Lifesong for Orphans GRANT!!!!!

We found out this past Friday that we have received a matching ADOPTION GRANT from Lifesong for Orphans!!!  We are praising the Lord for His provision!!!

Here is how this grant works.  Lifesong will match ANY DONATION up to $3,000 between now and April 15, 2011!!!  So, for example, if a person wants to donate $25 (or any other amount) to our adoption fund, all they have to do is mail a check made payable to "Lifesong for Orphans" with "preference Maxwell/#1731 adoption" written in the memo line and Lifesong will match it to give us a total of $50!!!  Or, you can donate online via Lifesong's PayPal account.  Simply make a note ~ "preference Maxwell/#1731" ~ to ensure that we receive your donation.

Summary ~
*Make checks payable to  ~ Lifesong for Orphans
*Memo Line ~ preference Maxwell/#1731 adoption
*Mail to ~ Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40 / 202 N. Ford St., Gridley, IL 61744
OR
*Pay online via PayPal ~ click HERE
*Make a note ~ preference Maxwell/#1731 adoption

All donations will go 100% towards our adoption expenses and are tax deductible!!!!

Would you please consider helping us continue to raise/save the remaining estimated $23,000 we need to bring our children home!!!

Fundraising Focus

Soup Supper & Silent Auction

 

Here is our NEWEST fundraiser!!!  We will be having a Soup Supper and Silent Auction on Saturday, February 19th, at Slater Baptist Church in Slater, Iowa.

Yikes!!!  That's only three weeks to get this all planned and ready to go!!!  We are still in need of some help, so if you are local and can help in any of the following areas, PLEASE let us know!!! 

*Silent Auction baskets/items ~ We have the following baskets/items promised: "Hair Bow" basket, "Kitchen" basket, 2 baby afghans, "Mary Kay" basket, "Edible Arrangements" has donated a basket :-), Wellspring gift certificate, etc.  Do you have any more ideas to help us?????

*Soups ~ We need more people to help by providing a crock pot of soup.

*Desserts ~ Can you help by making a pie, cake, cookies, etc.?

*Decorations/Set-up ~ I'm not good with decorating.  HELP!!!!!

Of course, in addition to volunteers to help us prepare for this fundraiser, we also need PEOPLE TO COME!!!!  Please help us pass along this information ~

What: Soup Supper & Silent Auction

When: Saturday, February 19th from 6-8 p.m.

Where: Slater Baptist Church, 601 Story Street, Slater, Iowa

Price: 2 yrs & under ~ FREE; 3-10 yrs ~ $3 each; 11 yrs & up ~ $5 each

Will we see YOU there???

Other Fundraisers ~ Homemade cards, African puzzle, Faith and Grace quilts, Just Love Coffee, Soda cans, Christmas ornaments

One Month DTE

Pam ~ We have been DTE one month as of today.  One month of "officially" waiting for our children.  One month of following the unofficial wait list on our Ethiopia adoption Yahoo group.  This wait list is unofficial because it only includes those families that have joined the YG and we know that not every family from our agency is a part of our group.  But it does give a visual to our waiting and gives us something to "stalk" and follow :-)

We are "unofficially" number.........

......in the "Siblings under 4 years" category.

This number is not a perfect representation of where we are because several families ahead of us have a more specific sibling request than we do.  We have been fairly broad in our request (either gender, ages 0-4 years) so we may receive a referral ahead of some of the families above us.  I remind myself daily that God has the perfect children already picked out for us and He will show us who they are in His perfect timing!!!!!

Fundraising Focus

Soda Cans

We began this fundraiser on June 18, and since then we have deposited 9,570 soda cans/bottles!!!!  That is $478.50 in soda can money!!!  Soooooooooooo many people have been gifting us their empty soda cans and bottles, and we have been redeeming them for a nickel apiece.  Every nickel adds up :-).

We deposit most of our cans/bottles at our local Dahl's store.  They have a nice room with several  machines (+ a sink to wash our hands when we're done!!!) and we have had GREAT service there.  Dahl's will not take generic brand cans, so we also visit HyVee occasionally.  And then the leftover cans (which neither Dahl's nor HyVee will take) we take to a local recycling center.

We have made up to three trips in a week with my car STUFFED full of cans/bottles, and we often make one trip a week.  Our largest "profit" in one trip was $34.05.

Please keep the soda cans and bottles coming our way!!!!

Other Fundraisers ~ Homemade cards, African puzzle, Faith and Grace quilts, Just Love Coffee, Christmas ornaments

Delivered!!!!

Pam ~ Our dossier was delivered to its final destination YESTERDAY!!!!  That was EXACTLY one week after it was shipped.  So, those of you who voted "one week" in our poll are our WINNERS!!!!!!  Speak up and let us know who you are.  Just leave a comment!!!!

