Adoption FUNds….

Many people have asked us how we raised our adoption funds.  We smile a knowing smile… because WE didn’t raise the money, God did.  He funds what He favors!  Adoption is expensive… domestic AND international.  Personally, I don’t think it should be expensive, but that’s another story for another day.  We didn’t have nearly enough cash to adopt from Colombia, but we had some “seed money” that we planted and waited for God to harvest. Our dream of adoption came from the Lord so we relied on Him to show us where the adoption money was hiding.  It was a huge step of faith! Huger than any we’d taken previously!

When our adoption process began, we had faith that we would be one of the QUICK families…. not so.  It took us 10 months to get our dossier together (we had to work with two Canadian provinces and five American states!) and then we waited three months until we were approved.  THEN a 34 month wait for our referral. From the referral to us kissing our girl’s soft cheeks was eight days.  Eight days of FLURRY, scurry and hurry!

The 34 month wait was when we put our noses to the grindstone and searched hard for adoption funds.  I applied for 10-12 grants, and we received only one from Show Hope (MaryBeth and Steven Curtis Chapman) right at the beginning of the journey.  It was the sweet priming for the fundraising pump that we needed!  Thank you, MBC and SCC!

We also sent a letter to friends and family far and near telling them of our expanding family and asking if they felt the Lord nudging them to help bring a child home.  The monies from that one pink letter came in over four years.  It brought me to tears time and time again. Faithful friends, doing their part!  Thank you, if you were one of those loving people.

My sister-in-law, Jennie, came up with this fabulous idea to sew purses and carrier bags from recycled and donated fabric.  She nick-named our daughter Zaza, and Bags for Zaza was birthed!  The sewing escapades went on for over a year with six or seven contributing seamstresses (with three solid contenders).  She auctioned them online and it went over brilliantly…. 10 times more brilliantly than Jennie originally hoped for!  Thank you, Jennie!

While searching other adoption blogs and fundraising sites, I learned about having a Media Drive.  Great idea!  Ask all your family, friends and enemies to donate unused, dust-collecting media….. I gathered books, CDs, DVDs, videos, games, collector cards, plus more.  The valuable ones I was able to sell on eBay and the less valuable ones I sold at a local used book store.  This really encouraged me as friends far and wide donated boxes and boxes of stuff!  It made me feel great that there was a way everyone could contribute to helping an orphan…. it wasn’t just people with extra cash.  Everyone.

I also looked around our house and decided we didn’t need all this stuff that had accumulated over the last 20-something years.  I started selling everything: furniture, clothing, sports equipment, household trinkets, silk trees, books, lamps, you name it.  I sold most of these items on Craigslist.com.  There is one in your area!

Our neighborhood group decided to have a “Large Item” garage sale for us…. held at our house.  More than 20 families donated large items for this day and it was a great success. Thank you, neighborhood groupies!

Right when I needed another idea, a flyer was squeezed into our front door crack telling about a children’s clothing consignment sale.  I sent the word out for friends to donate kid’s clothing.  I gathered, ironed, tagged, hung and delivered over 200 items!

Most unique of all: Matt’s Meals with a Mission.  A high school grad in chef training (friend of daughter’s) set up MMM to raise money for different causes.  So, our adoption was one of the causes he supported by cooking meals for different families for special occassions.  We were so amazed by his giving heart, generosity and cooking! Thank you, Matthew!

The day before we flew to Colombia we received a phone call from a businessman we are acquainted with.  He asked how much we still needed and transfered the funds into our account that day.  It still brings me to tears, knowing that God had people lined up to take care of the needed funds.  We did our part and others did their part, as a body of believers and unbelievers alike, God used MANY people to bring our girl home. The blessing is spread far and wide.  Be encouraged if you are fundraising!  Be creative!  God funds what He favors!  Here’s our breakdown for you:

• Our Savings – 19%
• Show Hope – 7%
• Letter to Family & Friends – 23%
• Bags for Zaza – 16%
• Media Drive, Garage Sale, Craigslist, Consignment, MMM – 8%
• Last minute Donation – 27%

It’s Friday Night and the Feeling’s Right

Relief.  Resting.  Exhaustion.  Tiredness. SO glad it’s Friday night.  This week was packed full of activities, as per usual at our house, but when you throw in a bit of coughing and sickness, it is so tiring.  Again, I’m glad it’s over.  I don’t have a thing to do for two days.

