Monday, September 19, 2011
No news
A little over a week ago, we got words that our visas were "almost done." So last week I checked our email countless times, but we heard nothing. Today I checked in with our agency and were told no visas yet. We ask that you be in prayer for all these final details. We hope to have more to update soon!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Almost done
Could it be that we are almost done- that we are close to have our 2 kiddos home? Maybe so.
Friday I had the opportunity to chat with our agency. My plan was to discuss plans for our travel to meet our children. Do we take Micah, Jackson and Karis? What time do flights typically arrive in Chicago? How do other families do it? Well, you get the picture.
I asked all my list of questions and was processing the information, when our adoption agent says- by the way, the embassy says your visas are almost done. Great! I am thinking that means if we get them this week then maybe the children will be home in 4 or 5 weeks. WRONG!!! She goes on to tell me that once we have visas, travel could be very quick... like a couple of weeks. I immediately begin to panic(of course I try not to show my panic.)
I begin to panic because I AM A PLANNER!! In case you don't already know that about me and have not picked it up through our blog post- I like to plan. I need to plan. This quicker timeline was not part of MY plan. I still have so many things that we need to take care of and even more that I want to take care of.
Please do not get me wrong. I am super excited. We are so close to having these precious children home in our arms. We are so close to being done with paperwork and fundraising and all that goes with the journey to adoption. However, there is a tiny part of me that feels a bit overwhelmed. For so long this end of this journey has seemed far away and now we could be almost to the end.
We will keep you updated on our time line. But we especially ask now that you pray.
We ask that you pray-
-For God's perfect timing (not Carrie's)
-For our children here and across the globe as they prepare for this huge transition
-For me as I take all this in and as I try to take care of things and prepare for these munchkins. Pray that I will trust in my God and that I will not feel overwhelmed.
-For Dave, that I will not drive him crazy and also for him as he continues to lead our household and church.
-For finances. We hope to have a good idea of this week about how much we still need to complete this adoption. We think we are close, but the flight cost are still a big unknown.
We will update as soon as we hear something. Thank you for following our journey!
Friday I had the opportunity to chat with our agency. My plan was to discuss plans for our travel to meet our children. Do we take Micah, Jackson and Karis? What time do flights typically arrive in Chicago? How do other families do it? Well, you get the picture.
I asked all my list of questions and was processing the information, when our adoption agent says- by the way, the embassy says your visas are almost done. Great! I am thinking that means if we get them this week then maybe the children will be home in 4 or 5 weeks. WRONG!!! She goes on to tell me that once we have visas, travel could be very quick... like a couple of weeks. I immediately begin to panic(of course I try not to show my panic.)
I begin to panic because I AM A PLANNER!! In case you don't already know that about me and have not picked it up through our blog post- I like to plan. I need to plan. This quicker timeline was not part of MY plan. I still have so many things that we need to take care of and even more that I want to take care of.
Please do not get me wrong. I am super excited. We are so close to having these precious children home in our arms. We are so close to being done with paperwork and fundraising and all that goes with the journey to adoption. However, there is a tiny part of me that feels a bit overwhelmed. For so long this end of this journey has seemed far away and now we could be almost to the end.
We will keep you updated on our time line. But we especially ask now that you pray.
We ask that you pray-
-For God's perfect timing (not Carrie's)
-For our children here and across the globe as they prepare for this huge transition
-For me as I take all this in and as I try to take care of things and prepare for these munchkins. Pray that I will trust in my God and that I will not feel overwhelmed.
-For Dave, that I will not drive him crazy and also for him as he continues to lead our household and church.
-For finances. We hope to have a good idea of this week about how much we still need to complete this adoption. We think we are close, but the flight cost are still a big unknown.
We will update as soon as we hear something. Thank you for following our journey!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Our God is so big
We wanted to share a quick update of how God is continuing to work. We have received two more gifts toward our adoption. They were both totally unexpected, but each came from couples in our lives. One couple who have known forever, the other we have only know a short time. The common bond between the two couples is their desire to be used by God to help bring two orphans home. As a result of these two couples we have added $1,500 to our fund. That thermometer just keeps getting redder!!
If you have ever considered adoption but thought you could not afford it...then you are much like we were. We began this journey with nothing much to put toward it. However, our God is so big! So we began this leap of faith and have seen His blessings poured out!!R
If you have ever considered adoption but thought you could not afford it...then you are much like we were. We began this journey with nothing much to put toward it. However, our God is so big! So we began this leap of faith and have seen His blessings poured out!!R
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Unexpected
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.
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.
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!!!
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