An Update

It's been awhile since we've updated. Not much has been happening on our end. We have spent the last few months updating our home study, fingerprints, and FDL which has expired. But it is done and hopefully won't have to do it again. We also received some updates from our agency about the process and why it seems to have slowed down. It was a lot of information but basically they are required to do more investigation on the children (per Ethiopia government) before they can refer them to families. All of that takes time, time, and more time. Although we are still seeing children being referred and brought home. So that is good news. We also got new numbers. Here you go...

Girl

Boy

Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for us. We are getting close!

It takes a village...

You may have heard this phrase before..."It takes a village to raise a family". Well I truly believe that. I read a blog post that put into words what I've been thinking, feeling, and anticipating for months. If you have any desire to know how to love us during this time of "waiting" and how to love us after the "wait" please read this...Jen Hatmaker

I would love to hear your thoughts as well.

December numbers

There hasn't been much movement in the numbers lately. So we were excited to see this movement. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We are praying that 2012 is the year we bring home our baby!

GIRL #

BOY #

New Numbers...Finally

Not much movement this month...

Girl #

Boy #

Yard Sales and God

Sometimes (like right now) it is so hard to put human words to God actions. But, I am going to give it a shot.

Today we put on a yard sale to raise funds towards our adoption. The decision to do the yard sale came about a month ago after taking a long break from doing any fund raising. We experienced a couple of really amazing things in the process that can only be attributed to God.

1) We were loved well by people. Several families and individuals donated items for us to sell. We had all kinds of things from clothes to tools to baked goods. Some of our baked goods were shipped to us from Alabama and Boston! We had other people come to our house and help Shelley organize and price everything. The night before the yard sale someone brought us dinner. We had college students and a co-worker show up at our house at 6:30 am (while on their fall break) to help (Thank you Tyler, Brenna, Kaitlyn, and Jeremy!). One of our favorite families, the Hyatts, drove up from Charleston to spend the night and work the yard sale (Thank you Peter, Tanya, Hannah, Lauren and Stone). They are such great servants of Jesus.

Just being loved in all those ways is very humbling.

2) God provided through the yard sale in very unexpected ways. About 2 weeks ago a friend of ours walked up to our house and said, "We don't have anything to donate but wanted to give you this for the yard sale". It was an envelope with $400 in it! BLOWN AWAY! Three days ago a letter came in the mail with this sentence in it, "I don't have anything to donate but figure you would take money". In it was a check for $2500! Yep...$2500! BLOWN AWAY AGAIN! (This is also is being loved by people....)

So before the yard sale even got here the yard sale had made $2900. If you are wondering, that is not normal for yard sales.

Then today another $785 came in from selling stuff. So, not being very good at math, I am pretty sure that adds up to $3685.

We also still have a $400-$500 worth of stuff that is for sale on-line.

That is crazy and something only God could do. He keeps amazing us. He keeps reminding us that He is so good and completely for this adoption. We know we don't deserve any of this.

So to everyone who had anything to do with this yard sale, we can't even begin to thank you.

Amazing.

YARD SALE on October 15

We are having a yard sale to raise money towards our adoption on October 15th.

Our next major expense will be the referral fee. That will be when we get a referral for a child. That amount is $4950. We still need $1200 to reach that amount. Then, the next expense will be travel to Ethiopia twice. The cost for 2 trips/4 plane tickets will be at least $6000.

We are asking people to donate anything you want to get rid of. We will take anything! :) We can pick it up or you can deliver it. Just let us know. You can email me at shelleybean12@hotmail.com.

So, please look through your stuff to see if you can give. And, pass the word around! Ask your family, friends, and neighbors!

We will also be having a bake sale at the yard sale. If you can bake something for us to sell please let me know that as well.

Thanks in advance for helping us bring home our child from Ethiopia.

Getting closer...

We have new numbers. We were surprised on the movement this month. It feels so close yet so far away...

GIRL

BOY