Post Your Adoption Fundraiser Here

Update on our process......

2011-04-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hi friends ~

I hope we still have a few followers here!

Our original plan was to start up 'Post Your Adoption Fundraiser Here' once our adoption was fully funded.

Great news! Our adoption is fully funded! *yay*

Bad news! Our adoption may (or may not) be delayed. *booooo*

We've got some craziness to sort out but I promise once we have the time to give this blog attention we absolutely will!

We hope to be back ASAP and share one new family each week! THis is a great way to share your adoption fundraiser if you are adopting and it is a great way to tangibly help an orphan if you cannot adopt at this time.

I just want to keep people posted and also ask everyone to please keep our adoption process in your prayers. We were originally told we could have our little girl home by early this summer!

We'll keep you posted!

signing out for now

2010-12-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

hi friends ~

thank you to everyone who did come here & make purchases! We had to make the difficult decision to stop updating this blog for a while.

we have so much going on - specifically now our own homestudy (yay!) - you can check out our blog http://www.littlesisterclaire.blogspot.com/

I hope to start up this blog (here) again once we have a little more time to focus on it.

If you have an adoption fundraiser I invite you to post it in the comments section here and perhaps someone will see it!

I know this is random but I personally check Etsy & Ebay all the time & search 'adoption fundraiser' in hopes of supporting a family - there are also so many social media groups dedicated to this.

Again -we hope to start up again and I am sorry for those who had emailed to post - we just have to step back for a while - thank you for understanding

Kate

Check out OneLessBrokenHeart.blogspot.com

2010-11-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.onelessbrokenheart.blogspot.com/.

Right now thru Nov 21 we are having our first give away and I am also making aprons – matching sets, or just one – aprons are $12.50 each plus $2 shipping. And, I am also making Family values canvases that are unique to each family. No two are alike!

Hurry over & help them bring home a little one!
Kate

Megan is adoption through Reece's Rainbow! Please help her get to her angel!

2010-10-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

My name is Megan and I am a raising money to commit to and adopt a little girl from Reece’s Rainbow. I have always had a special place in my heart for children with Down syndrome and I believe now is the time for me to adopt. I am currently working on a few fundraisers. I will be adding to this list I’m sure. As I have warned my friends I will be sending lots of “Hey look at this” because you always need gifts and I am bound to find something that will help them and in turn help me. J If it is a righteous endeavor and done with a sincere heart, God will bless you. God Bless all the families who are on a journey to add to or starting a family like me.

1) Quillows (lap quilts that convert into a pillow) Make great gifts. They are cozy for a movie night or drive-in, as well as on road trips. They are not bulky or heavy and don’t take up a lot of space but provide warmth and comfort. They can be seen on http://www.myjourneyoftheheart.blogspot.com/

2) An on-line Scentsy party. Scentsy are flameless candles. They are great for the house or office. They even offer scented disks that are great for the closet or your car. https://scentswithnatalie.scentsy.us/Home Order under Journey of the Heart party.

3) I also have made some bracelets which can be seen at http://www.etsy.com/shop/blond2435

4) There is a comedy jam being hosted for me on November 13, 2010 at Original Mike’s in Santa Ana, California. Tickets are $15 for an appetizer bar, Happy hour prices (7-9pm), Comedy show (8:30pm), and a live band to follow. Any questions contact me at blond2435@yahoo.com

Becky is fundraising for their family's 2nd adoption from Ethiopia!

2010-10-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

Hey there, my name is Becky Lee Burk and we actually have a couple fundraisers going. We adopted our son from Ethiopia in 2008 but are currently saving for our second adoption from Ethiopia. I am selling Adopt Africa magnets (all proceeds for the month of October are being donated to Kind Hearts Care Center in Ethiopia for building projects there), children's clothing/bibs on http://www.adoptafrica.etsy.com/, and I also do

custom blog/digital design on my blog at http://www.adoptafrica.blogspot.com/

Our family blog is http://www.bringinghomeezra.blogspot.com/

Logan & Brandy are waiting for their referral from Ethiopia!

2010-10-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

We are Logan, Brandy and River Wade. We're from Linton, Indiana. We are in the process of adopting an infant from Ethiopia. We've always felt drawn toward adoption. After having our biological son River, we felt like it was time to adopt a second child, a daughter, from Ethiopia. Our completed dossier has been in Ethiopia since August 27th, 2010 and we hope to have a referral within the next 5 - 7 months.

This is our blog: http://www.ourethiopiandaughter.weebly.com/

Our fundraisers: http://ourethiopiandaughter.weebly.com/our-fundraisers.html

Who wants to be next?

2010-10-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

Hi friends ~

anybody else want to showcase their adoption fundraiser? Email me at postyourfundraiser@gmail.com and I am happy to put it up!

here is what i need from you

*write a brief introduction - who you are, why you are adopting, any info you are comfortable with (about a paragraph) that i can simply copy & paste

*links to ALL of your adoption fundraisers - ebay stores, coffee or t-shirt fundraisers, etsy store - whatever!

*links to blog (if it is an open blog that you are comfortable sharing)

*if you would like - add one picture too!

