There's Nothing My God cannot Do!

Our God is so GREAT

So strong and so Mighty

There's NOTHING my God cannot do!

(a favorite song of my kids)

It sounds like there is more positive news circulating about adoption in Ethiopia.  From what I have gathered, it seems like they are trying to reform the adoption program in Ethiopia, but not completely shut it down-PRAISE GOD!  The government and officials there certainly still need your prayers.

As for our specific case, we got some updates yesterday.  MOWA has asked for an updated signature on one of our documents.  I guess it was over a year old while Endale was in the orphanage.  The in-country representative from our agency, who is so diligent and wonderful, is working to get the new signature on that document.  He's hoping to have it back to MOWA by next week; however, January 7 is the day Ethiopia celebrates Christmas, so that may slow things down a bit.  Once MOWA has this updated signature, they SHOULD issue our court date!  So we are praying to get there some time in January to kiss our boy's sweet face and make him a Sellers forever! 

Please continue to pray for the following:

-Our agency director and other employees that have been bombarded with crazy adoptive families like us anxious over the news the last few days.  They have handled the situations with grace and continue to put these children needing homes as their top priorities.

-Our Endale who is smiling the days away having no idea that a family across the world is anxiously awaiting his homecoming.

-The Ethiopian government officials that will be making decisions in the coming days to reform their adoption process and the millions of orphans that need a home and will be affected by their decision one way or another.

-Continued peace for our family.  We know that God is with us and Endale and that His timing is perfect.

Thank you for praying for us!

Everything is YOURS God

I have been waiting to get a little more information before I posted anything about what I was learning with the Ethiopian adoption process.  We were told before Christmas to get everything in order, because it was very likely we would travel before Christmas.  Well, Christmas came and went and we still didn't have a court date.  Then, we got an email from our agency stating that the Ministry of Women Affairs (MOWA) was closed.  MOWA needs to issue a letter for our case to the Ethiopian court so they can give us a court date.

Well, now we have more pieces to the puzzle.  MOWA has been shut down for a few weeks.  December 26th MOWA met to end all Ethiopian adoptions.  You can read more here.

We were able to have an online chat with our agency this evening to get a better grasp about what this means for everyone in the process.  Basically, it seems that no one really knows.  In our particular agency, we are the farthest along in the process.  When asked what would happen to the families that are already matched with children, they said they really don't know.  In some other countries, matched families have been grandfathered in and completed the process; however, we know that hasn't been the case in all countries.

Here are two things you can do:

Contact our Senators to join the Children in Families First Bill (CHIFF). 

But first and foremost, we ask that you pray.  Please pray for the Ethiopian government.  Pray for the Prime Minister who will have to approve anything that might be brought before him.  Please pray that MOWA would open up this week and issue our court date, so we can get over there and get our boy!  From what I understand, they haven't stopped anything yet; however, MOWA has not been working in the last few weeks due to these meetings.  We need MOWA to come back to work!  Pray for the orphans in Ethiopia.  This would mean that no one could bring them home...to deserving, loving families.  Pray for our sweet little guy. We are ready to go see him.

As all of the news starting coming in about the meeting in Ethiopia, God reminded me that Endale is HIS.   The Almighty has gone before us.  I am simply a vessel.  Endale is Yours God.  His Glory will continued to be revealed in this story that He is writing.

  Steven Curtis Chapman's song,"Yours"says it best:

And I hear children's voices singing,
Of a God Who heals, and rescues and restores
And I'm reminded
That every child in Africa is Yours!

CHORUS
And its all Yours, God, Yours God,
Everything is Yours!
From the stars in the sky,
To the depths of the ocean floor!
And its all Yours God, Yours God,
Everything is Yours!
You're the Maker and Keeper,
Father and Ruler of everything!
It's all Yours

Thank you in advance for storming the Throne on our behalf. 

All I wanted for Christmas was a court date

While I did not post it due to it not actually happening, we were told about 3 and a half weeks ago to get everything in order, because we could have a court date BEFORE Christmas.  We put everything into high gear getting ready for the possibility of leaving.  Well, Christmas came and went and we still don't have a court date.

We heard from our agency yesterday.  They said that MOWA (Ministry of Women's Affairs in Ethiopia) is on "evaluation".  I'm not certain what that means, but their employees are off during this time and not expected to return for a week.  MOWA needs to issue our "letter of favorable determination" to the court so that they can give us our court date.  Until they are back and issue the letter, we won't be getting our court date.  Ethiopia celebrates Christmas on January 7, so I would imagine it will be at the very least two weeks out before we'd even know our court date.

