, definitely! I wish I could do something for every single one of them, but I can't! God has equipped other people to go forth to all of these places that he has specifically placed on their hearts to do that. Just as he has called me to Ethiopia! I never would dream of telling another person that Ethiopia is the only place to adopt from, and that they must adopt from Ethiopia. Because they may not be called to Ethiopia, or even Africa for that matter. God leads us where he wants us, and I truly do not believe it is just for the sake of the child. I know for a fact, that when we make our trip to Ethiopia to go to our child, our lives will be impacted just by the travel to the country! God may have something amazing for us there, and some very big eye opening experiences for Daniel and I while we are there. Our adoption has the ability to impact so much more than just us or our child, and by us going somewhere to adopt that God has not led us....it could change ALL of that. Change our future, or even yours by being a part of it all... maybe there is something about our adoption that God wants you to see and include you in as well. Us choosing US when we aren't called to could take away your blessing as well. This is simply my heart... to do as He has called us, I don't know his plans for our adoption. I can only trust that He is using my obedience for something specific to meet His purpose.
This is just something that has been on my heart, and I want people to see the truth. I know that you think you are helping the children in the US by pushing people who are called to adopt to adopt from here. But really you may be robbing them of their purpose. Sit back, and enjoy the ride... trust God that He has not led us astray, and realize that your "opinions" could lead someone in the very wrong direction for them, and they could miss their "function" or calling and miss out on something so much more that God has for them.
Friday, April 6, 2012
T-Shirt Fundraiser!!!
I wanted to update everyone on the total amount we made from the T-Shirt Fundraiser.... We made a total of $1,077 towards our adoption costs! Thank you everyone who purchased a shirt. And we hope to see people wearing them this Easter Sunday
If you were unable to order a shirt this time, and would like to... we will be doing another order again soon! So be watching for that. I've had several people ask when they can order again, so we will for sure be doing this.
**Also tonight I updated our fundraiser thermometer, I cannot believe we have raised a total of $7,163 thus far.I am amazed by God and his faithfulness to provide our needs!! Amazed.... He gets all the glory for it all.
***At this point we have paid for our First Program Installment Fee, Home Study, Adoption Training, and other costs that arise when getting documents for our Dossier. When we are ready to submit our Dossier we will have to pay $7,700 for all of the Dossier submission costs. And that will be the last amount we pay until we receive our referral for our child. As of right now my approximate guess is we have about $1,000 to go towards this $7,700 goal. Everything depends on costs and charges we will run into while getting documents for our Dossier, for example: passports, birth certificates, background checks, charges for our physicals, and Finger Printing. Thus our problem is we won't know where we stand exactly towards this goal until all paperwork is ready for the Dossier. So lets just aim for $7,700!!!! :)
Please check out our current fundraisers and see how you can help us get there!
If you were unable to order a shirt this time, and would like to... we will be doing another order again soon! So be watching for that. I've had several people ask when they can order again, so we will for sure be doing this.
**Also tonight I updated our fundraiser thermometer, I cannot believe we have raised a total of $7,163 thus far.I am amazed by God and his faithfulness to provide our needs!! Amazed.... He gets all the glory for it all.
***At this point we have paid for our First Program Installment Fee, Home Study, Adoption Training, and other costs that arise when getting documents for our Dossier. When we are ready to submit our Dossier we will have to pay $7,700 for all of the Dossier submission costs. And that will be the last amount we pay until we receive our referral for our child. As of right now my approximate guess is we have about $1,000 to go towards this $7,700 goal. Everything depends on costs and charges we will run into while getting documents for our Dossier, for example: passports, birth certificates, background checks, charges for our physicals, and Finger Printing. Thus our problem is we won't know where we stand exactly towards this goal until all paperwork is ready for the Dossier. So lets just aim for $7,700!!!! :)
Please check out our current fundraisers and see how you can help us get there!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The least of these...
It amazes me sometimes where my thoughts go. This morning I was watching our fish in the aquarium... We have 2 fish that are ill, its looking like they may not make it. As I was watching the fish, the 2 that are sick stuck together... and wherever they swam all the other fish would move away and swim on the other side of the tank. They avoided them at all costs, occasionally one of the fish will go over and chase one off and bully the sick. No matter how sick they are, they defended one another to the bullying fish. It got me to thinking about our lives... How many times the weak, sick, needy, and "different" get alienated by the "norm" crowd. Even fish do it! Makes me sad that this is our world and the way so many live... pushing away those that are different or unfamiliar. I've been guilty of this in my past, but in high school God opened my eyes to seeing people as he sees them. I'm not saying since then I have been perfect, but I have always tried to see others through his eyes. So then I started thinking about our adoption process, and how we have really learned who our true friends are... those that aren't "comfortable" with our decision, and those that don't agree or understand have much like the fish, pushed us aside, avoided us, even bullied us a little. That's okay, we knew there would be people in our lives who wouldn't get it, we knew there would be people that wouldn't like it... but to be frank, we aren't doing this for them. We are doing this for God, and for our future child. We don't seek man's approval, but God's. There are so many times in life where because you step out and do something different than the usual, you are mocked, betrayed, and disliked. This made me to start to think of Jesus, especially with Easter coming up. How he must have felt when those that he was dying on that cross for mocked him. They didn't know... They didn't understand. He knew that, and that is why he loves us anyway. He laid his life down knowing by many it wouldn't be appreciated.
Mostly I just want other Christians to consider the weak, sick, and needy... how do you act towards them? Jesus washed his servants feet.... are you willing to do this for others? See them through Christ's eyes... open your hearts and lives to people who are different, embrace them the way Christ made them. On the radio the other day they were talking about Autism with it being Autism Awareness Day, and how so many look down on those that have "struggles". They commented towards the verse in the bible where the people asked why the blind man was blind, was it something he did? or his parents did? And Jesus replied, so that God would be glorified in his life. (paraphrasing a little). But we should love and support those that are different, their lives glorify Christ daily as they live as "the least of these". The least of these has a special place in God's heart, I guarantee you. Open your heart, your eyes, and love on others today!
Mostly I just want other Christians to consider the weak, sick, and needy... how do you act towards them? Jesus washed his servants feet.... are you willing to do this for others? See them through Christ's eyes... open your hearts and lives to people who are different, embrace them the way Christ made them. On the radio the other day they were talking about Autism with it being Autism Awareness Day, and how so many look down on those that have "struggles". They commented towards the verse in the bible where the people asked why the blind man was blind, was it something he did? or his parents did? And Jesus replied, so that God would be glorified in his life. (paraphrasing a little). But we should love and support those that are different, their lives glorify Christ daily as they live as "the least of these". The least of these has a special place in God's heart, I guarantee you. Open your heart, your eyes, and love on others today!
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