- You MUST share this blog to participate! It simply doesn't work if it is not shared. Email me a blog post alerting your readers or let me know how you shared on facebook, twitter, etc - we would LOVE for this to be a big blog with LOTS of opportunity for people to raise money - but we need cooperation from every family to get the word out!

- i ask that when your fundraising is complete that you PLEASE come back and purchase from someone else who is fundraising - we all know how difficult it is - this is a FREE blog, but I ask that you 'pay it forward' please. Also - please SHARE this blog - please post it on social networks, email to your friends, share with your church, adoption agency, anyone you can think of - there are TONS of people out there who want to support adoptions but don't know how - purchasing from an adoption fundraiser is one of the easiest and most tangible little ways to help an orphan become a family member!

Thanks!
Kate

Check out sweet 'Tasha' who really needs a family!

2010-09-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Our family is also trying to fundraise for an adoption right now and while we try to get our 25% in the bank we are constantly looking at little ones on the site http://www.reecesrainbow.org/ - a site dedicated to finding orphans with disabilities families through a very unique grant / donation program.

We have fallen in love with a couple little ones on this site - our newest little favorite is sweet little 'Tasha' - she will be one year old in December, lives in the Ukraine, and just really needs a family that can help her have an awesome life! Tasha is cognitively 'normal' but she does have a clubbed foot (which has had some corrective surgery) and is missing her other foot entirely. Think how much she would benefit from physical therapy and a prosthetic? Please check out her info HERE - she is on Reece's Rainbow's 'other angels' page - her photo & info is about half way down the page. Please know ALL these children are still waiting - we just are very fond of Tasha....

I mention her specifically because it is VERY rare for a child of Tasha's age to be cleared for International adoption already. She is so blessed that she can go home this early and get early intervention! I just hope this helps her family find her quickly! Please email Andrea the director of Reeces Rainbow on the site directly!

Our family has prayed about making Tasha part of our family, but it is (financially) simply too soon for us. We are committed to having quite a bit more ready to go and also the housing market has cut our net worth to '0' - literally nothing on paper and we know that many countries will not allow our paperwork through with this number. (Please don't get me started on how terrible this is - we are a family that has always been finanically prudent, has some money in the bank, perfect credit, no CC debt - but we bought a house with only 20% down in 2005 and therefore our hands are tied. I wish all things would be considered - I mean we are a better option than state care right?!...so very frustrating!) Anyway - we are waiting out the economy - we know the number will come up, and we know another child will be available when our time comes - that being said - it really breaks my heart to see sweet Tasha still waiting.....

Are you her mommy or daddy? Please check her little picture out, please email to other waiting families who are willing to consider a child in the Ukraine with a disability. Even if you cannot adopt her - perhaps consider donating to her grant fund - that will help her family get her home sooner!

Kate

The Wald Family's Journey to Birtukan & how they are continuing to help those in Ethiopia!

2010-09-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

This kind of stuff is what REALLY makes me happy. Read our friend's story here!

I LOVE an adoption story, but realisitically each family can only adopt one or two - maybe a super awesome family takes on a dozen. With 147 million documented orphans out there there is so much more work to be done.

I pray this blog helps more people bring their kids home with less financial woes, I pray it encourages those who have never considered adoption to know that they can make a difference. If you are a believer you MUST take James 1:27 to heart - no we are not all called to adopt - but we are ALL called to care for the needs of widows & orphans. We are all called to do something. Ignoring needs of helpless children because we don't feel called is just heart breaking. Please just know there are SO many options - some that are so easy that truly impact children's lives.

Our children have dozens of shoes, their own rooms, they know what they like at their favorite restaurants - many children in the world eat one meal of rice ONLY because of the generousity of strangers. they would starve without it. I've seen children wearing a pair of shoes two sizes too small with cut outs for their growing feet - it is simply all they have - and of course we have seen children with no shoes at all. We have ALL seen these pictures, we have all heard these stories. But how often to we really sit back and think about how blessed we are to simply be born where we are? If nothing else - we are blessed for that alone. I think one of the easiest and most tangible ways to show our gratitude for this gift is to help those that for whatever reason were not so fortunate.

My prayer is that people don't simply see adoption as something they would be open to if they could not have their 'own' children, but that taking care of those who have no blood to represent them as a calling.

There are SO many ways & if we work together - think of the impact? Everyone can do something....

Please read The Wald Family Blog. They recently adopted their 2 year old daughter Birtukan from Ethiopia and they are asking others to consider sponsoring children who are still waiting for a family of their own.

Win an IPOD & help a sweet girl come home to her forever family from Nicaragua

2010-08-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

We are a family of 5 that has a great love for Christ and a huge heart for orphans. We've felt the calling to adopt and are being obedient by putting our YES on the table.

Being involved in International Missions in Nicaragua has given us a love for that country as well as the people of it. This is why we are choosing to adopt from there. Our little girl will always have a connection to her heritage through our involvement and friends made in Nicaragua.

Our family is relying on God 100% in supplying the funds needed to bring our little girl home to us. We are hosting a blitz on Facebook this week in an attempt to raise $3500. That's half of the first payment our agency needs and will cover things like our dossier, translations, administrative costs and postage fees. In return for your $10 donation you have the chance to win a 8gb iPod touch and there is even a way to win an iPod shuffle!

