I have been meaning to give an update on our adoption process, but have been quite busy with wedding inquiries (which is a huge blessing- many people getting engaged this time of year!). All I can say about it is WOW.

WOW #1: I am now, officially, a crier. I have cried more than I have in my whole life. When I hear a story, a song (most recently this one- isn't our God good?!?), or see a t-shirt order come in. I have been constantly reminded that God is doing this.

We have been extremely blessed and completely overwhelmed (in the best way) at the amount of support we have received by friends, family, and even strangers. To be honest, though- it has been an inner battle for me to accept all of these gifts without pride. The other day my Dad texted me this scripture:

                  "...don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed." Matt. 10:10

I had shared with him how I struggled to accept all of these very generous gifts without my pride taking control and screaming, "No thanks, we've got this covered!". I wanted people to know that we are willing to work our tails off to make this happen- but even still- the truth is- we don't have this covered. We need help. And it's humbling to watch help happen. 

WOW #2: People. Most recently, help has happened through people- from all sorts of backgrounds, influences, and means. In those moments where I am discouraged by the long wait I know we will have to endure, I get to hear some incredible stories and God reminds me that He is making our wait WORTH IT.

One day, a total stranger came into the store because she'd heard we were selling bracelets to raise money for our adoption. She told us that she and her husband had decided to start the adoption process, but never completed it because of different circumstances. Then, one day, she received a call from a friend who said she knew a woman who'd just given birth and did not want the baby. Did they want the baby? Oh yes. And the next day they were adopting. 

Another day I received a message from a friend we'd met many years ago at college. She has been a great encouragement to Shawn and I in the past few years as we have pioneered our own businesses, being a successful business owner herself. She asked if we were doing any fundraising, and about 20 minutes after responding to her, we received a $1,500.00 donation. Needless to say, we had another crying-shocked-thank-you-Lord moment.

When we ordered our first batch of Love Africa tshirts, the bill was $450.00. The same day we received a donation for- you guessed it- $450.00.

My friend Alex called me one day to say he wanted to work his tail off for us- and offer up 5 photo sessions at a special rate. All 5 were booked THAT DAY- and it will add another $1000.00 to our fund.

We have received other generous gifts from people we've never even met, just wanting to help out- or people who have adopted themselves. We have already had to make a second order of tshirts, and we are also getting some toddler sizes this time!

WOW #3: The wait and the mountain. As I said before, I almost hesitate to answer the question "so when will you get the baby?". I still hate vocalizing that the current wait is 24-30 months AFTER we submit all our paperwork (which takes 6 months in and of itself). Will we grow tired and weary? Will people forget about us?

But in His way, God is showing me that every second of wait is one that He planned, and I need. Already, he has set a fire in our hearts to give as we have been generously given to. We have met so many people. Our faith has been strengthened.

Right now, we are staring down a $10,000.00 mountain. That is around the amount we will need to do a home study, and finish the dossier (paperwork). As of today we have about $4,000.00 of it. In total, we have raised a little over $7,000.00- some of which has gone to help us make our initial agency payment, and get required physicals other documents. We fully understand the feeling of blessing as we have been able to just write a check for those things. Because we are committed to doing life debt-free, we plan to wait until we have the funds for the next step before we proceed. 

So that is where we are at right now. If you are one of those very kind people who have prayed for us, bought a bracelet or tshirt, or donated your time or money- THANK YOU. You have been a true reminder that God is faithful. 

And because no blog post is complete without a photo, here are a few pictures of the things that we have been selling!

You can buy them at Culture Clothing (1717 Broadway, Lubbock, TX) or online at:

And, you can keep up with the adoption at our ADOPTION PAGE. We now have a link to where you can make a tax-deductible donation directly through our agency.

UPDATE:

Whoa, literally minutes after posting this, I come across this blog from Give 1 Save 1 Africa: God's Will For Your Wait. So exactly what I needed to hear!