Our hearts are so full. Many emotions bubble up to the surface. We are joyful that the days are flying by, each day bringing us closer to our girl. We still don't have a travel date. There are a couple of queues we will get that will alert us that it's getting close, but it seems that once we get our court date, we will need to leave asap. It would be wonderful to be able to travel as early as March.
It has been thrilling to receive videos and picture updates of A. At the same time, to see her sweet personality, and see her big smile, and to know that, as mama and daddy, we're still thousands of miles and many weeks till we see her, weighs on our hearts.
We received a letter at the end of November informing us that we were approved to receive a sizable grant towards our adoption. This is a huge, huge blessing.
Our adoption fund currently has a deficit of only about $5500, and we are praying about what steps to take to make up the remaining amount. We have recently applied for another grant, and are waiting to find out the decision of one more foundation. Getting blessed with either/both, would get us closer, if not all the way, to our goal.
Also, we have received a medical update on A. She seems to be doing well, but we have learned that she has most likely suffered profound hearing loss, at some point in her young life. We had suspected this for a little while, not knowing how severe it was. It is obvious that she is really not hearing much, and doesn't really speak. This is something the Lord knew from the very beginning and we grieve for her loss, but feel very able to manage, as we already see many specialists and have experience with hearing loss with Finn. We look forward to learning ASL, and hope to begin teaching her when we FINALLY get to meet her:)
So, to sum up, here is a prayer list:
1. For A's safety, health and happiness till we can bring her home.
2. That there would be no snags in the process, that everything would go as smoothly as possible.
3. That our time spent travelling (with 3, then 4 children) would be blessed. That everyone would be safe and healthy.
4. That our adoption fund would be at 100% by the time we need to travel.
5. Also, we appreciate continued prayers for my dad recovering from colon cancer. For healing, energy and high quality of life returning soon!
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Monday, October 13, 2014
Update
We have recently received some hard news. First of all, we will be so grateful for prayers for my dad, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. This is quite a shock to us, as he is such a vibrant, healthy person. We are hopeful that with treatment, he is almost certain to recover, but will need much prayer for the next two months of chemo and radiation. And prayers for his wife as she cares for him as he goes through this difficult time.
Second, we were told by our agency to expect to be in Uganda 8-10 weeks. I saw this coming, but was really hoping that 4-6 weeks would be enough time, as that was the estimate when we first started this journey. We have figured out travel expenses and fundraising needs based on 4-6 weeks, so we have had to up our amount that we will need. This is a bit discouraging, but we know the Lord has a purpose in it. We joke that our kids will think that we are living in Africa, after staying there for up to 3 months:) I've wanted to be in Africa for some time now so am looking forward to it, but the downside is that of those 10 weeks we will likely be in Uganda, Dan will only be able to be with us for about 5 or so, we think. This thought brings me quite a bit of apprehension, as I can't sleep when he's not in the same vicinity, much less country. And to manage four little ones, on my own, in a new place, it will be challenging! Especially if/when someone gets sick! Please pray for a brave spirit for me, that can rely completely on the Lord, to bring me help when I will need it!
We are waiting to hear the decision for 3 of the 4 foundations we applied to for grants. One has made a decision already, and has promised us a grant of $1,000 that will be able to be used towards post placement fees. Unfortunately we will not be able to get it pre-placement, or pre-travel.
We need to start planning at least a couple more fundraisers, one big, one smaller, maybe.
All donations are, of course, very welcome! We are totally humbled by the sacrificial giving that continues to bless us, and ultimately, our little girl. At this point, anything we raise goes to fund our travel and stay in Uganda, to go through the necessary legal process of bringing A home. Please don't think that we are just trying to get a really nice, exotic vacation paid for by everyone else. We would much prefer to pay for it ourselves and for it to be quicker, but this is the necessary process and we are stepping out in faith. We are trying to find deals, and do everything as inexpensively as possible to be good stewards of the funds entrusted to us, but, when all is said and done, this is an expensive mission.
Sometimes I do wonder, is this the right thing to do with around $40,000??? But then I am reminded that many spend that much on a new vehicle, or jewelry, or vacations, or various other "things." This is a precious little human we are talking about! The most precious of all preciousness. Of course it's worth it, though, yes, the money could be spent in many other philanthropic ways. But to think, a little girl is going to get a mama and daddy from this money. It's allowing her to become an American citizen with access to the best in everything, and the gift of being raised, as we were, on the Bible and it's invaluable teachings. A worthy cause? Absolutely!
We plead for your prayers, and would welcome any and all ideas on ways to smooth the stay, raise funds or great Bible verses to encourage our hearts now, through these very challenging times we find ourselves in. There is so much to worry about these days, we all need peace in our hearts. I'm fighting to be peace-filled (that's quite the paradox) for my kids, my husband, and others who need me. I just need to be reminded, over and over, that "I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me."
Remember our girl in your prayers, as ebola claims more and more victims, as she has underlying health conditions, and we won't be able to go to her for at least another 5 months!!! I am so thankful that our Lord loves her more than even we do, and can easily protect her and that if she is meant to be a Church, then nothing can stop her from coming HOME.
Second, we were told by our agency to expect to be in Uganda 8-10 weeks. I saw this coming, but was really hoping that 4-6 weeks would be enough time, as that was the estimate when we first started this journey. We have figured out travel expenses and fundraising needs based on 4-6 weeks, so we have had to up our amount that we will need. This is a bit discouraging, but we know the Lord has a purpose in it. We joke that our kids will think that we are living in Africa, after staying there for up to 3 months:) I've wanted to be in Africa for some time now so am looking forward to it, but the downside is that of those 10 weeks we will likely be in Uganda, Dan will only be able to be with us for about 5 or so, we think. This thought brings me quite a bit of apprehension, as I can't sleep when he's not in the same vicinity, much less country. And to manage four little ones, on my own, in a new place, it will be challenging! Especially if/when someone gets sick! Please pray for a brave spirit for me, that can rely completely on the Lord, to bring me help when I will need it!
We are waiting to hear the decision for 3 of the 4 foundations we applied to for grants. One has made a decision already, and has promised us a grant of $1,000 that will be able to be used towards post placement fees. Unfortunately we will not be able to get it pre-placement, or pre-travel.
We need to start planning at least a couple more fundraisers, one big, one smaller, maybe.
All donations are, of course, very welcome! We are totally humbled by the sacrificial giving that continues to bless us, and ultimately, our little girl. At this point, anything we raise goes to fund our travel and stay in Uganda, to go through the necessary legal process of bringing A home. Please don't think that we are just trying to get a really nice, exotic vacation paid for by everyone else. We would much prefer to pay for it ourselves and for it to be quicker, but this is the necessary process and we are stepping out in faith. We are trying to find deals, and do everything as inexpensively as possible to be good stewards of the funds entrusted to us, but, when all is said and done, this is an expensive mission.
Sometimes I do wonder, is this the right thing to do with around $40,000??? But then I am reminded that many spend that much on a new vehicle, or jewelry, or vacations, or various other "things." This is a precious little human we are talking about! The most precious of all preciousness. Of course it's worth it, though, yes, the money could be spent in many other philanthropic ways. But to think, a little girl is going to get a mama and daddy from this money. It's allowing her to become an American citizen with access to the best in everything, and the gift of being raised, as we were, on the Bible and it's invaluable teachings. A worthy cause? Absolutely!
We plead for your prayers, and would welcome any and all ideas on ways to smooth the stay, raise funds or great Bible verses to encourage our hearts now, through these very challenging times we find ourselves in. There is so much to worry about these days, we all need peace in our hearts. I'm fighting to be peace-filled (that's quite the paradox) for my kids, my husband, and others who need me. I just need to be reminded, over and over, that "I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me."