WIN AN IPOD BLITZ FOR ADOPTION

If you feel the Lord leading you to donate and be a part of bringing our little girl home, we'd be very honored! You can make a donation on our blog http://www.skinnedupknees.blogspot.com/

Check out their facebook group here!

But MOST IMPORTANTLY we want to be covered in prayer!!

Tabitha & Family

Help bring Anna home! You might win an IPAD!

2010-08-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

We are Mike and Traci Williams and we live in North Carolina. We have three children~ Spenser is 15, Ashlyn is 10 and Mason is 9. Ashlyn was born with Down syndrome, which led us to the road we are on now to adopt a little girl named Anna from Eastern Europe. Anna is 5 years old and also has Down syndrome. Children born with disabilities in Eastern Europe are typically abandoned at birth and live out their lives in cribs with no one to love them or help them grow. They are transferred around the ages of 4-5 to insane asylums where many will not live a year after being transferred. Our family would like to adopt Anna and give her a family that will love her and help her grow and develop. We are doing a fundraiser right now and will be drawing for some great prizes on August 31. Our first place prize is an Apple Ipad 16gb w/ wi-fi. Our second prize is an Ipod touch and the third prize is $100 cash! I hope that you will stop by our website and learn more about our family and adoption. There are also instructions on our blog in case you would like to make a tax deductible donation. And most importantly, remember us in your prayers.

Here is our blog!
http://steppingoutinfaith-williamsjourney.blogspot.com/

Help bring Anna home!

Guest Entry ~ An easy way to contribute to adoption grants!!

2010-08-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

On of my favorite adoption grant organizations is 'Our Creator's Hope' - what I really love about them is that every penny donated goes directly into an adoption grant! It is run completely online and by volunteers! There are many ways to donate but there is even a to donate without spending any money at all - please read the following post & consider helping Our Creator's Hope in their quest to support even more adoptive families ~

'Our Creator's Hope sole purpose is to provide a way to fulfill God’s commandment for the church but most importantly to help those who need us the most, the orphans. We believe parents should not have to incur debt in order to fulfill God's purpose for the church or believers in caring for orphans.

Do you know believers are called to care for orphans. Adoption is not for every family, but caring and supporting adoption is a call for all believers. (James 1:27). God offers Hope to orphans, through “OUR” resources. As Christians, we are responsible for ensuring HOPE to the fatherless (James 1:27; Exodus 22:21; Deuteronomy 24:17; Deuteronomy 24-26; and Isaiah 1:17). Many wonder how in the world can I do this I can barely pay our bills in this economic time period? Did you realize that when you shop online and use shopping portals or website search engine that money is generated towards our grants? Yes that's right!!! In our 3 years as an organization, we helped fund 3 adoption by our supporters use of isearch/igive portals which was FREE......all it took was your time and effort. Did you realize that if we had I'm using iGive.com to raise money for Our Creator's Hope, every time I shop online at any of their 802 participating stores. And when I search the web through iSearchiGive.com (a search engined powered by iGive!), I'm raising a penny or more for my cause every time.

If you do happen to make a purchase through iGive within 45 days of joining, they'll donate an EXTRA $5 to your favorite cause! With 802 stores in the iGive Mall and the new iSearchiGive.com search engine, it's easy to find the things you need AND raise money for a good cause.

HOW IT WORKS:

1. Join iGive.com to support Our Creator's Hope. It's free, safe, and easy to join. Use this link:

http://www.iGive.com/welcome/warmwelcome.cfm?c=44030&m=537340
Don't feel like registering? Take iSearchiGive.com out for a spin and raise a penny (or more!) per search. Just visit http://www.iSearchiGive.com/ and type "Our Creator's Hope" in the "Select Your Cause" area.

2. Shop through iGive.com's online mall
~ OR ~
Raise a penny search at iSearchiGive.com
The iGive Mall features over 700 trusted online retailers like Amazon.com, Staples, Nordstrom, JCPenney, eBay, Expedia.com, Barnes & Noble, QVC, & PETsMART to name just a few! You'll NEVER pay more when you reach these stores through iGive.com. And if you take advantage of the coupons and free shipping deals posted at iGive, you might even save a few bucks! And with iSearchiGive.com, each qualified search earns a penny (or more!) for your cause.

3. Watch the $$ roll in for Our Creator's Hope!
Up to 26% of EACH purchase through iGive benefits your cause, along with a penny (or more!) per qualified search at iSearchiGive.com. Make that first purchase within 45 days and get a bonus $5 donation, too!'

Tripp & Buffy were matched quickly! Sydney Paige is due in September!

2010-08-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

Tripp and Buffy Poole are from North Carolina and have been married for 6 years. We adopted our first son from Guatemala in 2006 and Hunter is (4) years old. Last August we started the process once again, but this time Domestically. This past friday we were matched with our sweet little girl that is due Sept.9th. We are so excited to bring Sydney-Paige home to her forever family.

check out their blog & fundraiser here

http://greatestgiftsofall.blogspot.com/

Help them reach their financial goal before Miss Sydney gets here!

