Since our last fundraiser we have been keeping very busy. We have completed one more step in our adoption process. We submitted our paperwork to the USCIS (United States Citizens and Immigration Services) department. We had to complete our home study prior to sending this application. Now, we wait to hear from them so that we can get an appointment to get fingerprinted (again.) This is an incredibly important step though, as this is the paperwork that will give the baby citizenship when we bring him/her home. This is a lengthy process and will likely take a couple of months.
In addition to this, we have started applying for grants to help us pay for the adoption. We won't get any confirmation on grants for a few months as well.
Our garage sale fundraiser is coming up quick (August 28th) and we have been busy collecting donations.
Two days ago we decided to go camping. Our church has reserved about 40 spots at beautiful Lake Tahoe. We were lucky enough to be able to snag one of the last spots and we are leaving in 2 days. So we are quickly trying to get our three kids ready to go camping. We love going to Tahoe as it is something that we have been doing every year for almost our entire lives. It is such an amazing and beautiful place. God's beauty is everywhere.
Here are some ways to pray for us....
1. Pray that we all do well camping, especially our sweet little Capri who is only a year. When we had Geneva camping at a year I almost packed us up at 2 am and drove home it was so miserable.
2. Pray that we can complete our grant applications and that God will continue to provide for us financially.
3. Pray that our USCIS application, and fingerprinting will go quickly so that we can move on to the next step.
4. Pray that God will help us to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, and use this adoption as a way for us to bring glory to Him.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Fundraising Success!
Well, our first fundraiser is done! What a HUGE success! God totally blew us away. We went into this fundraiser hoping to raise a little bit of money, but mostly to feel encouraged and supported by our family and friends. Well, we accomplished both. We raised a lot of money, $912 dollars, to be exact! But, even more encouraging was the love and support we got today! What a blessing that was. We were even encouraged by strangers who didn't even know us, but just wanted to support us. God is so Awesome! We truly feel like this is a journey that we are not traveling alone. We feel like you are walking this with us, to help us bring our baby home! So thank you to everyone who came down today, even in 100 degree heat, and showed your support! We are truly grateful!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Upcoming Fundraising event!
Come on down to the Farm! This Saturday July 17th from 12:00-5:00 we are having a fundraising event to raise money to help us bring our child home. We will be selling fresh picked squash, zucchini and apricots. We also will have homemade jam, Christmas ornaments, and baked goodies to buy as well.
At the end of August we will be having a garage sale to help raise funds for our adoption as well. If you have any items you would like to donate, we would be happy to take those off of your hands.
Thanks for your support!
At the end of August we will be having a garage sale to help raise funds for our adoption as well. If you have any items you would like to donate, we would be happy to take those off of your hands.
Thanks for your support!
Monday, July 5, 2010
I am weird
Tonight I lie in bed wide awake, unable to sleep with thoughts and prayers circling through my head. I can't concentrate to pray and so Lord, my prayer goes out.
THANK YOU Lord for the blessings that you have provided for me in my life. You have poured blessing after blessing on me. Thank you for my wife, for her unwavering love and for the wonderful mother that she is. Thank you for entrusting me with Your three girls to raise as they constantly bring a smile to my face. Looking back a few years, who knew what you had in store for me. Thank you for my job and a shelter over our heads. Thank you for giving us a little land to care for. Thank you for a supportive and loving family. Thank you Lord for allowing Heather and I to follow your lead with this adoption. Thank you for stretching me and growing me in ways that I never knew. Thank you for expanding my world view. Thank you for drawing me closer to You.
FORGIVE ME Lord for keeping my eyes closed for so long. Forgive me for being selfish for so long. Forgive me for not wanting to see the world for the way that it is. Forgive me for expecting others to change the same way that You change me. Forgive me for not spending money wisely in the past.
