Fundraising Update

The title of this post should be: OVERWHELMED.  God is good folks! We raised enough for one plane ticket this weekend.  My best guess is that we had over 50 people show up to the trunk show.  Bracelets were purchased, items were raffled off, the beautiful African Mosaic Afghan donated by a family friend raised $400 and a check from Noonday will be sent to WACAP (our adoption agency) to be applied to our adoption expenses.  I don't know how many people ordered from Noonday online in order to support us but I know there were tons!  I am so excited about the fact that not only are we closer to getting our baby girl home...we, and by that I mean YOU, are supporting women and children all over the world in purchasing the beautiful Noonday merchandise! That is something to get excited about people! Read about these people! Check out the Noonday video on their website.  This is good stuff!

Do good. Be rich in good deeds. Be generous and willing to share. 1 Tim 6:18 You are living this out! Thank you!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, some cuteness! Oh my, how I love these three!

2 Moments to do 2 Things on Tuesday at 2?

Pretty catchy slogan right? Thank you Lynne Friberg!

Some have mentioned wanting other ways to support us so we created the DONATE button on the blog.  It is over there. On the left. Just above our Timeline.

Maybe you can donate a dollar a week until we bring baby girl home? Maybe you would like to give a one time donation? This account is linked to our Adoption Savings account.  All money will be used for adoption related fees.

So maybe you can take 2 moments to do 2 things on Tuesday at 2! We appreciate your prayer support as well as your financial support.

Reality

Can I be completely honest? I am freaking out! I am SO excited.  The REALITY is that nothing has changed, not really. We are still waiting with no news of an impending match. Yet, something has changed.  Maybe it is just the fact that time has continued to march on and we are closer to a match by virtue of the fact that approximately 60 families ahead of us have been matched.  Maybe it is the events that we have on our calendar that pertain to our adoption that makes it feel more real. Fundraisers, classes to attend, books on my hold list that are ready to be picked up at the library.

Last weekend I attended an Adoption Fair through Adoption Mosaic. (Adoption Mosaic is awesome, check them out!) I walked away knowing that a great deal of resources are at my fingertips.  I have felt so overwhelmed by all that I have to learn. I have to learn about skin and hair. I have to learn all I can about her first home and keep it alive for her as much as possible.
Then there are the other pieces that have to come together...transitioning to a family of 6. Where will she sleep? Will she need to be in our room or will she share a room with Kylee? Crib? Toddler bed? What size of clothes do I need to have ready? What kind of foods? And the list goes on.

We are getting closer! Time to get busy!

Trunk Show

The Bracelets

We have bracelets! I have been blessed with friends who have helped me and now you have choices! They are $25 and all the money will be going toward our adoption fees.  Your support is very much appreciated! We will have more to choose from so if you don't see anything here that suits stay tuned.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

Fundraising

We have started our first official fundraiser. I saw this idea online and even though my sewing skills are limited I thought that I might be able to make this happen.  I purchased fabric and found some D rings and voila!  We now have bracelets! Well a few anyway.
I made the first one and put in on my wrist and suddenly felt the doubt rush in.  Asking for help, well, it is not something I do easily.  We are asking for money.  Should I wonder at my uneasiness? It washed over me in a pretty intense fashion.  I know quite a few people who make things and sell them for a living so why is this different?
I am not sure if you realize this but we have embarked on a pretty incredible journey here folks.  We are adopting a little person.  This my friends, is one of those life changing events in life that mark you, indelibly. This is my heart on my sleeve for the whole world to see.  I have intense emotions that course through my body at the slightest provocation.  It really is no wonder the doubt rushed in and tried to take over. The truth is we are doing this and I need help. I need you.  Your support. Your encouragement. I need to know that you understand, on any level, why we are doing what we are doing. I need to know it is alright to cry for a little one I don't know.  When I feel frustrated I need for someone to tell me they get it.  I need you to ask me how the adoption is going...even if all I am going to say is that nothing has changed.  Will you invest in the life of an orphan? When you do any of these things that is precisely what you are doing.  You don't have to buy a bracelet, but maybe you would like to.
So, there it is then. The difference.  I am not just asking for you to buy a bracelet to support our adoption journey.  I am asking you to invest in the life of an orphan.  I am putting it all out there, a very emotional and rather private journey and asking you to join me.  I am thankful to be surrounded by such loving and generous people who have done just that.
In you the orphan finds mercy Hosea 14:3.

