More fundraising fun!

Hi, everyone!  I'm sorry I don't have much news to share.  One of these days I will spend some time catching you up on what the rest of our family has been doing over the past year or so.  But for now, I must tell you about the newest fundraisers we've been doing for Corrie. 

So, you all know about the Krispy Kremes.  Check out THIS POST if you don't.  Our friend who is graciously doing this fundraiser for us still has some gift cards left that she can mail anywhere in the country and they never expire.  So, if you like donuts and would like to have a part in the blessing of bringing Corrie home, you have come to the right place.  :) 

Next, I found this wonderful company called "Once Was Lost."  (Look on the right side of my blog at the top for the button.)  They have a store with fair trade items, and half the proceeds of purchases go to help adoptive families!  Proceeds also go to feed hungry children!  Our family is registered with them, so if you would like to make a purchase (and there is some cute stuff over there), don't forget to put our names in the "notes to seller" box when you are checking out.  We are listed in their "affiliates" section--Scott and Holly. :) 

AND...we are getting ready to have a garage sale.  I love garage sales.  Going and shopping at them, that is.  Having them?  Not as much.  But, I am willing to do my best to make it a great one, and friends are already donating stuff for it, so we are praying it will be a success! 

And, last but not least, we have an account set up with Project Hopeful if anyone would like to just make a tax deductible donation to help us.  Thank you!  (Soon we will have our bio and picture on the site.  For now, scroll down until you see Corrie's picture.)  Every little bit helps!

Now, a little note about fundraising... 

I know that not everyone thinks fundraising is a great idea.  I mentioned in a previous post that I really really wish we had no need to do it.  I do believe that God could just provide all the money without doing all these fundraisers.  However, I also know that God loves to use His people to do His work.  It is a blessing to give, and that's something I've learned first hand.   Please don't think we are begging, because we are definitely not.  I know that God has got this covered in one way or another, and we only want you to consider helping us if you feel like He is placing it on your heart.  If not, please just pray with us that  the whole adoption process will go smoothly, including the financial part.  Please pray that Corrie's transition into our family would be smooth and seamless, and that God would be getting things set up behind the scenes for the special care she will need when she gets here.  Thank you for visiting our blog!

And now I'll leave you with a summer treat...  How precious is this water baby??  She and Sarah (my other little fish) will have so much fun together!

(And yes, little Timothy there with her is absolutely adorable, too!)

Video of Corrie!

Look what I found... a video of the baby home where Corrie is--and Corrie is in it!  (Only for a second.  I wish she were in it longer!)  She is near the beginning in blue.  She is so precious, I just cannot wait to have her home!  (Did you read my previous post about the fundraiser a kind friend is doing for us?  And did you know it involves Krispy Kreme donuts??  AND, today was National Donut Day?  If you know of someone who might like some donuts, even if that someone just might be you, go check it out!)  And enjoy the video!  Those babies are so adorable, too. :)

Where we are in the process of bringing our Corrie home...

Hello again!  So sorry I disappeared on you right after I shared our exciting news.  It turns out that being a busy mom is tiring--and especially when you are the mom of one very chatty, delightful, precious and BUSY little girl like our Sarah. :)  So, most nights I mostly just feel like putting my feet up and vegging instead of blogging. 

But, I need to update you now because we are in the middle of the paper pregnancy.  Well, actually we are almost done with it!  And we have been watching God provide the money for this adoption in several different ways.  Amazing, really-- and that whole story will be the subject of a different blog post when it all plays out.  Part of the way God is providing is through ordinary people.  It always touches my heart so deeply when people step forward and give to meet a need.  It's humbling when the person in need is me.  I would so rather just be able to get money out of the bank and do it all ourselves, but no, we really don't have thousands of extra dollars in the bank.  We are definitely scrimping and saying no to some things that we would like to do and selling some things on ebay and things like that.  And, we are looking into some different fundraising ideas.  We plan to have a garage sale soon, and do some local restaurant fundraiser nights, and we're deciding about some other things.  But in the meantime, I got the biggest surprise the other day on facebook.  A cousin of Corrie's caregiver has loved Corrie forever, and she took it upon herself to do a fundraiser for us!  I've never even met her in person.  I can't tell you how encouraging that was to me!  I wish I lived next door to this precious lady so that we could be best friends! 

