In speaking with others who have been in my shoes, the decision to adopt is NOT for the faint of heart. It is instead, a series of hurry up and waits interspersed with roller coaster ups and downs, and mixed with a few stomach butterflies. The end is well worth it, but the effort to get there is an amazing feat filled with trials and tribulations, and haunted dreams that this will never end. I take heart in knowing that people have gone before me into this journey, but even they have trouble defining what is normal, as all of them seem to take different turns to get to the end result: bringing home a child.
The initial submission of documents to the US Department of State will cost $800. The second payment will go out for a home study, which will be good for 18 months, and will cost somewhere in the range of $2500-$4000.
Currently, I am filling out grant applications, and determining fundraisers available in the next month or so. There are a lot of options, but only so much time to get them done. Our church has announced that as Free Methodists, there is no fundraising. This means that cannot sit in the foyer of the church and make people aware of our cause, nor can we just put on a spaghetti dinner in the gym without renting the hall-to the tune of $200. This gives me the opportunity to put something together that will allow God to flex His muscles. In the meantime, I have to set aside money to buy hamburg, ground pork, rice, cabbage, and potatoes to make golabke dinner for our first fundraiser. I have found a hall for about $150, and just have to set a date, assemble a work team and try to get everyone I know to sell tickets for us.
Say a prayer for us!
John 6:1-14
6 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother,spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks,and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Thank you and God bless you!
