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!!

Interesting

I have been looking around at other families who are adopting from the same country that we are. It is so wonderful to hear of others opening their homes. While looking I found the following-

Did you know?

34% of Christain Families consider adoption

ONLY 1% actually do it

There are 163+ Million Orphans in the World who desperately need a Forever Family...

If ONLY 7% of Christian families would adopt...there would be NO MORE ORPHANS!

I600 approval

I am so sorry for not updating sooner. I have been out of town and away from regular computer access.
This last week was a big week for our adoption! We received our I600 approval!! Now, if you are like my dad you will want to know what in the world is that. I sometimes forget that even though I have learned all the adoption lingo- not everyone has:) This approval is from US Immigration. It is the last BIG hurdle here in the states. So it is a very big deal in the adoption world. We had been told this could take up to 75 days to receive. Ours took 20! God is sooo good!!
We also received 3 new pictures of our munchkins last week. They are looking so much happier and more well nourished. In one of the pictures they were even playing with the toys that we sent in their care packages!
I am sure you are now wondering- What is next? When will these kiddos finally be home? Well that is a loaded question. We have made huge progress, but there is still a bit more to go. Our approval will be sent to the US Embassy in Africa. They will then set our embassy appointment, which could be 4-5 weeks out. After that appointment then several more weeks for exit approvals. Then... travel!!!
So, we still have quite a bit more to go. BUT- we are getting so close. We hope to know more about our timeline in the next few weeks.
We ask that you pray. Pray for everything to process smoothly and quickly. Pray also for finances. We will very soon be in need of our final monies. We don't know exactly how much we lack. It depends on a few fees and flight cost. But we estimate that we still need about $10,000. God has provided in huge and amazing ways. We know that He will continue!
Thanks for following our journey. We hope to have more to update soon.

Yard Sale Update

It has been a long, very warm day... but it has also been a blessed day for our Adoption Fund!! God blessed us with many things to sell and many customers to buy. At the end of the day we have added a little more than $1,000 to our fund!!! God is so good!!!!
Thank you so very much to all who donated items for us to sell. We had a little bit of everything. Thank you also to those of you who helped price and load. And a special thanks to the early risers who helped us set up and sell!! We are so grateful.
We also were blessed with a few individuals who have donated to our fund over the last few weeks. It is so exciting to see our fundraising thermometer going up!!
We are truly thankful to have so many people who are helping us bring our children home!!
Please continue to pray for us. Pray for our paperwork to process quickly. Pray for God's provision. Pray also for a new grant that we applied for last week.
Thank you for following our journey!