And the best part is... it involves Krispy Kreme doughnuts!!  How great is that?  It's great because they are not expensive, almost everyone likes doughnuts....and if you don't, you surely know someone who does, and it would make their day if you surprised them with some!  Anyone in the country can order from her, and she will ship you gift certificates that never expire.  Is this a WIN-WIN situation or what?  Get doughnuts and help a little girl to never be an orphan anymore!  Easy and yummy!  Are you loving this lady and this idea as much as I do? 

So, I know you are dying to know how to get these doughnuts.  Just go to this LINK and it tells you exactly how to do it.  Thank you in advance for loving Corrie with us and helping us to bring her home.  We are so grateful to everyone who can help! 

And just in case you forgot how beautiful she is, we got a new picture!

 

Doesn't that face make you hungry for some Krispy Kremes??

Precious Corrie-- Part 2!

So...where did I leave you hanging?  Oh, yes.  I remember.

You get the picture.  I had loved Corrie for so long.  Even as I prayed for her to get a family and wanted her to have one with all of my heart, I also knew that if a family came forward, a piece of my heart would break that it wasn't us!  I prayed that God would take that selfishness away from me.

Now, fast forward to just a few months ago.  I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that it was God's will that we were not Corrie's family.  So much time had passed, and I just assumed He would have let us know by now. 

One day I was browsing facebook, and the director of Morning Star announced that Corrie was going to have to return to her original orphanage in six to eight months!  My heart stopped.  Corrie needed a family, and she needed one now.  That sweet girl has lived at Morning Star her entire life, since before she was a year old.  She is loved and cherished there in a home environment and given all the help they can possibly give.  She is learning signs and even went to a special school.  I couldn't even imagine her having to return to an institution she obviously wouldn't even remember. Imagine being a little child, all of a sudden being taken from the only home and family you've ever known, to a place entirely foreign to you--not even being able to hear or communicate with the people there.  Even just thinking about it gives me chills.  I was devastated to hear this...and I wasn't the only one.  So many people love and care about Corrie.  Others began thinking about adopting her.  Even my brother and his wife decided they would try to start the process.  I did not ask my husband. I had vowed I never would.  I just took comfort in knowing that at least if my brother adopted her, she would be in the family.  And of course I prayed and prayed.  I prayed that if it were God's will that we adopt her, that He would make it clear!

Well, one night I was working in the kitchen.  My hubby came into the room and said, "So, what's going on with Corrie?"  He must have seen something on facebook, or heard Cassandra and me talking about the circumstances.  I explained what was happening and told him my brother and his wife were planning on trying to adopt her.  And then he told me this story...

He had been driving in the car, praying and thinking about Corrie.  He prayed that if it was God's will that we adopt her, that He would really show him.  And just then a song came on the radio called "Kings and Queens."  These are the lyrics:

Little hands, shoeless feet.

Lonely eyes looking back at me.

Will we leave behind the innocent to grieve?

On their own, on the run,

 When their lives have only begun.

These could be our daughters and our sons.

And just like a drum I can hear their hearts beating.

I know my God won't let them be defeated.

Every child has a dream to belong and be loved.

Boys become kings, girls will be queens--wrapped in Your majesty

When we love...when we love the least of these.

Then they will be brave and free. Shout Your name in victory

When we love...when we love the least of these.

My husband knew that God wanted us to pursue this adoption.  It had taken a long time, but God's timing is always right.  Now was the time!  And I stood there in my kitchen feeling like the world was tilting.  Was this really happening?? I had even suggested to God that maybe He could put something on the radio to speak to my hubby's heart! ; )   Even as I began to remind him that maybe we don't have enough money, or maybe it isn't practical that we do this, he reminded me that God would provide, and isn't it more important to give a child a family than to worry about this or that?  I started thinking maybe we were in the twilight zone or something, and someone had switched our brains!  It was so utterly clear that this was from God.  Only God could have orchestrated something like this!  

And so, I had to call my brother and tell him what had happened in my kitchen.  And he jokingly asked if we were going to fight over her... and graciously agreed to step aside. My brother and his wife are really, really awesome, by the way.

We started making phone calls.  We went step by step, praying that God's will would be done.  And now our homestudy is almost finished, we are pre-approved in China, and we are speeding ahead as fast as we can gathering the things we need for our dossier!  We had ZERO money for this adoption.  And God is already providing there, too.  He is showing Himself powerful in so many ways already.  We are looking forward to what He is going to do next! 