Remember our girl in your prayers, as ebola claims more and more victims, as she has underlying health conditions, and we won't be able to go to her for at least another 5 months!!! I am so thankful that our Lord loves her more than even we do, and can easily protect her and that if she is meant to be a Church, then nothing can stop her from coming HOME.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Dossier Done
Well, it is finally done! The dossier is the grand finale of paperwork for the international adoption process. We had to compile original, notarized versions of our home study, medical certificates, marriage license, birth certificates, letters of employment, letter of recommendation, 5 references, the deed of our home, proof that our immigration application was approved, photos of us and our home, proof that we had current passports, and child abuse clearances and background checks. All of this times 6. And then I had to make three photocopies of each original! The stack was quite tall. And today it was sent on it's way to North Carolina, first stop, then to Kampala, final destination.
We began the process of gathering documents in March, because we had an idea of what we would need, but we didn't really officially start until closer to May. It took us a total of about 4 months, partly because we needed to wait for our home study, and then wait for immigration paperwork. We couldn't have done it any faster. It's been 7 months since I first saw A's photo. Six since we knew we would be her family. The earliest we could imagine travelling would be March, but it's all dependent on how her paperwork goes. They say 6-9 months is what it takes. So over a year since the whole process began. That's a long time to wait for your small, parentless girl.
We feel very blessed that we are able to pay the fees involved with submitting our dossier, a tidy little sum of $8,150. And once the request comes from Uganda for the rest of the fees, around $6500, we'll have that too. Thanks to those who have donated, prayed for and helped out with our fundraising. This is amazing, miraculous, huge! We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!
We have one last mountain to summit, and that is the expense that travel will incur, along with a few other fees that pop up here and there. The total could be as high as $12,000 or higher, depending on how long our stay is. We were told 4-6 weeks, but it's sounding like families end up being there longer, sometimes double that length. Some may question our choice to bring our children, however, I cannot imagine not seeing my 7 year old, 3 year old and two year old for that amount of time. I don't think it would be good for them at all, and I don't think it would be good for our family. Not that it couldn't work for some or in a certain situation, but we are prayerfully planning on bringing all three. Even though it adds extra expense.
We are continuing to put our best efforts into fundraising. I know not everyone agrees with doing this for family building. The way I see it, orphans are everyone's responsibility till they find homes. But not everyone sees it that way, and it's ok. The Lord has worked with our 5 loaves and two fish. He has multiplied what we have done with generosity from the most unexpected sources sometimes. And that is just God for you!
Current Fundraisers
We will be at the Mahtomedi Farmer's Market for three more Saturdays. It is a fun, small town, quirky experience that I highly recommend.
We also are still accepting donations toward the Puzzle Project
And a great way, I think, for families on a tighter budget to help out would be Collecting Change.
We also are very honored that a Car Show will be held to help bring A home a week from Saturday, September 20th, from 9-5. For more details see the facebook page
You could say that now we're official. In our hearts, she's been our daughter since March. That means that we lay in bed and worry about her maybe getting sick, or being sad or hurt. It means we think of her often. I love that feeling of all my kids safely tucked in bed at night, but I always think to myself, no, they're not all safely tucked in bed. Someone is missing. My daughter.
There is something visceral about this mama daughter relationship already. I have a knot in my soul right now, considering recent events in Uganda. We beg for your prayers for her safety, for peace in Uganda, and that the process would not be delayed. My feelings for that little sweet girl are the same as if LuLu, Harry or Finn were in Uganda, surrounded by deadly dangers. Not that I think those things threaten her at this moment, but they could, they're much too near for comfort, and they loom with the threat of blocking our way to get our girl. This is something that is on our minds constantly. We won't truly rest till she's home.
We began the process of gathering documents in March, because we had an idea of what we would need, but we didn't really officially start until closer to May. It took us a total of about 4 months, partly because we needed to wait for our home study, and then wait for immigration paperwork. We couldn't have done it any faster. It's been 7 months since I first saw A's photo. Six since we knew we would be her family. The earliest we could imagine travelling would be March, but it's all dependent on how her paperwork goes. They say 6-9 months is what it takes. So over a year since the whole process began. That's a long time to wait for your small, parentless girl.
We feel very blessed that we are able to pay the fees involved with submitting our dossier, a tidy little sum of $8,150. And once the request comes from Uganda for the rest of the fees, around $6500, we'll have that too. Thanks to those who have donated, prayed for and helped out with our fundraising. This is amazing, miraculous, huge! We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!
We have one last mountain to summit, and that is the expense that travel will incur, along with a few other fees that pop up here and there. The total could be as high as $12,000 or higher, depending on how long our stay is. We were told 4-6 weeks, but it's sounding like families end up being there longer, sometimes double that length. Some may question our choice to bring our children, however, I cannot imagine not seeing my 7 year old, 3 year old and two year old for that amount of time. I don't think it would be good for them at all, and I don't think it would be good for our family. Not that it couldn't work for some or in a certain situation, but we are prayerfully planning on bringing all three. Even though it adds extra expense.
We are continuing to put our best efforts into fundraising. I know not everyone agrees with doing this for family building. The way I see it, orphans are everyone's responsibility till they find homes. But not everyone sees it that way, and it's ok. The Lord has worked with our 5 loaves and two fish. He has multiplied what we have done with generosity from the most unexpected sources sometimes. And that is just God for you!
Current Fundraisers
We will be at the Mahtomedi Farmer's Market for three more Saturdays. It is a fun, small town, quirky experience that I highly recommend.
We also are still accepting donations toward the Puzzle Project
And a great way, I think, for families on a tighter budget to help out would be Collecting Change.
We also are very honored that a Car Show will be held to help bring A home a week from Saturday, September 20th, from 9-5. For more details see the facebook page
You could say that now we're official. In our hearts, she's been our daughter since March. That means that we lay in bed and worry about her maybe getting sick, or being sad or hurt. It means we think of her often. I love that feeling of all my kids safely tucked in bed at night, but I always think to myself, no, they're not all safely tucked in bed. Someone is missing. My daughter.
There is something visceral about this mama daughter relationship already. I have a knot in my soul right now, considering recent events in Uganda. We beg for your prayers for her safety, for peace in Uganda, and that the process would not be delayed. My feelings for that little sweet girl are the same as if LuLu, Harry or Finn were in Uganda, surrounded by deadly dangers. Not that I think those things threaten her at this moment, but they could, they're much too near for comfort, and they loom with the threat of blocking our way to get our girl. This is something that is on our minds constantly. We won't truly rest till she's home.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Making Progress
Well, it continues to be a busy summer. It seems that is my normal state...if you ask me how I am it's always, busy. And a bit stressed and tired too. We have settled into somewhat of a rhythm, preparing for Farmer's Market each week, making lotion, GF bread, and blueberry muffins, among other things, and trying to keep up with housework, potty training, getting more organized, ordering homeschool material and planning for the school year.
It's been a cool, rainy summer this year, which is ok, but I would not mind a more seasonal temp after the long, bitter winter we had. The children have enjoyed getting outside quite a bit though. They still splash around the kiddy pool and love going to the park.
We are thrilled that our home study is done, finalized, notarized, and we have all the copies we need (we had to have 7 originals!!!) I sent in our immigration paperwork July 5th, the earliest we would expect to see that approved is in about a month. Once that is approved we can finish our adoption paperwork and send in our dossier!!!
We are almost done with our dossier, all the hard parts have been completed, we just need to make a few photo copies and take some pictures. It's been a 3 month process so far, 4 months if you count the application process, and 5 months since we saw that first little picture of A on a social media site and decided to find out if we were meant to be her parents.