Attention everyone fundraising! Check out this blog!

2010-08-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Check out this blog - they are offering an item to raffle off or sell for your adoption fundraiser! She is offering ONE for free to any adoptive family that is already contracted with an agency - I hope it can help some of you out! I wish we were contracted already - we would LOVE to take advantage! Hopefully she will still be at it when we get to that point.

http://raudenbushfamily.blogspot.com/2010/07/donation-for-adoption-fundraising.html

Check it out & please share with friends that are also in the fundraising stages!

Kate

Shannon & Penny are fundraising to bring home Samuel!

2010-07-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

We are Shannon and Penny from Summerville, SC. We are in the process of adopting our son Samuel from Wuxi, Jiangsu. We have a fundraising site set up with yummy sweet bites, M&M tubes to fill with quarters and also puzzle pieces that you can "sponsor". We are so excited about bringing Samuel into our family!! He will join Elias, 8 and Norah, 3 (from Nanchang, Jiangxi) and of course the family dog Lucy. Thank you for taking the time to read about our family and please stop by and see us soon! If you stop by our blog, please make sure to leave a comment so we know you were there! Peace and Love!

fundraising site: http://www.sweetsforsamuel.org/

family site: http://www.bendingbeneathmercy.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much!

Penny

Stuart & Jenny are waiting for a referral from Ethiopia ~ check out their candle fundraiser!

2010-07-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

We are Stuart and Jenny Borders and are in the process of adopting an infant from Ethiopia. We currently have 18 month old biological boy/girl twins, Spencer and Kate. They keep us busy, but we are ready to grow our family! We have had the heart for adoption since before we were married, and we feel the Lord is calling us to pursue at this point in our lives. We feel confident that He has told us our next child will be born elsewhere. We love and serve an adopting God, who rescued us when we were orphans, and feel the burden that the Gospel speaks clearly to us to do the same.

We are selling etched glass candle holders for $10. I have attached a photo. My husband designed it himself. Here is a link to the blog post with the description:

http://borderspatrol.blogspot.com/2010/07/it-time.html

Our blog is: http://borderspatrol.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for any support!

Jenny Borders

Help Matthew & Kelli bring their two little girls home from Ukraine!

2010-07-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

We are Matthew and Kelli Stever. We haVE 5 BIO DAUGHTERS ages 22, 18, 4, 2, &1. We are adopting for the first time. We feel that we have been called to adopt one or two secial needs children from the Ukraine. God have burdened our hearts with love for the children there. We have several fundraisers:

www.adoptionbug.com/SteverAdoption
http://www.justlovecoffee.com/SteverAdoption

Come visit Barefoot Books

http://www.kelli-stever.barefootbooks.com/
http://www.noodlepuzzle.blogspot.com/

Our blog is: http://www.ourlittlenoodles.blogspot.com/

Joe & Jenny's adoption fundraiser to bring their TWO girls home!

2010-07-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Joe and Jenny have been married for 12 years and have 3 wonderful birth children: Anna, age 9; Joey, age 6; and Jon, age 5. They are a very close family and the kids were instrumental in helping them make the decision to adopt! Joe and Jenny decided to adopt after Joe's back to back tours in Iraq. They felt they had a lot of love to give and wanted to share that love. They started the process with the thought of adopting domestically; however, God had different plans. They never thought of adopting internationally, but Jenny received information on one of the children on Reece's Rainbow. Immediately, she knew she was looking at her daughter. Joe and the children agreed…Stacey is meant to be our newest family member…soon after they were introduced to Bella...who fell into their hearts as well. They will be travelling soon to pick up their beautiful girls...

Follow their journey at http://vandyckfamilyofhowmany.blogspot.com/

Their fundraiser is through Usborne books ~ if you purchase a book from their online 'bookfair' they will get a percentage donated towards their adoption expenses - one great choice is 'My First words in Russian' - this would be a great resource to have for those adopting from the Ukraine/Russia!

www.ubah.com/BF39821 - buy lots & know it is for a great cause!

Bob & Amy Land adopting three little ones from Eastern Europe!

2010-07-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Bob and Amy Land have been married for 14 years and have two children that were adopted at birth, Katie & Michael. Adoption has been a passion and a calling from the Lord for them. The Lord has called them to adopt with other Christians helping to fund adoptions of orphans. Amy has always had a heart for orphans and has wanted to adopt internationally especially Eastern Europe. They became interested after seeing some children on Reece's Rainbow. They were drawn to three children in particular on that site. They are currently in process to adopt the three children with their homestudy complete. They are currently working on their dossier.

Follow their adoption blog ~ http://www.savingorphansforjesus2010.blogspot.com/

Reece's Rainbow Grant Fund Link - http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsorland.html

Coffee fundraiser - http:www.justlovecoffee.com/landfamily

t-shirt fundraiser - http://www.adoptionbug.com/landfamily

puzzle fundraiser - http://www.landfamily-puzzle.blogspot.com/

We are using Ebates.com to help save for our adoption!

2010-07-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

Just updating the blog so it stays live! I will post tips on how we saved $$ at times when there is a lull in postings - please email me if you want your adoption fundraiser up!