She was so beautiful he stopped in his tracks....

The other night as I read a bedtime story to Kylee and Jude my little boy said one of the sweetest things...

In the story there is a frog and a princess.  I am sure you know the story line.  At one point the prince sees his princess.  Completely overcome with her beauty he stops in his tracks and revels in the site of her.  Jude asked me what this meant so I explained a little further to which he replied, "I know Mama. It is like when we see baby girl, right? She will be so beautiful we will just stop in our tracks because she is so beautiful and we are so happy to see her and have her here."

Exactly.

I am so thankful for this journey that we are on.  I am completely overwhelmed by the depth of love that my little ones have for others. I am so blessed and encouraged by these little glimpses of their hearts.

The wait is getting long for my little people.  You remember the days when 1 hour felt like FOREVER. Feeling like summer vacation was never going to arrive... it could be a week away but it felt like months.  I suppose it will be harder when we are actually matched and have a count down until she comes home.

We are longing for the day that we stop in our tracks and revel in her beauty.

The Land of Impending Referral

This a strange place to be...the land of impending referral.

She is not far from my mind.  I cannot tell you the number of times I think of her in a day.  Nor can I explain the love that is growing in my heart for this child I have yet to lay my eyes on.  The heartache that is etched into my very being with the thought of all that will bring her to the place where it is our family that she needs. The loss. The unimaginable loss.
I wonder what her name will be. What will she look like? How old is she right now? Will we be able to give her all she needs? How will she feel about her new home?  How long will it take before she feels safe and secure?

How long will we wait?

While we wait for a referral we educate ourselves.  We read books. We take webinars. We meet people who have done this. We talk to families that are doing this.  We pray.
What will it feel like when we get the call? Where will we be? What will we be doing? I liken these feelings to the ambivalence I felt in waiting for labor to begin with each of my three children.  The excitement. The longing to know their story, to know how it would all play out. To hold them and kiss them. One very dear to me found a shirt that she said was made for me. It read: "WARNING: I am in love with a child I haven't met yet. I am in the process of adoption. I am subject to cry at any moment. Please bear with me until my referral comes." Apparently I am not the only one.

Life is busy and wonderful and our days are full.  As much as we want to bring her home we want to live in the here and now.  We want to soak up these days for all they are worth.  This is precious time. 

We know the day is coming...it could be next month or next year.  So we will keep dreaming, preparing, planning, praying with lots of crying mixed in I am sure.

Waiting

Waiting is tough.

We know a family that is in Addis Abba, Ethiopia right now.  They are adopting 3 children and we just got word that they passed court. I am SO excited for this family.

When I saw their facebook post saying they were in Washington D.C. waiting for their flight for this trip, an intense feeling of longing gripped my heart.  As they shared their anticipation and anxiousness for all that was just before them I was overwhelmed by feelings that knocked me to my knees, in prayer.  Prayer for them as they were preparing to meet their children face to face. Prayer for their appeal to the court to allow them to become the parents of three precious children.  As tears streamed down my face and my heart full to bursting I also asked the Lord to hasten the day that it will be Kyle and I meeting ours.

The anguish I feel is growing a passion in my life. A passion for orphaned children. I would love to fast forward through this season of waiting and longing and yet the bible tells me to, "consider it our joy whenever you face trials" It goes on to say, "The testing of (my) faith will develop perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that (I) may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4.  There are a great many things I am lacking so I am sure Perseverance has its work cut out but rather than loathe this time I am choosing Joy.  Thankful that I am being stretched. Thankful that our eyes are being opened to the needs of others.  Thankful for the anguish that I feel because, friends, this anguish is proof that I am being transformed.  And believe me. I. need. to. be. transformed.

