This past week we made a big decision. After talking to other families from our agency, and lots of contemplation amongst ourselves, we are feeling the beautiful pull to take our kiddos alongside us to Ethiopia to meet baby girl, the sister they've waited so long for now! It never dawned on us before to do such a thing. Never once did it even pass through our minds, I believe because of cost, because over the past 21 months of being in this process, all we have seen is dollar sign after dollar sign. Literally, we have. But, we are beginning to overlook the dollar signs and really put it all into perspective (thank you, Lord!). The cost is really the only negative to bringing them with us because the experience completely outweighs that cost a thousand times over. They would experience the culture with us, meet baby girl with us, see where she lives and how she has lived for the past year with us, not to mention the bonding experience it would be for our family throughout the entire process. I just can’t see anything negative about it. We feel this push is one from God above, as He’s laid this path out for us and continues to with little big things such as this. Just watching it all played out so perfectly is amazing in itself. Another thing not expected, but a beautiful one indeed.
But, yes, this will be very pricey, adding in potentially $2,000 per ticket….gulp. It’s a lot. But we are holding onto the faith we have that with you, we can make this happen. As we have seen throughout the process thus far, every single penny adds up. The $9 our niece raised for us, that was a LOT in our eyes. It truly made our hearts so full that she did that for us. Just as last week at our Noonday fundraiser, one of Maia’s little friends used HER hard-working money to buy a bracelet so that her purchase would go towards bringing her dear friend’s baby sister home. There’s nothing more powerful than these gifts, even in tiny steps. It’s all giving and it’s all graciously received and it all impacts our adoption greatly, most importantly, baby girl herself.
The kids decided to do a fundraiser which they will have a huge part in! I’ll do the updates with messages and keep track of funding, but they are the ones in charge of this otherwise! We are calling it,
A “Piece of the Puzzle” Fundraiser!!
With this we have purchased a 500-piece puzzle of the world:
Here's the details:
* every piece symbolizes someone helping bring baby girl home
* each piece is $10 minimum (please)
* one name/person per piece
* each name will be written on the back of the puzzle piece
* as we receive names, the kids will write the names on the back and start constructing the puzzle (we will post updates with pictures as it's constructed!)
* once completed, the puzzle will be placed between two pieces of glass and hung in the girls’ room. One day we will go through every single piece with baby girl and explain to her how each name is that of a loving person who was a part of her story helping bring her home with her forever family.
Will you help Noah, Maia and Finn bring home their sister?
You can do this many different ways. You can add a donation through our GoFundMe page, you can write us a check or you can give cash. (We will keep tally by adding it to the GoFundMe page and there you can see the progress being made.)
They would love to add each of your family members’ names to the puzzle! Will you be a a part?
Adopting any child is a walk into the unknown which we know we can only walk by faith. We trust through it all that we can't do this in any other way than with Him. Prayer can move mountains. Continue to pray for our journey, please.
"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." Ephesians 1:5-6
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