Often, we think about how far we have to go.
Today, however, we are reflecting on how far God has brought us!

We cannot begin thinking about that without many precious people coming to mind
{a few of which we've never even met}:

You have petitioned the Father on our behalf as we slipped precious pages into the hands of decision makers...and waited...

Others purchased flowers and some really cool t-shirts!

Some have come up with ideas of their own and shared them with us!

You have taken on the task of teaching sewing to a less than stellar student in order to save money on Ugandan travel clothes for the future trip to meet our son!

You've opened your homes and your yards to us...
and you've loaded us down with some really good stuff!

You've taken your marathon and turned it into a fundrasier for our family!

Some have generously slipped a check in the mail,
dropped a note of encouragement,
or sent a timely message {text, fb, email} our way...

You have cheered us on as we've reached milestones along the way!

Others have already begun matching the $2500 grant from Lifesong!

And countless other things....

We are humbly grateful for each detail you have been a part of throughout this leg of the journey! 

"No matter how smoothly an intercountry adoption seems to be proceeding, there will be some delays. It is inevitable – not a matter of if, but when. Patience is a virtue when it comes to intercountry adoption."

We're in the midst of doing our online Intercountry Adoption Training, and the above statements pretty much sum up the theme of the last module. Well, maybe it wasn't the theme, but it was one of those things you know....you see it in writing....and you finally settle into it as (short of a string of miracles) what's ahead. You take another deep breath and realize that from what you've experienced thus far, it really must be true. Then you remind yourself of one of your family mottoes: we don't do what's easy, we do what's right. 

In other news, we're getting ready for the Fall Rummage Sale ~ October 20th. Looking forward to actually having a spare room once again (after we get all the sale stuff out) and hopefully raising some more $ for the adoption fund. This time around the kiddos are doing a Coffee and Cookie Table. If you're interested in baking a batch of cookies for em', let me know! And, yes, the coffee will be self-serve!

Also, the t-shirts will be here within a week. Looking forward to getting those in the hands of all who purchased one. Thank you, again!!!! I bought one of the Simply Love shirts before we ever even started the adoption process, and it's my favorite ~ for multiple reasons!

Last thing...would love for you to consider these:
1. Orphan Sunday
2. Wrapping Around Adoptive Families

Consider #1, Orphan Sunday, simply because awareness is where it all begins.
As for #2, one of my best friends is foster/adopting {they began the adoption process some months after we did and have already added two children to their family of four in an incredible-only-God-coulda-done-it-whirlwind-of-a-story} . She and her family are living one of those not-so-white-washed-stories I wrote about previously. By the grace of God and their dependence on Him, I witness them making progress week after week. Watching their family has made me even more sure of the need of "wrapping around adoptive families". It is a way any/everyone can be involved in orphan care. 

Now, here's a peek at a few peices of "inventory" for our Rummage Sale! 

If you've ever been on a short-term mission trip, you will understand this. When you get home, you're certainly thankful to be back home. However, the next day, when you wake up and get going, something seems to be missing. It feels as if you should be back with your "team" engaged in your "mission".
I had that same feeling this morning. Although, this time I had not been on a plane or traveled far from home. Actually...I've been part of a Yard Sale. An adoption fundraiser. A week-long, glorious, blood-sweat-and-tears, over-the-top, full-of-joy-unspeakable, only-God-could-have-pulled-it-off kind of Yard Sale....

I keep replaying the pieces in my head that started to fall into place last Monday (a week ago). Honestly, the pieces were scattered all over the place...and really, there seemed to be quite a few "pieces" missing! But one morning, God opened our {our, meaning my girls and I...the best, most incredible girlfriends in all the land} eyes wide and began to show us one piece after the other. Oh, as a matter of fact, there even turned out to be more "pieces" that we imagined, and we had no puzzle box top to help us see the finished product! {It was quite overwhelming at times.} Really, that's probably a good thing, because we wouldn't have believed that it would end up quite like it did anyway! Once or twice, I thought we might even suffocate under it all. But we didn't. Instead, God overwhelmed us to tears with His goodness and lightened our hearts with laughter again and again as each piece fell right where He'd generously, graciously intended it to.

Now that it's all over, I sit here unable to really, truly, adequately articulate my gratitude for the way God abundantly provided for us. Nor am I yet able to explain all that God did and taught us through a simple, humble Yard Sale Fundraiser with the most meager of beginnings!
{...but, believe me, I will certainly try! I don't want to miss a thing God is showing us and teaching us along the way of our adoption journey! I'm already working on a list of Yard Sale Blessings! Who woulda thought!?!?!?!}

Oh, did I mention the Grand Total....????
It was over $1600!!!!!


"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..." Eph 3:20

In all honesty, I do not think I can yet put into words the multitude of things God has done through an average, ordinary Yard Sale Fundraiser. The more I reflect, the more difficult it becomes to express my heart....

~M

To see more pictures, click here!