Fundraising Focus

 Just Love Coffee

This is a super easy fundraiser we began last October.  We have a personalized "Just Love Coffee" webpage where people can go order some VERY yummy coffee and have it delivered directly to their front door.  We receive proceeds from EVERY SINGLE order and have a check mailed to us each month.

If you are a coffee drinker, would you please go check out our page and consider trying some of this coffee?  You may click on the link included in this e-mail, OR simply click on the "Just Love Coffee" photo and link on our sidebar.  There are MANY different options to chose from, so take a few minutes to look at everything.  Just make sure you start on OUR homepage (there is a picture of us) to make sure we receive our proceeds.

If you are interested in a little background as to how "Just Love Coffee" was started, keep reading :-)

Rob Webb knows coffee. When Rob was two years old, his father started Webb’s Coffee Service, which blossomed into a full-blown refreshment service supplying businesses in Nashville, TN and the surrounding areas, and is now run by Rob.

Rob Webb knows the adoption process. In the summer of 2008, Rob and his wife Emily were called to adopt from Ethiopia. After much prayer and discussion with their first two children they started their adoption journey in August 2008. During the flurry of paperwork and preparation, Rob & Emily read books not only on adoption in general, but specifically on Ethiopia. Learning that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee caught Rob’s attention, and after reading about the living conditions and wages of the average coffee farmer, he was compelled to take action. What developed through his reading and his trip to Ethiopia to unite with his daughters was a realization that he could combine his expertise and longstanding desire to roast his own coffees with his desire to help others. Just Love Coffee Roasters was born! Roasting Fair Trade Specialty coffees, Just Love uses proceeds to help an Ethiopian orphanage and families adopting not just from Ethiopia, but from anywhere in the world.

Other Fundraisers ~ Homemade cards, African puzzle, Faith and Grace quilts, Soda cans, Christmas ornaments

Life's Storms

Nate ~ It's funny.  The last six months we have seen some really amazing things...and we've seen some really hard things.  We've had so many people show us that they love us by supporting our adoption.  We've had still others financially support us by giving to our adoption.  We've had unexpected expenses.  We've had unexpected delays in paperwork.  We've had points of contention in our marriage (Come on.  You aren't surprised.  I do make up 1/2 of this marriage :o).  Yet we still haven't learned.  There are still plenty of times (even last week) where we are surprised when God blesses us.  And there are times when we still doubt Him when a hardship shows up.

Here is a quote that has really helped me.

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock."  

Here is the amazing thing to me.  The Man who made this statement was not promising that the storm wouldn't come.  See, the storm still came.  The rain, the flood, and the winds, and they BEAT on that house.  It's not that there won't be storms, it's that the house will stand.  The storm will pass.

If you are interested, the quote is Matthew 7:24-25.  And yes, verse 26 goes on to say that someone who hears and doesn't listen will be like a man who built their house on the sand.  I thank God for a firm foundation where I can have the confidence that no matter what life brings, God will bring us through it and the storm will pass.

Where in the World is Our Dossier

Pam ~ We received an e-mail yesterday afternoon letting us know that our dossier is on its way from our agency's headquarters, and it's heading to Ethiopia!!!  We were told to not worry if the package makes stops in Europe or other countries for long periods of time.  Apparently that is normal and they have seen it happen often.

So........I am now a FedEx stalker :-).  I have a tracking number and will be following our dossier on its journey.  If you are interested in following it with me, just look over to the upper right side of the blog.  How long do you think it will take before it gets to Ethiopia????  You can vote over on the right!!!!  Let's see how close we can guess!!!!!

Fundraising Focus

Faith and Grace Quilts

In October, I had a good friend from college contact me about doing a fundraiser for our adoption.  Karen likes to make quilts and she wants to make a quilt for each of our children that is put together via donations from family and friends.

Here is how it works.  For a minimum $10 donation, Karen will make a quilt block.  Each block will feature an appliqued star and no two blocks will be made of the same fabric.  On the back of the quilt, she will put your name so our children will know who helped bring them home!!!  

If you are interested in helping put together these quilts, just contact Karen over at her blog ~ 27 Penguin Place ~ and let her know how many quilt squares you would like to sponsor.  She has information on her blog as to how to send her the money.  She is collecting all the money from this fundraiser and will send us a check along with the quilts when they are finished.

I can't wait to see these quilts!!!  Will you please help her put these quilts together for our children?!?!?!

Other Fundraisers ~ Homemade cards, African puzzle, Just Love Coffee, Soda cans, Christmas ornaments

My True BIRTHday