Answering God's call

It's been awhile

2006-11-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I have posted. Mostly because I forgot our username! Oh well.

Not much has happened since my last post. We did however send in our application and have been accepted into the Korea program. There have been some changes to the program though that could potentially delay our adoption (and everyone elses). We do know that out little girl will be older than we had first anticipated. The changes in the Korean adoption program have specified that no child younger than 5 months old will be available for international adoption (special needs may differ slightly). So after the wait to travel our daughter will most likely be close to 1 year old by the time she would arrive home. That is ok though. I am planning for around that age.

John is deployed right now so we can't go any further into the process until he returns. Once he does we will begin work on our homestudy. I am not looking ofrward to that portion but it must be done so we will get through it. I can't wait until it is over though. I am nervous. I think everyone is to some degree though. It isn't everyday you have a social working poking aroiund in your business!

That is all I really have to report on the adoption end. Still at a standstill but moving forward.....if that makes any sense. I will update when I know more!

Standstill

2006-06-14T09:20:00.000-06:00

Well, the title says it all. We are at a complete standstill with the adoption. Yes, we are frustrated but we believe that God will make it all possible when it is his time. We just don't have the money to even start yet:( I was really hoping to at least apply and start our homestudy this summer but I think that is going to be impossible. Our house still has not sold and our fundraising really hasn't has a chance to take off yet.

I have started my diaper business again. I didn't think I would ever sew diapers again, but I had some requests and John and I discussed it so here I am! Right now I am low on materials so I am trying to stock up again. But it is hard when you do not have any money. So, I am trying to work with what I have now, make a little money off from them to buy more fabrics and also set aside for the adoption.

We are having a really hard time asking anyone for help. I know, we shouldn't feel that way but we just HATE asking for money. But really that is the best chance we have to get this started. I just PRAY SO HARD that that house would just sell, that would free up so much money and heartache.

I guess for the moment I will just have to continue to pray that God will deliver us from the clutches of that house and provide us the means to get the adoption going!

Let the fundraising begin!

2006-05-17T14:59:00.000-06:00

Well, we have offically begun trying to raise funds for our adoption. We have started a website called Graceful Memories. The site is names for our daughter to be....we would like to give her the middle name Grace as it will be by God's Grace that she joins our family! On this website we will be offering personalized prducts such as candles and also premade scrapbook pages! We are really hoping this will give us the jump start we needto get things rolling! I am just following Gods direction and really don't know where it all will lead. But I am trusting in His word!

I hate waiting....

2006-05-15T17:14:00.000-06:00

Well John and I think we may have to wait until he gets home from deployment to do our homestudy:( I am sad but I know what is meant to happen will happen. I was just really hoping to get that step finished before he left so we could submit everything to Korea right before he got home. But it may work out for the best. Our income will look better to them since he will get paid a bit more during deployment and we will have more time to fundraise.

We still plan on trying to get our application in before he leaves so we can get enrolled in the program and hold our place. I am in the process of setting up a website to sell some of my handmade candles, scrapbook pages, ect... I am hoping I can make a decent amount for our adoption costs. I know I will not make near all of it, but I may be able to make enough to get us started at least!

We are still praying for the Lord's guidance to what we should be doing now. We are really praying for some sort of sign that we are headed in the right direction. Once I get my store set up I will place a link on here for everyone to have a look!

Well....

2006-05-13T10:55:00.000-06:00

We think we have found the perfect agency to assist us in the adoption. I talked to a wonderful agent named Kathy from FCA. They do specialize in International adoption with Korea being one of their most successful programs. And Kathy herself was adopted from Korea! It was so intering to get a perspective of a person who was been on th eopposite side of this process. She is the program coordinator for the Korean progam offered through FCA. She thinks we have a good chance of being able to adopt from Korea. Even though our incmoe is a little low, the fact that we are in the Military and have so many other benefits that we do not actually receive MONEY for (such as free housing, free health benefits, reduced groceries at our commissaries, free gym facilities, free utilities, ect...) that those things can be included in the income we receive. I have also spoken to other Military member who say the same thing.

