Asides

What Happens in the Wait

Aside Kirsten P.Leave a comment

Our story isn’t finished! It wasn’t over the day we picked up Aniyah. A new chapter had started. First, I want to go back, back to that period of waiting.

We didn’t write many updates, or tell stories during those months of unknown. Our days were full of going to work, going to church, hanging out with friends, seeing family, building my doula business, working as missionaries at our apartment complex, filling out paperwork, and wondering.

After our home study was complete we set to saving every penny we could, sharing our story as much as was polite, and explaining adoption to many who had LOTS of questions.

Days would go by where we didn’t think about it much and other days when all could think about was what season we would bring our baby home in. What state would this baby be from? What would the mom look like? What kind of expectant mother would choose a couple that was so young? Would we ever have enough funds to present our book to a mother considering adoption?

That last question caught me so many times. With COVID at its height I was unsure we would every raising enough funds, would we be able to save enough? Would we both keep our jobs during this whole thing? Our savings and adoption account grew at a steady and unreassuring rate.

I will never forget the first time I connected with an expectant birth mother. I will still never be able to tell you why her, but I can still tell you her name. When I read the case I wanted to present our book. After talking with Taylor at our consultant company it was apparent we weren’t in a financial place to present. Most of the money was due immediately and we didn’t have half of it. I was so confused, why was I drawn to this case when there was no hope? Was this a sign that we would never be ready?

Why is it so easy to doubt the whole plan at the first sight of trouble? Almost all the adoptive families I have talked with, ready stories from, and listened to on social media have at least one story of completely doubting they should adopt at all before they brought a child home. My consistent doubt was “will we ever be ready at the right time.”

In those times usually it was Dillon who would reassure that we would wait the proper amount of time according to God’s will and our job was to be patient and know that we weren’t in control. Looking back it is much easier to say but we were on God’s timeline. We began the process at the right time, we walked through the home study at the right time, and we presented our book at the right time. We only had to trust that the best things happen when we are not in control.

Aniyah Royal

Aside Kirsten P.Leave a comment

So many times I thought about writing about our wait, writing about how this adoption process was changing our lives, our hearts, and our relationship with Christ. Life moves on and it went on the back burner. This journey has brought so many unexpected trials and gifts. Now its time to tell the story of how we became parents to Aniyah overnight.

We had spent the last couple of months reading over cases that gave details about different expectant mothers and their pregnancies. We had chosen to present our family book to several mothers and each one picked a different family. We prayed over each of these women and praying that God’s will would be done and that whatever family these women choose, that the family would love these women well and present the gospel to them through their words and their actions.

It is hard to believe that exactly 29 weeks after we became home study approved we chose to present our family book to Aniyah’s biological mother. Monday night Dillon and I were doing normal life things, Dillon was playing Xbox and I was on a virtual book club call. At 9:21 pm (right as my book club was ending) we got an email saying that a baby had been born in Florida on Saturday night and that if we wanted to present our book we had to say yes to the case by 8am the next morning, we had to be able to get to Florida the next day, and all of the money for the case had to be available if the mother chose us. We had only presented to a handful of cases before and we knew that by us saying yes we had to be ready for all of this but we also had to be ready to hear no. The decision to present our family book wasn’t easy, we were about $9,000 short for the whole case on top of the huge undertaking of going from nothing to baby is less than 24 hours.