While I am bummed that we haven't held him in our arms yet, God has taught me to trust in His timing through the years.  I know that He knows the day we'll get to sweep our baby boy up in our arms,  kiss his sweet face and rub our hands through his precious curly hair.  For now, we pray for him and think of him everyday and long for him to be here with his family.

Thank you for your continued prayers and anticipation to meet our newest blessing!

Happy Feet

A little glimpse of our little man....I can't wait to show the world his sweet face!

We got our PAIR letter!

When we first began this process, the agency mentioned over and over again that we'd be under the "new PAIR (pre-adoptive immigration review) process" for Ethiopia.  A process they even today are still trying to figure out, because it's new.  It was implemented on September 1 of this year, so our adoption would be included in this.  It is basically changing the order of the adoption process in Ethiopia and making sure all the "t's" are crossed and the "i's" are dotted before the final court date where a child would be officially adopted.  The USCIS does a complete investigation making sure the child is truly an orphan and meets the orphan standards by the US, so he/she can be issued a visa to come to the US. It is also supposed to help avoid long wait times between the court date and homecoming.

It's hard to believe that we are here!  Our investigation is complete and pending our final court date, our baby boy can come home to live with his forever family!  We received our PAIR letter yesterday in the mail and had it in our possession a whole hour (maybe).  We scanned it to our agency and got down to overnight it to be authenticated in Washington D.C.

 Last Christmas, I had no idea how God was going to grow us and bless us this year.  I cannot wait to hold our boy in my arms.  It won't be long!!

• Apply with agency
• Home Study Process
• Home Study Approval
• File USCIS Paperwork
• Complete USCIS fingerprinting and biometrics screening
• Assemble International Dossier for Ethiopia
• International Dossier authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Accept Referral of our baby boy
• File PAIR agreement
• PAIR letter submitted to Ethiopia
• Embassy Birthmother interview
• Court issues first court date for birthmother
• First court date with birthmother
• Investigation complete
  
• PAIR approval letter issued
• Receive PAIR letter
• Approval Letter Authenticated in Washington D.C.
•  OUR court date is issued and make arrangements to travel.
• Meet our boy face to face!
• Go to court.
• Case passes court.
• Court issues adoption documents
• Agency applies for new birth certificate and passport for our boy.
• Medical appointment by an Embassy approved physician.
• Submit case to Embassy
• Clear Embassy
• GO GET OUR BABY BOY AND BRING HIM HOME!!!!

Investigation is Complete!

We got the email we've been waiting for since after the birth mother interview!  We received an email from the Embassy saying that our Investigation is complete.  Our results are sent to the National Benefits Center (NBC) in Missouri where they will issue our PAIR approval letter!  We should hear from them and/or have our PAIR letter within the next two weeks.  Once we receive our letter it will have to be sent to Washington D.C. to be authenticated.  While we're waiting, we could hear of our court date to travel to Ethiopia to meet our boy!!!  

Obviously at this stage we can't say for sure when we we will travel.  What I do know is that I have been communicating with another family who is a little bit ahead of us in the process.  Their court date was one month and one day from the day they received the email stating their investigation was complete (the one we got today).   Our situation will have to factor in all the holidays coming up that will affect the US Embassy (Christmas and New Years) and the Ethiopian Court (Ethiopian Christmas-Jan 7).  

I marked three more things off our checklist!
Here's what our process looks like in the next few weeks:

• Apply with agency
• Home Study Process
• Home Study Approval
• File USCIS Paperwork
• Complete USCIS fingerprinting and biometrics screening
• Assemble International Dossier for Ethiopia
• International Dossier authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Accept Referral of our baby boy
• File PAIR agreement
• PAIR letter submitted to Ethiopia
• Embassy Birth Mother Interview
• Court issues first court date for birth mother
• First Court Date with birth mother
• Embassy investigation complete
• National Benefit Center issues PAIR approval letter 
• Receive our PAIR letter
• Approval Letter Authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Get issued OUR court date and make arrangements to travel.
• Meet our boy face to face!
• Go to court.
• Our case passes court.
• Court issues adoption documents
• Our agency applies for new birth certificate and passport for our boy.
• Medical appointment by an Embassy approved physician.
• Submit case to Embassy
• Clear Embassy
• GO GET OUR BABY BOY AND BRING HIM HOME!!!!

