How we feel about raising funds for our adoption

As we get ready to send out our adoption fundraiser invitations, I feel like it's important to share what is behind it.  Maybe just to get it off my chest, but maybe when you receive the invite, you will come to this site with questions and I hope I can answer them here.  If I don't- will you promise to ask?  I know that I have received pleas for donations before and thought to myself, "what the heck?".  If you think that- do us both a favor and go ahead and ask.  We want you to.  Honestly.  Truly.  From the bottom of our hearts.  We value our relationship enough with you that we won't be offended and we care more about you then we care about our pride.  

When we started the adoption process, we sat down and looked at how much it would cost vs. how much we earn at our jobs vs. how much we spend on monthly expenses vs. how much time the adoption would take to complete  (i.e. we made a budget).  Based on all of this information, we figured we would probably be able to afford the expenses on our own.  This was a huge relief to us, because we are both proud and hard working and asking for money is not in either of our strengths or desires.   We have spent the last six months or so working hard, setting aside big chunks of money, and not spending as much as we would like to in order to have money for the expenses of our adoption.  (Want to know about the expenses of adoption?  Check out this post.)  

Present day: We have learned that based on what we are asking the agency for (two children under five, preferably siblings, no gender preference) we are first in line.  FIRST!  There are no other people who want this combination of kids.  None.  That means that the second we submit our dossier, we will be the first to get a match.  And it also means our process will be faster than we anticipated and our wait for a match will be 0-3 months.  (Probably more like 0-3 minutes based on what we know right now!) Once we get a match and accept a referral, we will need approximately $13K for the agency.  We will also immediately begin paying 'orphan support' which is $200/per month, per child.  This is a lot of money and we don't have it.  So why not wait until we can earn it ourselves?  Good question and one we have both asked ourselves.  Here is the answer: we can't.  Our children, the ones God preordained for us to parent, are waiting for us.  And we want to begin parenting them as soon as possible.  So when we get a match and a referral for our children, we want to be able to bring them home as soon as possible.  And we believe that the Lord wants this for us and for our kids.  So- we are swallowing our pride and asking the body of Christ to participate with us.  Because if God wants this for us, then He will move on the hearts of His kids to do something about it.  

I was talking to a friend about how we don't want to ask people for money or support.  Her reply, "You are giving them an opportunity to partner with you and God in this amazing process you are undertaking.  Don't rob people of what God will call them to." OK.  So think of this fundraiser as a) our act of obedience and humility and b) our unwillingness to rob YOU of what God will call you to.  

We were reminded of this in church yesterday, which goes along with us giving you the opportunity to do God called you to.   Ephesians 2:8-10

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Here is what all this means: if God calls you to give- GIVE.  If He doesn't: DON'T!  You are accountable to Him.  And we are not going to be here checking names off a list and wondering why so and so didn't send a check.  I promise.  That is not for us to judge and we won't!

In conclusion: we didn't want to ask you all for money or support.  We have been working hard on our own to pay for this ourselves.  But, just like most things that are hard- we can't do it alone and we are inviting you to participate however God calls you to.  Please don't imagine that prayer or a kind word don't count as support- they do and we will take all of those we can get right now.  

To those of you who have given financially without us asking: wow.  God used your obedience as a clear sign to us that we were smack dab in the center of His will.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  You are an inspiration to us with your generosity and grace!  

P.S. We are SUPER excited about our fundraiser- it is going to be an awesome party!  And no matter if you come with or without a check- COME!  It will be a true celebration of what God has done, is doing and will do.  Please come and support us just by being there!