In case you haven't heard, we have BIG news!
We are adopting a child!
And not just any child. But a sunshiney, beautiful, 4-year-old girl from Inner Mongolia, China who comes perfectly complete with a magical bonus chromosome (boring medical speak, she has Down Syndrome). We have chosen the name "Nella" for our daughter-to-be, which means "shining light" or "bright one." One look at her smile and you'll see why! We are beyond excited and are doing everything we can to be prepared to welcome this sweet little girl into our family.
Our journey to adoption really started long ago, and some day I will write the full version of how we got here. But for now, let's just say that a couple years ago we really started intentionally asking God to "break our hearts for what breaks Yours. Give us eyes to see what You see, and the courage to pour out our lives for others." And can I be honest that we prayed a little hesitantly, because isn't it just like God to answer those kinds of prayers? And isn't it just like us to be afraid of how that might disrupt our comfortable lives? Well all that was true, the mixing of anticipation and hope and fear. And God certainly did answer: our hearts have been thoroughly shattered for the millions of children worldwide that are growing up without the loving family they so desperately deserve. We have new eyes. New pain. New questions. New answers. New priorities. New dreams. Not easy. Nope, not a bit. Ok, full honesty: the month we had Nella's file and were debating our answer to her was HARD. Scary hard. Question-everything hard. Suddenly it got real…no longer could we say "yes we would," now it had to be "yes we will." I will never forget that last late-night conversation, the deep guttural wrestling in the final hour. Back and forth we went, and then Adam looked at me and said, "I feel like we're at the start of an intense through-hike. And we're being asked to start walking with no backpack, no map, no plan, no tent, no water…just the promise that we will have what we need when we need it. But I know God will come through. So let's go get her." Amen! So we jumped off the cliff and said yes to a little girl. And the peace that came flooding after that? It truly does surpass all understanding. Do we still have questions? Yes. Worries? Some. Doubts? Nope. We are exactly where we are supposed to be. And we absolutely feel like the lucky ones to play a small part in God's redemptive story. And though love always requires sacrifice it doesn't feel like work. It feels abundant and unexpected and beautiful. It feels a lot like Jesus.
Ah, if only that could be the end-of-the-beginning and we could just jump on a plane and go get her! But first paperwork. Lots of paperwork. And money. Lots and lots of money.
So now for the nitty-gritty.
The total cost for bringing Nella home is about $35,000. Why SO MUCH you ask? (Yup, right there with you). This huge number is broken into two major pieces: about $16,000 in adoption-related fees (home study expenses, background checks, fingerprinting, agency fees, China fees, document certification fees, required adoption education courses, mailing costs, etc) and about $19,000 in travel and China's adoption expenses (international flights, in-country flights, the required orphanage donation of $5500, China document fees, hotels, guides, food). Whew! We are working very hard to find ways to reduce the travel expenses, but for now those numbers are what we are working with.
So far we have been able to pay $15,000 of the adoption costs on our own, but now we need your help! We have about 2 months to raise the remaining $20,000 , as we are anticipating receiving clearance to travel to China to bring Nella home in the next 3-4 months.
We hope that by inviting you into this process, you will see yourself as part of the community that we know is standing ready to surround our sweet girl. Yes, we need your financial support, but we also need your prayers, your phone calls, your encouraging texts, your playdates, your coffee dates, your understanding shoulder to cry on, your laughter, your favorite comfort food, your Chinese cooking skills, your advice, your old minivan (anyone?!), your air miles (yes please), your amazing love and support. However you want to participate in this crazy thing God is doing, we say yes please! and thank you.
