Since 2013, while planning our wedding and envisioning our future family, the call to adoption was present. Paige grew up in a beautiful family with an adopted brother and sister and has always felt the Lord calling her to adopt. But for Randy, who didn't know anyone who was adopted, the idea seemed wonderful but not something he felt called to do. So fast forward a couple years, as our faith in God was growing and maturing we started praying for ears to hear his voice. And in December of 2018 he answered BIG TIME! He spoke to us both in different ways, but in a way that we both understood. He was calling us to adopt. With excited hearts we began thinking through how we would accomplish this and decided that we would need four years to save up the funds! (Right, $10,000 a year seemed hard but "doable" to us) But after that conversation, Paige felt like God was calling us to raise $40,000 by June of 2019… It's a lot of money… and not much time! But the wonderfully scary realization became clear to us both, our son was out in the world somewhere and we needed to move quickly to find him and bring him home. So where are we at in the process? We have paid our first fee, been pre-approved to adopt by our adoption agency, and have been matched with their South Korea program. We now need to raise the almost $2,000 for the first US Processing fee and IAAME fee, plus the $3,000-$5,000 needed to complete a home study. By the end of the adoption we are anticipating costs to exceed $50,000 which is why we have set a goal of $40,000 to help with the financial hurdles that seem impossible at this time.
Outside of this crowdfunding campaign we are tightening our monthly expenses, selling items on Facebook yard sales, and will be organizing a t-shirt fundraiser. However, we recognize without a doubt that this adoption will be funded through the grace and goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ. As much as we are expecting to do everything in our power to raise this money, it would be impossible without Him. Therefore, before this fundraiser is complete we praise and celebrate the Lord for his goodness and faithfulness!
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and our heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6: 25-33
I reflect on this section of the Bible when my fears and anxieties about funding this adoption rears its ugly head. The Lord is calling us to adopt and he will provide!
Thank you and God bless.