Dillon and I both called our parents and then I called our financial advisor and his wife from our consultant company. I reminded them the we had no assets, no fountain of money, and not great credit. After our calls we sat down to talk about it more and I was wavering between so many thoughts. Do we trust that the God who determined how the die would be cast in Esther was the God who would determine what family this mother chose. Should we depend on the belief that if God knew that this case was the daughter and expectant mother for us then he would give us the funds that we were lacking? Or did we know that while God gave Sarah children He had her wait decades before fulfilling His promise to her (not that God promised us children like Sarah.) Were we being challenged to step out in faith and trust that God would fulfill all the requirements or were we being challenged to have faith in our wait and be patient? After praying together we decided that we needed to be praying that whatever family this mother chose that they would present Christ to her with their actions, and their words. Dillon wanted to be able to sleep on the decision and we went to bed (very late.) Because Dillon had to leave for work the next morning at 7 am I woke up Dillon at 5:50 am so that “we would have time to talk about it.” Dillon woke up and said that there was no reason to say no, we had put our yes on the table months before and even though this situation was a little scary we were ready to say yes. After letting a few people and our families know that we were waiting on the mother’s decision we both went to work.

We knew that we should hear a response that same day and after some back and forth at 2:53 pm the agency and our consultant called me to let me know that we needed to start making our way to Florida because Aniyah’s biological mother had chosen us and had signed the paperwork required. We had a daughter waiting in a hospital in Florida.

Dillon got home at 3:30 pm, he helped me finish up packing and we decided that driving down to Florida would be quicker and less stressful. So at 4:48 pm we had picked up some baby items from our sweet friends who had gotten a suitcase of clothes, a diaper bag, a pack-and-play, and more ready for us the moment they heard we had been chosen, and we were driving south to Florida.

Dillon drove for a couple hours and when we stopped to grab a quick dinner I took over driving. We arrived in Jacksonville, Florida at 12:30 am on Wednesday, February 17th and picked up Aniyah from the home of the agency director who had picked up Aniyah when the hospital had discharged her that evening free of any health concerns.

While Dillon and I had refused to look at baby names we had a list that we had put together over 4 years ago together while we were engaged(yep… I know… crazy). After we had chosen to present to Aniyah’s biological mother Tuesday morning I felt like we should have a name. After looking at a few baby names list I remembered we had the name Aniyah on our list and I looked up the meaning.

Aniyah: God is gracious, and protected by Jehova

Nothing fit our situation better!

More on our story to come!

Puzzle Pieces & Money DOUBLED

Aside Kirsten P.Leave a comment

We have been home study approved since the end of June. Once our home study was complete we began to see “cases” from our consultant company. Through July and August there were very few cases, we were able to take the time to look at our savings goals, review our preferences, and apply for a couple of grants that we had in our back pocket waiting for our completed home study.

We are now at the stage where we need around $10,000-$15,000 before we are able to present to expectant families. These fee will cover expectant mother expenses, legal fees, and agency fees.

The financial hurdle is one of the most known and common reasons families don’t pursue adoption. When we decided to pursue domestic adoption we didn’t have a timeline and we didn’t have a list of ways we could afford the astronomical costs. We decided that we were willing to sacrifice pieces of our budget in order to put more money towards the adoption.

We have been so blessed and grateful for all of the encouragement, support and prayer that we have received through this process already. One of the huge blessings has been our church. We were able to meet with an elder in the first couple of months to talk about the emotions, ethics, common struggles, and different options available to us. We were also able to apply for a grant through our church’s adoption fund. Last week on my birthday we finally receive word, after waiting for eight weeks, that we have receive a funds grant and also a matching grant. This means means that every donation given to our Lifesong fundraising page is double up to $4,000. This financial aid means we have jumped a large leap towards our goal to have $10,000-$15,000 ready to present to any case that we feel called to present to!

We have been so excited about this puzzle fundraiser! Because of our matching grant your donation in this fundraiser is DOUBLE!! So here is how this fundraiser works.

It works like this:

1. We have a 117 piece puzzle we’ve created to hang in Baby Pegram’s room.

2. Each piece is number 1-117. You choose your price! Puzzle piece 1 is $1 and piece 24 is $24. You get the picture. You can choose to buy 1, 2, 3, or 10! (There is no limit to how many you can buy). If your not sure about which pieces have been claimed shoot me a message.

