Hello everyone! I have some great news about Ethiopian adoption. Things are really really picking up over there. This past year has brought a steady stream of "referrals" (children getting matched with families)!! We have felt God's voice telling us to "wait" and stay in this process even through the slow down (or stoppage) that started before we were even considered a waiting family. We knew we could be looking at a 3-5 year wait, and we were preparing our hearts for that since we weren't expecting that going into the process at all! Well, the past few months has really been encouraging as we've seen more and more children getting matched with families, and our number on the wait list has continued to drop swiftly.
Most recently, last week, we found out that our adoption agency is anticipating that everyone currently on the waiting list will be matched with a child within the next year!! Since we are not at the bottom of the list that could be significantly sooner for us! When I found this out, I've been a bit giddy ever since! We had the mindset that we would be waiting a few more years, and to find out that it will be WAY less time than that freaked me out but made me really excited as well!
However, in all of this freaking out excitement the reality side of my brain kicked in and I realized we have not raised all of the funds we will need to accept a child and travel to Ethiopia (twice) within the next year!! (oh my goodness panic attack!) However, we do have several on going and one upcoming fundraiser I'd love to remind you all about.
First off, we have an adopttogether account (there is a link to our page on the right side of the blog). This is way people can give a tax deductible donation to us to help bring our daughter home. Any amount big or small helps!
Another ongoing fundraiser is our Amazon referral program. (Again the link to it is on the right of the blog). As I said in the previous paragraph, EVERYTHING helps! With people's consistent remembering to use our link, we have earned about $40 each month since we started doing it! at first it didn't seem like much but over the past 2 years, it's really added up, and we put that money directly into our adoption account. This is a program that really picks up this time of year too and goes strong through the Christmas season! So we will probably be reminding people about it more over the next few months.
We also have the sheet fundraiser, where we sell very soft and very comfortable sheets for $35 any size with a variety of colors to choose from. We have done well with that and have done 2 orders since we started it in June. We are looking forward to do an order or two more before Chirstmas (Remember they'd make GREAT Christmas or wedding presents for people)! If you'd like to order or have more questions about this opportunity please contact either Ryan or myself and we can answer any questions you have.
Lastly, my mom and I have decided to do a craft fair in her area in November. We both have a few different items we are working on and trying to build up our supply to sell. All of the proceeds of that endeavor will go directly to bringing Sister home (Thanks mom for the idea and the help!) If you are a crafty person and would like to donate items for us to sell that would mean the world to us! Please contact either myself or my mom if you have any questions about this endeavor as well!
Again, I am so excited to see God's faithfulness in Ethiopian adoptions! It has been so amazing in this season to get to witness children getting matched, families going to meet their kids, and finally getting to bring them home (a few families traveled just last week to bring their kids home). I am also so excited and nervous to know that we could be matched with Sister in just a few short weeks or months! Please Please Please remember us in your prayers! Thank you friends and family for all of your love and support through this process!
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