The Lord is certainly preparing our hearts, filling us with more and more anticipation for her homecoming. I think about the difference between bringing home a newborn and bringing home an older child. To us, it will be a momentous occasion, but to the world, maybe not so much. Seeing a newborn people comment, and ooh and aahh. Seeing a 4 year old, dealing with the loss of her home and "family" and trying to adjust to a new culture and language, will certainly not evoke the same reaction.
I hope we can make up for some of A's losses, or at least soften them in some way, with the Lord, the healer of the brokenhearted. We are trying to prepare ourselves for the grief that she will feel, being separated from the only home she's ever known, and no longer surrounded by friendly, brown faces, under the warm Uganda sun. What a tremendous change that will be for a 4 year old.
The big question continues to be, "When?"
The answer is still hard. Hopefully February, more likely March, quite possibly April, May or June of 2015.
Please pray!
For the right amount of patience and that the Lord would mercifully speed the process along.
For A's physical, emotional and spiritual safety and health.
For the remaining funds we need to submit with the dossier.
For blessed fundraising for what we will need for travel.
For the Lord's peace and wisdom during this season of much pressure and strain. That we would respond in a godly manner in every challenging situation.
It's been a cool, rainy summer this year, which is ok, but I would not mind a more seasonal temp after the long, bitter winter we had. The children have enjoyed getting outside quite a bit though. They still splash around the kiddy pool and love going to the park.
We are thrilled that our home study is done, finalized, notarized, and we have all the copies we need (we had to have 7 originals!!!) I sent in our immigration paperwork July 5th, the earliest we would expect to see that approved is in about a month. Once that is approved we can finish our adoption paperwork and send in our dossier!!!
We are almost done with our dossier, all the hard parts have been completed, we just need to make a few photo copies and take some pictures. It's been a 3 month process so far, 4 months if you count the application process, and 5 months since we saw that first little picture of A on a social media site and decided to find out if we were meant to be her parents.
The Lord is certainly preparing our hearts, filling us with more and more anticipation for her homecoming. I think about the difference between bringing home a newborn and bringing home an older child. To us, it will be a momentous occasion, but to the world, maybe not so much. Seeing a newborn people comment, and ooh and aahh. Seeing a 4 year old, dealing with the loss of her home and "family" and trying to adjust to a new culture and language, will certainly not evoke the same reaction.
I hope we can make up for some of A's losses, or at least soften them in some way, with the Lord, the healer of the brokenhearted. We are trying to prepare ourselves for the grief that she will feel, being separated from the only home she's ever known, and no longer surrounded by friendly, brown faces, under the warm Uganda sun. What a tremendous change that will be for a 4 year old.
The big question continues to be, "When?"
The answer is still hard. Hopefully February, more likely March, quite possibly April, May or June of 2015.
Please pray!
For the right amount of patience and that the Lord would mercifully speed the process along.
For A's physical, emotional and spiritual safety and health.
For the remaining funds we need to submit with the dossier.
For blessed fundraising for what we will need for travel.
For the Lord's peace and wisdom during this season of much pressure and strain. That we would respond in a godly manner in every challenging situation.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Update, and Farmer's Market Adventures
The days are flying by. We are in almost constant preparation for A and her adoption. Currently I'm going through the entire house, top to bottom, cleaning and organizing. My progress is slow but steady, one room is done! I've needed to do this for a while now, but extra motivation for me is that we'll be photographing our family and home for the dossier.
We've started selling items at the Mahtomedi Farmer's Market...things like Gluten-free bread, handcrafted lotion and lip balm, hand knit items, and handmade jewelry.
So far we've sold a few things, but are hoping as the season matures we'll see more traffic.
We are so grateful to see the donations continuing, the need is still very much there. We are working on what the next fundraiser will be, probably near the end of September.
It's been 4 months since we found out about A. We found out we would be her parents in March. We began the process immediately, and still are up to a year away from placement. What we have experienced so far in this process is that everything takes a bit longer than projected. We would love to travel to Uganda in February, but that's beginning to look like an impossibility. We're still waiting for our approved home study. It's been written for a few weeks now, but the approval process is proving to be longer than we had anticipated. We just found out today that it's in the mail, and that sort of feels like Christmas for me!
Once we have our home study, there are two more steps, paperwork-wise till we're finished. Our next step is the CIS application, which is asking for advanced immigration approval. This could take up to three months to get approved. Hopefully more like a month or less. Then the dossier gets submitted. Once CIS approval comes through the dossier will be ready to send right away (because we do all that mostly ourselves.) Once the dossier is in, then they start A's paperwork, which can take up to 9 months. It may seem like impatience, but we are praying and hoping for a best-case scenario, quickest-case scenario. I cannot explain the urgency we feel. It's like running a marathon. Each step takes energy, and the farther you go, the harder it is. You are glad you're doing it, but you can't wait for it to be over, because each day we love her a little more and want to meet her, hear her voice and start being her mama and daddy.
Please pray
~For A, to be surrounded with love, to be safe from everything that could harm her so far away from us, to stay healthy (there is limited medical treatment available, to have all her physical needs met till we can go to her.
~That the total amount we will need when we submit the dossier (around $15,000) will be there when we need it!
~That our travel expenses could be kept low, and that fundraising would continue to be blessed.
~For our kids already at home, that they learn through this process to have faith in a God who provides and how much He loves us ( as parents we can learn this lesson too)! And that we as parents would be able to keep their stress level low, despite how busy and worn out we are:)
~For Dan and I, for the spiritual and physical endurance and strength to handle everything coming our way right now. It's the hardest/best thing we've done, I think.
We've started selling items at the Mahtomedi Farmer's Market...things like Gluten-free bread, handcrafted lotion and lip balm, hand knit items, and handmade jewelry.
We are so grateful to see the donations continuing, the need is still very much there. We are working on what the next fundraiser will be, probably near the end of September.
It's been 4 months since we found out about A. We found out we would be her parents in March. We began the process immediately, and still are up to a year away from placement. What we have experienced so far in this process is that everything takes a bit longer than projected. We would love to travel to Uganda in February, but that's beginning to look like an impossibility. We're still waiting for our approved home study. It's been written for a few weeks now, but the approval process is proving to be longer than we had anticipated. We just found out today that it's in the mail, and that sort of feels like Christmas for me!
Once we have our home study, there are two more steps, paperwork-wise till we're finished. Our next step is the CIS application, which is asking for advanced immigration approval. This could take up to three months to get approved. Hopefully more like a month or less. Then the dossier gets submitted. Once CIS approval comes through the dossier will be ready to send right away (because we do all that mostly ourselves.) Once the dossier is in, then they start A's paperwork, which can take up to 9 months. It may seem like impatience, but we are praying and hoping for a best-case scenario, quickest-case scenario. I cannot explain the urgency we feel. It's like running a marathon. Each step takes energy, and the farther you go, the harder it is. You are glad you're doing it, but you can't wait for it to be over, because each day we love her a little more and want to meet her, hear her voice and start being her mama and daddy.
Please pray
~For A, to be surrounded with love, to be safe from everything that could harm her so far away from us, to stay healthy (there is limited medical treatment available, to have all her physical needs met till we can go to her.
~That the total amount we will need when we submit the dossier (around $15,000) will be there when we need it!
~That our travel expenses could be kept low, and that fundraising would continue to be blessed.