Lots to Be Thankful For!!!

We were hoping to get our Embassy birth mother interview scheduled for the day of or at least week of the first court date that also involves the birth mother.  After our power of attorney requested a certain day next week, the embassy responded that they were booked through Dec. 2 and that would be our birth mother interview day.  I could roll with that!  That still wasn't far away.

Well....in comes SUPER SUE our agency director.  She contacted the embassy explaining that the birth mother has gone missing a couple of times and asked if there was any way they could move it up.  Guess what God did????  Our Embassy interview was moved up to next Wednesday, November 27!!!!!  

First Court Date, Tuesday, November 26

Birth Mother Interview at Embassy, Wednesday, November 27

What a Thanksgiving we will have knowing these two appointments are done! If all goes as planned and follows the approximate time lines of the families in front of us in the this new process, OUR court date would be about 6 weeks after the birth mother interview!  Again, this would all be based on these two appointment needing no extra documentation, paperwork being correct and all parties being present!

Please continue to pray for the birth mother.  Even though she gave him up right after he was born, I really imagine that she still thinks about him every single day.  After reading an interesting article on adoption yesterday, my perspective of these two dates totally changed.  These two dates represent a separation of a family....a mother and child.  It is hard to rejoice in that.  We know that was all part of God's plan for Endale's life.  We certainly would never want a mother to give up her child, but we are so blessed that God chose us to be his forever family.  

We have a big week ahead.  If you think of us, we welcome the prayers on behalf of this birth mother, the courts and embassy and our baby boy, Endale. 

God continues to add pages in Endale's story....

We got exciting news this morning that the 1st court date with the Ethiopian Court is scheduled for November 26!!!!!  That's next week!!!!! We also found out that the orphanage had sent out a social worker to meet with the mom.  It seems she's moved several times since Endale was born.

Our agency is working with the US Embassy to try and get the birth mother interview rescheduled (the one she missed last week).  They are hoping to schedule it on the same day as the court date.  This would be huge in our timeline of going to get him to get both of those knocked out in one day!  God is able!

 Please join us in praying in some specific ways:

1)  Continue to pray for this sweet birth mother.  I cannot imagine the fear, confusion, etc. she is dealing with.  Pray that the social worker can explain the process and that she will feel a unimaginable peace straight from God Himself.  Pray that she can make it to the court date easily and with no issues.

2)  Pray that the US Embassy would be able to accommodate this birth mother and schedule the birth interview on the same day as the court date.  This would be two huge steps marked off of our process and get it all done in one day for the birth mother.

3)  Pray for our agency.  We have been blessed by the people that are tirelessly working to get our baby boy home.  Pray that they are blessed abundantly for the work that they are doing in matching orphans with families.

4)  Last, but certainly not least...continue praying for our baby boy.  Our family is anxiously awaiting his homecoming.  We are trusting the Lord's timing as He's writing each chapter of Endale's story, but this mother's heart cannot wait to get my arms around him.  It's hard not to think of every day and the milestones we're missing.  Help us to be patient...it's so hard!

Here again is the order of our process...we're hoping to get two more things marked off by next week!

• Apply with agency
• Home Study Process
• Home Study Approval
• File USCIS Paperwork
• Complete USCIS fingerprinting and biometrics screening
• Assemble International Dossier for Ethiopia
• International Dossier authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Accept Referral of our baby boy
• File PAIR agreement
• PAIR letter submitted to Ethiopia
• Embassy Birth mother interview
• Court issues first court date for birthmother
• First Court Date with Birth Mother
• Embassy issues PAIR approval letter
• Approval Letter Authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Submit case to Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs in Ethiopia
• MOWYCA submits letter of favorable determination
• We get issued OUR court date and make arrangements to travel.
• We meet our boy face to face!
• We go to court.
• Our case passes court.
• Court issues adoption documents
• Our agency applies for new birth certificate and passport for our boy.
• He has a medical appointment by an Embassy approved physician.
• Submit case to Embassy
• Clear Embassy
• GO GET OUR BABY BOY AND BRING HIM HOME!!!!

