While I have been feeling a little discouraged lately, there have been many things the Lord has used to build me up.
This journey is tough, I'll be honest...I am quite ready for this adoption journey to be over, and just get our boy HOME!!
Juggling maintaining a household, home-schooling, and regular life, PLUS adoption paperwork, planning fundraisers, and dealing with the many other things that pop up in day to day life, has been tough lately.
But I see the light at the end of the tunnel...we are so close!
We have a goal of about $10,000 more to raise...
We can do this!
I don't often talk about the money, for one it can be a very stressful part of the journey, but also we have been doing our best to scrimp and save, and raise funds through many different fundraisers, praying we make it.
God has been good to us!
For cost breakdown, and expense list/estimate you can go to the TAB at the top of the blog, about costs in adoption.
On to the blessings...
I have a dear friend who lives in Australia, we met when we were in school. I was in primary she was in high school. But we are about 4 years or so apart I think. I remember those days like they were yesterday, a couple of my friends and I decided to pick "big sisters" that we would each have, we we could write notes to them, give them gifts etc. I remember at times being upset that someone else had a certain "big sister" and deciding that I could write them a note anyway, and also not getting upset if someone else gave something to "my" sister.
Fast forward to now...turns out my "big sister" had her first child...a few years ago, around the same time I had my first child...the difference, her daughter was born with Down Syndrome. At the time we wern't in touch, but after a few years we found each other on fb and were able to catch up a little.
In 2010, when I had Ava, she was the first person I thought of. I was able to talk with her, and open up about everything that was going on. It was great to have that special bond of our daughters...I guess God knew what He was doing all those years ago pairing us up. :)
Needless to say, this dear friend of mine found out about our adoption, and wanted to do something to help. She shared with many friends about what we are doing, and since in Australia, they cannot adopt a child with special needs internationally, they felt they could do something by helping us.
She set a goal of $5,000. To raise for us. Little did she know, with all the craziness of the adoption ban, us switching countries etc. That amount is about half our goal now! AMAZING!! A lot of people might make a goal of an amount to raise, or set an expectation, that you might think, they may not reach. But knowing her, her friends, the DS community there in my "hometown" I have no doubts!
She told me herself, she will work til the goal is raised. What a HUGE blessing! TO help lift that burden of finances off this momma's shoulders, it's a beautiful thing.
I am praying that the big movie fundraiser they are throwing Down Under, is a hit, and that many are able to hear about the plight of orphans and not only help us, but the many other families in need, and children needing families!
Another sweet friend of ours, contacted me saying she was starting a Valentine Candy Fundraiser for us...didn't ask, didn't worry about the details just DID IT!! What a blessing! I didn't have to worry or stress about any of it, just share it with friends. Plus...who doesn't like chocolate!
Another blessing...I have been excited for a while now to attend a birthday celebration for some dear friends children. You see, their two kiddos, were born in another country, a country where children with Down Syndrome are not accepted, where they are left in orphanages, with no family to love them. These families came in and rescued these children and called them their own. One Family I have known for a long time...long before I was married, or had children, or knew much about Down Syndrome, the other I met because of our DS connection. Both families have blessed us so much, just being part of their lives. Seeing their children come home last year was a HUGE highlight for me. I couldn't wait to celebrate with them.
I received the official invite in the mail. It's adorable, I was "oohing and ahhing" over it, when I saw "see back" so I turned it over, and there was my boy. (Now' I'm crying again, just remembering) They had written a little bit on the back about how helping him come home to his family is what their kiddos would love for their birthday, and how they would love people to make donations to our adoption on behalf of their birthdays. Be still my heart! We are SO blessed to have friends like this! I cannot tell you enough how my heart grew receiving that invite.
Just the other night another friend posted on Facebook about how they made brownies and were selling them to raise some funds for us, because they had seen the birthday invite too. The Ripple Effect... I love it!
It looks like God has it all laid out, we are praying with our efforts and the blessing of friends efforts and sharing our story our goal will be met. Then we can focus on getting our boy home.
To all of those who have helped us along the way so far, we THANK YOU! To the dear friends who have made these efforts recently, we THANK YOU! Many people are seeing this, and not only moved to donate, or help us, but will see the truth of what is happening to these dear children, I cannot wait to see this ripple continue outward....
We are planing a big IMAX fundraiser for Early April, so stay tuned for that. It's gonna be a blast!
Thank you Lord...for blessing us in this journey, there have been many hard times, but in the midst of it all...you BLESS us!! Thank you!
