Jehovah-jireh

Jehovah-jireh

the LORD will provide (Genesis 22:14)

As God stirred our hearts for adoption, our biggest fear was not about loving a child that didn't come from our womb or even caring for a child with special needs.  It was the cost of the process. Adoption is crazy expensive.  Both times God has called us to pursue one of His children through adoption, we were certain this was what He wanted us to do; however, we questioned how it would happen. "Uh-hum...excuse me Lord...Creator of the Universe, all knowing God...have you seen our bank account??" As quickly as we questioned the funding of this adoption, God hit us with a perpetual brick upside our heads.  

Have I not already proved my faithfulness?  

You move when I move you and I will make a way. 

BOOM.

 God showed us with Endale and provided every penny needed to bring him home....actually more.  As Matt left Ethiopia with Endale, he had a hand full of cash left that he was able to bless a new friend in Ethiopia from God's abundance in our process. Why would we question it again when He called us to something radical once more?

When we added up agency fees, USCIS fees, travel fees, in country fees, home study fees, and post adoption fees for two children, we had a financial need of $55,000 to bring Lilly and Levi home.  We've sold all sorts of things from our home.  We've had 3 garage sales.  We have our ongoing "Adopt an Envelope" fundraiser.  We had a Pancake Breakfast.  We have applied for adoption grants.  And....God is and always has been faithful.   God has used so many people and avenues as His Provision in this process.  Our hearts could not be more thankful and in awe of all God has done.

  

We are about 8-10 weeks from traveling to China to pick up Levi and Lilly.  We are needing just under $5000 to meet our financial goal to travel.  We are excited to share 3 more ways you can support our journey if you feel led.

1.  Envelope FLASH sale!  

My slightly obsessive mind really needs to see all the envelopes marked off of our board.  So, all envelopes are only $10 each!  But wait...there's more.  We have had a beautiful, brand new with tags, Michael Kors purse/bag (retailed at $358) donated to give away.  For every envelope adopted from now until midnight Friday, September 4, you will be entered in a drawing for the purse.
1 envelope = 1 entry, 3 envelopes = 3 entries, 5 envelopes = 5 entries etc. Drawing will be Saturday, September 5.  *I will ship to friends outside of Albuquerque area if you win!*
(Sidenote: It is super cute!!)

To adopt an envelope, click on the DONATE button under PAYPAL to the right.

2.  T-shirts!

Matt designed some super cute tees.  They read, "Trust without Borders".  This has been our biggest growth as we've adopted.  God has showed us so tangibly what He is willing to do when we trust Him without borders.  You can purchase by using the link below and they will be shipped directly to you. Please share, share, share with your friends. Who doesn't love an awesome shirt? To order your shirt today, click here:

https://www.bonfirefunds.com/longing-for-lilly-and-levi 

3.  Noonday Jewelry Party

My friend Juli is hosting an online Noonday Jewelry party.  All commission will go to our agency to be applied to our adoption costs.  This is a beautiful organization with great products.  You can order anytime now through September 22 using this link:

http://www.noondaycollection.com/pws/SarahKuhn/eventstore10202/AMUS/default.aspx

We are on the home stretch and anxious to reach the prize. Thank you in advance for your prayers, support and encouragement.  God deserves all the glory for the beautiful story He is writing in our family.

Letter Seeking Confirmation!!!!

We woke up to GREAT news from our adoption agency this morning.  China issued our Letter Seeking Confirmation (LSC) also called Letter of Action (LOA) for both Lilly and Levi!!  This is probably the most important step in the process.  This means that China has translated and reviewed our dossier and has APPROVED us to adopt Lilly and Levi!  As you can imagine, my head has been spinning all day!  I can hardly believe it.  We will most likely travel the first couple weeks of November.  

From here, we have several steps to complete.  China has issued the letter in their system.  A hard copy will be sent to our agency and they will forward it on to us.  We should have it middle of next week.  We will sign the Letter Seeking Confirmation saying that we agree with the decision to adopt our two children (ahhh!) and send it back to our agency who will forward it back to China.

In the meantime, we will fill out the I-800 form for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  This will be to receive approval that Levi and Lilly will become U.S. Citizens once they are on U.S. soil.  Once we get our I-800 approval, we can apply for their visas.