~For our kids already at home, that they learn through this process to have faith in a God who provides and how much He loves us ( as parents we can learn this lesson too)! And that we as parents would be able to keep their stress level low, despite how busy and worn out we are:)
~For Dan and I, for the spiritual and physical endurance and strength to handle everything coming our way right now. It's the hardest/best thing we've done, I think.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
The How-To's of Adoption Fundraising, Part 1, The Ice Cream Social
One of the most intimidating things about adoption can be the cost. Many, many people have looked at me with shock/dismay at the amount it will take to get A home. It seems like an impossible task. I think a lot of families/individuals would pursue adoption if they weren't so doubtful about coming up with the thousands and thousand of dollars that it can take to bring a child home.
I would like to put a plug in here for foster adoption. Adoption from foster care can be very, very low in cost. A fraction of what other types of adoption can be. But more on that a different day. Even as an adoption advocate, I can only handle so much at a time:)
Also, I would say, consider your priorities. If it's important to you, you will find a way. I don't write this flippantly. We are a low middle class family, mostly single income. This adoption is surely being boosted by our last two, because of the adoption tax credit, but we could have put that tax return into other areas, other needs. We have chosen to sacrifice and face a slimmer margin, because we believe a soul hangs in the balance. A's, as it so happens.
BUT, there is no way we could have scrimped and saved the thousands and thousands it will take to bring her home. We needed to reach out to our community. We have shared our burdens with the Lord, our family, our church and our community. We have seen incredible generosity pour forth.
"I don't always think of myself as rich, and I'm guessing you may not think of yourself as rich either. But the reality is, if you and I have running water, shelter over our heads, clothes to wear, food to eat, and some means of transportation (even if it's public transportation), then we are in the top 15 percent of the world's people for wealth." from Radical, by David Platt
Sometimes, you need a channel by which people feel comfortable or inspired to give. Today, I'm highlighting the Ice Cream Social.
Here's what we did, if you have some suggestions, please feel free to mention them in the comments.
1. Plan a date, find a space.
We used our church building. They allowed us to rent the space free of charge. Wonderful blessing!
2. Invites! It wouldn't be a bad idea to mail our post-card type invitations. I'm just not convinced that e-invites, facebook events, etc are the way to go. We announced, announced, announced, through social media, email and in our church bulletin. Our total guests, including about 10-15 volunteers, was only 90 people. However, these precious 90 people happened to be very generous, as we were able to raise about $2100!!!
3. Find volunteers. You will need help. A friend of mine sent out an email sign-up sheet. We had volunteers for scooping ice cream, keeping things re-stocked, keeping things tidy, sitting at the donation table, keeping an eye on the silent auction items, selling raffle tickets and for clean up. One thing that we didn't do, that I wish we would have, is to have a brief meeting with volunteers, just to run through how you envision the evening going. If possible, do it at the venue.
4. Make a list of everything that needs to happen or needs to be collected before the event. Decide when you're going to do what. When you're going to set up tables, when you're going to pick up supplies etc. We chose to have toppings at our Ice Cream Social, whip cream, sprinkles, chocolate etc. We also had coffee. We started about 1.5 weeks before the day and that seemed to work well. Don't plan too much the day of, or you'll be stressed and exhausted by go time.
5. Find Ice Cream!!! For this, you'll need to plan ahead if you want anything special. There's nothing wrong with swinging by the local grocery store and loading up there. We wanted something homemade, and were able to find a local distributor, but it was about 3 x or more the price. Very good, quite expensive!! We ordered 7.5 gallons and that was more than enough.
6. These are optional items, but we chose to do a silent auction/raffle concurrently with our social. This brought it approximately $100 extra and was quite a bit of work, gathering items and setting everything up. Not sure if we would do that again. We also prepared a little presentation, including a slide show, which was fun and very well-received. Doing these little extras helped, but were not necessary.
7. Pray and ask others to pray. Our event was not super well attended, but as I said, those who came were obviously passionate about supporting our adoption and put their money where their hearts are.
~extra little tid-bits~
~we made sure (suggested by a smart friend) that those waiting in line/coming in would go right by the silent auction tables
~we didn't charge a fee to get in, we just kept a donation box for those who came in to give what they felt, there were hundred dollars bills, and very large checks in the box at the end of the night, and like I said, we raised $2100!!!
~if possible, try to find enough volunteers so that you won't need to do anything after set-up, you'll want to go around and chat with your guests, and you will have different folks coming up asking questions and what-not
So far, in our third adoption adventure, we have been blessed with over $10,000 in gifts and fundraisers. Two garage sales, hosted by others for us, brought it around $4,000 total. I plan to write another entry in this series on putting on a successful adoption fundraiser garage sale, as we have participated in and put on three now, over the course of our last three adoptions. a huge and heartfelt thanks/shoutout to our dear church family and my sister-in-law and brother-in-law for all the work and inconvenience of putting on these garage sales for our A.
I would like to put a plug in here for foster adoption. Adoption from foster care can be very, very low in cost. A fraction of what other types of adoption can be. But more on that a different day. Even as an adoption advocate, I can only handle so much at a time:)
Also, I would say, consider your priorities. If it's important to you, you will find a way. I don't write this flippantly. We are a low middle class family, mostly single income. This adoption is surely being boosted by our last two, because of the adoption tax credit, but we could have put that tax return into other areas, other needs. We have chosen to sacrifice and face a slimmer margin, because we believe a soul hangs in the balance. A's, as it so happens.
BUT, there is no way we could have scrimped and saved the thousands and thousands it will take to bring her home. We needed to reach out to our community. We have shared our burdens with the Lord, our family, our church and our community. We have seen incredible generosity pour forth.
"I don't always think of myself as rich, and I'm guessing you may not think of yourself as rich either. But the reality is, if you and I have running water, shelter over our heads, clothes to wear, food to eat, and some means of transportation (even if it's public transportation), then we are in the top 15 percent of the world's people for wealth." from Radical, by David Platt
Sometimes, you need a channel by which people feel comfortable or inspired to give. Today, I'm highlighting the Ice Cream Social.
Here's what we did, if you have some suggestions, please feel free to mention them in the comments.
1. Plan a date, find a space.
We used our church building. They allowed us to rent the space free of charge. Wonderful blessing!
2. Invites! It wouldn't be a bad idea to mail our post-card type invitations. I'm just not convinced that e-invites, facebook events, etc are the way to go. We announced, announced, announced, through social media, email and in our church bulletin. Our total guests, including about 10-15 volunteers, was only 90 people. However, these precious 90 people happened to be very generous, as we were able to raise about $2100!!!
3. Find volunteers. You will need help. A friend of mine sent out an email sign-up sheet. We had volunteers for scooping ice cream, keeping things re-stocked, keeping things tidy, sitting at the donation table, keeping an eye on the silent auction items, selling raffle tickets and for clean up. One thing that we didn't do, that I wish we would have, is to have a brief meeting with volunteers, just to run through how you envision the evening going. If possible, do it at the venue.
4. Make a list of everything that needs to happen or needs to be collected before the event. Decide when you're going to do what. When you're going to set up tables, when you're going to pick up supplies etc. We chose to have toppings at our Ice Cream Social, whip cream, sprinkles, chocolate etc. We also had coffee. We started about 1.5 weeks before the day and that seemed to work well. Don't plan too much the day of, or you'll be stressed and exhausted by go time.
5. Find Ice Cream!!! For this, you'll need to plan ahead if you want anything special. There's nothing wrong with swinging by the local grocery store and loading up there. We wanted something homemade, and were able to find a local distributor, but it was about 3 x or more the price. Very good, quite expensive!! We ordered 7.5 gallons and that was more than enough.