Ebates can help you save a little money for your adoption costs, it doesn't cost anything to join and you can get money back from nearly every online purchase if you go through Ebates first. They send you a quarterly 'big fat check' - ours is usually under $100 (but we don't buy much online), but we look at it as FREE money that we would have otherwise spent, we deposit that check into our 'adoption fund' & just look at it as 'every little bit helps' I HIGHLY suggest that you use it when you book your travel - nearly every travel site, airline, hotel, even package companies are listed! You can get a few percentages back from your purchase - nice!

Also - you can combine promotions for any website with Ebates so you never miss out on anything - it is just an added bonus!

They don't spam or sell your info - we LOVE it!

Kate

Paul & Kelly are adopting! Help them finish fundraising!

2010-07-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hello, we are Paul & Kelly Winn. We felt God's call on our hearts to add a special needs orphan to our family two years ago and have been waiting on His perfect timing to being the process. We know that the time is now, though financially now doesn't make much sense in a worldly mindset. We trust that He will provide as we faithfully answer His call.

To raise funds we are creating and selling wristlet key fobs, a perfect accessory for anybody who carries keys! They are perfect for the gym, walking the dog, running errands, having free hands to hold onto little ones while having your keys easily accessible, and make finding your keys a breeze. Wristlet key fobs are the perfect gift for friends, teachers, grads, babysitters, and make great stocking stuffers. They are available in over 75 designs and more are being added weekly. Also, all funds generated from sales from Kelly's existing hair accessories business will be directed toward our adoption fund. We have always donated 100% of profits from the sale of our adoption accessories to New Day Foster Home through child sponsorship and will continue to support New Day with all income generated from our embroidered adoption themed hair bows (found in the etsy store and Girly Girl Bowtique website).

http://keystochina.blogspot.com/ - check out their blog!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/GirlyGirlBowtique

http://www.girlygirlbowtique.com/store/Default.asp

The Skibinski Family is Starting their adoption journey!

2010-07-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

We are the Skibinski family, missionarys (raising support to go) to Cape Verde, Africa. We are just beginning the adoption process! Having prayed and waited for this opportunity for years, we are so thankful to God for His perfect timing! With 3 boys we still have places to fill in our family. We will most likely be adopting from Bulgaria and we would like to have fundraised $5-8,000 before taking the next step.

Will you consider helping us bring our child(ren) home?

http://fromadoptedtoadopting.blogspot.com/ - follow their blog & also check out their fundraisers!

http://www.marykay.com/mandiestallings - a portion of every sale will be donated to their adoption fund! If you buy Mary Kay products anyway - please consider the Skibinski family fundraiser!

http://www.justlovecoffee.com/Skibinski - coffee fundraiser!! buy fair trade coffee & support their adoption!

The Johnston Family ~ an incredible story! Help them bring Emma home!

2010-06-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

After three and half years of courtship on November 21, 1998 my husband and I got married at his home church in Ellenwood, GA. We had a beautiful wedding that all of our family and friends came together to celebrate. Trent and I always knew we wanted to have a big family. We also knew that by us both having Achondroplasia Dwarfism we would encounter risks genetically as well as my four foot tall body handling pregnancy. Five months into our marriage, too much of our surprise, Trent and I were expecting our first child. Extremely nervous, scared and anxious we began going to routine doctor visits to monitor the baby as well as my health. At 18 weeks gestation I underwent a 4-D ultrasound to determine if the baby was going to be one of three things: have Achondroplasia, be average height, or carry both dwarfism genes and be homozygous which would be fatal shortly after birth. The perinatologist was able to rule out homozygous, but could not determine until later in the pregnancy if the child would be a dwarf or average height. We were seen by the perinatologist every month and finally at 31 weeks gestation, at which I was measuring 36 weeks, he determined that our son would have Achondroplasia. My husband and I were thrilled. We could not believe it! At 35 ½ weeks, I delivered because I no longer had room in my torso area for this baby. I could no longer breathe. Our son, Jonah, came into the world not breathing, not crying, lifeless. The doctors were able to revive him and place him on a ventilator. He remained in the NICU for 6 weeks. Throughout Jonah’s first year of life he was in and out of the hospital, endured surgeries due to his dwarfism and prematurity.
December 2001 we welcomed our daughter Elizabeth into the world at 37 weeks gestation. She too, was diagnosed with Achondroplasia Dwarfism. The pregnancy was grueling and very painful. I had a great deal of trouble with my hips repeatedly becoming dislocated. Only being 48 inches tall and measuring 51 inches around at the time of delivery Trent and I knew my body could not tolerate another pregnancy, therefore I underwent a tubal ligation during the c-section. We knew that our dream of having a large family was still conceivable through adoption. Growing up as a little person in an average size family, I always knew I wanted children and I wanted them to be little like me. I was aware of how children with dwarfism were placed for adoption. Trent has two older siblings that are adopted; therefore adoption is close to his heart, too! We knew that when and if God was ready for Trent and I to expand our family he would let us know….and sure enough he did!

