We have been so overwhelmed by all of the love and support by friends and family. This encouragement has been so helpful as we have progressed through the adoption process.
The more we learn about adoption, the more convinced we become that this is a real need in the world. Hopefully, we can share some of the statistics and findings we learn about. Also, we want to be an open book so that if others are considering adoption, they will have their questions answered or know that they can come talk with us about it.
The first step in the adoption process is to complete a series of 5 interviews called a
HOME STUDY. So far we have completed 2 of the 5 interviews. The
first one was an
orientation interview where our case worker, Libby, made sure there were no
red flags that would disqualify us from continuing the process. We passed :) There are no red flags and we have the privilege of continuing through the interview process!
Prior to our
second interview we had to gather a ton of paperwork, such as marriage licenses, birth certificates, tax returns, pay stubs, employment verification letters, licenses, proof of rabies vaccination for our dog, Lucas, back ground checks, medical examinations, and so much more! Thankfully we have a file cabinet that organized most of this paperwork so we knew exactly where to find most of those things!
Another thing we had to do to prepare for this interview was to individually take a marriage/ relationship survey called
"Prepare and Enrich" online in which the results revealed strengths and weaknesses and relationship dynamics. Our caseworker reviewed these results with us during the interview.
Lifeline adoption agency values healthy Christian marriages because they believe that that environment will be best for a child to flourish in. If there are any areas in a marriage that are lacking or need growth, they provide resources and support to build up and strengthen those areas.
Also, during this home study interview, Libby toured our home and made sure there was adequate living space and made sure we have working smoke alarms and a fire extinguisher.
It seems like we have accomplished ALOT in such a short amount of time. 2 interviews down, 3 to go! Our ultimate financial Goal for the adoption is $25,000, but thankfully it is not due all at once.
This is where we can use YOUR HELP! By the
5th Homestudy interview we will have had to pay
$2000. We are asking you to prayerfully consider donating on our
Adopt Together fundraiser to help us meet this need by
October 1st! Looking forward to how God will provide!
If you were in town last weekend, you know that on Saturday, there was a torrential downpour! I cried :( I felt angry, sad, hopeless, and overwhelmed. I just thought what's the point after all this hard work and now for it to be ruined by a monsoon! Our first customer came around 5:50 am...(sale didn't start until 7)...Despite the weather there was a steady flow of people with their umbrellas, rain jackets, and flashlights. People were actually shopping and buying stuff in the rain. We did our best to keep things covered, but that didn't stop people at all. I was in disbelief. I was thinking "these are crazy yard sale people!"
Since it was so wet on Saturday, we were not able to put out a lot of our items, so we made a last minute decision to have another sale on Sunday. So we made new signs and had a last minute advertisement on Facebook and Craigslist and tried to sell as much as we could Sunday. Praise God we made a total of $4000 from our Adoption Yardsale Fundraiser!! 