3. For each piece you adopt, we will send you the piece or pieces and ask that you decorate your pieces with markers, pens, paint, whatever you choose. We want this baby to grow up knowing they have a community that is behind them supporting them who is unique as each of these puzzle pieces.

4. As we begin collecting pieces, we will start assembling the puzzle. Once it’s complete, we will display it in a double sided frame, so both sides can be viewed. It will hang in Baby Pegram’s room as a tangible reminder of all the people that helped make us a family.

5. If you’d like to purchase a puzzle piece, you can send your donation through our fundraising page for your donation to be doubled and count as a tax-deductible donation. Add a note with your name, your address (where to send the puzzle pieces) and your numbers (for the puzzle pieces). https://mystory.lifesongfororphans.org/…/pegram…/

Our goal with this Puzzle Fundraiser is to sell all 117 pieces which will raise $6,903 PLUS the $4,000 matching grant for a total of $10,903 towards our adoption!

This will make it so we can present to expectant families (which we hope will be the case by the end of the year). Once we are matched with a family we will be able to apply for grants and continue to save. We have been knee deep in paperwork….and it seems impossible some days thinking about finances, but God. I have said multiple times that the costs for this adoption can’t be accounted for in a spreadsheet, I can’t plan away these fees and costs.

We have disappointing days where we feel like we don’t see an end, and we have days filled with hope because we aren’t writing our story, this baby’s story, or their first family’s story, but He is and God has a plan! We are so excited for this fundraiser and thank you in advance for participating in our story and for your generosity!

We are thrilled to grow our family through the adoption process and we are overwhelmed by all the love and support we have had from many of you in this process. If you have questions about the fundraiser or the adoption process please give us a shout and we would love to talk to you about your questions!

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Home Study Approved!

Aside Kirsten P.Leave a comment

Friends and Family we are finally home study approved. Due to this COVID season we had a couple of things delayed. Things like fingerprinting for our FBI background check and doctor appointments for our physicals took months rather than weeks. When we started our home study we didn’t realize that it would be over four months before everything was finalized! Through each step so far we are continually reminded that God is in control of this process.

The home study is what tells the government that we are fit to be parents in any way they can measure. Now that this step is complete we will begin reviewing “cases” of expectant parents. These cases will contain basic information about the parents, information about the agency the parents are using, and the cost of the particular situation. This next season is what everyone calls “the wait”. We have been blessed with a patience that can only come from Christ and we are praying that this continues through this next season. We are also praying that as we look through these cases we would be filled with compassion and keep each of these parents who are facing hardships in our prayers.

During this season we will also be fundraising on top of building a fund from our own savings. Before we can present to a case we should have about $10,000 – $15,000. This will be a little over a fourth of the cost of our expected case cost. We are simultaneously applying for grants for the adoption.

If you would like to help us I would first ask that you pray with us! Second we are having a Facebook Silent Auction some time this fall. If you have a service or good that you would be willing to donate please let us know! We currently have a “crowd funding” page that you can make a tax deductible donation that will go towards our agency and lawyer fees here. If you are interested in other ways to aid us financially you can see the list on our Financial Support page.

Frequently Asked Questions Continued…

Aside Dillon P.Leave a comment

Part 2 – time lines, money & prayer questions, answers to the questions everyone is asking.

How long is it going to take?

This is probably the number one question we get. In short we do not know the timeline. We do know that God does though. We have learned that a fast adoption doesn’t always mean a good adoption. We are consciously taking the ethical route to the best of our ability and understand that may mean a longer wait. In the end we would prefer that we can look at our child and their biological mother and say with confidence that our decisions were based on what is best for them and not what got us what we wanted when we wanted it.

Do you still want you own children?

First: Whenever we bring home the child we adopt they will be our own. We know that we will be able to love a child that is adopted just as much as we would be able to love a biological child. Secondly: We are open to building our family whatever way God sees fit. We know that at any point God could heal whatever is broken and bless us with a healthy pregnancy, but in the end we believe with all our hearts that if that isn’t the case that God will be glorified through our struggles and that His ways are better than our own.

