In our last update, we posted a thermometer showing that we’d received about $1,400 toward our goal. We're super grateful for every donation and the support we received from our first fundraiser. But to be honest, I was feeling discouraged that this process would take much longer than we’d hoped (I may be a bit impatient). We were at 3% of our goal and the remaining 97% seemed almost impossible…but GOD!
This past Sunday, Paul and I were surprised and blessed by our church family at Harvest Chapel. The church donated $10,000 toward our adoption!!! We were completely shocked (we still are, actually) and extremely humbled to receive this gift. Our pastors encouraged the congregation, if they felt led, to donate toward our journey. From our church family we received an additional $6,000 bringing the total to $16,000!!!
We still don’t have the words to effectively express what this means to us. To say we’re grateful for the love and support is really an understatement. We’re now close to halfway to our goal which doesn’t feel impossible to reach now! Now we need about $22,000-25,000 to meet our goal!
___________________________________________________________________________
In other adoption news, last week we completed one of our required classes about open adoption. For those who don’t know what open adoption is, it means that once we have adopted our baby, we will maintain some form of contact with the birth family. The level of openness will be determined before baby is placed with us, but it could become more or less open as the years go by.
Along those lines, when we were in our class last week, we got to hear a birth mother’s story, got to ask questions and interact with her. Her story was so, so inspiring. She provided us, as adoptive parents, so much really helpful information. In telling her story, she shared that she didn’t have the support from her family when choosing adoption for her child. But through open adoption, has found support from her child’s adoptive family.
This is our goal. Our prayer is that we will matched with a family that we can show them the love of Jesus. That idea has been something that the Father placed on my heart early on in our adoption journey. We so desperately want to love on this family and show them that they are loved, not just by our family, but the Father, too.
___________________________________________________________________________
We just want to say another big thank you to everyone for their support in every way. Please continue to pray for our family, our baby and our baby's biological family! We love you all!
