Choice to Fundraise for Adoption

Since we began our journey for our second adoption it occurred to us that there were many many people out there that do not agree with fundraising to extend a family....I thought I should finally address this thought......

To start, it wasn't an easy decision and in fact there was a time very early in the process that we were going to walk away from the process, the worries and most importantly the child. We painfully did make the decision as husband and wife together without input from anyone else. The decision caused a hurt that was just unexplainable. We realized that this decision wasn't one that could be made without the input from anyone else. We realized that we needed input from the greatest source ever known to us, our Lord (if you look back to a post that simple asked for prayers). We got down on our knees that night (as I call it, the old fashion way) at our bed holding hands and we prayed out loud. We asked for PEACE, peace in whatever God had in store with us whether it be to pull out of the adoption or move forward knowing we would have to humble ourselves and ask for help. I don't think I ever felt more refreshed any other morning in my life. I was truly at peace and I knew Eric had the same thought. We looked at each other the next day and said "That's our son". We were back and in full swing.

Still knowing that some people didn't agree with fundraising for a family, we knew that this boy needed a family. We weren't asking for money to go on some fancy vacation or buy fancy clothes but we were asking for money to give an ORPHAN a home (it's amazing what other things people do fundraising for or donate to).We don't splurge but cut mounds of coupons (like most middle income families) and only buy what's on sale with a coupon. There are millions of orphans in this world and many many of them will NEVER have a family unless people like us step out of their comfort zone and ask for help. Many adoption prayers are answered through donations, purchases and even more prayers! There aren't too many families our there that have $30,000 sitting in a bank account and wake up one day and say "Hey, I'm going to use that money to give a child a home (and hey, who cares if that child is special needs and is considered an outcast by some cultures)". There are so many references in the Bible that encourage you to support the orphans, the fatherless, the poor, the helpless...God provides Miracles, both big and small, for those who do as he asks, for those who take in an orphaned child, both big and small!

Fundraising isn't easy. It is humbling. It makes you look at the world differently somehow. You realize that you have too much of all this other stuff when all you really want is to provide a home for a homeless child...a kid for crying out loud! You want a family like everyone else. So sometimes it may seem easy to ask for donations with a smile and other times it's extra hard. Sometimes fundraising families see a large donation here or there, but mostly they are small ones that add up and up and up. They all matter, both big and small (many people don't even realize that something, anything is better than nothing). We try to find products that people might like  to purchase so they get a little "something" extra for giving a little something as some people like that. We try to find people to help us with events. We have mounds of grant applications we are working on. We just keep trying and trying.....a people can ignore the tries if they choose to. They don't have to give a dime (or a damn) or they can choose to share (or care). That is their decision just like it was our decision to bring a second adoption into our home.  We questioned the resources for funds the first time as well, but it worked beautifully and without fundraising. So this one is going to require more work and more hands but it will give one more child a home and isn't that all that matters.....

Prayer for the day: Thank you Lord God for the many blessings you have bestowed upon our family. Thank you for the plan you have for us, we trust in you with all our hearts. Please bless all of those who read our story. Please help open the hearts of many as they hear the cry of orphans around the world. In God's name, Amen.

For Him......
(I stole that from a kind gentle man at Olive tree who reminded me that many times we make it about so many other things when it all points right to Him)