But one thing I know for sure...  We are coming soon to get our girl.  We love you, sweet Corrie!  We cannot wait for you to join your new family!!

   

Precious Corrie--Part One

Well...now that I have told you the big news, I would love to tell you more about this wonderful story that God is writing about this precious little girl named Corrie and the privilege we have in being a part of it!

It all started back in 2010.  Our big girl, Cassandra, was on her way to China to help out at Morning Star Family Home.  I had found out about this place randomly through the Bloggy grape vine.  I had just happened to have been reading the blog of the lady who runs the home, and she and her husband were looking for volunteers to come help out during Chinese New Year.  Well, at the time, Cassandra had been in Bible College.  She knew she wanted to work with orphans someday, but China had not been in her plans at all, and now was not the ideal time.  She was trying to raise money to go back to school.  Things were not going well with that.  It just seemed that no matter how hard she tried, nothing was going right with getting the funds to go for another year.  Well, I found out about the need there, and just thought I would mention it to Cassandra, even though I figured it was a very long shot that she would want to stop school and go.  Turns out, she surprised me, and said yes, she would do it.  Crazy!  In fact, she wanted to go for six months!  Remember that things had not been going well for her in getting enough money to stay in school.  She certainly didn't have the money for a six-month missions trip to China.  But God was about ready to start doing His thing!  Cassandra said yes, and He started providing.  She had enough money in no time.  Even complete strangers were giving her money out of the blue.  It was really something to see How God was totally doing this!

So, Cassandra ended up at Morning Star, loving on the babies there.  And she truly loved them.  All of them.....and especially, especially, especially one of the baby girls named Corrie.  Corrie was two at the time.  She had developmental delays.  She couldn't hold her head up straight very well, and was not walking or talking.  She needed surgery, and spent time in the hospital while Cassandra was there. Cassandra even ended up being the one who would stay with her for days in the hospital.  Corrie was maybe not the most physically beautiful child in the group of babies at Morning Star, but to Cassandra she was by far the most beautiful one.  She would always tell us about how special she was, and how there was just something about her...she couldn't explain it.  When others would come,  they would agree that there was just something really special about Corrie.

Then came June of 2010.  Sarah was diagnosed with Cancer.  Cassandra came home as fast as she could, just shy of reaching her six month mark in China.  And as you know or can imagine, our life suddenly revolved around hospitals and clinic appointments and life in our new normal.  We didn't think much about Corrie or really anything at all besides our Sarah and getting her well.

And then, as we emerged out of that foggy, crazy time in our lives, I began to think about Corrie again.  At first, I was just kind of amazed at the love Cassandra had for her.  This little girl with all of her physical troubles and unknowns about her future health...Cassandra continued to say she would adopt her in a heartbeat if she could.  And I would stop and think about that.  Could I say the same thing? Could I be as brave as that?  What was it about this little girl that made Cassandra so sure she would do anything to be her mom if she could?

And slowly but surely, God was beginning to do something in my heart.  I was starting to love this little girl, too.  Not just as a picture on the screen, but as a living, breathing little person who was obviously very special to God.  He had brought her through perilous times as an infant when she was tiny and malnourished and beat the odds for even surviving.  He had brought her to Morning Star Family Home where she was loved and cared for like their very own daughter.  And He had brought her through life-saving surgeries, showing His power in her life time and time again.  And now she needed a mommy and daddy.  She needed a family desperately who could continue the love and care she was being given, and also provide necessary medical help and therapy.  I started to long to be that mommy.  As time went by, the intensity of my wish grew.  It got to the point where I couldn't even look at a picture of her without my heart aching.  More than ANYTHING I wanted to adopt her.  I thought for sure these longings were coming from God, and so I couldn't understand it when my dear hubby would not agree with me that we were supposed to adopt her.  I would pray and pray for God to change his heart, only to be disappointed.  He had very good, practical reasons, and he promised he was praying about it, but he just wasn't hearing anything from God.  I was heartbroken.

A couple of years went by.  I continued to pray for Corrie.  I continued to love her through my computer screen.  And I would pray for God's will.  I knew that if it were His will for Corrie to be our daughter, He would let us both know.  And so, I vowed to never talk about adopting Corrie again.  I wanted it to be completely from God if it was meant to be.  I prayed that He would provide a family for her, and yes, I still hoped it could be us! (But I wasn't holding my breath anymore.)  Finally, she was put on an adoption agency's list!  But no family came.  She was put on another agency's list!  And still no family.  I kept wondering...is it because we are her family??  Still nothing from my hubby. 

And I will continue this story next time....    The next part needs its own chapter.  : )

Once upon a time......

There was a little girl in far away China.

The poor little thing was sick and tiny.  She needed someone to take care of her and love her.  She needed a mommy and daddy.

A loving family took her in.  They loved her and cared for her and nursed her to health.  She grew stronger and healthier.  She grew and grew...

She was happy and loved in her little home.

But the family was not really her mother and father.  As much as they loved her, a true forever family needed to be found for this sweet princess who was so very special.

Years went by....

On the other side of the world a mother longed for another little girl.

She saw pictures of the little princess, and hoped and prayed for her.  More than anything in the world she wanted to bring this treasure home.


And then one day.....

her dream came true. 

I am that mother.  We are that family!

 

 

Precious Corrie at Morning Star Family Home will be coming home to her forever family soon!!

We can't wait to wrap you in hugs and kisses, sweet girl.  We already love you so very much!

 

Yes, we are so excited about our newest blessing who will be joining us hopefully by the end of this year.  Please follow along on our journey to Corrie!!

The wise man built his house upon the rock...

Hello again, anyone who happens to come across my humble little blog!  It's been a long time, and I thought I would make an appearance just in case you missed me... ; )  We are all doing well and enjoying our summer.  I hope you are too!

I went on a field trip of sorts with Josh today.  We visited an 82- year old man who lives with his wife out in the country, not too far from our home.  They live on a century-old Christmas tree farm that has slowly shrunk over the years as acres have been sold to neighbors.  Several acres remain, but other things have taken place of the Christmas trees.  There is a thriving garden there, boasting ripening veggies and a beautiful section just reserved for flowers.  There is a great old tree with about 15 bird feeders hanging from it, as if saying "Don't worry...there is room for all of you!"  There is a homely little cocker spaniel who runs around greeting guests with the happiest little smile and waggy tail you ever saw. And there is a hammock just waiting invitingly for any weary soul who wants to come and rest.

But the thing you will notice the most about this charming old home and property, is that this man collects rocks.  And when I say he collects rocks, I mean that in a very BIG way!  He has several  boulders, some of them more than 7,000 pounds!  And huge, garden-sized plots full of large stones of all kinds.  He has every kind of rock you can think of displayed as neatly as he could manage it, all over his backyard.  It's amazing!  He had been collecting these rocks for about twelve years until a couple of years ago when he decided he was getting too old to be going "rocking" anymore, as he called it.  We went there with the rock club we belong to, and it was a special treat for geology enthusiasts.  But what made the day so special to me was not so much the rocks, but the way God spoke to me through the very special man who so painstakingly collected them.

"Buck," as he likes to be called, is as charming a man as you would ever want to meet.  He is one of those sweet grandpa-types who has a kind word for everyone, a love for children, a twinkle in his eye, and a little mischief up his sleeve.  I enjoyed talking to him and listening to him share his stories of how he got those rocks. And as you spend time with him, you just feel like you have always known him.  Or at least you wish you would have.  You can tell that he is not the sort who would let the cares and stresses of this world get him down. When it was time to leave, I was sad that I would not have a good excuse to go and visit him again.  This sweet man who has lived a long, full life and has seen a little bit of everything, I would imagine,  has a way about him that emanates peace and contentment, and you can't help but just being drawn to him.  

I left his home wondering all the way why I am not that sort of person.  Why do I worry over every little thing so often the way that I do?  Why do I get myself all in a tizzy about this and that?  Mostly little things that will most certainly work themselves out with just a little time and trust. 

And I continued that train of thought and began to zero in on that one word in my mind...  TRUST. 

Maybe if we truly did trust God in everything--  like He so lovingly reminds us to all throughout His Word.  Maybe if we really DID let it all go and just let Him have it.  ALL of our worries.  All of our cares that take up so much space in our fretting little minds.    Maybe if we all decided to not be stressed.  Just as simple as that.  Maybe then we could have the kind of peace and contentment that Buck has found.  And maybe, just maybe, that heart full of joy that is so evident in him has been the secret to the long life he's lived...and it's a better medicine than every pill and herb and healthfood trend that's out there. 

I don't know, but through my visit with Buck and his amazing rock farm today, God helped me to remember once again the secret to that abundant life He's given.  And I am thankful I had the privilege of meeting a special man.  I won't soon forget our new friend.