Lord, you are a BIG God with much bigger plans than I can grasp. 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia alone!!!! I know that right now you are calling us to adopt a baby. What about the rest? I was asked the question today, "why are you adopting? Isn't that expensive?" Lord, help me find a good answer to this question that allows me to focus on You and spread Your kingdom message. Right now, people just think that we are weird. We are the weird christians that do not have a TV anymore, and try to be as "green" as possible. We are the weird ones that adopt from overseas. We are the weird ones that grow a bunch of our own food and hang dry our laundry. We are the weird ones that think that homeschooling might be a good option for us. We are the weird ones that have not seen a new movie in years.
I accept being the "weird" one Lord if I am given that label for living for kingdom principles. You were "weird" Lord. You were not about trying to fit in, but you were about the widows, the orphans and the poor. You were about building your kingdom.
Speak through Heather and I Lord. Speak through our actions and speak through our mouths. Give us the right words to say when people ask why we do what we do. Lord to You be the glory. Let us be an instrument for you.
HELP me Lord to focus on You. Help me to cast my cares upon you. Help me to spread your Word. Help me to remember that You work in every believer in different ways. Help me not to judge others. Help me to be your hands and your feet.
James 1:27 says this. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Help me Lord from being polluted any more by the world and to consider others above myself.
I know that You are caring for our child in Ethiopia. I know that You are going to help us find ways to finance this adoption as we have no idea how we can do it on our own. I know that You don't expect perfection from us, but a heart that strives to be more like Yours. I know that you are working in our lives and ask that you continue to work in us. I ask that you continue to use us for Your glory. And when asked, that we will have the courage to continue to follow, even if that makes us weirder.
Lord, I love you, use me.
Amen
Now I can sleep. (after a midnight cake snack)
Adam
THANK YOU Lord for the blessings that you have provided for me in my life. You have poured blessing after blessing on me. Thank you for my wife, for her unwavering love and for the wonderful mother that she is. Thank you for entrusting me with Your three girls to raise as they constantly bring a smile to my face. Looking back a few years, who knew what you had in store for me. Thank you for my job and a shelter over our heads. Thank you for giving us a little land to care for. Thank you for a supportive and loving family. Thank you Lord for allowing Heather and I to follow your lead with this adoption. Thank you for stretching me and growing me in ways that I never knew. Thank you for expanding my world view. Thank you for drawing me closer to You.
FORGIVE ME Lord for keeping my eyes closed for so long. Forgive me for being selfish for so long. Forgive me for not wanting to see the world for the way that it is. Forgive me for expecting others to change the same way that You change me. Forgive me for not spending money wisely in the past.
Lord, you are a BIG God with much bigger plans than I can grasp. 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia alone!!!! I know that right now you are calling us to adopt a baby. What about the rest? I was asked the question today, "why are you adopting? Isn't that expensive?" Lord, help me find a good answer to this question that allows me to focus on You and spread Your kingdom message. Right now, people just think that we are weird. We are the weird christians that do not have a TV anymore, and try to be as "green" as possible. We are the weird ones that adopt from overseas. We are the weird ones that grow a bunch of our own food and hang dry our laundry. We are the weird ones that think that homeschooling might be a good option for us. We are the weird ones that have not seen a new movie in years.
I accept being the "weird" one Lord if I am given that label for living for kingdom principles. You were "weird" Lord. You were not about trying to fit in, but you were about the widows, the orphans and the poor. You were about building your kingdom.
Speak through Heather and I Lord. Speak through our actions and speak through our mouths. Give us the right words to say when people ask why we do what we do. Lord to You be the glory. Let us be an instrument for you.
HELP me Lord to focus on You. Help me to cast my cares upon you. Help me to spread your Word. Help me to remember that You work in every believer in different ways. Help me not to judge others. Help me to be your hands and your feet.
James 1:27 says this. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Help me Lord from being polluted any more by the world and to consider others above myself.
I know that You are caring for our child in Ethiopia. I know that You are going to help us find ways to finance this adoption as we have no idea how we can do it on our own. I know that You don't expect perfection from us, but a heart that strives to be more like Yours. I know that you are working in our lives and ask that you continue to work in us. I ask that you continue to use us for Your glory. And when asked, that we will have the courage to continue to follow, even if that makes us weirder.
Lord, I love you, use me.
Amen
Now I can sleep. (after a midnight cake snack)
Adam
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