One Week Away!!!

Its been a busy few weeks as we have been getting things ready to travel. We've been cleaning, packing, getting shots, and doing all that we can to get ready for our trip. We still can't believe that next Thursday we will be in China, and a few days after that we will finally get to meet Maya! Wow! So exciting!! Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we prepare to become a family. We'd really love it if you could specifically pray for safe travels, and for Maya to bond quickly with us. This is going to be such a big change for her, and we pray that God will help her (and us) adjust quickly. This long journey is almost over, and a new journey as a family is about to begin! We can't wait!

" And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us." - Romans 5:5

We're Going to China!!!!

We were just notified that we are scheduled to arrive in China on October 10th!!! Woohoo!!! At last, our long wait is coming to an end! In a little over 30 days we will be united as a family! Maya will no longer be an orphan, but will officially be our daughter! That is music to our ears! Thank you all for hanging in there with us on this long journey! At times it felt like this day would never come. Your encouragement and support has helped us so much. We can't wait for you to meet Maya next month! 

China Fees Fully Funded!!!!

The last two weeks have been really big for us as far as fundraising goes. Not only were we featured on Give 1 Save 1 Asia, but our wonderful friends and family also did a fundraiser for us. The money generated from these two events allowed our China fees to be fully funded!!!! What a HUGE relief, and an incredible blessing! All we have left to pay now is our travel fees, and we will be able to bring Maya home! Wow! We wanted to thank each of you who supported us during these fundraisers. We were amazed by your generosity, and we are truly grateful for your help in bringing our little girl home.

"I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." - Ephesians 1:16

Give 1 Save 1 Asia

The first time we heard about Give 1 Save 1 Asia, we fell in love with their concept! Their goal is to have everyone donate $1 a week to support orphan care. Each week they feature a different adoptive family, organization, or orphanage. Its so simple and cost effective for everyone, yet if everyone gave $1 it could have a HUGE impact! We've been following their blog for the past 4 months, and we have been so encouraged by all of the families they have featured. This week, we are so honored to be their featured family! In honor of our featured week on Give 1 Save 1 Asia, we are doing a drawing for a FREE COACH HANDBAG to everyone that either shares this info or donates. For more information, check out the following link: http://give1save1asia.blogspot.com/

Thanks again for your love and support! It means the world to us!

Three Incredible Days of Blessings!

" And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him."- Hebrews 11:6

For about a month, we've had nothing to report. Its just been a lot of waiting.... a whole lot of waiting. But this week, we had three blessings in a row! On Monday, we received a matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans. On Tuesday, we received a matching grant from Hand in Hand Christian Adoption.....and today.... we received a grant from Bethany Christian services! Wow! We are blown away by God's incredible goodness! If we can raise $5,000 to go towards our matching grants, we will be almost fully funded! Just writing that makes us excited! What an incredible blessing! We are standing in amazement today of the mighty God that we serve.

A Few Updates

We've had a few updates since our last post!

1. We received notification that Maya's package made it to her orphanage! Yay! We hope that they have already given it to her, and that she now knows she is part of a family!
2. We received notification that they are processing Maya's visa. Once that is done, things will move super fast!
3. We have been in contact with the travel agency and they are working on our travel arrangements! Although we don't have a date yet, there are lots of things they have to get together in the meantime. (Arranging our hotel stay in multiple cities, preparing to book us on the 7 or 8 flights that we will be taking, etc. ) In the mean time we will be getting ready as well. (Getting multiple shots, finishing up final documents, etc)

Hopefully we will have a date to report soon! :)

Mark Schultz's Heart for Adopting Kids with Special Needs

This 1 minute video clip reminded us of why we are advocating for kids with special needs to be adopted. Every kid deserves to be loved, even if it is for just a short time. We hope this video will encourage each of you who have supported us. We also hope it reminds you of how important you have been in helping us bring the love of family to a child who probably would have never experienced it otherwise.