I'll save you all the crazy intermingled details.  Basically, we have some work to do on the U.S. side.  Once it's all done, it is sent over to China.  Then, China will issue our Travel Approval (TA) to enter the country to pick up our babes.

After TA is received, we request a Consulate Appointment which once received will determine our travel dates.  The trip will be structured around that date.

If you're a list maker, here is what our list looks like.  We're ready to check the rest of these off our list!

Receive and sign "hard" LSC/LOA

File form I-800 to USCIS

I-800 approval from National Visa Center

Complete DS 260 Form

Article 5 (Approval from US)

Travel Approval

Schedule Consulate Appt

Go to CHINA and get Lilly and Levi!!!!!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. It looks like we're going to have to set two more places at the table for Thanksgiving this year!!!

Look What LOVE Has Done

Love.  

What comes to mind when you say "love".  I mean, in our house, we love pizza, cookie dough and the Packers but I also love God, my husband and my kids. The word "love" has a broad spectrum in the ways it is used.  But there is a great Love that out measures them all.

I've said before that our adoption of Endale changed our family.  For me personally, it changed me in so many different ways.  The one thing that stands out far above all the blessings and growth from bringing Endale home is my view of love.  Not just any love, but God's love for me.  I grew up as a Pastor's Kid.  My parents tell the story of me being born on a Wednesday and in church the very next Sunday.  So I have known of God's love for me and have loved God from a very early age.  I never really knew any different.  I may never truly understand God's love for me this side of Heaven, but after experiencing adoption I grasp God's love for me better than I ever have before.

It wasn't until our adoption process and then homecoming of Endale that I "got it".  God's love for me.  You see, earthly relationships can skew our perception of what love is supposed to be.   The earthly relationships that we have are imperfect.  Do you have a relationship with someone who has conditions or boundaries?  Do you have a relationship with someone who doesn't show grace and mercy?  Is there a relationship where there is no forgiveness?  Do you have a person in your life that says they love you, but they don't pursue a true relationship with you?

If you're like me, you fall into all or at least one of those in your relationships.  The struggle of trying so hard to have a relationship with someone who doesn't want it.  In the end, you wind up hurt and confused. We spend so much time and energy trying to earn or even keep love.  God's love isn't like that.

Adoption is the perfect earthly picture of God's love for us.  Our adoption story went something like this.  When we started the process of adopting (all three), we studied everything we could find out about them, their birth country, their pictures.  We wanted to know them.  We knew everything we could about Endale before he knew us.  

We started the adoption process.  There were heaps of paperwork and hoops to jump through to get to Endale.  It cost a lot of money that we didn't have.  We pursued him.  We did whatever it took to get to him.  

We wanted Endale.  Our agency told us that another family from Spain had committed to adopt him.  When they found out he had Down Syndrome, they decided not to adopt him.  The agency also went down their waiting family list to if anyone wanted to adopt him.  He had this "label" of Down Syndrome.  That didn't matter to us.  We wanted this child.  He was chosen.

 God's adoption story of us is so similar!

God knows us.  He knows everything about me...my quirks, my personality, the things I really don't like about myself, my struggles, my fears....and HE LOVES ME.

God pursues me.  He wants me.  He is there.  I don't have to go anywhere.  He had to sacrifice for me.  He did whatever it took to get ME.   HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON FOR ME.

God wants me.  I am really good at thinking of all the reasons someone wouldn't want to get to know me or want to spend time with me.  I can feel completely unworthy of love.  Or I think to myself, there is no way someone could love me.  God wanted me.  He wanted me with all my "issues", with all my failures and imperfections, He wanted me.  HE CHOSE ME.

His love is relentless.  His love doesn't give up.  His love doesn't keep records of my faults.  His love doesn't have boundaries.  His love won't give up on me.  His love is unstoppable. His love is for me.  His love can rescue me.  When I feel completely unlovable, His LOVE sets me free.

"There's no limit, no condition,

There's no boundary for His love

Nothing greater, nothing stronger

Nothing like the LOVE of God"

-Love Can-Central Live-

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 8:38-39 

NOTHING can separate us from His Love.

*If you don't know the love God has for you, please message me.  I would love to share with you the greatest love you will ever know.*