Keep Looking Up!
This journey is tough, I'll be honest...I am quite ready for this adoption journey to be over, and just get our boy HOME!!
Juggling maintaining a household, home-schooling, and regular life, PLUS adoption paperwork, planning fundraisers, and dealing with the many other things that pop up in day to day life, has been tough lately.
But I see the light at the end of the tunnel...we are so close!
We have a goal of about $10,000 more to raise...
We can do this!
I don't often talk about the money, for one it can be a very stressful part of the journey, but also we have been doing our best to scrimp and save, and raise funds through many different fundraisers, praying we make it.
God has been good to us!
For cost breakdown, and expense list/estimate you can go to the TAB at the top of the blog, about costs in adoption.
On to the blessings...
I have a dear friend who lives in Australia, we met when we were in school. I was in primary she was in high school. But we are about 4 years or so apart I think. I remember those days like they were yesterday, a couple of my friends and I decided to pick "big sisters" that we would each have, we we could write notes to them, give them gifts etc. I remember at times being upset that someone else had a certain "big sister" and deciding that I could write them a note anyway, and also not getting upset if someone else gave something to "my" sister.
Fast forward to now...turns out my "big sister" had her first child...a few years ago, around the same time I had my first child...the difference, her daughter was born with Down Syndrome. At the time we wern't in touch, but after a few years we found each other on fb and were able to catch up a little.
In 2010, when I had Ava, she was the first person I thought of. I was able to talk with her, and open up about everything that was going on. It was great to have that special bond of our daughters...I guess God knew what He was doing all those years ago pairing us up. :)
Needless to say, this dear friend of mine found out about our adoption, and wanted to do something to help. She shared with many friends about what we are doing, and since in Australia, they cannot adopt a child with special needs internationally, they felt they could do something by helping us.
She set a goal of $5,000. To raise for us. Little did she know, with all the craziness of the adoption ban, us switching countries etc. That amount is about half our goal now! AMAZING!! A lot of people might make a goal of an amount to raise, or set an expectation, that you might think, they may not reach. But knowing her, her friends, the DS community there in my "hometown" I have no doubts!
She told me herself, she will work til the goal is raised. What a HUGE blessing! TO help lift that burden of finances off this momma's shoulders, it's a beautiful thing.
I am praying that the big movie fundraiser they are throwing Down Under, is a hit, and that many are able to hear about the plight of orphans and not only help us, but the many other families in need, and children needing families!
Another sweet friend of ours, contacted me saying she was starting a Valentine Candy Fundraiser for us...didn't ask, didn't worry about the details just DID IT!! What a blessing! I didn't have to worry or stress about any of it, just share it with friends. Plus...who doesn't like chocolate!
Another blessing...I have been excited for a while now to attend a birthday celebration for some dear friends children. You see, their two kiddos, were born in another country, a country where children with Down Syndrome are not accepted, where they are left in orphanages, with no family to love them. These families came in and rescued these children and called them their own. One Family I have known for a long time...long before I was married, or had children, or knew much about Down Syndrome, the other I met because of our DS connection. Both families have blessed us so much, just being part of their lives. Seeing their children come home last year was a HUGE highlight for me. I couldn't wait to celebrate with them.
I received the official invite in the mail. It's adorable, I was "oohing and ahhing" over it, when I saw "see back" so I turned it over, and there was my boy. (Now' I'm crying again, just remembering) They had written a little bit on the back about how helping him come home to his family is what their kiddos would love for their birthday, and how they would love people to make donations to our adoption on behalf of their birthdays. Be still my heart! We are SO blessed to have friends like this! I cannot tell you enough how my heart grew receiving that invite.
Just the other night another friend posted on Facebook about how they made brownies and were selling them to raise some funds for us, because they had seen the birthday invite too. The Ripple Effect... I love it!
It looks like God has it all laid out, we are praying with our efforts and the blessing of friends efforts and sharing our story our goal will be met. Then we can focus on getting our boy home.
To all of those who have helped us along the way so far, we THANK YOU! To the dear friends who have made these efforts recently, we THANK YOU! Many people are seeing this, and not only moved to donate, or help us, but will see the truth of what is happening to these dear children, I cannot wait to see this ripple continue outward....
We are planing a big IMAX fundraiser for Early April, so stay tuned for that. It's gonna be a blast!
Thank you Lord...for blessing us in this journey, there have been many hard times, but in the midst of it all...you BLESS us!! Thank you!
Keep Looking Up!
