In the middle of December, I was doing our finances and feeling a bit down as I looked at the balance in our adoption bank account. I knew our next payment would be coming up in January, and we just didn't have it...yet. I felt a little doubt creeping in. What if we didn't have the money when it came due? Would we have to put the adoption on hold? Worry was ready and waiting to consume my thoughts. But praise the Lord for the Spirit's sweet assurance, who called to mind the countless times that God has provided for our family. Josh and I have been through this before...the numbers just not working. We went through almost two years of making two house payments on one income. I'm a CPA, and I can tell you - the numbers were impossible. Impossible, ha! Luke 1:37 reminds us, "For nothing will be impossible with God." The truth of this verse is so real to me. God has proved it in my life time and time again. So, I told that doubt where it could go. ;)
That afternoon when I opened the mail, I found a check that I was not expecting this month. And wouldn't you know, it put us over what we needed to make our next payment! There was an error in our home escrow estimate, so we got a very large refund and an escrow payment for the coming year that is almost $100 less than we've been paying! I danced my little jig up the driveway, and I just shook my head - blown away again at how He perfectly provides for us. But you know how God is - just when you think He's blessed you, He just keeps pouring His grace out. A dear sweet neighbor of ours was moving that week, and I filled her in on our adoption. She asked if we would like some donations for our next garage sale fundraiser. And by "some" donations, I mean a TON of furniture, tools, etc. She just kept saying how thrilled she was that her garage sale hadn't gone so well, because it was God's plan for her to pass these things on to us. Again, blown away.
Just before Christmas, we started collecting used books to sell online for fundraising purposes. Our church family from Ohio was a tremendous blessing in their donations!! I am still getting them all listed online, and I'll be listing more as we receive them. If you have any books to donate, let me know! If you are interested in checking out our online bookstore, click here. Please pass it along to any of your friends and family that may be interested. We've priced everything very competitively - going for quantity here!
$30,000 is a pretty "impossible" number for our one-income family, but we have been able to pay for every cost that has arisen - just in time. God truly provides where He guides! Our brothers and sisters in Christ have been abundantly generous - we have felt bathed in prayer, received over $800 worth of goods donated for our first garage sale (and lots more since that we are storing for our next sale), 10 boxes of books donated and over $700 from cash donations and Just Love coffee sales. A huge THANK YOU to all of you who have supported us along the way! We have enough to make our next payment now, but we will still have about $18,000 in remaining costs to come up with. We can start applying for adoption grants once our home study is complete; we are supposed to have our final home study meeting next week - so it won't be long! We'll keep you posted on that. In the meantime, we're fundraising away!
Our newest fundraiser is a "Sponsor-a-Block." My Mom and I are going to be making a quilt for our daughter. My Mom has graciously donated the fabric, and we are asking for 20 people who would be willing to sponsor a block of the quilt for $25. We will be putting all sponsor's names on the quilt label. You can contribute via PayPal through the ChipIn widget on the sidebar, or you can send a check in the mail. If you want to pass along our ChipIn page, send friends to this link. Below I have put a picture of the quilt pattern we're doing and the fabrics we're using. I can't wait to see it come together!!
Please keep praying for our little girl! We also ask that you pray that God's hand will be upon our paperwork and our fundraising - we are confident that He will continue to multiply our loaves and fishes for His glory! We are praying regularly that He will bless you all.
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." - 2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV
