We have really been praying about what do regarding the remaining funds we anticipate needing for our adoption. We have had yard sales, dinners, sold calendars, done restaurant fundraisers. We have also applied for every grant that we could find. There have been individuals prompted by God's still small voice who have donated. Through all of this God had blessed us with $44,000. However, we are still expecting to have a need of somewhere between $5-7,000 to complete our adoption. The amount is hugely dependant on how much longer our kiddos are in foster care, final fees and flights.
Our prayer had been to really seek what our next step should be. We know that God will provide, but what should we do as part of that. Should we plan more fundraisers, have a yard sale or... just wait and trust? Well last week we deposited $700 that came for two individuals who love and support us and from the selling of 2 items that had been donated to us. We have continued to pray and seek Him. Tonight I opened an email from a couple who has been so very encouraging and supportive of us through this journey. The email was so kind and edifying and also humbling. This couple had been blessed with a financial gift. And because of their love for us and their hearts for adoption they are going to be using their gift to send us $2,000 for our adoption!!! So now, our total so far is $46,700!
God is at work in this adoption!! He is moving and leading. He is growing the faith of our family. We are grateful He has called us to this.
Praise Him for what He has done and continues to do. And then please continue to pray for our approval and visas to happen quickly.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Embassy Update
Thank you so very much to all of you who prayed for our Embassy appointment this morning. And thanks to all those who have check in to see how things went. Everything went well. I had hoped for an "approval" today, but apparently I had misunderstood and they will not approve us until they investigate. The goal of the investigation is to make sure that the whole adoption in legitimate and that our children truly are orphans. Our agency has told us that the investigation and issuing of visas can take 2-8 weeks. I know that is a big span. However, once that is complete then it is just a matter of Exit approvals and travel!!!
Please pray for God to continue to work in all of this. Pray for HIS timing and HIS will. We really want everything to happen on the shorter end of the timeline. But we know that God is in control and He knows what is best for us and our children. Please also continue to pray for finances. We will owe our final payment soon.
Oh and I almost forgot...we received new pictures of the kiddos today. They are precious!! It was so good to see their sweet faces.
Please pray for God to continue to work in all of this. Pray for HIS timing and HIS will. We really want everything to happen on the shorter end of the timeline. But we know that God is in control and He knows what is best for us and our children. Please also continue to pray for finances. We will owe our final payment soon.
Oh and I almost forgot...we received new pictures of the kiddos today. They are precious!! It was so good to see their sweet faces.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Please pray
We would like to ask everyone to be in prayer for our Embassy Appointment that takes place Monday morning (August 8) at 6am our time. Our children will be appearing at the US Embassy in Africa. This appointment is HUGE in our adoption process. Please pray that all goes well and that we are APPROVED. An immediate approval will move things forward in our process of bringing our children home!!
We will update once we hear something... we are just not sure when we will hear.
We will update once we hear something... we are just not sure when we will hear.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
For those of you who know me (Carrie) you know that I am kind of quirky/OCD about things. I like things even, straight and balanced...that includes pictures, furniture, checkbooks. I know... I am weird. I know you are probably wondering why I am telling you this.
Well, tonight I logged in to my email and found we had a donation through our blog. It was from my precious sister and her family. The thing that caught my attention about the donation was the amount- $66. I wondered why in the world such a number. So I then logged on to our blog to check our thermometer. Guess how much we lacked at being at $44,000?? That is right- $66!!!! Not only is this great for my crazy, weirdness, but it is great because $44,000 is the goal we originally had for what we expected our total adoption cost to be. (Our last post explains why we had to change that goal a bit).
The truly amazing thing when you think about our thermometer is that early last year when God called us to this journey, we wondered how we would "afford" to adopt 1 child. And then God led us a step further to adopt not 1, but 2- thus increasing the funds needed. It is so very amazing to see where we are financially- and ALL of it we give GOD the glory for!! I have read time and again that "God funds what He favors."
Thank you so much to all of you who have been used by God to help us come this far. I have said it before and I will say it again- I cannot WAIT to see how He finishes this up!! Thank you Jehovah Jireh- The Lord Will Provide!!!
Well, tonight I logged in to my email and found we had a donation through our blog. It was from my precious sister and her family. The thing that caught my attention about the donation was the amount- $66. I wondered why in the world such a number. So I then logged on to our blog to check our thermometer. Guess how much we lacked at being at $44,000?? That is right- $66!!!! Not only is this great for my crazy, weirdness, but it is great because $44,000 is the goal we originally had for what we expected our total adoption cost to be. (Our last post explains why we had to change that goal a bit).
The truly amazing thing when you think about our thermometer is that early last year when God called us to this journey, we wondered how we would "afford" to adopt 1 child. And then God led us a step further to adopt not 1, but 2- thus increasing the funds needed. It is so very amazing to see where we are financially- and ALL of it we give GOD the glory for!! I have read time and again that "God funds what He favors."
Thank you so much to all of you who have been used by God to help us come this far. I have said it before and I will say it again- I cannot WAIT to see how He finishes this up!! Thank you Jehovah Jireh- The Lord Will Provide!!!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
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!
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!
Monday, July 11, 2011
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!!
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!!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
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.
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.
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