Story of Endale....by God

Thursday morning (9:30pm Wednesday our time) was our scheduled birth mom interview with the US Embassy in Ethiopia.  We had been told that the orphanage could not find the birth mom earlier this week.  There was some thought that she was afraid someone might make her take the baby back and she was fearful of this appointment.  

We received an email through the night letting us know that she did not come to the interview.  So from here.....our power of attorney will request another interview time and date and they will continue to try and find her.  If she cannot be located, at some point, they will request that our case turns into a case of abandonment of the child versus relinquishment of the child.  I don't know yet what the time frame looks like for that.  

We are super disappointed.  This interview would have put us with a possible first travel date in December.  We are obviously looking at a longer waiting period.  I was able to speak with our agency director last night and ask her all the "what ifs".  It seems like worst case scenario, it just means that it will take longer.

It's funny how in my previous post, I expanded on God's ways versus our ways.  It certainly is easier on the other side of bad news to anticipate God's ways.  We don't understand the timing of all of this.  We don't know why God would get us to this point the way He has and then there be an issue we didn't plan on.  But that is why THIS IS NOT OUR WAY.   God is in control of this situation.  We know that He loves Endale more than we do and we are head over heals for this boy already!  God is the author of Endale's story!! 

His ways are good.  His ways are true.  We will put our hope and trust in Him.

In the mean time, my heart is anxious to get to my baby boy.  Please pray for the birth mom, Endale and our family as we wait to see God's handiwork unfold in the rest of Endale's story.

His Ways are not Our Ways

 

I love this verse.  I love that God knows exactly what He has in mind for us and we don't need to worry about it.  If I had chosen how my story would be written out, I would have missed out on times to lean on Him.  I would have certainly taken the easier route...avoiding loss of a job, infertility, loss of a baby, my husband having cancer twice, just to name a few.  If I had "my way", I would not trust Him the way I do and live for Him completely surrendered to what He has for me even when I cannot see what He is trying to do at the moment.

I am a recovering people pleaser and perfectionist.  I have been through so many stages of my life dealing with these two issues.  There was the stage where I thought because I was those things I was better than everyone else.  Then, there was a time where I absolutely hated (and I don't say that lightly) those two areas of who I was.  I still struggle with that.  Hating that part of me where my flesh takes over and says or does things that I am not proud of.

Even though I know without a doubt that God put the desire in my heart long ago to adopt a child with Down Syndrome, I still at one time was trying to take control and do it "my way".  About two years ago, I surrendered my way to God and asked Him to do it HIS WAY.  That is what is so absolutely beautiful about this story.  If I had done it my way, I wouldn't be planning a trip to Ethiopia in the near future!  If I had done it my way, I would have closed the door to any child that didn't look like my other children.  If I had done it my way, I might have said, "Not now."

What would I have missed out on had I tried to do it my way?  It makes me sick to think of that possibility.  I have seen God show up in a big way over the last 3 months.  We've been able to show our kids how God has provided for us in such a tangible way.  We've been able to see His love for this little child by the way He is making His way unfold before our eyes.

So, maybe instead of a recovering perfectionist (doing things my way), I would like to call myself a "REFINED and RENEWED" perfectionist and pleaser.  You see, there is only one that I want to please and I know His way is perfect for me.  I want whatever He wants for me.  There is much freedom in being in this place.

Isaiah 55:8-9

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Swim-a-thon

Camden raised $523 towards his plane ticket to Ethiopia during his swim-a-thon. Many people sponsored him by the lap and others gave him a flat donation.  It was so great for him to earn part of his way.  He swam 36 laps!!  He is so excited to go with us to Ethiopia to meet his new brother.

Great is Thy faithfulness

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

I spent some serious time in prayer this weekend about our baby boy, our situation and most specifically the finances that need to come about before we travel.  I cannot miss this opportunity to share what God has done.  How silly of me to worry.  I know that not only is He going to meet all of MY needs, but He will also meet all the needs of this little boy that I am so in love with across the world.  He cares for him.  He wants to see this adoption through.  He is going to provide all of his needs...and that includes making sure we can get to him and bring him home.

  

On paper, the cost of this adoption was IMPOSSIBLE. We needed to come up with $34,000 to cover our home study, USCIS fees, agency fees, two trips to Ethiopia and post adoption costs.  Oh and did I mention, we just started this process at the end of July and we are preparing to travel in the next 3 months??  