What happens if a mother decides to parent?

Then praise God. An expectant mother doesn’t terminate her parental rights until a couple days after the baby is born. In those few days in the hospital that mother is able to hold her child, bond, breastfeed, take pictures and make sure that she is positive that placing her child for adoption is the right option for her. In these few days some mothers do decided that they feel capable of raising their child and being a mom to their child. While we would love nothing more than to bring a child into our family we desperately want the child’s mother to have as little doubt as possible that she made the right decision. When an expectant mother decides to raise her child we will be heart broken and joyous at the same time and will keep her in our prayers.

Another reason that we get asked this question is because people want to know if we will get the funds that helped the mother through the pregnancy reimbursed. The short answer is no. While this would be hard those funds are not reimbursable as they went to support an expectant mother. We are looking at this as a way we can bless a mother who needed financial help during her pregnancy.

What happens if you get scammed?

We understand that while this is a possibility there is actually a low probability of this happening. Unfortunately drama is what sells, the few stories of adoption scams get widely published and talked about while the stories of calm adoptions go by quietly. We have also taken the necessary precautions like going through an agency and using a lawyer instead of self matching or self advertising.

How can we help?

Continue to pray for us as we walk through this time and come along side us in anyway you feel you can. Allow the Lord to work though you in this time to support us in anyway you feel fit. There are consistent decisions that we need to make so praying that God would give us wisdom through this process is always helpful. Ask questions, we enjoy talking about the good parts, and the hard parts. We would also really appreciate it if you would pray for the expectant mother and baby that we get matched with, that they would be healthy and that God would protect them wherever they are.

How much do you have left to raise?

We won’t know how much the adoption will cost until after we are matched and chosen by an expectant mother. In the meantime we are estimating that the adoption will cost $39,000. This could be an over-estimation or an under-estimation, but we won’t know the solid number realistically until everything is said and done.

When is the next fundraiser?

We have a couple fundraising ideas in the works but don’t have anything nailed down. The next big cost will be our home study. We have paid our home study application fee and have $1,500 that will be due in chunks over the next couple of months. While we don’t have an organized fundraiser we will always be selling coffee through Gobena and our adoption shirts through Bonfire. We have been amazed by all the support that we have received already, when you buy a bag or 4 of coffee or a shirt that money is easily accessed and can go towards things like application fees, profile books, ect that will be a regular occurrence the more we pursue the adoption.

What happens if you raise more than you need?

If we end up raising more funds that we need for the adoption we have a couple of options and depending on how much extra was raised and based on the donors preferences we would like to give the extra funds to an organization that helps birth mothers adjust to life after placement. If and when this becomes a reality we will be very honest and open with what we are doing with the raised money.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12

Frequently Asked Questions

Aside Dillon P.Leave a comment

Part 1 – You asked, we did our best to answer!

Where are you adopting from?

We are adopting domestically, which just means from the US. We are not going through the foster care system but are going through private adoption. This means that on average the children are newborns up to about two years old.

Why aren’t you doing foster care?

We have gotten this question often especially when we start talking about the cost of private adoption. While we have a heart for foster care we came to the place last summer where we realized that foster care at this time is not for us. When stepping into foster care the goal needs to be family re-unification not adoption. These journeys have similarities but are honestly two very different journeys with very different goals. This difference and the unpredictability of foster care have led us to pursue domestic private adoption.

Why aren’t you doing international adoption?

Each country has their own requirements for adoption but most countries have requirements for length of marriage, age of both spouses, ect. When we did our research for international adoption we realized that we were extremely limited in our choices of countries and decided that we would rather wait and be able to make a decision later on in life on whether or not we would adopt internationally. This decision isn’t really on a monetary decision as the cost for domestic adoption and international adoption are not extremely different depending on the situation and the country.

Why does it cost so much?