Our homestudy update meeting went well. 

I spoke at a MOPS group on Thursday and that went well.

We started a new unit for the boys on Colombia and that went well.

Many of our media drive items sold on eBay this week and that went REALLY well.

(Is anyone else seeing a trend here?)

But the most exciting trivial news for me personally is that I FINALLY found a second little wooden chair for Zaza’s tea party table.  I’ve been looking for one for months.  I sauntered into a second-hand store on a whim and there it sat, shining its happy yellow self at me.  Yes, it needs to be sanded and primed to get caught up with its sister chair and accompanying table.  I’ve been saving pictures of darling hand-painted furniture for inspiration.  I’ve often thought that I would love to paint children’s furniture as a hobby/money-maker… but alas, I’m too busy momentarily.  Maybe when the kids are gone…. but then I’ll be painting the furniture for the grandkids.  So much for money-making.  Here are a few ditties that I love.  I can’t wait to get started, but it will most likely be after Christmas.

 

 

Two Little Piggies

I’m not sure which of my boys licked the pig first, but both Aus and Keeve are down with the Swine Flu.  Great!  Fevers.  No appetites. Coughing.  Headaches.   I made jello and smoothies.  I bought chicken-n-stars soup and Goldfish crackers.  All should be well soon.

On the brighter side of sickness, homeschooling is canceled for the week!  And the homeschool mother cannot quit smiling.  :o)   And we’re saving money by not having to feed the boys full meals.  AND there were $10 gift card coupons in the paper for EACH prescription filled!  Whoooo Hooooo $20!!!

We are quarantined for 5-10 days depending on their fevers.  I felt like the neglectful mother in the doctor’s office.  (Not the first time that has happened.)  He asked when the last Tylenol was administered.  Um, 8 hours ago.  And yes, both boys had fevers over 102.  Rick was left in charge for the afternoon …. but I should have checked on them when I got home.  We’ll do better from here on out.

So, can you say eBay?  I should be able to get ALL of the adoption media drive donations on eBay this week.  :o)  Another silver lining to the pink piggy cloud.

See you next week.  Don’t bother coming by the house.

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Bag for Zaza!

Yes, sewing has been slow lately, but there is a hum-dinger of a bag up for auction at www.BagsForZaza.blogspot.com, thanks to my mother and her wonder machine.  Go look at the fancy-shmancy stitching on this bag.  She was showing off, fo sho!  Silk and velvet fuzzy dots, to boot!  Thanks Mom, and Jennie!

Other exciting adoption fundraising news:  We started a media drive and have made over $250 so far!  whoooo hoooooo.  Friends donated videos, CDs, DVDs, books, and video games that we have been selling at a 2nd hand store and on ebay.  (I’ve been highly amused at the beer and enima boxes that the media arrived in!)  Here’s a link to 6 VHS VeggieTale videos:  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320412671256&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT  (No, I still can’t get the link thing working….)  Then click on ‘see other items’ to view our 19 current auctions!  Something for everyone…. and something very special for that tribulation-loving person.  Thanks friends!

AND, if having books and videos stacked all over my family room is not exciting enough, a friend of Larisa’s is doing his version of Take Home Chef and donating 75% to bringing Zaza home!  M3: Matt’s Meals on a Mission.  Matt has been in drama with Larisa for quite a few years and is in his senior year.  He is taking culinary courses at a Scottsdale college.  So if you live in the Phoenix area and eat food, check out his blog and have him over to cook and clean up!  http://mattanvik.blogspot.com/  He’s also very entertaining.  Thanks Matt!