I've shared before about the phone call and how our lives changed that day.  You can read about it here.  We were challenged to live out our faith and our obedience to God.  We knew God had placed a desire to adopt a child with Down Syndrome in our hearts.  What we didn't know is that we would travel to Ethiopia to get him! 

It's been funny to see people's reactions and listen to their questions.  "Have you thought about this?"  "Have you thought about that?"  We realize raising this sweet boy will come with challenges.  We are ready and willing.  Our lives are not our own.  We've been bought by a price.  God has called this family to love this little boy.  We acted in obedience in saying "yes!" even though there was fear in how we would pay for this.  I can tell you God has come through over and over again in the last 3 months.  It has been amazing to see Him make a way for this little boy to come home with us.

I want to make sure that He receives ALL the glory.  This is all His doing. We are in awe that He has chosen us and that He has supplied and met all our baby boy's needs.  We cannot wait to see God's glory shine through Endale.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me

Just a little peek.....

While we'd love to show the world how incredibly adorable our baby boy is, we cannot do it publicly until he is officially ours; however, we can give you a little peek.  He is a cutie!  He helped us by covering up his face to not let people know his true identity.....in perfect super hero fashion.  Trust me, if you could see his face, it would melt your heart.  I can't wait to show him to the world, but for now you can adore his curly locks!

Silent Auction and Live Dessert Auction Fundraiser

Some wonderful friends from our church put together an AMAZING Silent Auction and Live Dessert Auction.  It was so much fun!  We had a great crowd, lots of laughs and raised over $2300!  We are so thankful to everyone who brought yummy desserts and donated items/services for the auction.  We walked away from this night knowing that our family and more especially this sweet gift from God waiting for us in Ethiopia is loved abundantly.

Laura, Bianca, Christy, Katie

Shelby was helping Maylee Grace sell her original masterpieces to raise money for our sweet baby boy

Our awesome auctioneer that wouldn't let the dessert go for less than he approved of at the auction. 

Maylee Grace and Julianna

PAIR letter submitted to Ethiopia!

One more thing checked off the list!

• Apply with agency
• Home Study Process
• Home Study Approval
• File USCIS Paperwork
• Complete USCIS fingerprinting and biometrics screening
• Assemble International Dossier for Ethiopia
• International Dossier authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Accept Referral of our baby boy
• File PAIR agreement
• PAIR letter submitted to Ethiopia
• Embassy issues PAIR approval letter
• Approval Letter Authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Submit case to Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs in Ethiopia
• Court issues first court date for birthmother
• MOWYCA submits letter of favorable determination
• We get issued OUR court date and make arrangements to travel.
• We meet our boy face to face!
• We go to court.
• Our case passes court.
• Court issues adoption documents
• Our agency applies for new birth certificate and passport for our boy.
• He has a medical appointment by an Embassy approved physician.
• Submit case to Embassy
• Clear Embassy
• GO GET OUR BABY BOY AND BRING HIM HOME!!!!

Update

I spoke with our agency director this morning.  She gave me a run down of where we're at in the process.  At this point, we are waiting for our PAIR (pre-adoptive immigration review) approval letter.  The timeline given to us by the USCIS (US Citizen and Immigration Services) is 8-12 weeks.  

The PAIR process is the new process implemented September 1, 2013 for all Ethiopian adoptions.  The PAIR approval is an investigation that used to take place between the two trips to Ethiopia for adoptions hence the long time period between first and second trips.  Now this investigation is done before our court date in Ethiopia.  This helps the time from our court date in Ethiopia to homecoming MUCH shorter (from 3-6 months down to 2-4 weeks).

Currently, our paperwork is being processed in Missouri at the NBC (National Benefits Center).  From there, it will be forwarded to Embassy in Ethiopia.  After approval in Ethiopia, we will receive an official PAIR approval letter.  This letter will then have to have a State Seal from our Secretary of State in Santa Fe, NM and then it will be sent to the "Assistant Stork" in Washington, D.C. to get authenticated.  Then, it will be sent back to Ethiopia.  

Once Ethiopia receives our PAIR approval letter, the court process will begin.  There are two court dates involved.  The first court date is with the birthmother/relative/orphanage director (anyone that can represent our boy).  After or even on that court date, we will be issued OUR court date!  Right now, the time frame from finding out the court date to being in country is 1-2 weeks!!  YIKES.  We'll have to be ready to go.  

