The Adoption Puzzle

Our adoption cost will range from $20,000-25,000.  That is a daunting number.  We know that there are all sorts of pieces to this puzzle to be able to bring Endale home.  We want you to have a chance to be a piece to this puzzle!

This is how the Adoption Puzzle works.  You may purchase a piece(s) of the puzzle for $10.  We will write the name(s) of family members on the puzzle piece you purchased.  As the puzzle pieces are purchased, we will begin to assemble the puzzle and post the progress here on the blog.  You can watch for your name and piece to be added.  When the puzzle is complete, we will frame it between two pieces of glass, so that we will always have a reminder of all the pieces coming together and all the people who helped bring Endale home!

You can donate through the PayPal link on our home page, in person or mail a check to:

Matt and Christy Sellers

Adoption Fund

3213 Cascades Tr. SE

Rio Rancho, NM  87124

Please include what name(s) you would like on the puzzle piece(s).

*See our updated puzzle status HERE*

Special Delivery

Our program director, Sue, is traveling to Ethiopia next week.  She said that she would be happy to take our Endale anything I could get into a 2 gallon zip lock bag.  So, off to Walmart we went to buy some clothes and baby items.  The kids helped pick out things they thought he would like.

 

 Before I boxed up the zip lock bag, I prayed over all of these baby items.  It's possible that nothing new has ever touched his sweet skin.  It's possible that he has never had anything that was all his.  I am so excited that Sue will get to see him.  She is an occupational therapist and will be able to assess him while she is there.  She also said she'd get several pictures and some video of him!

It's a BOY!

On Monday, July 22, we committed to the agency to begin the journey to adopt an almost 1 year old Down Syndrome little boy.  His name is Endale and he lives in Ethiopia.  And very soon, he will be home with us.

 This is a picture that Maylee Grace drew shortly after we told the kids about adopting a baby.  They are thrilled!  We do have a picture of our sweet Endale, but cannot post any pictures publicly until he is officially ours.  I would be happy to show you a picture in private any time.

God's Leading

Obviously, over the course of the last 48 hours, our minds had been consumed with all the questions of how this could ever work.  We thought about the changes this would mean in our family.  This was no small decision.

My heart was ready.  I would have jumped on the plane that day and gone to get this little boy.  Saturday morning, I got up and went to the gym.  I am pretty sure that the events that followed will forever be etched in my mind like a divine moment straight from God.  I began my workout and forgot to turn my music on. I had my earphones, but it was silent.  I began to pray very specifically.  I prayed that God would show Matt very boldly what we needed to do...whether we needed to begin the process of adoption or hold off and wait for another opportunity.  I prayed that God would very directly lead Matt and my life long desire to adopt a DS child would not hinder the clear voice of God.  That was my prayer.

When I got home from the gym, I sat down on the couch.  Matt was sitting in his recliner...and I will never forget this moment.  He began telling me that he couldn't sleep the night before and just spend a lot of time in prayer.  Then, he says, "God told me, we need to do this.   This little boy needs us.  More than building a church, God calls us to care for the orphans and THAT's what we're going to do."

I looked up at him with tears in my eyes completely overwhelmed by God so specifically answering my prayer.  Wow.  I cannot even put into words what a peace that we feel about this piece of His plan He has for us.  I cannot wait to see His glory revealed through this special plan that we get to be a part of.  I am overwhelmed that He chose us to love Endale.  My cup runneth over.

 

God is in the Mountain Movin' Business

Early Thursday morning, my phone rang.  It was a lady who had missed my message the night before and was calling me back.  I explained our situation that we need an International Home Study done quickly and asked if there was anything she might be able to do if we decided to proceed with this adoption.  She proceeded to tell me that if I could complete all of my paperwork and tasks on my end for the International Home Study, she could have her part done in  2 weeks (pending our fingerprints coming back) and it would be 1/3 the cost of everyone else I talked to!  I told her that we as a couple had agreed to spend a couple of more days in prayer and I would call her back if we decided to move forward with this adoption.  First mountain....moved.

Text + Phone Call = Change Our Lives Forever

On Wednesday morning, my sister, Carrie, sent me a text telling me about an agency that was trying to place an almost 1 year old boy with Down Syndrome.  My heart did a flip!  This is something I have been praying about for months, years and even since I was in high school.  I knew that God had given me a special burden for Down Syndrome children.  I felt God's call to one day adopt a Down Syndrome.

I called Celebrate Children International and bombarded the poor lady with questions.  They were looking for a "paper ready" family (which we were not).  They needed a committed family right away, so they could keep him in their facility.  If not, he would be moved to a lesser situation.

Matt came home for lunch and I know he was not prepared for what I was going to put out on the table!  I shared with him about the phone call.  He left to go back to work and said, "Make some phone calls."  I spent the afternoon calling places to see if anyone could do an International Home Study quickly (which is almost unheard of).  There are so many steps and it typically takes around 3 months to complete.  No one seemed to be able to accommodate our situation, so we assumed this was a closed door.

We went to bed praying that if this was God's will, He would clearly direct us and move mountains.