WOW!!!

I know so many of you have been praying about the grant we were being considered for. We had been told we would hear from them on or before July 26. Well that was today... I checked our email this afternoon to find that we had been awarded a grant!!! Gift of Adoption will be awarding our adoption fund $5,000!!! WOW!!! God is so very faithful. Thank you for praying and for checking on us.
Many of you have asked how much that still leaves us. That grant and a few other donations and such put us at just under our original "goal" of $44,000. When we began this journey we estimated as best we could what our total would be. However, so much of our final cost depend on how much flights will cost and escort fees. We will not know either of those numbers until right at the end. We also have incurred some unexpected expense. When we accepted our referrals for our 2 children we made a payment that moved them to a foster care home. This meant they would recieve regular meals and loving care. The payment was enough for 6 months of foster care. We have passed that 6 month mark. So now each month we are responsible for foster care payments. So that is adding to our cost. As you will notice we raised the "goal" on our thermometer to our new "best guess."
We are getting so close to having our children home and to having all our funds. It is so hard to believe how much God has provided for our adoption in the last 15 months. What a FAITH walk!!!
Please continue to pray for us and thanks for following our journey!

Thankful, awed and humbled

If you read our last post you were able to see how God really worked last week to provide funds for our adoption account. He used a blog contest, friends' donations and Froyoz yogurt to provide right around $1,500 for us. We were so pleased and excited!
Yesterday I was thinking and saying how God had blessed us so last week and if we continued with weeks like that... well we would have all our funds soon. Today I go out to the mailbox and find junk mail and such, but there is also an envelope hand addressed to us. I open it and there is a sweet note to tell us that the check enclosed is to "help bring our babies home." I flip the check over. I was instantly overcome with emotion. The check was for $2,500!! It was from a very precious couple who have literally known me all my life! They have always been encouraging and supportive of us and our ministry.
As I came into the house, crying Karis asked me what was wrong- I tried to explain that my tears were happy ones. She just looked at me like that was crazy. I could not even begin to try to explain to her all that was going through my mind. God had not only "continued with weeks like last week", but He has gone above and beyond last week! He is so very, very good. I have spent the day feeling thankful, awed and humbled. Thankful for this precious couple and their amazing blessing. Awed by God's continued provision. Humbled by the thought that my God is so big and He gives me so much more than I deserve!
We are getting so close to our goal. It is hard to believe that God has provided over$38,000 in just over a year! He called us to adopt there two precious children and He is providing!!
Please be in prayer for God to continue to "give us weeks like this." As I mentioned in our last post there is a grant that could be a huge blessing for us that will be meeting in the next couple of weeks.
Please also pray for our two precious ones. Pray for their health and protection and that they will be home very soon!!

More funds!

The beginning of this week was great for our adoption fund! And apparently God had even more in store. Several weeks ago we had placed 2 entries in a Blog Contest that our agency was having. We received an email today to say that we were 1 of the 3 winners! The "prize" was a grant for $500... So our fund has been really blessed! Isn't God good?
Please continue to pray for our chidren and that they will be home soon. Also please pray for a grant that we hope to hear from this month.

Froyoz and funds

It has been a great few days related to our funds thermometer!!! As most of you know this past Saturday evening, Froyoz hosted a fundraiser for our family. Froyoz donated 15% of receipts of anyone who mentioned our adoption fund. They also allowed us to set up a table for several hours with a jar to collect money. God blessed us with a total of $333.33!!! Thank you so much for all who came out to support us. It was so much fun to fellowship with everyone and enjoy yummy frozen yogurt!!
To top that off, yesterday we received a check from some precious friends with a note saying the money was to "help bring our babies home" !!! So in three days God added $833.33 to our adoption fund!! WOW!!
Dave also has been mowing our neighbor's yard and we are putting that in our fund. So between the last few days and the mowing our thermometer jumped up a good bit.
God continues to be so faithful on this journey. It is so amazing to see how God is working. We are currently awaiting news from a grant or 2. One of which we expect to meet about us between now and July 26. We ask that you please to continue to pray for God's provision. The time is getting closer to us having our children home in our arms. We are guessing that if all goes well at our embassy appointment, then they could be home in September!!!!
Thank you again for following us on this journey!!

Oops!

Oops!! I thought I had updated everyone on where we are currently in our process. But I have had several people ask... and it dawned on me- I had not updated our blog. So sorry!!
We now know a bit more of our timeline to have our kiddos home. Our embassy appointment is in the beginning of August. Assuming all goes well at that appointment, then soon after visas will be issued and travel will happen!!!! I would love to think we would have our precious ones home in September!! Please be in prayer that all goes well and for patience for this mommy. This wait is so tough!!