Hand in Hand Grant Award

One of the greatest challenges of adoption, especially international adoption is the financial aspect of it. It can become overwhelming just to think about it....the home study, agency fees, the background checks and finger printing, the travel, the ordering of documents from the state, the authentication of the documents by the same state you just ordered the aforementioned documents from, the authorizing of the authenticator of same noted documents....to be certain, the birth certificates, marriage license, etc are validated from every possible angle so that when you see that document, with the raised gold seal, bearing the official signature, notarized, then the notary's seal authenticated - you will not have one shred of doubt, for any reason, that I was, indeed, born.

And that I am valid. ated.

Now that process might seem a tad redundant, but in all honesty, we need to have safe guards in place before moving forward with an adoption. Moving forward entails an enormous amount of faith. We held firmly to the faith that although we did not have an extra $32,000+ tucked away inside the square shoulder pads of my 1985 Perry Ellis blazer ( which could seriously house that much money), that God would provide in every way to enable us to bring a child into our family. To that end, we have applied and were so very blessed to receive a matching grant from Hand in Hand Christian Adoption. Our friends and family will be able to partner with us in our journey and Hand in Hand will match donations up to $2000 allowing us to possibly be awarded a $4,000 ( or more ) grant toward adoption expenses. We have until May 6 to receive donations. Please contact me if you would like more information regarding the details. 

Mapping It Out

When I was younger, taking a trip often meant hauling out maps. They were carefully unfolded and laid out across the table or counter to study the possible routes to your destination. Time was spent looking at the various route options and stop options and of course, utilizing the key - one had to know how to use the key in order to accurately determine how long your travels would be. Discovering funny town names was delightful as a child, wondering what it would be like to live there. The folding up of the map could be an event in and of itself, if it was an older map - care was taken in returning the correct folds into the proper direction to ensure a smooth finish. Of course, all of this unfolding, studying and folding began to create an energy around the trip itself - imagining all of the details and fun that would certainly ensue. All of these images were good - great even, obviously - no one envisions their vacation beginning with a prolonged stop on the side of a steamy Texas highway for an extended puking ordeal. I always had the tendency to forget just how badly motion sickness could grip me. Most trips were to visit MeMe & PawPaw in New Orleans and not one thing could ruin the prize of being with them and my aunt and uncles at the end of the road trip for me. The butterflies that would emerge in my stomach as I packed my little suitcase were more invigorating than a double coffee with chicory from Cafe Du Monde.
As technology careened into the world and seeped into our daily lives, paper maps have taken a backseat to the online sites and GPS systems that can now determine your course from the "start" box, tell you where to stop, what the dining options are, how long it will take you, and when you will arrive at the destination you have entered into the "end" box..
There is one thing missing from all of these travel plans.
God.
When we entered Ethiopia into the "start" box last February, we did so with the firm belief that God led us there.  This journey is unknown and no amount of planning or wishing or studying can change it's course or make it happen faster. We are looking ahead to meeting and bringing a child of God into our family when the time is right. Some stops along the way invoke the butterflies of excitement and some delays drag our hearts down. There are no illusions that the folds of this particular map will fall into place neatly - hoping to bypass the serious frustrations of the recent detours, but I guess it is all part of the voyage. We are guided toward growing our family and praying that all of our paths will be brighter for it. So as we pass mile marker 6 (months) we keep our eyes on the horizon, gazing forward to our new destination.
It my be unknown, but we are sure to be blessed when we arrive.