In March 2004, I received an email from Shepherd’s Crook adoption ministry asking to help find a Russian orphan with Achondroplasia Dwarfism a home. I was a district director of Little People of America, an organization that provides support and information to people with dwarfism, and was more than happy to help. I asked for more information on the child and as we read her bio, we completely felt as if she was one of our children. We knew in our hearts this child was meant to be our daughter. That very night, we began our journey through adoption.

We completed this adoption from beginning to end in an astonishing 13 weeks. Our church family was extremely supportive. They thought it was absolutely wonderful that a couple who already had 2 biological children would feel led to adopt a child all the way from Siberia. Russia approved 1 trip to bring our daughter home. On June 23, 2004 we landed in Moscow and three days later we were in Siberia. The Director of the orphanage made a special weekend trip to meet us. With tears in her eyes, (speaking in Russian) she told us how happy she was for our daughter. Then, it was time to meet her! Oh! How perfect and beautiful she was! She looked very much like Trent’s oldest sister, who happens to be adopted.

On July 1, 2005, as tears streamed down the caretakers face, she put her in my arms. All, including the judge, were elated to see our daughter receive the family she deserved. On July 8, we landed in Atlanta, GA. Upon arriving at Trent’s parents’ home where our other 2 children stayed, everyone came running with excitement! Our 2 children were thrilled and amazed that we brought Anna home for them. Our new daughter immediately bonded with all of us.

In December 2005, we received a phone call from an agency in Colorado ironically asking the same question, “Do you know of a family that would be interested in adopting a baby boy with dwarfism from South Korea?” Trent and I were astonished. We had been praying for a son to complete our family. Our oldest son longed for a brother, but I thought to myself, “Can we do this again?” Again, I asked for some information on the child. The agency sent pictures, medical diagnosis and a video. The diagnosis at first was just dwarfism until the genetic test came back and confirmed he had Achondroplasia. By that time we had began the process of adopting him. Alex’s adoption process was very different from Anna’s. Soon after we begun the adoption process, we hit a major road block. South Korea requires the adoption fee to be paid in full at the beginning of the process; therefore we did not have the funds or the time to fundraise. Every day it took us to acquire the funds necessary was one more day our son was not receiving the medical treatment and care he needed. Hours seemed like days. I spoke with the pastor of our church and he suggested raising the funds over the next several months. Overcome with emotion, I explained we do not have weeks or months! Fifteen minutes after returning home from that conversation, our phone rang. It was our pastor informing us that a couple from our church inquired about our adoption that same evening and volunteered to write out a check for the entire amount, $15, 150. I could not believe it! I hung up the phone and was without words. My husband asked, “Who was that”? I told him.

On May 17, 2006, our children were overjoyed to finally meet their new brother, Alex. A few months after Alex’s arrival we received a grant from Show Hope and Gift of Adoption. We were able to give back to the amazing family who made our adoption possible.

Shortly after our son’s arrival, my husband and I had a long conversation regarding Alex ethnically looking different than the rest of our family. My husband felt very strongly that it was important for our family to adopt a second Asian child with dwarfism (if one is to come available). To be honest, I was not so sure. We had four children and Alex was a blessing from God, but a very challenging baby.

Time had passed and I really began to agree with Trent and felt in my heart Alex needs a sibling close in age and a sibling he can share the same physical characteristics with. August 17, 2009 we received an email from an agency seeking out a family for a child with dwarfism in China. Naturally, I requested the child’s medicals and picture. When I opened the email, to my surprise, it was a beautiful little girl the same age as Alex. How perfect she was! We have begun the process once again with great excitement, this time knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt; it is to complete our family! We have given her the name Emma Lee Johnston.

http://www.cafepress.com/CelebrateAdoption - check out their adoption fundraiser!

'Our children are not ours because they share our genes...they are ours because we have had the audacity to
envision them. That, at the end of the day...or a long sleepless night, is how love really works.'

Sherry & Chaz are still waiting for their referral from Poland - please consider their fundraiser!

2010-06-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

We are Sherry and Chaz from Seattle, WA and we are in the process of adopting a child from Poland. Adoption is something we talked about doing many years ago, when we were first married. Last year we decided it was the right time, and we began the process.

We have been waiting for a referral forr 9 months, and are hoping to get one sometime this year.

We are currently working on a couple of fundraisers.

For one we wrote and published a cookbook. The cookbook is filled with family recipes as well as Polish recipes. This book was fun to work on and brought back a lot of family memories. It's memories like those we want to share with our child.

Cookbook - http://www.missiontoadopt.com/order_our_cookbook

The other fundraiser is locally based, but those in the Seattle Area can attend our concert on July 17th at the Black Box Theater at Edmonds Community College.

About the Concert - http://www.missiontoadopt.com/home

We are looking forward to being able to Pay It Forward by helping others with their fundraising when our adoption is done!

Thank you to everyone for reading and considering us!

The Phillips Family is raffling off an IPAD - yay! Bringing home Zion from Ethiopia!