Then, we'll travel to Ethiopia where we'll get to meet our boy face to face and hold him in our arms.  The court date will be the following day.  Barring no problems, he will be our son after that court date!   After that court date, we have to wait for the adoption decree to be filed, a new birth certificate to be issued, a passport and then finally his visa.  We will most likely  make two trips rather than stay in country.  Then we will make a second trip to bring Endale home. 
Our director believes he'll be home no later than February!!!

What happens next?

I have had several people ask what happens next for us.  It is a very detailed process and a lot of things still have to take place before we can travel.  That is why it will most likely be the beginning of next year. We are praying that it is quick and smooth.  We know God's hand is in this completely and He can do amazing things that we'd never expect.  He's already showed us that!

Here is a simplified order of the process:

• Apply with agency
• Home Study Process
• Home Study Approval
• File USCIS Paperwork
• Complete USCIS fingerprinting and biometrics screening
• Assemble International Dossier for Ethiopia
• International Dossier authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Accept Referral of our baby boy
• File PAIR agreement
• PAIR letter submitted to Ethiopia
• Embassy issues PAIR approval letter
• Approval Letter Authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Submit case to Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs in Ethiopia
• Court issues first court date for birthmother
• MOWYCA submits letter of favorable determination
• We get issued OUR court date and make arrangements to travel.
• We meet our boy face to face!
• We go to court.
• Our case passes court.
• Court issues adoption documents
• Our agency applies for new birth certificate and passport for our boy.
• He has a medical appointment by an Embassy approved physician.
• Submit case to Embassy
• Clear Embassy
• GO GET OUR BABY BOY AND BRING HIM HOME!!!!

So at this stage of the game, we are waiting for our PAIR (Pre-Adoptive Immigration Review) to be approved (8-12 weeks).  This is a new step implemented September 1 this year.....lucky us....for all adoptions in Ethiopia.  This process still happened before, but typically after meeting the child and the court date.  Now, we file and have to get approval before we can go to court.  It is also supposed to cut down on the amount of time between our two trips to Ethiopia and ensure you can complete the process.  Our trips will most likely be 2-3 weeks apart.  The first trip will be meeting him and going to court where (if we pass) he will be officially be our son!  Then, we wait for all the documents, birth certificate, passport and Embassy Doctor's appointment before we can clear Embassy and go back and get him!  

Goosebumps.

As our puzzle started taking shape, I started thinking about what the back would look like once we finished it.  This morning the glue had dried and I turned it over.  I got goosebumps.  You have no idea what this picture does to me.  God's provision through so many different people that mean so very much to us.  We are truly blessed by this picture and what it means.

Camden's passport arrived!

This week, Matt's renewed passport arrived and Camden got his as well! 

We're ready to go!

OUR PUZZLE IS FINISHED!!!!!!!

We have sold 1000 puzzle pieces!

Let me say that one more time....We have sold 1000 puzzle pieces! 
We are in complete shock.  Honestly, when we started this huge undertaking we figured there would come a time that we'd just have to finish the puzzle because no one else would want to buy anymore pieces.  Isn't God in the business of blessing our socks off!?!?!  Later this week, we will add the final pieces to the puzzle.  All glory goes to God. 

To us, it is a beautiful picture of all the relationships we've had over...well, forever!  We have family members,  friends, church members, neighbors, former youth students, loved ones that have passed away and even family pets on our puzzle pieces!  

This will be a treasure in our house forever.  Thank you.  We are truly humbled by the generosity of all of the people in our lives.

You may ask, what next?  Well, let me assure you that we still have a long ways to go to meet our $28,000 fund goal, but God has been faithful every step of the way.  

Here are a few more fun ways you can support our family in the upcoming days if you'd like:

1.  My sweet friend is hosting a Thirty-One party in honor of Endale!  All proceeds will go to our adoption costs.  You can come to the party or you can shop online.  Click here to begin shopping.

2.  Some wonderful ladies from Paragon Church have been working on a Silent Auction and Dessert Auction.  It will be October 20 at 6:30pm at FBCRR.  If you haven't seen our sweet boy yet, you will get a glimpse of his pictures and the video of him that night!  Watch for more details to come!

3. We are going to order T-shirts in the next week. We will have a few for sale the night of the auction or you can pre-order your size by this Friday.  The shirts will be $15 (local) or $20 (shipped to our friends outside of NM.)