6. These are optional items, but we chose to do a silent auction/raffle concurrently with our social. This brought it approximately $100 extra and was quite a bit of work, gathering items and setting everything up. Not sure if we would do that again. We also prepared a little presentation, including a slide show, which was fun and very well-received. Doing these little extras helped, but were not necessary.
7. Pray and ask others to pray. Our event was not super well attended, but as I said, those who came were obviously passionate about supporting our adoption and put their money where their hearts are.
~extra little tid-bits~
~we made sure (suggested by a smart friend) that those waiting in line/coming in would go right by the silent auction tables
~we didn't charge a fee to get in, we just kept a donation box for those who came in to give what they felt, there were hundred dollars bills, and very large checks in the box at the end of the night, and like I said, we raised $2100!!!
~if possible, try to find enough volunteers so that you won't need to do anything after set-up, you'll want to go around and chat with your guests, and you will have different folks coming up asking questions and what-not
So far, in our third adoption adventure, we have been blessed with over $10,000 in gifts and fundraisers. Two garage sales, hosted by others for us, brought it around $4,000 total. I plan to write another entry in this series on putting on a successful adoption fundraiser garage sale, as we have participated in and put on three now, over the course of our last three adoptions. a huge and heartfelt thanks/shoutout to our dear church family and my sister-in-law and brother-in-law for all the work and inconvenience of putting on these garage sales for our A.
Monday, May 12, 2014
My Greatest Offering
Since my last post, we have almost reached our last goal, which was selling 27 puzzle pieces. Two recent donations have gotten us really close! Such a blessing! We realize that most donations have come from sacrifice, and this touches our hearts so much. That you all would do that for our baby girl!
The Ice Cream Social is just a few weeks away! It will be held May 30th, from 6-9 p.m. at Twin Cities Bible Church in Maplewood. There will be delicious, locally made ice cream and some exciting items raffled, some great silent auction items. If you are local, please attend!
Saturday we spent part of our morning going from shop to shop in our local downtown. We received a couple of donations toward the silent auction/raffle. We have had other donations come in from advertising on facebook and word of mouth. We are so thankful for the things that have come in so far, and are hopeful for more. We have a few places yet to visit, and hopefully the Lord will open doors.
In other news, we received four out of five passports (mine was sent in a couple days later, so it hasn't come yet)and our home study packet was finally sent last Wednesday!!! That felt so good! Getting our home study in writing (this is something our social worker does and should be complete soon, now that all our paperwork is in) is a huge key to the next series of steps we need to take. Then on to apply for advanced immigration approval and start to tackle the dossier, which actually seems a little easier than the home study documents. I am eager to get the dossier in, as that is when the 6-9 month time clock to get our court date starts counting down. Realistically, it will take at least two months before it's ready.
Each day that goes by we grow more eager to meet our new daughter. We are jealous of all the time we are "missing" from her. We do trust in the Lord's timing, nevertheless, it is very hard to be so far away, in time and space, from our sweet, darling little girl. We haven't seen any new pictures, or really heard much of an update at all, but hopefully soon.
One thing that makes this process easier is our supportive family and our sisters and brothers in Christ. We have received contributions of money, help, items for garage sale, encouraging words, prayers and cards. It all helps so, so much. Thank you all. We love you!
Our kids at home are doing great, Lu is turning 7 on Sunday!!! Harry broke another pair of glasses, but continues to amaze us with his vocabulary, intelligence and love for life...and cars. Finn will be getting hearing aids soon, but he's actually doing really great, he's hearing things he's not supposed to:) And I heard him singing Let It Go today. Super cute.
LuLu picked out her first present to her sister today. It's a pink, sparkly tiara headband.
I heard "Spirit Speaks" by All Sons and Daughters on Pandora today. It was timely. Two of my favorite lines...
"To every word you speak, I'll go where you will lead
To love the least of these, is my greatest offering"
Yes, yes it is. My greatest offering, loving the least (littlest), one at a time.
The Ice Cream Social is just a few weeks away! It will be held May 30th, from 6-9 p.m. at Twin Cities Bible Church in Maplewood. There will be delicious, locally made ice cream and some exciting items raffled, some great silent auction items. If you are local, please attend!
Saturday we spent part of our morning going from shop to shop in our local downtown. We received a couple of donations toward the silent auction/raffle. We have had other donations come in from advertising on facebook and word of mouth. We are so thankful for the things that have come in so far, and are hopeful for more. We have a few places yet to visit, and hopefully the Lord will open doors.
In other news, we received four out of five passports (mine was sent in a couple days later, so it hasn't come yet)and our home study packet was finally sent last Wednesday!!! That felt so good! Getting our home study in writing (this is something our social worker does and should be complete soon, now that all our paperwork is in) is a huge key to the next series of steps we need to take. Then on to apply for advanced immigration approval and start to tackle the dossier, which actually seems a little easier than the home study documents. I am eager to get the dossier in, as that is when the 6-9 month time clock to get our court date starts counting down. Realistically, it will take at least two months before it's ready.
Each day that goes by we grow more eager to meet our new daughter. We are jealous of all the time we are "missing" from her. We do trust in the Lord's timing, nevertheless, it is very hard to be so far away, in time and space, from our sweet, darling little girl. We haven't seen any new pictures, or really heard much of an update at all, but hopefully soon.
One thing that makes this process easier is our supportive family and our sisters and brothers in Christ. We have received contributions of money, help, items for garage sale, encouraging words, prayers and cards. It all helps so, so much. Thank you all. We love you!
Our kids at home are doing great, Lu is turning 7 on Sunday!!! Harry broke another pair of glasses, but continues to amaze us with his vocabulary, intelligence and love for life...and cars. Finn will be getting hearing aids soon, but he's actually doing really great, he's hearing things he's not supposed to:) And I heard him singing Let It Go today. Super cute.
LuLu picked out her first present to her sister today. It's a pink, sparkly tiara headband.
I heard "Spirit Speaks" by All Sons and Daughters on Pandora today. It was timely. Two of my favorite lines...
"To every word you speak, I'll go where you will lead
To love the least of these, is my greatest offering"
Yes, yes it is. My greatest offering, loving the least (littlest), one at a time.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Getting Down To The Wire
Just a little recap of where we're at in the process.
We have a referral. We're in the process of updating our home study. We recently submitted our contract. Once the home study is updated, we'll submit our immigration paperwork. We're expecting our dossier checklist soon! Once the dossier (huge stack of paperwork that gets shipped off to Uganda) is on it's way, we expect to travel 6-9 months from that time.
So this is me.
Stacks of papers to fill out. Forms to photocopy. Questions to email. Phone calls to make. Dollars to raise.
Diapers to change. Lessons to teach. Homeschooling. Dishes. Laundry. Etc...
But it's all worth it. Each day, I grow more excited to meet my new daughter. Each day I am thankful for my kids at home.
And thankful for the warm sun when I take the kids outside to play.
And grateful that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, who knows and sees with compassion, all of our struggles.
I do worry. I try not to, but I am anxious for my girl, who seems so, so far away. I hope and pray that she is staying healthy. That she is full at the end of the day. That someone is showing her the care and love that she needs.
And I have what if moments. And they are scary.
In going over the more formal documents that we received last week, I realized that one application (immigration stuff) that has to be mailed ASAP includes a $720 fee. To be honest, I knew that this came somewhere in the process, but I wasn't sure when. The reason we need to get it in ASAP is because is takes 60-90 days to be fully processed. And we can't move forward with the final faze of adoption paperwork (dossier) till it's complete.
~~~~Please pray with us that we are able to raise the $1865 we will need, in about 3 weeks. That means we need to raise $621 per week till then.~~~~~
If we can get 27 more puzzle pieces sold, we will have reached out goal for the week!!!