2010-06-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

We are the Phillips Family. 2 years ago, we went to China, to adopt a little girl who is blind. She has been such a blessing, and we are so thankful that God put her into our lives! Now we are on a journey to adopt a little boy from Ethiopia. We have started a blog www.bridgetozion.com and are currently hosting a raffle to win an IPAD. Tickets are only $5 each, and the drawing will be on July 4th, 2010 at 2pm. We are working 24/7 to try and come up with the funds to bring home another orphan. We have been selling donated items on craigslist, applying for side jobs, having garage sales, etc. We have battled with discouragement, as the money hasn’t come in as quickly as it did when we adopted from China. We are also in the process of having t shirts made to sell, which will be up on our website in a few weeks. Thanks for your support! We are so thankful for this blog!

Love,
The Phillips Family
Todd, Kim, Jonathan, Abby, Hannah, Hope, and Zion (coming soon from Ethiopia!)

Alison & Eric are bringing home two older children from China!

2010-06-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

We are Alison and Eric in central Texas. We are overjoyed to be the new parents of a 12 year old daughter and 6 year old son waiting for us in China. We had started the adoption process quite a few years ago which was put on hold due to our six year old daughter becoming seriously ill. Her amazing recovery is only the beginning of our incredible journey. We found a wonderful new agency, and while we hoped and prayed for two children, we knew the chances were slim. Imagine our surprise when China said YES and we were granted PA for 2 beautiful children.

http://puttingthepiecestogether.weebly.com/index.html

https://www.justlovecoffee.com/alisonanderic

Thank you so much for giving your time and consideration to our little fundraiser. Like most people we are looking forward to that adoption tax rebate and hope to truly pay it forward in a much larger increment than just a little here and there.

Thank you again,

Alison

Cathy & Cecil need your help bringing their 11 year old son home!

2010-06-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

We are Cathy and Cecil from Seattle, WA and we are in the beginning stages of our 3rd special need adoption from China.

We have been so blessed with two little ones, our daughter now 4 and our son now 2 1/2, both from China and both with repaired cleft lips and palates. For this adoption we are stepping out in complete faith and following God's lead for our 11 year old son with mild cerebral palsy.

We have a few fundraisers going on, one is a giveaway, another is coffee, we also have friends that will donate 100% of the proceeds from purchases from their on-line store as well as sending us your empty ink cartridges and old (workable) cell phones.

But what I am most excited about is our t-shirts! I had them designed to show exactly why we or others are called to adopt. We have adult and youth sizes available.

To see any or all of our fundraisers, please visit our blog at http://becauseweareled.blogspot.com/
Thank you for considering in helping us bring our son home!

Blessings - Cathy and Cecil

Leda & Todd are bringing home Faith! They are also donating EVERYTHING donated to them back once they get their adoption tax credit! I hope everyone does a bit of that!

2010-06-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

We're Leda & Todd Perry and we're fundraising to bring home our 9 year old daughter, Faith CuiMei, with Thalassemia - waiting in Guangzhou. We've created an adoption song fundraiser on our fundraising site http://www.funds4faith.com/. We're selling the song "As Big As My Heart" on iTunes, but you can also donate via our chip-In to our adoption fund and we’ll send you the links to the amazing song written and performed by professional singer/songwriter Jaime Fox. In return, we will “pay it forward!” When we receive our tax credit after the adoption is final in 2011, Todd & I will be writing a check for the total amount of donated funds we receive. Then, we will donate back to one of Jaime’s favorite charities, We Will Rise (wewillrise.org). So, you are not just helping us by donating to our adoption fundraiser, you’re donation will move forward to help another great charity working in local communities as well! I also can do blog headers, custom inivations, scrapbook pages and frameable art for a minimal donation, and we have some other small fundraisers including t-shirt sales coming soon! This our 2nd special needs adoption from China and we can't wait to bring her home to join her two big brothers, and little sister.

Ben & Janet are bring Isaac a little brother from Ethiopia! They leave soon!

2010-06-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

We are Ben, Janet, and Isaac Whipple from Lafayette, Indiana. We

brought Isaac Degele home from Ethiopia in April of 2009 and knew
right away that we wanted to go back for a little brother. There are
so many children without parents, and we feel blessed and honored to
have the opportunity to welcome another into our family. Our hearts
are especially bent towards Ethiopia having been there and seen the
need. We started the process up again in October, going on complete
faith that God would provide the funds. He has worked mightily and
we're getting close! We've been told our referral is on it's way, and
that we will need to appear in court 6-8 weeks later, but we still
need about $8000 to complete this adoption! Thanks for your
consideration of helping to bring our next son home.

You can purchase fair trade coffee at www.justlovecoffee.com/WhippleAdoption
. $5 for every bag purchased will go directly towards the trip to
bring home our son, and every dollar counts!!

You can find our blog at http://www.whipplewords.wordpress.com/

Chris & Carin are on their way to Ethiopia too!

2010-06-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hello! We are Chris and Carin McManus. We are in the process to adopt internationally from Ethiopia to add to our family. We have a heart for orphans and those in poverty and truly want to find ways to help and be Christ's hands and feet to them! We are selling T-shirts through our blog http://coffeecupoffaith.blogspot.com/

Also, 100% Fair-trade coffee at www.justlovecoffee.com/McManus

and beautiful magazine necklaces from Uganda that support us along with supporting the ladies who made them via fair trade and help feed children in Uganda! 3 great things to support in one beautiful necklace! The necklaces are being sold through me via email, carinlydia@hotmail.com

Josh & Tera leave for Ethiopia in one month!

