Full Circle

We get asked quite frequently how our adoption process is going.  I don't mind being asked at all; we've been fairly public about our decision to adopt, and we've also received a heck of a lot of support, both verbally and financially, that we feel a sense of obligation to keep inquiring minds in the loop.

However, since our name went on the list back in November, we haven't had much to report.  Well, until last week, kind of.  We spoke with our caseworker and Stuart asked some pointed questions about information I had read, about wait times, about our adoption in general.  And yes, the question even came up about switching countries...again.  Needless to say, we hung up the phone dismayed.  We're in an odd situation where we don't qualify for many countries because we're not 30, or because we have 3 children already, or because we don't have a Hague-approved home study.  The last is the easiest to fix but requires a bit of money and more time.

To say I felt confused is an understatement.  I like knowing what to expect, I enjoy planning, and I definitely like feeling prepared, and I can't do any of that right now.  Stuart and I have been doing a lot of praying and talking about what direction to take, but going in circles.  So two nights ago I laid in my bed and demanded to hear from God (yes, I do that occasionally), and I formulated a blog post in my head.  I fully intended on getting on my computer yesterday morning and writing this lousy update, because it was about as good of an update as I could pull off.  And for the most part, it's still a lousy update.

Except it's not.  Read on....

I pulled out my computer yesterday morning and did what I always do - checked my email first.  One of the emails was a notification from Paypal.  I quickly asked myself "what was I selling on ebay??" and "ugh, I don't want to have to pack it up."  I hate selling things on ebay for the sole reason that I have to pack it up and address it.  That's such a hassle for me.  I wish I could just drop the dang thing in the mail box, am I right?  Anyhow, the email from Paypal included a name I was very familiar with, because two years ago almost to the day I found her blog and we started a friendship.  Please read about it here.  Things still weren't clicking in my head, so I opened it up and read this note:

"Jessie! While we were waiting to adopt from Russia, some dear friends of ours who didn't have much money wrote us a check for $2000. They told us a story of how another couple had given them $2000 when they were adopting years earlier. The couple told them, "Don't ever pay us back. This is a gift, not a loan. But someday when you have $2000 again, please pass it forward to someone else who can use it." Our adoption has fallen apart and our decision is to proceed locally with foster care. So the money left in our adoption account, which includes the $2000, isn't all needed to move forward with our new plans. [My husband] and I have been wanting to bless you and Stuart somehow, and now we know how! I stumbled upon your blog again this morning and saw that your remaining balance to have the $27,000 is $2,280. So there you go, my friend. Fundraising complete. Now go focus on your precious family and we will be with you in prayer that God is working diligently on your hearts as well as that of your future child to ensure a lifelong bond between all of you.  : ) Love to you guys!"

I joked that this was quite a return on my measly investment into their adoption two years ago.  But what gets me is how it came full circle.  After they spent a week praying and waiting on God, God prompted me to reach out to them.  And after Stuart and I spent a week praying and demanding God speak to us (hey, it's the truth), God was gracious, very gracious to us by prompting them to reach out to us.

What a humbling position to be in.

 jessie

Scentsy Fundraiser Update!

Right before Christmas, my friend of twenty-four years (is that even possible?) and Scentsy consultant, Angie, hosted a Scentsy fundraiser for our adoption.  She was in town last week and handed me the check:  $220!!!!

Just had to share that bit of good news with you.  =)

Tick-tock...

Here is our new number.  

It seems like a decent number, by itself.  26.  But in reality, it means a potentially long wait.  When we switched to Uganda, we researched agencies before picking one because our main criteria was doing things ethically.  But doing things ethically can also mean more waiting.  So now's the time where we sit back and pray for our future child and try not to get too anxious.  =)

Big financial news!

Adoptions cost money.  Lots of money.  I know plenty of people are of the opinion that if you can't pay for your adoption yourself, you shouldn't adopt.  We don't agree with that thought, but at the same time we have avoided putting our hand out and just asking for money.  Because we have the time and resources, we have done things like yard sales, fundraising dinners and silent auctions, bracelets, etc.  We have saved lots of our own money and prayed and worked for business growth.  Nevertheless, many friends and family have hugely blessed us with donations "just because."  We have received checks in the mail from friends and total strangers and from family members for Christmas.  My friend's daughter even saved her change ($10.72 worth of change) to help with our airfare!  We have been abundantly blessed and have always, always had enough money in our adoption fund to write the checks necessary.  So for those gifts and support (via yard sale donations and supporting our other fundraisers) we are hugely grateful!  Which gets me to the big financial news.

I received a phone call this morning from Lifesong for Orphans.  They are a fantastic organization that assists adopting families with fundraising support, by providing a tax-deductible account, matching grants, fundraising ideas and support, etc.  We applied for a "fundraising support packet" which provides the tax-exemption for anyone who contributes to our adoption.  We applied a couple months ago and have finally been approved!  But this is only the first of our big financial news.

Secondly, my husband received two new routes for his business.  This is not only an answer to 3 years of prayers; two routes at the same time is a complete MIRACLE!  I have not heard of this happening before (a contractor getting two routes at the same time), but it did, and it happened to my husband!  Though this is a huge help in the big scheme of things, it came with financial requirements of its own and won't mean anything to us personally for awhile yet.  But adding children to your home also adds financial obligations, so by the time we're home with our child(ren) it should give us a little boost.

And the third bit of news.

[deep breath]

[okay, another deeeeeep breath]

We've just been given $10,000.

I'm not even sure I understand the magnitude of that gift, other than I can't even believe it.  Nobody just gives away $10,000.  Except in my dreams.  Okay, and once in a story Dave Ramsey shared about a family working their way out of debt.  They ran into a couple from their church and got to talking about life and Dave Ramsey and paying off the rest of their debt (about $10k).  The couple from church asked them what they were going to do when they got out of debt and the husband and wife said they promised their kids a trampoline, but ultimately wanted to adopt. That couple sent a trampoline to their house, then called and asked to stop by and talk to them about something.  Afraid it was a multi-level marketing scheme, they tried to put it off.  Finally they agreed to meet, and that couple stopped by and handed them a $10,000 check to get them out of debt and allow them to adopt.

So excuse me, it doesn't just happen in my dreams.  It happens in crazy-absurd-must-use-as-an-illustration Dave Ramsey stories.  And apparently now to us.

$10,000.  $10k.  Breeeeeathe.

That puts us a measly $2,500 away from our tentative target goal* which is such a feasible number for Stuart and I!  I can't thank you all enough for your encouragement, prayers and generosity!

*If we get matched with two children, our goal will go up by several thousand dollars, but we'll cross that bridge if/when it comes.