One day we will be posting an update letting you all know that WE are on our way.
Until then, I will continue to pray for ours and those that need a family.  For protection. For provision. I hope you will too.

A little more on why Ethiopia?

We have been asked why? "Why Ethiopia?" "Why adopt?" "Why wouldn't you adopt from the U.S.?"


Why Adopt?
There are approximately 147 million orphans in the world.  Which gives us 147 million reasons to want to adopt.  We love children. We love being parents.  When we think about children who are unloved, neglected, or suffering our hearts hurt. We want to help.   In you the orphan finds mercy. Hosea 14:3 We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  


Why not adopt a child from the United States?
I don't have a concise answer for why we felt lead to adopting a child in Ethiopia. What I do know is this:  We know that there are children in need of families right here. On the next street over.  There are children in need all around us.  Our hearts hurt just as much for the children right here as for the children in other countries.   A child in need is a child in need no matter where they are on the map.  It isn't about doing something bigger, better, harder or more noble. It is about a child. A child who needs a family.  Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah 1:17 This is us learning to do good. We will cheer you on in your endeavor to learn to good as we hope you will for us.


Why Ethiopia?
It is a beautiful country.  We love learning about the rich culture and people of Ethiopia.  The food is full of unique flavors and spices.  We love to travel and we are excited to experience as much of African culture as we can. On a very personal note we have been incredibly blessed by the addition of our niece, Miss M. who is from Ethiopia. Our hope is that a connection to their homeland between Miss M. and our daughter will be something that each of them will cherish.  There are approximately 5 million orphans in Ethiopia.  Our daughter is one of them. I do not know where she is, what she looks like or from the circumstances she will come but I know that I love her with all my heart.  I know that I don't want her to hurt or suffer or to be hungry or scared. And I know that God places the lonely in families.  Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families. Psalms 68:5-6 So we are ready and waiting for a precious one from Ethiopia.

We Embrace The Call

Why adopt?
Why Ethiopia?

...to look after orphans and widows in their distress -James 1:27 

Did you know there are an estimated 147 million orphans in the world? Roughly 5 million of them are in Ethiopia.  We have embraced the call, and for us, that means adoption.

For Kyle and I the dream to adopt began in separate places.  I don't know if either of us can articulate the moment we knew we wanted to adopt but I do know that we both had a heart for adoption before the two of us became one.  Fast forward to January of 2010 and that dream came very much alive in this Mama's heart.  A few weeks later we found out we were pregnant with our third child and adoption was put on hold.  It didn't take long after Azariah's birth until I felt ready to begin and I began praying in earnest that God would align mine and Kyle's hearts.  I began researching adoption agencies and programs. What an overwhelming task.  It wasn't long and God answered our prayer and we were both ready to move forward with our plans to adopt.

My heart for the children of Africa first surfaced when Kyle and I were dating.  I attended an event where Tony Campolo (www.tonycampolo.org/compassion.php) spoke about his work with Compassion International. After he shared I searched the tables of little faces of children in need and landed on Muithi, a little girl that lives in Kenya that I have been sponsoring ever since. When we began looking at programs and trying to figure out which country we would like to adopt from it wasn't that big of a surprise that Ethiopia topped the list.
So here we are.  Awaiting a match with a little girl from Ethiopia.  We have requested a child between the ages of 0-24 months.  It will be a long wait....hoping to be matched by October of 2013...long wait.  The Ethiopian government is making changes and restructuring in order to protect the children in the process of adoption.  This is a good thing, and we are thankful, and yet it is hard to wait.  Philippians 4:19... And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  In this journey we accept God's provision and timing. We trust Him not only to prepare us, but to protect her.  There is much to prepare for.  Our little one will have lost all she has known.   We don't know the circumstances from which she will come but we do know that it will be a painful loss no matter what those circumstances are. She will be black in a house full of blue eyed and blond people...in a community that is approximately 82% percent white.  She will be over 7,000 miles away from home. And it will be hard.  Lord, help us. We know He will.