I am feeling very optimistic at the moment but also very nervous. We are trying right now to raise the funds to pay for the application and enrollment fee and the homestudy fee. We will need between $3000 and $5000 to get started! It seems impossible but I know that if this is indeed the Lord's will things will work out. Now that doesn't mean that we are sitting on our hands waiting for a miracle. I have been actively researching different fundraisers and we are selling off things we do not need. I just recently sold some of my stamp sets on Ebay and plan to list a bunch of other things soon. I am not sure if I will list them on the bay or if I will just take pictures of everything and list the prices next to my photos on my photo site. We would just really like to get the process started before John has to deploy. If we could get the application, enrollment in the program and the homestudy done before he leaves then I can submit all our paperwork to Korea just before he returns and we could possibly have our little girl home next spring/summer! I am still praying for the Lords guiding hand in this process. Especially financially. I have added a donation button to the site. I don't expect to get much if any from it, but if someone feels lead by the Lord to donate any little bit that should make it easier.

This is all the update I have so far...Hopefully we can raise enough money soon to begin the process. This is where we need prayers right now. Please pray for the Lord to show us the correct path to earn the money we need to get closer to bringing our daughter home.

The Beginning

2006-05-12T10:35:00.000-06:00

As out of the blue as this may seem this has actually been on my (Amanda's) heart for quite some time. God has blessed John and I with 3 beautiful, healthy sons....what more could we ask for? Nothing. And we didn't ask for anything more. But even still there was an ache in my heart, an empty space needing to be filled. I have prayed for answers and God has answered. He has pointed us in the direction of adoption. As scarey and impossible as it all seems, I finally feel that this is my purpose. This is what he wants us to do. Suddenly I know why I felt this small empty space.....it has been waiting to be filled by 1 more child. A child who has no mother and father. Who is lonely and scared, with no family to call her own. Yes, I said HER! A little girl to add to our mostly masculine home.

I have been doing alot of research on adoption lately (for those who know me know that once I get something in my head I go FULL BORE) and I think I have found our adoption choice. The one that works best for our family. We are going to try to adopt a baby girl from Korea. Korea has many children up for adoption. In Korea single parenthood is almost impossible so these children are relinquished at birth. Single Mother's are looked down upon and shunned so these children cannot be kept in most cases. Korea has a wonderful International adoption program and places many children every year with loving families. Up until recently their domestic adoption program has not been up to par as in Asian communities they are very very mindful of bloodlines. Therefore, there are normally more boys available for international adoption, but because of our family situation (having 3 boys already) we are eligible for a baby girl. They do a pretty good job of adopting girls to Korean families but there are still quite a few who are available.

I have to admit it was me who brought this subject up. At first John was not receptive so I saked him to please pray about it and see what God tells him. He came to me about a week later and said he had changed his feelings about it. God had spoken to his heart! He still has reservations, as do I. But I have faith that if this indeed is the Lord's plan than all will work out according to his word.

Our biggest obstacle is the financial aspect. As a Military family we do not have a large income and adoptions are extremely expensive. The adoption from Korea costs approximately $25,000. We have never been ones to ask for help before form anyone, especially financial. But the Lord has humbled us and we know that this is not entirely about us and we know we cannot do this without help. Yes, having a little girl would be a dream come true for us, but to think of what it would mean to her! It just overwhelmes me. We are still pondering ways to come up with some of the money to get started. We know the Lord will provide if this is indeed his plan. Please pray for us! Pray for the Lord to give us guidance as to where to go for financial reasons and to give us peace in our hearts that He will take care of it. And please pray for the little girl who may become our daughter, whether she is born yet or not. Pray for her health and well being and that things can progress smoothly for us and her so she can come home. We are so humbled and excited by the thought that God could want us to do something so monumental for someone else. Something that will change someones whole future. WHat a tremendous responsibility but such a wonderful one. We feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity!