Fundraising

International adoption is crazy expensive!  We are dependent on God to provide the funds needed to bring Abigail (and possibly Ella!) home.  He has called us to do this, and we are confident He will provide the means to do so.

We have a few fundraisers going towards that end.  The Puzzle Fundraiser made its debut a week ago.  We are putting the puzzle together as the pieces are sponsored.  We were excited this evening to see the Great Wall of China starting to show in our puzzle.  Take a look!

Another fundraiser that we have been involved with is selling candy bars and chips at our local home school co-op lunch time.

And today we launched our T-shirt Fundraiser with Adoption Bug.  My two  favorite designs are seen below:

If you'd like to contribute to bringing Abigail home, want to show your support for orphans, or hey, would just like a new T-shirt this fall, we invite you to see these as well as a few others in our little T-shirt store found at http://www.adoptionbug.com/adoptingabigail/

Most of all, we continue to need your prayers.  Big decisions are being made next week about our little girls!  We truly want God's will to be done concerning them.

Agency is working on it!

Our home study is in review at our placement agency.  They have received our additional documents for Ella, and the committee is scheduled to meet next week to consider our request to adopt two.  Stay tuned!

More paperwork - this time Ella's

We received a draft of our home study last night.  Aside from a few typos, it is finished.  A draft also went to our placement agency so they could request additional clarification, if needed, before the document is notarized, certified and hard copies mailed.

Today I need to begin some additional paperwork, this time for Ella.  True, her files won't be released for another 30 days, but our placement agency has to have a committee meeting to decide if they will allow us to even pursue her once her file is released.  In order to do that they have to look at our home study, her medical files, and some other documents that they have requested of us.  The "other documents" are what I get to work on today.  Everything needs to be in place by this time next month if we will be allowed to "lock" her file.

Please pray today that I would have clarity of thought as I work on these papers. Some of the questions are difficult to answer.  Thanks!

Update on Ella - again

Third update today, that is a record.  This is another prayer request.  If you have followed my blog you know that there were two little girls that STUCK with us.  We have been told for two months that there is no way Ella's file can/will be transferred to our agency.  We have continued to pray that Ella's family finds her. 

Today I received word from agency X that if they aren't able to find her a home by October 6, her file will go back on the shared list.  This would make her file available to any agency to "lock in."

Our agency hasn't been very supportive about placing two unrelated children at the same time.  However, they have done it in the past, and it is allowed by Chinese authorities if one child is "Special Focus."  Our home study recommends the placement of two special needs children, and our social worker was very supportive of the idea.

I'm especially grateful that I'm not the one in charge of the whole scheme of things.  We didn't really start out intending to LOOK for two children, nor did we particularly set out to look for one that is a preschooler.  I have questioned for two months why this little girl will not leave my head and my heart. 

October 6 is only a month away.  Will you pray with us for God's will in this?  If God means for US to be Ella's family, we will rejoice!  If God sends her another family, we will rejoice with her for that.  But, Ella needs a family.  Please pray with us that her wait ends soon.

Iowa is IN!

I've heard that God answers prayer before we even know what to ask... Yeah, I think that may have happened today.  Just got word from our caseworker that Iowa clearance is HERE.  I don't have a clue how it was managed, it sounded like it would be the end of the week at the earliest, but we are good to go!  So thankful!  Thank you to all of our friends who have been praying!

Please pray!

Our home study report is written up and ready to go (triggering the sending of other important documents) EXCEPT for clearance from Iowa - where Ethan went to college. We really need for this clearance to arrive so they can fill in the date and get this thing out to the people who need it. We'd appreciate your prayers!

Our intentional God

I found a reminder in my devotional this morning:

Our God is an intentional God, brimming over with purpose, infusing meaning into everything around us. He has sprinkled earth with calling cards of His presence and purpose...   Taken from Pearls of Great Price.  Copyright © 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada

This causes me to ponder again, "What about Ella?"  (see my posts from late June/early July).  Her photos are still on our refrigerator reminding me several times each day to pray that her family finds her.  Our home study recommends the placement of two special needs children, and we would gladly and joyfully welcome her home along with Abigail Dawn.  Thus far the agency to which she is assigned says they cannot transfer her file to our agency.

I don't know what God's purpose is in causing "Ella" to stick in our heads and in our hearts.  All I know is she is a little girl who needs a family.  Please pray for Ella as you think of her this week.