This week has been incredibly overwhelming...in so many different ways.
We have been overwhelmed with how quickly things have been happening. We will attend an informational meeting next month and then we plan submit our formal application with Bethany Christian Services. We originally thought we would not be able to submit this application until August 2015. Our timeline suddenly moved up by 7 months. I told a friend recently that I was not mentally prepared for this timeline to shift so drastically. So it has been overwhelming yet incredibly exciting for our timeline to change this way.
We have been overwhelmed with the many people who have already stepped up to support us. We have mailed envelopes to five different states. A handful of our envelopes have already been returned moving us toward our first goal. We have also had people share in conversation, prayer, and ideas. We are so excited to watch our village grow!
And finally today, I was overwhelmed by Christmas. I was out after work picking up a few things for my husband. I almost began crying in Walmart surrounded by hurried Christmas shoppers looking for the best deals. Christmas has been different this year. I feel as though I've already received such an amazing gift with the hope of our adoption moving forward. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the thought of celebrating Christmas with our children...sharing the story of our Savior's birth, Christmas morning excitement, sharing in gifts, and spending time with family as a family.
As we prepare to celebrate a child in a manger, part of my heart is with two children on the other side of the world.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Envelopes on my dining room floor
We've been approved! Our preliminary application for Ethiopia was approved and we are beyond excited. Some pieces of this process seem incredibly overwhelming but in the past I have found that God delights in doing the impossible.
Because of this there are 150 envelopes on our dining room floor.
Some of you are wondering what this could possibly have to do with adoption, Ethiopia, or bringing our children home. So allow me to explain. Each of the envelopes has a number for 1-150. We are asking you to partner with us by choosing an envelope. You then place the corresponding amount of money in the envelope. For example envelope 7=$7. You can get an envelope by contacting me or Tyler, commenting here on the blog, or leaving a comment on facebook.
If all of the envelopes are returned it would cover all of our agency expenses and one third of our total fees. So again we invite you to be a part of our village. Help us take the next step in bringing our children home.
Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they are not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes. -David Platt
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Now what?
I have been sitting here for at least 30 minutes trying to decide what exactly to write here. In the end I've decided to just be open and honest.
Yesterday afternoon after sharing coffee with a dear friend, I decided to stop at Bethany Christian Services local office. Tyler and I have been pretty sure we want to use Bethany for our adoption, however I had a few things I needed clarified first. What better way to do that than just stop in, right? (This is one of the things I love about Bethany having an office right here in Knoxville!)
I came into the office, waited a few minutes and then was able to sit down with the international adoption specialist. She was warm and friendly and ready to answer my questions.
So here is what I learned:
1. We can start most of the process and paperwork now! Woohoo...this means less time between right now and when our children will be here with us!
2. We need to fundraise immediately (more details coming soon on our first major plan)
3. We may need to make some changes to our plan.
In reference to number 3 - God laid Ethiopia on our hearts a while ago. It has sort of been the plan since Tyler and I first confirmed that this was the path we would go. We had also felt that we did not want children any older than 7 solely because so much can happen developmentally before that point. However, due to referrals coming out of Ethiopia, Bethany is not accepting new families to adopt from Ethiopia unless they are willing to adopt over the age of 7.
This initial statement rocked my world. Now what? What about this plan we had? So our options are to choose a different country or extend our age range. So I'm asking you to pray. Let it be abundantly clear what our path should be. Also pray as we prepare to take our next steps - formal application, homestudy, and fundraising! We are excited about this journey and excited to have you continue to partner with us.
Spirit lead me where your trust is without borders...
Yesterday afternoon after sharing coffee with a dear friend, I decided to stop at Bethany Christian Services local office. Tyler and I have been pretty sure we want to use Bethany for our adoption, however I had a few things I needed clarified first. What better way to do that than just stop in, right? (This is one of the things I love about Bethany having an office right here in Knoxville!)
I came into the office, waited a few minutes and then was able to sit down with the international adoption specialist. She was warm and friendly and ready to answer my questions.
So here is what I learned:
1. We can start most of the process and paperwork now! Woohoo...this means less time between right now and when our children will be here with us!
2. We need to fundraise immediately (more details coming soon on our first major plan)
3. We may need to make some changes to our plan.
In reference to number 3 - God laid Ethiopia on our hearts a while ago. It has sort of been the plan since Tyler and I first confirmed that this was the path we would go. We had also felt that we did not want children any older than 7 solely because so much can happen developmentally before that point. However, due to referrals coming out of Ethiopia, Bethany is not accepting new families to adopt from Ethiopia unless they are willing to adopt over the age of 7.
This initial statement rocked my world. Now what? What about this plan we had? So our options are to choose a different country or extend our age range. So I'm asking you to pray. Let it be abundantly clear what our path should be. Also pray as we prepare to take our next steps - formal application, homestudy, and fundraising! We are excited about this journey and excited to have you continue to partner with us.
Spirit lead me where your trust is without borders...
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Big Scary Numbers
30,000. That is a big, scary number. It gets even bigger and scarier when you put a dollar sign in front of it. $30,000. Satan tries to scare me with this number a lot. He tries to convince me that it can't be done. He tries to tell me its not worth it. But today I'm convinced there are a lot bigger and scarier numbers.
There are approximately 143 million orphans worldwide.
Ethiopia accounts for 5 million of those orphans (5,000,000!).
That is more than any other individual country.
In Ethiopia 1 in 10 children die before their first birthday.
1 in 6 die before their fifth birthday.
Over 15% of orphans are orphaned because of HIV/AIDS.
47% of the population lives below the poverty rate.
There are lots of big, scary numbers, but every day I am reminded I serve a big, awesome God. He walks with me. He has gone before me. I am not alone. And neither are my children. God has called us to this for a reason. He will not leave us. He will not forsake us. While $30,000 is a big, scary number for us, it is only a drop in the bucket for God. He will provide.
There are approximately 143 million orphans worldwide.
Ethiopia accounts for 5 million of those orphans (5,000,000!).
That is more than any other individual country.
In Ethiopia 1 in 10 children die before their first birthday.
1 in 6 die before their fifth birthday.
Over 15% of orphans are orphaned because of HIV/AIDS.
47% of the population lives below the poverty rate.
There are lots of big, scary numbers, but every day I am reminded I serve a big, awesome God. He walks with me. He has gone before me. I am not alone. And neither are my children. God has called us to this for a reason. He will not leave us. He will not forsake us. While $30,000 is a big, scary number for us, it is only a drop in the bucket for God. He will provide.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Thankfulness: Our Journey and Our Village
It is the beginning of November, traditionally a season of thankfulness. It seemed like a perfect time to talk about our journey and our village. However, if you are new to our story let's get you caught up.
As a teenager I was exposed to adoption in my church and my youth group. I was also exposed to the stories of children all over the world. This started a spark inside me. At that time I had no idea how it would grow. However, it is clear now that this was all part of God's plan. He started to build our village.
I met Tyler in 2011, just a few weeks after graduating college while we were both working at Sonic. There was always a chemistry between us, but neither of us said anything. I accepted a job in Ohio in early 2012 and soon moved. When back in Tennessee on vacation almost a year later, Tyler revealed his feelings for me and soon after we began dating. By this point I knew I was being called to adopt so we discussed this very early in our relationship. God continued to write our story as we agreed that we would begin growing our family through adoption. We got married in August 2014 and we are excited about the growth of our family.
We plan to adopt. We are very interested in adopting from Ethiopia. We also think we will probably pursue this through Bethany Christian Services. So that is the beginning of our journey.
Now more about our village. They say that it takes a village to raise a child. Our children are on the other side of the world and I am already finding this to be true. Starting with their birth family, then who is raising them now whether that be another family member or an orphanage. I continually pray for this group. They are beginning to shape who my children will be. I am glad God has chosen them and thankful for all they continue to do.
Then there are the people who will be a part of the process. The staff at the adoption agency. The people in country who handle paperwork. The person who will do our homestudy. They are part of our village. They are essential in bringing our children home.
Our family and friends...you make up a large part of our village. You stand beside us and support us. I'm sure I will call more than one of you in tears during various parts of our journey. I also know you will share in our joys and be a part of our children's lives for years to come.
There is also another continually growing group of people who are part of our village. These are the people in our lives who have adopted, are in the process of adopting, or desire to adopt in the future. These people understand the journey on a different level. All of our stories are unique but they all intertwine. These are the ones we will turn to for the tips and tricks. They are the a continual encouragement and a reminder that we are not alone.
And finally, there is you. We are inviting you to be a part of our village. This will look different for each person. Some of you will pray for us (and our children and the rest of our village). Some of you will support us financially. Some of you will support us emotionally. Some of you will support us in ways we didn't even know we would need or want. Is God calling you to be a part of our village? We would love to share more with you about God is doing in our lives.
As a teenager I was exposed to adoption in my church and my youth group. I was also exposed to the stories of children all over the world. This started a spark inside me. At that time I had no idea how it would grow. However, it is clear now that this was all part of God's plan. He started to build our village.
I met Tyler in 2011, just a few weeks after graduating college while we were both working at Sonic. There was always a chemistry between us, but neither of us said anything. I accepted a job in Ohio in early 2012 and soon moved. When back in Tennessee on vacation almost a year later, Tyler revealed his feelings for me and soon after we began dating. By this point I knew I was being called to adopt so we discussed this very early in our relationship. God continued to write our story as we agreed that we would begin growing our family through adoption. We got married in August 2014 and we are excited about the growth of our family.
We plan to adopt. We are very interested in adopting from Ethiopia. We also think we will probably pursue this through Bethany Christian Services. So that is the beginning of our journey.
Now more about our village. They say that it takes a village to raise a child. Our children are on the other side of the world and I am already finding this to be true. Starting with their birth family, then who is raising them now whether that be another family member or an orphanage. I continually pray for this group. They are beginning to shape who my children will be. I am glad God has chosen them and thankful for all they continue to do.
Then there are the people who will be a part of the process. The staff at the adoption agency. The people in country who handle paperwork. The person who will do our homestudy. They are part of our village. They are essential in bringing our children home.
Our family and friends...you make up a large part of our village. You stand beside us and support us. I'm sure I will call more than one of you in tears during various parts of our journey. I also know you will share in our joys and be a part of our children's lives for years to come.
There is also another continually growing group of people who are part of our village. These are the people in our lives who have adopted, are in the process of adopting, or desire to adopt in the future. These people understand the journey on a different level. All of our stories are unique but they all intertwine. These are the ones we will turn to for the tips and tricks. They are the a continual encouragement and a reminder that we are not alone.
And finally, there is you. We are inviting you to be a part of our village. This will look different for each person. Some of you will pray for us (and our children and the rest of our village). Some of you will support us financially. Some of you will support us emotionally. Some of you will support us in ways we didn't even know we would need or want. Is God calling you to be a part of our village? We would love to share more with you about God is doing in our lives.
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