Please pray with us that 27 hearts are touched.
We have a referral. We're in the process of updating our home study. We recently submitted our contract. Once the home study is updated, we'll submit our immigration paperwork. We're expecting our dossier checklist soon! Once the dossier (huge stack of paperwork that gets shipped off to Uganda) is on it's way, we expect to travel 6-9 months from that time.
So this is me.
Stacks of papers to fill out. Forms to photocopy. Questions to email. Phone calls to make. Dollars to raise.
Diapers to change. Lessons to teach. Homeschooling. Dishes. Laundry. Etc...
But it's all worth it. Each day, I grow more excited to meet my new daughter. Each day I am thankful for my kids at home.
And thankful for the warm sun when I take the kids outside to play.
And grateful that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, who knows and sees with compassion, all of our struggles.
I do worry. I try not to, but I am anxious for my girl, who seems so, so far away. I hope and pray that she is staying healthy. That she is full at the end of the day. That someone is showing her the care and love that she needs.
And I have what if moments. And they are scary.
In going over the more formal documents that we received last week, I realized that one application (immigration stuff) that has to be mailed ASAP includes a $720 fee. To be honest, I knew that this came somewhere in the process, but I wasn't sure when. The reason we need to get it in ASAP is because is takes 60-90 days to be fully processed. And we can't move forward with the final faze of adoption paperwork (dossier) till it's complete.
~~~~Please pray with us that we are able to raise the $1865 we will need, in about 3 weeks. That means we need to raise $621 per week till then.~~~~~
If we can get 27 more puzzle pieces sold, we will have reached out goal for the week!!!
Please pray with us that 27 hearts are touched.
Friday, April 18, 2014
More Little Steps
This week we finished our 10 hours of required training. I like to joke a little that I guess the last 3 years of adoptive parenting haven't counted:) While finishing up our training, which was a webinar, I folded little girl clothes. Mostly 4-5t. I've experienced baby showers...getting cute clothes to put your new baby in, and folding them neatly in preparation for the new little person that will fill them. It was sort of a similar experience, though these were Lu's hand-me-downs. It was fun to look at all the sweet little girl things A will wear. It's a way of feeling connected with her, the only way I can, for now.
Today we update our homestudy, which is just another of many steps in the paper chase. We're going to spend the cleaning and organizing, and it is just great timing because then on Sunday we host for Easter! Our new social worker comes here and we all chat (there will be a nice long movie time for the kids.) Then she updates the "story of our family" or homestudy, and gives us a list of documents to gather.
This updating process will involve a $1500 fee. Again, it's another big bill that we can cover, thanks in part, to timely donations.
Please continue to pray that more funds come in. We have fundraisers coming soon, but we will have big bills due before then. And by the time we submit our dossier (some time this summer) we will need to have $15,000 to cover all the rest of the international fees (this does not include travel.)
I know a lot of times we complain that adoption is too expensive, the costs are too high. But really, when you break it all down, a good part of the money is going to help care for our girl and to provide aid for the orphanage. Some goes to the government, and some to the agency, but not all. And our agency is very transparent about where all there money goes, so I truly believe that every penny is needed and justifiable. If you would like to help, please feel free to donate any amount by clicking the donate button to your right. Thank you.
Other ways to help:
Coin Buckets!!!
The Puzzle Project
Today we update our homestudy, which is just another of many steps in the paper chase. We're going to spend the cleaning and organizing, and it is just great timing because then on Sunday we host for Easter! Our new social worker comes here and we all chat (there will be a nice long movie time for the kids.) Then she updates the "story of our family" or homestudy, and gives us a list of documents to gather.
This updating process will involve a $1500 fee. Again, it's another big bill that we can cover, thanks in part, to timely donations.
Please continue to pray that more funds come in. We have fundraisers coming soon, but we will have big bills due before then. And by the time we submit our dossier (some time this summer) we will need to have $15,000 to cover all the rest of the international fees (this does not include travel.)
I know a lot of times we complain that adoption is too expensive, the costs are too high. But really, when you break it all down, a good part of the money is going to help care for our girl and to provide aid for the orphanage. Some goes to the government, and some to the agency, but not all. And our agency is very transparent about where all there money goes, so I truly believe that every penny is needed and justifiable. If you would like to help, please feel free to donate any amount by clicking the donate button to your right. Thank you.
Other ways to help:
Coin Buckets!!!
The Puzzle Project
Saturday, April 12, 2014
The Latest
Well, we've seen the beginnings of better weather and the snow is gone. Praise the Lord! Another praise, our passport applications are in!!!
I was a bit nervous to do this, as it is so important (and expensive!) Thankful that everything went smoothly and it's done!
In facing the reality of the finances, dealing with other things that come up in life, and figuring out this whole passport situation with kids and forms, and printers not printing, and me making mistakes and having to re-do forms, then sitting down to do our training at 9 p.m. after a long day, I've been stressed! Finn has a sedated procedure coming on Tuesday, my house is in shambles, and the snow melting was wonderful, but revealed a ton of work we need to do cleaning up. I am concerned that from the outside looking in, we're crazy to attempt this huge, huge thing called international adoption.
But in considering this, I took a step back, and what I see is a sweet little girl, who I happened to find, who is not 100% healthy, who has no mama. And she needs me. And it's so beyond worth it. For her precious soul, it's an honor to do this. It's hard, yes. It's illogical, yes. But if we use our hearts and our eternity-seeing eyes, it makes all the sense in the world.
And if you ask my kids, they have a sister in Uganda. Or "Nuganda" as Harry terms it. She's their sister, the boys either identify her by her name, or by saying "sitter" (sister.) In my kids hearts, there are no questions about it. A is prayed for every night by daddy and boys, mama and LuLu, and she's going to be enjoying the longed for bunkbeds that LuLu now has a perfect right to expect.
Adoption is expensive, and yes, some aspects of it do seem ridiculously difficult. It's not the perfect solution, but for this 3 year old girl, it's the only solution possible.
And it is inconvenient to fundraise, and I know, it's not always convenient to give. And it won't make us richer, or less stressed, or anything like that. And it certainly won't really help you at all, to give to the adoption of this little girl. But imagine you were her. Living with next to nothing, not even family, and imagine how you would feel if a bunch of people in the USA pulled together to bring you somewhere safe, warm, loving and welcoming. Imagine that.
It makes me want to give everything for her, of course, because she is, or will be mine, but I know it moves your heart as well as mine. It's life-changing, to help kids like A. This is real, it may not be at our doorstep, but it doesn't make her need any less real. And ultimately, we're all part of the same race, the same family. Just because distance and a few bits of DNA separate us does not mean we aren't obligated, in some way, to help the motherless and fatherless of our world. This is my desperate, deepest desire.
Looking ahead, some prayer requests and things to be mindful of for us:
~Homestudy meeting coming up next Friday
~Finn's sedated ABR
~Reaching our first fundraising goal of $1600 ($1058 left to raise) which will allow us to pay the next 2 big fees, and reaching our ultimate goal of $23,000 total.
~Praise that our passport fees ($600) and our first professional services fee to our agency ($2700) is fully covered. God is good, and we see Him working through you!!!
I was a bit nervous to do this, as it is so important (and expensive!) Thankful that everything went smoothly and it's done!
In facing the reality of the finances, dealing with other things that come up in life, and figuring out this whole passport situation with kids and forms, and printers not printing, and me making mistakes and having to re-do forms, then sitting down to do our training at 9 p.m. after a long day, I've been stressed! Finn has a sedated procedure coming on Tuesday, my house is in shambles, and the snow melting was wonderful, but revealed a ton of work we need to do cleaning up. I am concerned that from the outside looking in, we're crazy to attempt this huge, huge thing called international adoption.
