Our First Fundraiser - Christmas Cards for Sasha

We are going to be starting the adoption process and by simply sending in the application to the adoption agency, there are expenses. So, we are going to be having some fundraisers to try and raise the money because The Lord knows that we ......do not have $40,000 just laying around!

Our first fundraiser is this....I will send out all of your Christmas Cards for you. I am asking for a 'minimum donation' of $1.50 per card and that covers the cost of the card and the stamp.  I will personalize the inside of the card with whatever message you want and send whatever type of card you want me to send.  Please feel free to share this with your friends....I will be happy to do this for anyone!!!

If you are interested in saving time and helping us out at the same time, here is how.  Just email me a list of names and addresses where you want the cards to be sent, the message you want written inside the card, how you want the card signed and the type of card you want sent (Holiday card, Christmas card, Religious, etc.). Have me send as many or as few as you need. I would be sending the same card to everyone on your list with the same message inside each card. I will also email you a proof before I send them out.  These are high quality, glossy cards, too!  

Anyone can help us out!  You don't have to live local for this fundraiser because everything is done via the internet.  You can even donate online via paypal!  You email me the information for your cards and I will create all of your cards and email you a proof before I send.  Everything is done online!

Here is a picture of an example of what one of the outside of the cards looks like.  Not the best picture but the card is beautiful! 

Here is an example of what the inside looks like....I just personalized this myself and used a "handwriting" font because then it looks like I wrote it out myself.  I can write anything you want on the inside and use one of about 10 different fonts.  Again, very high quality. 

The cards will be addressed for you and your return address will be on the envelope, as well. 


Thanks for your support! And as always, thank you for your continued prayers! 

Two weeks and Two days

Sasha will be here in two weeks and two days!  That comes to a total of 14 days.  I would count down to the hour and minute, except that I don't know when his plane will be arriving.  We are so ready for him!  When Sasha arrives, he will arrive with the clothes on his back, so we are needing to send him back with a suitcase full of clothes and shoes.  So far, we already have a winter coat for him (thanks Nikki Esquivel!) and a few bags of boys clothes (thanks Catherine Tutor and Karen Barlow!)  We are not sure what size he is so we are trying to get clothing in all sizes from 7-12 so that we can make sure we have something for him to wear and take back with him.  If you would like to help, please let me know.  Whatever Sasha doesn't take back, I will be happy to return. 

As far as proceeding with adoption, we are getting ready to fill out "part 1" of the application and send it in.  This will determine if we "qualify".  Technically, on three different levels, we are disqualified.  However, we are working through those and hope that it will not hinder the process at all.  The Lord knows that anything that we can offer him is better than anything he is getting now.  And considering we are a part of the body of Christ, we will never be without.

1 Corinthians 12:27  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Please continue to pray for us and for this little boy on the other side of the world.  I pray that he is open to our family, that he allows us to love him and that he wants to be a part of our family.  But I also pray that if that is not the Lord's Will, then He will find a family for Sasha. 

December 13th can't get here quick enough.  I am excited but I am just waiting patiently and asking the Lord to teach me what he wants to teach me while I wait.

Another reason to bring Sasha home...

Danny and I were headed to Charlotte on Saturday for an all day training.  The training was to teach us more about the hosting program (like the 41 page training manual wasn't enough...lol) and hear from families who previously hosted.  It was actually a great training.

Anyhow, we decided to make a "date" out of it and on the way, we stopped in Burlington for breakfast at Mimi's Cafe.  We had a bogo coupon!  I love my coupons!  So, we sit down for breakfast and our waitress brings us a newspaper to enjoy while we are waiting for our breakfast.  One of the first articles that catches my eye is this one:

Two very ridiculous comments were made in this article.  The first is when the leader of this group says, "Sometimes you need to show your breasts for ideological reasons".  Wow...really?  I am just amazed that showing your breasts really has anything to do with politics.  But then again, we don't live in Europe where women are objectified on a daily basis in all of their media.  The second comment that I found absolutely ridiculous is when the article states that the group campaigns against prostitution and discrimination of women.  Hmmmm.....campaigning against prostitution by showing your breasts?!?!  Is it just me or does anyone else find this ridiculous?  I know I keep using the word ridiculous but I'm trying to keep it clean!!  I am not saying what I actually feel.  But I do know that reading this article made me sick to my stomach.  I had righteous anger when I read this article and I don't feel bad for it at all!! 

Sasha is living in a country where women are objectified on a daily basis in their media and that is to be viewed as "normal", human trafficking is rampant and children are kicked out of orphanages at the tender age of 16 to fend for themselves.  Most of those children turn to prostitution or crime in order to survive.  So, ya know what?  We are going to fight for this little boy.

I just downloaded the adoption application and there are 3 things that "disqualify" us to adopt!!  THREE!!  But you know what?  I don't care.  I'll say it again in case you didn't catch that...I DON'T CARE!!!  The ONLY thing that is going to stop us from getting Sasha is the Almighty One Himself!!!  I said it once, I'll say it again and I may just say it 100 more times before Sasha comes home for good:

For nothing is impossible with God.  Luke 1:37