The shock is always evident when we explain the costs behind domestic adoption. The fees and costs involve many different government officials who have to do paper work and the legal matters to insure that all goes smoothly. Honestly it is difficult to swallow the cost because people want to adopt but feel they can’t afford it. We recognize that there is a real issue with the cost and this is primarily the adoption professional’s fault. The “ick factor” of the adoption business, is just that, a money making business, some professionals profit greatly from this work. It is not OK. As we pursue adoption we are making a concerted effort to scrutinize each professional expense to the best of our ability and to hold the adoption professionals that we use to not only legal standards but ethical standards.

Are you open to any race or ethnicity?

Absolutely, and we feel that the Lord is leading us to do this. This decision isn’t one made in ignorance though. We have spent countless hours already leaning in to what this would mean for us, our families, our community, and the child that is placed in our home. We didn’t come to this decision because we “didn’t want to be racist” or because “the wait for a white baby is longer”, rather we have done our best to make sure that this was an educated decision.

What is the difference between and open, semi-open, or closed adoption?

Openness refers to the relationships with the first or biological family. There has been a large out of research that has come out in recent years that points to the openness in adoption to be beneficial for all sides of the triad. Openness can be anything from letters and pictures sent a certain number of times a year to visiting with biological family. This decision is ultimately made by the birth mother but is not something that is enforced after the adoption is finalized. This is the relational part of the adoption, this is the part where we recognize the beautiful pieces and the hard pieces of adoption.

Why do you want to do an open adoption?

We are greatly hoping for an open adoption and would have to really pray through a closed adoption if that is what the birth mother wants. In the end because openness is not enforced after adoption it becomes a relationship between the adopted family and the biological family after placement. Each situation is different and can change in the years following placement. From our side of things we have determined to do what is best for the child not what is most comfortable for us and we will pursue openness whenever possible.

Have a question for us? Message us and ask, we love talking about the real pieces of this adoption. We will post another blog with some more questions in a few days!

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

Psalm 133:1

Ethical Language in Adoption

Aside Kirsten P.

What “ethical language” means and why it is important.

One of the simplest ways that we can strive to walk through this adoption season well is using the kind, ethical, and considerate language surrounding adoption. By making an effort to use these and other ethical phrases and words we are being respectful and kind to all parties in the adoption triad. What and how we say things can have a huge impact and the reasoning behind certain phrases can reveal what we believe about adoption. This phrase from AdoptMatch helps sum up the importance of our words and phrases.

Language is the vehicle we use daily to communicate our ideas and notions about the world we live in. And although we might not be aware of it, there is also a subtext to the words we choose, reflecting our values in subtle ways, even when we aren’t consciously trying to do so. Words have a way of shaping/revealing our beliefs and thought processes.

“their real mother/father/parents” > biological mother/father/parents or first family

This one might seem basic but often its what rolls off the tongue when you don’t think about it. Adoptive parents aren’t fake parents and biological parents aren’t the real parents. Adoption creates a triad and all involved play a very important role.

“did the birth mom give him/her up?” > Did his/her first/ biological /birth mom make an adoption plan?

When we say that a mother gave her child up we are implying that the decision to give away the child (like a possession) was something taken lightly. This decision isn’t an easy one and we want to respect the difficulty of putting a child’s well being above a mother’s feelings, and desires. The choice to make an adoption plan not easy and

“children of your own”? > biological children

An adopted child is not less of our child because they do not share our DNA. God has called us to this adoption and has called each and every one of us to make disciples. We believe that we are called to raise this child as a disciple of Christ just the same as we would with a biological child.

“birth mom” > expectant mom

When a mother has made a birth plan but is still pregnant she has not terminated her parental rights. She is still the mother of the child and the adoption is only a plan until she has signed the TPR (termination of parental rights). When we are matched with a mother she will be an expectant mom until the adoption is finalized at that point she will become the birth mother.

“adopted child” > child

After the adoption has been finalized there isn’t a need to specify that the child was adopted when meeting people or introducing the child. Adoption isn’t a bad thing and it shouldn’t be a secret. Adding “adopted” every time you refer to the child will constantly separate the child from just being our child. Adoption isn’t something anyone should be ashamed but it isn’t what defines this child, the love of Christ and parents that want to raise him/her to be a disciple of Christ is what matter most.

“She decided to keep her child” > She decided to parent her child

Saying that an expectant mother chose to “keep her child,” implies that the child is a possession to be had and ignores the responsibilities of parenting. Instead, by saying she will “parent her child” shows that she is choosing to parent instead of placing for adoption, which is very much within her right and an option that she should feel empowered to choose. When a mom comes to a place where she feels ready and capable of parenting her child we want to celebrate with her and also add her to our prayers!!

Common Phrases to Avoid
  • It is so wonderful that you have adopted a child in need!
  • You son/daughter is so luck to have been adopted by you!
  • You child is so much better off with you as a parent.
  • I could not raise someone else’s child.

“What’s wrong with these phrases?It is very important to consider positive adoption language when talking to adoptive families about their children. The phrases mentioned above are problematic because they are based on misguided assumptions about adoption. Phrases like these imply that adoptive parents are more saint-like than the birth parents and are somehow better and more fit to parent. They also imply that adoptees should feel grateful, and even indebted, to their adoptive parents for adopting them, which completely ignores all the losses associated with adoption. These kinds of phrases are damaging and need to be erased from the adoption dialogue.”- AdoptMatch

We know it may seem like a little thing but the implications of some of these phrases can change the way we respect a child’s first family or the way a child views themselves. We know that God calls us to do everything to the best of our ability and to view others as more important than ourselves. We believe that changing our language can accomplish both of these things. Thank you all for your love and kindness in this and for everything you are doing for our family.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:29 

The Body of Christ at Work

Aside Kirsten P.Leave a comment

Valentines is right around the corner!! Can you believe that we are already almost out on the first month of the new year?

I will never forget reading the book Orphanology. My heart for the orphan was growing when I heard of the book. I was so frustrated that at 16 years old there was very little I could do to care for the orphan, that was until I read the book. Orphanology explains our call as Christians to do mercy ministry as my church likes to call it – care for the poor, orphan, widow, and vulnerable. It also goes over how this is not just a calling for married couples that are ready for kids, it talks of ways that whole churches can get involved and how each believer has a role to play.

I love seeing friends and family who care about this calling to care for the vulnerable. It looks different for each person and your support in our adoption is a part of this.

I have some very exciting news! We are partnering with a sweet friend from church who owns her own company that’s sole goal is to help families that are pursuing adoption. Andee Hart took her skill of making beautiful home decor pieces and combined it with her huge heart for families that are pursuing adoption, together they create an amazing business model that gives all of the earnings to adoption. Her motto is “decorating homes, inspiring adoptions”. You can check out her work at www.hartdesignco.com, read more about her story, and check out her social media to see other families that she has supported.

Take a look at the store and pick our a piece or two (or five) and hold on to it. Our fundraiser will last go from February 1- February 15th. We will be advertising it during that time on both our personal social media profiles and on the Hart Design Page. Once the campaign has started share her store with anyone you can think of! There won’t be a special code or a secret password so anyone who orders in those 2 weeks will benefit us.

We know that there are several of you who have specifically asked for a place where you can donate funds directly towards us. We are glad to say that we now have a place for you to do so. Each donation made on our page will be held in an account solely for adoption costs and is tax deductible. The goal on the page is a rough estimate currently of the budgeted cost for the adoption so don’t be overwhelmed. Each small gift will help us inch closer to the finish line.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Romans 12:4-5

Friends & Family

Aside Kirsten P.Leave a comment

Well hello!