But in considering this, I took a step back, and what I see is a sweet little girl, who I happened to find, who is not 100% healthy, who has no mama. And she needs me. And it's so beyond worth it. For her precious soul, it's an honor to do this. It's hard, yes. It's illogical, yes. But if we use our hearts and our eternity-seeing eyes, it makes all the sense in the world.
And if you ask my kids, they have a sister in Uganda. Or "Nuganda" as Harry terms it. She's their sister, the boys either identify her by her name, or by saying "sitter" (sister.) In my kids hearts, there are no questions about it. A is prayed for every night by daddy and boys, mama and LuLu, and she's going to be enjoying the longed for bunkbeds that LuLu now has a perfect right to expect.
Adoption is expensive, and yes, some aspects of it do seem ridiculously difficult. It's not the perfect solution, but for this 3 year old girl, it's the only solution possible.
And it is inconvenient to fundraise, and I know, it's not always convenient to give. And it won't make us richer, or less stressed, or anything like that. And it certainly won't really help you at all, to give to the adoption of this little girl. But imagine you were her. Living with next to nothing, not even family, and imagine how you would feel if a bunch of people in the USA pulled together to bring you somewhere safe, warm, loving and welcoming. Imagine that.
It makes me want to give everything for her, of course, because she is, or will be mine, but I know it moves your heart as well as mine. It's life-changing, to help kids like A. This is real, it may not be at our doorstep, but it doesn't make her need any less real. And ultimately, we're all part of the same race, the same family. Just because distance and a few bits of DNA separate us does not mean we aren't obligated, in some way, to help the motherless and fatherless of our world. This is my desperate, deepest desire.
Looking ahead, some prayer requests and things to be mindful of for us:
~Homestudy meeting coming up next Friday
~Finn's sedated ABR
~Reaching our first fundraising goal of $1600 ($1058 left to raise) which will allow us to pay the next 2 big fees, and reaching our ultimate goal of $23,000 total.
~Praise that our passport fees ($600) and our first professional services fee to our agency ($2700) is fully covered. God is good, and we see Him working through you!!!
Friday, April 4, 2014
Fundraiser #2!!!!
In conjunction with The Puzzle Project, which will be ongoing till we bring Alma home, we are introducing "Help Change a Life" coin buckets...
We have $1281 to go before we reach our first fundraising goal of $1600!!!
You could leave this on your kitchen counter, dresser, in your office at work, at a local business that you frequent, in your car etc...
Please let me know if you want one! When it's full let us know and we'll be happy to pick it up! All donations will go directly to bringing A home from Uganda.
We have $1281 to go before we reach our first fundraising goal of $1600!!!
You could leave this on your kitchen counter, dresser, in your office at work, at a local business that you frequent, in your car etc...
Please let me know if you want one! When it's full let us know and we'll be happy to pick it up! All donations will go directly to bringing A home from Uganda.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
First Official Fundraiser To Bring Alma Home From Uganda!!!!
The Puzzle Project!!
There are 1,000 pieces, and our goal is $23,000. Suggested donation amount is $23 or more. For each donation, we will put a name (yours) on the back of a puzzle piece (or however many pieces you choose to "buy") and when complete, it will mean that we can bring A home. The puzzle will be framed so that the front and back will be on display! You can either click "donate" or mail a check/give cash. Email me at Chicamia84@msn.com for address.
Our first goal, in the next month, would be to raise about $1600. That's what we're short for the first batch of BIG fees.
Please know we hate asking for money. The only time we ever have is to bring our kids home (this is our 3rd adoption.) We're pouring all our savings and pinching every penny, but it's not going to be enough. Alma has sickle cell anemia and has been in an orphanage most of her life. So please, please give what you can!
If you don't have any money (or just want to do more), and want to help consider these options...
~Share our blog! It has very, very few views, and I'm working on finding out ways to improve that BUT...you can share it on your facebook page, and that would be a HUGE help!!!
~Ask for a coin donation bucket, we're making them (photos to come) and you could ask your boss to put one in the office, keep one in your home, car, wherever loose change might be!
~Pass out our adoption cards. I always have some with me, or I will happily mail some out!
~PRAY! We appreciate this the most, as all things belong to Him anyway:)
There are 1,000 pieces, and our goal is $23,000. Suggested donation amount is $23 or more. For each donation, we will put a name (yours) on the back of a puzzle piece (or however many pieces you choose to "buy") and when complete, it will mean that we can bring A home. The puzzle will be framed so that the front and back will be on display! You can either click "donate" or mail a check/give cash. Email me at Chicamia84@msn.com for address.
Our first goal, in the next month, would be to raise about $1600. That's what we're short for the first batch of BIG fees.
Please know we hate asking for money. The only time we ever have is to bring our kids home (this is our 3rd adoption.) We're pouring all our savings and pinching every penny, but it's not going to be enough. Alma has sickle cell anemia and has been in an orphanage most of her life. So please, please give what you can!
If you don't have any money (or just want to do more), and want to help consider these options...
~Share our blog! It has very, very few views, and I'm working on finding out ways to improve that BUT...you can share it on your facebook page, and that would be a HUGE help!!!
~Ask for a coin donation bucket, we're making them (photos to come) and you could ask your boss to put one in the office, keep one in your home, car, wherever loose change might be!
~Pass out our adoption cards. I always have some with me, or I will happily mail some out!
~PRAY! We appreciate this the most, as all things belong to Him anyway:)
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
What We've Been Up To...
Since finding out this amazing, life-changing news about Alma, we have been busy. For those who may wonder what our adoption process is looking like so far, take a peek into our frenzy...
1. The day I found out we were expecting Church kid #4, I began filling out applications. One for our placement agency (Carolina Adoption Services) and one for our homestudy agency (God's Children Adoption Agency.) It took me a total of around 3 hours to do both.
2. Along with the GCAA application, we had to include our fingerprints, which had to be done at the police station. Thankfully, there's always a helpful officer on duty no matter what time you show up. We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was quick!
3. We've also been planning fundraisers.
We ordered our 1,000 piece photo puzzle, that will be a visual reminder of how each donation puts more pieces of the "puzzle" (which is a huge photo of our little Alma)of our adoption together. You can donate $23 to have a piece dedicated to you, and when framed it will be double sided, so we get to see all the love that was poured out that helped bring her home. (Photos to come)
Another thing we did (I keep saying we, I should be saying I, many adoptive moms, I think, can relate!!!!) was order a 250 business type cards with our adoption info and blog address on it, so if you would like a stack to pass out, or just one to keep in your purse or on your fridge, let me know!!
The ice cream social is being planned! The date will most likely be a Friday in May! It should be super fun and is open to all!
We're going to be making change collectors, to be placed in homes, offices, businesses, anywhere where someone might be so kind as to throw some lose change into a jar (photos to come). When it's full, just let us know and we'll come pick it up! If you would like a container or two, let me know and I'll get it to you ASAP!!
4. There is one adoption grant I can apply for, and plan to apply for more. Our experience with this in the past has been pretty great, however, most will not allow us to apply till we have our updated homestudy, which we will not have for at least a few weeks. Most of the fees will be due before we'll ever hear back about grants, so we are just not going to count on that for right now. But it could help with travel fees, which could be up to $16,000 total.
We were very blessed to receive two very generous donations just within the first few days of finding out about our new daughter. To those who have given and plan to give, we cannot thank you enough. Thank you and God Bless you!
If you haven't already, please share our blog with your friends. The more who know, the more that can be involved through support and prayer and...
