The Generosity of Others and a Season Revisited

I can't explain the mixture of feelings in my heart as we prepare to leave for Ethiopia soon. Bags are starting to be packed, items checked off the list, and the countdown on our kitchen wall is getting lower. God is so good!

But I really want to say a blanket THANK YOU for those who are walking so closely in this process with us! Friends from previous seasons have been pouring so generously into our adoption fund. Just as we have been taking bold steps forward in other areas financially, God continues to provide exactly the needs that we have. Thank you so much to the recent donors Anna, Robert & Catherine, Walter, Jennifer and Bryan, Jason and Robin, Sarah and Matt, Ellison, etc. I wish I had kept a better list of the hundreds of people who have sacrificed for our son's sake. What a beautiful, humbling picture of the body of Christ joining together for the ransom of an orphan.

In addition to the over $1,000 we raised at our yard sale this week, I dropped off some of the leftover clothes to a local consignment store this week and was given $80 cash on the spot! That is exactly how much we need for both trips' visas. Specific provision, yall!

We have raised over $300 in the Tukula fundraiser (4 bags left!) which is a good chunk of our hotel fee while we'll be in country ($450-500 is estimated). 

Last week I visited my sister and two of her precious friends, Kim and Jen, let me have free access to their fabric stashes. If you are an avid sewer or fabric hoarder like me, you will realize what a generous gift this is! But what is MORE exciting than free, beautiful fabric, is the opportunity to teach a friend to sew tonight, so that she can raise money for the adoption of her future children. We will be using those fabrics to start her shop for their adoption fees. God is so faithful and provides so creatively!

Speaking of this friend who I'm sewing with tonight, I want to touch on the beautiful season that we are revisiting. When we left Raleigh last summer, we thought we were saying good-bye to the abundant adoption community that we had there. We had SO many families who were also adopting and had brought their children home. It was an incredible resource and support system.

In the recent months, we have been able to get to know another family in our church that is adopting a precious girl from China, and a family that lives 30 minutes away who is on the waitlist with the AGCI Ethiopia program for their first child. It is incredible to have people understand the emotions and process of adoption, but there's more exciting news! In the last few weeks, God has been stirring in our church family here. Several families (including my friend I'll be sewing with) have approached us to begin the discussion of adoption and foster care, and one family has already begun to take foster classes! God is creating a NEW community here for us to be a part of! God is so faithful, so generous, and so specific to meet our needs.

We are HUMBLED to be seeing the fruit of this season. I feel like I am bursting with joy over how tangible God's blessings are right now! Of course, by being in this adoption community, we are committing to walking the hard, sad, dry moments with these families too. The Lord knows we have had our share in those during our journey to Israel.

I just wanted to praise God with my fellow readers- asking for prayer for our new community, for the families who are researching adoption options and those who are wrestling with the idea right now. Pray for wisdom for us as we counsel families. Pray for provision for their needs, and praise God for his faithfulness in advance! Even when we don't see it, HE IS FAITHFUL!!!