The holidays are finally over and some semblance of a normal schedule has returned to the Pegram house. We had a lot of fun of Thanksgiving and Christmas spending time with our families. We also were able to go to 4 wedding for friends in December and January, it’s so much fun getting to watch two people become a family. While weddings are gorgeous days for celebrating my favorite part is watching the married couple as they proceed into marriage, it often doesn’t look anything like either of them planned. I will never forget only a couple months into marriage texting my mom asking for prayer over something that my new husband and I were struggling with, she asked if she was allowed to share with a few family friends. Over the next couple of weeks texts would randomly come in at the hardest moments from people letting us know that they were praying. A family of brother and sisters in Christ is an invaluable blessing.

As we got to spend time with family we have just been reminded of the value of family and friends. We have been so blessed with a group of people behind us willing to pray, encourage, correct, support, and love us and we don’t ever want to take that for granted. We have been blown away by the kind of support and encouragement that we have already received.

Most couples have a desire to adopt but end up not pursuing it due to the overwhelming price and the thought of fundraising. When Dillon and I decided to pursue this adoption we had a peace about the finances (Not to say that we have never gawked at the cost or worried how we would actually pull it off). We both have seen over and over that when God calls His people to something He provides the means to do it. We have a peace in knowing that we could not do this by ourselves.

While we prepare for the adoption we are spending a lot of our time doing our best to educate ourselves on adoption. We have learned a lot about the process of adoption, but we have also been learning a lot about what ethical adoption looks like. We have learned that in the history of adoption a lot of the focus has been on the adoptive parents and then on the adopted child. Only in the recent past have we begun to look at the first family as a vital piece of the adoption triad. Dillon and I have been given such a heart for these women who are placing their children for adoption.

Are you interested in learning more about how you can help us in the adoption? As we are learning so much we are reading several books, listening to podcasts, reading experiences and stories from adoptees and birth moms, and more. It can be hard to sort through this information and figure out how to best pass some of this information on to others. Thankfully one of our favorite podcasts recently came out with an episode just for family and friends of those who are adopting. You can listen to this extremely helpful episode on their website or on any podcast player.

We are so grateful for all of the support we have received so far, and we don’t just mean monetarily. Your prayers are not over looked, and the intentionality behind your questions, your willingness to listen to us as we talk through things, and your interest in learning more with us are all things that we so deeply appreciate.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:7

T Shirts and Coffee!

Aside Kirsten P.Leave a comment

It’s Fundraising Time!!

There hasn’t been any real tangible updates so far, until now! We have completed the application to our consultant company and filled out all the paperwork for our first grant and fundraising page. So much of the work so far has been behind the scenes, and mostly in our heads. Finally we are ready to start putting out tangible ways that others can help us on this journey and we are more than ready.

We are working on starting our home study which I mentioned in our last update. We still need $4,000 and have finally decided on a few ways we would like to ask for your help.

The first way is through our T shirt fundraiser. A lot of thought went into these shirts and we hope you love them as much as we do! The proceeds will go to help us start our home study. We have HUGE goal of 120 shirts but we are reaching high and hoping that our many communities will be as excited about these shirts as we are. The shirts are very general so sharing them with your family and friends even if they don’t know us would be a huge blessing. Also, if you order your shirt by November 27th it will be here before Christmas.

Make sure to read the bottom our our t shirt page as it explains the inspiration and reason behind our design! The more shirts we sell per batch the more money per shirt is raised.

We are also going to be partnering with Gobena Coffee. Who doesn’t love coffee right? By purchasing your coffee through Gobena they will give 50% of every purchase that is made through our page into our adoption fund. Dillon and I love the passion and purpose of Gobena. You can read their story here! They have a huge heart for orphan care and have some great coffee options and even have gift baskets right in time to get a gift for the coffee lover in your life.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us. We would love for prayer as we save funds each month in order to get us closer to starting our home study. We would love to start our home study before the new year but know that God’s timing is perfect.