Other ways to help...
~pass out our adoption cards
~place a coin donation collector in your home, office, workplace etc.
~pray, pray and pray some more!!!!
~volunteer for the ice cream social coming in May
1. The day I found out we were expecting Church kid #4, I began filling out applications. One for our placement agency (Carolina Adoption Services) and one for our homestudy agency (God's Children Adoption Agency.) It took me a total of around 3 hours to do both.
2. Along with the GCAA application, we had to include our fingerprints, which had to be done at the police station. Thankfully, there's always a helpful officer on duty no matter what time you show up. We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was quick!
3. We've also been planning fundraisers.
We ordered our 1,000 piece photo puzzle, that will be a visual reminder of how each donation puts more pieces of the "puzzle" (which is a huge photo of our little Alma)of our adoption together. You can donate $23 to have a piece dedicated to you, and when framed it will be double sided, so we get to see all the love that was poured out that helped bring her home. (Photos to come)
Another thing we did (I keep saying we, I should be saying I, many adoptive moms, I think, can relate!!!!) was order a 250 business type cards with our adoption info and blog address on it, so if you would like a stack to pass out, or just one to keep in your purse or on your fridge, let me know!!
The ice cream social is being planned! The date will most likely be a Friday in May! It should be super fun and is open to all!
We're going to be making change collectors, to be placed in homes, offices, businesses, anywhere where someone might be so kind as to throw some lose change into a jar (photos to come). When it's full, just let us know and we'll come pick it up! If you would like a container or two, let me know and I'll get it to you ASAP!!
4. There is one adoption grant I can apply for, and plan to apply for more. Our experience with this in the past has been pretty great, however, most will not allow us to apply till we have our updated homestudy, which we will not have for at least a few weeks. Most of the fees will be due before we'll ever hear back about grants, so we are just not going to count on that for right now. But it could help with travel fees, which could be up to $16,000 total.
We were very blessed to receive two very generous donations just within the first few days of finding out about our new daughter. To those who have given and plan to give, we cannot thank you enough. Thank you and God Bless you!
If you haven't already, please share our blog with your friends. The more who know, the more that can be involved through support and prayer and...
Other ways to help...
~pass out our adoption cards
~place a coin donation collector in your home, office, workplace etc.
~pray, pray and pray some more!!!!
~volunteer for the ice cream social coming in May
Friday, March 21, 2014
Quick Prayer Request
So in looking over our fee structure, I have found hope and a challenge. Please spread the word and pray for us. I'm not asking those to give who can't, but being willing to help in any way you can (volunteering, praying, passing out our adoption cards) as we set about earning the "ransom" for our daughter will be a wonderful blessing to us and her.
Looking over what is due and when, I realized that the bulk of the fees will be due in a rather short amount of time. The first set of fees we have ALMOST covered, praise the LORD! And by the time our dossier(all the documents that will go to Uganda) is ready to be submitted, all the rest of the fees, aside from what we will need for travel, will be due. So, in the next three months, we need to raise about $7,000-$8,000.
The good news is that the rest of the time we would only have to raise funds for travel, probably around $10,000-$16,000. Still a large amount of money, but really the last third of our fundraising needs.
SO, please pray that the fundraising that we do is blessed!! We are thinking of doing an ice cream social at our church, but are sure of NO details yet. We're just praying about what would be fun for our church and community to participate in, but that would also be beneficial in bringing our girl HOME!!!
Also, we are putting together a photo puzzle of Alma. If you wish to have a piece dedicated to you/your family you can donate $23 (it's a 1,000 piece puzzle)and your name will go on the back. When we're fully funded, the puzzle will be totally finished, framed front and back so we can see all those who have contributed. If you would like to "buy" a puzzle piece, please click the donate button on the right or email me at Chicamia84@msn.com for our mailing address to send a check, or for any questions.
Looking over what is due and when, I realized that the bulk of the fees will be due in a rather short amount of time. The first set of fees we have ALMOST covered, praise the LORD! And by the time our dossier(all the documents that will go to Uganda) is ready to be submitted, all the rest of the fees, aside from what we will need for travel, will be due. So, in the next three months, we need to raise about $7,000-$8,000.
The good news is that the rest of the time we would only have to raise funds for travel, probably around $10,000-$16,000. Still a large amount of money, but really the last third of our fundraising needs.
SO, please pray that the fundraising that we do is blessed!! We are thinking of doing an ice cream social at our church, but are sure of NO details yet. We're just praying about what would be fun for our church and community to participate in, but that would also be beneficial in bringing our girl HOME!!!
Also, we are putting together a photo puzzle of Alma. If you wish to have a piece dedicated to you/your family you can donate $23 (it's a 1,000 piece puzzle)and your name will go on the back. When we're fully funded, the puzzle will be totally finished, framed front and back so we can see all those who have contributed. If you would like to "buy" a puzzle piece, please click the donate button on the right or email me at Chicamia84@msn.com for our mailing address to send a check, or for any questions.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
We're Expecting...To Bring Home A Girl!
Hello Family and Friends,
We are thrilled to announce that our prayers for a 4th child have been answered! On February 14th I saw a photo of a little girl in Uganda. I wrote a letter to her orphanage and waited for 2.5 weeks to hear back. We were the only family inquiring, but they wanted to be very sure about us. When I saw the email in my inbox saying for me to call Allie, the Uganda adoption worker with CAS, my heart began pounding and I was literally shaking, not knowing what the news was going to be.
The call was brief but contained wonderful news. It's a girl!!!!
"A" is 3 years old. She's never really known what it's like to have a mama and daddy. She has sickle cell anemia, which makes her life harder, but not necessarily shorter. She looks like a sweet, darling little girl. I can't wait to meet her. I can't wait to be her mom.
As you can see, if you take a gander to the right, we have lots of work to do. We need some prayer warriors out there to take up our cause, because aside from a whole pile of money to raise, we have lots of paperwork to get through (I've done about 2-3 hours worth since we got the news....yesterday.) However, we are absolutely convinced that if this little girl is meant for our family, the Lord will show up in amazing ways, giving us strength for the journey and the keys we need to open each door. He is good, and He is great. We're praising Him for this hope-filled answer to prayer.
To make a donation that will go directly towards adoption fees and/or travel please click the donate button at the top right hand side of the page, or email me at chicamia84@msn.com.
We are thrilled to announce that our prayers for a 4th child have been answered! On February 14th I saw a photo of a little girl in Uganda. I wrote a letter to her orphanage and waited for 2.5 weeks to hear back. We were the only family inquiring, but they wanted to be very sure about us. When I saw the email in my inbox saying for me to call Allie, the Uganda adoption worker with CAS, my heart began pounding and I was literally shaking, not knowing what the news was going to be.
The call was brief but contained wonderful news. It's a girl!!!!
"A" is 3 years old. She's never really known what it's like to have a mama and daddy. She has sickle cell anemia, which makes her life harder, but not necessarily shorter. She looks like a sweet, darling little girl. I can't wait to meet her. I can't wait to be her mom.
As you can see, if you take a gander to the right, we have lots of work to do. We need some prayer warriors out there to take up our cause, because aside from a whole pile of money to raise, we have lots of paperwork to get through (I've done about 2-3 hours worth since we got the news....yesterday.) However, we are absolutely convinced that if this little girl is meant for our family, the Lord will show up in amazing ways, giving us strength for the journey and the keys we need to open each door. He is good, and He is great. We're praising Him for this hope-filled answer to prayer.
To make a donation that will go directly towards adoption fees and/or travel please click the donate button at the top right hand side of the page, or email me at chicamia84@msn.com.
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