2010-06-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

We are Josh and Tera and have always wanted to build our family through adoption. We are currently scheduled to travel to Ethiopia in early July to pick up our three year old son – and we couldn’t be any happier! When not busy preparing for our son to come home, we keep busy volunteering for an animal rescue and our local SPCA. We currently have 3 dogs, 2 cats, and a foster cat and her 4 kittens!

Our friend designed the first two fundraiser t-shirts on this page for us and we love them! She did such an amazing job! We want to thank everyone in advance for possibly purchasing a t-shirt, a painting, or just sending some good thoughts our way!

T-shirt fundraiser link

check out their blog & leave a comment - Tera will get back to you about purchasing a painting - they are very cute!

NEW! photography prints also available!

their blog ~ http://www.facebook.com/l/ac7ce;ethiopiaandback.blogspot.com/

yay! email is working again!

2010-06-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

hey all!

we finally figured out what we were doing wrong! i found a couple hidden emails and have emailed those people back finally - so sorry for the delay! I am so excited to get people's fundraisers up here! I hope that we can get lots more fundraisers up & please continue to invite family, friends, post a link back on your blogs, facebook, etc - anything to get all our fundraisers a little bit more attention!

More fundraisers being posted tomorrow - yay!

if you would like to link up your online fundraiser this is all i need from you -
1. a short bio that i can copy & paste along with links to your fundraisers & blog (if public)
2. please SHARE! if you have a blog - please do a little write up w/ a link back - also please share on any social networking sites, email to friends, perhaps share with an agency, yahoo group, whatever gets people here!
3. this is totally 'on your honor' - but PLEASE when your fundraising is complete PLEASE come back & make a purchase from a currently fundraising family - we all know how hard it is - please bless someone who is following in your footsteps.

email me at PostYourFundraiser@gmail.com to get yours up! I will post no more than one a day so everyone gets 'top billing' for a full day (at least).

Let's bring those kiddos home!
Kate

for some reason my email is not working! use this one - i am working on it =)

2010-06-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends ~
I am having some technical difficulties - for some reason my gmail for this blog is not downloading??? Not sure why! If you have emailed I am SO SORRY that I have not posted - please email me thru my other blog for now until I figure it out
SanDiegoDealsandSteals@gmail.com - i know that one is downloading at least, i will let you know when the original email is working again - i am really sorry - just discovering this - I hope I can post about everyone who wants to!

Thanks!
Kate

Ernesto & Dania ~ RE- fundraising! They are NOT giving up!

2010-06-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

We are a happily married couple from Puerto Rico and are currently working with a domestic adoption (Chicago Agency). Previously we tried the International Adoption (Ukraine) with no results. We lost ALL of our money on that process and are now fundrasing for our new one. I just opened a FB group called: Creaciones Daluché where we post pictures of our handmade bows & headbands. We also ship to the US. Creaciones Daluche
Blessings!

Dania Liz

Bill & Heather are waiting to travel to Korea!

2010-06-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

My husband & I (Bill & Heather Perry) have been married for 5 years. We tried to have a biological child for about 3 years before we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. This is when we decided to pursue adoption. We decided to adopt from Korea. We wanted to adopt internationally & Korea was one of the few countries that we met all of the criteria with. We know our heart is in Korea! :) Our home study has been in Korea for a little over 2 months now. Hopefully we won't have too much longer to go before our referral. We are ready to bring our little one home! In order to do that however we need help raising funds! Please consider helping a baby come to their forever home. We have an online coffee store, an online T-shirt store, & a personal blog with a direct paypal link that people may donate directly to our adoption fund.

For coffee go to www.justlovecoffee.com/theperrys

For T-shirts go to www.adoptionbug.com/theperrys

To follow our journey & give directly to our adoption fund visit
http://www.ouradoptionjourney-billheather.blogspot.com/

Affording International Adoption Facebook Group

2010-05-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Affording International Adoption on facebook may help you come up with some new ways to fundraise or save money when trying to bring your kids home!

I actually started the group a little over a year ago and there are over 500 members! Lots of great discussion groups, ideas for fundraising, cutting back - also check in posted items there are links to many grant organizations and loan options - please keep in mind that grants are VERY hard to come by - so many people need help with adoption costs -there just isn't enough grant money to go around (keep adoption grants in mind when you are feeling charitable after your adoption is complete! hopefully there will be more available as time goes on) - that being said - it is still good to know the grants that are out there & apply for every one you qualify for - even being awarded one would help! The more you apply for the better you chances.

Check it out!
Kate

Laurie & Michael are trying to bring Iryna home!

2010-05-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Hi we are Laurie and Michael and in the process of trying to bring Iryna home. We have been married nine years and have two amazing little boys, Sebastian and Dillon. We are all so filled with joy at the thought of adding Iryna to our family. We can say without a doubt that we feel so blessed that God has place adoption on our hearts. This has been an amazing journey, filled with many ups and downs. Days that seem like we will never be able to financially complete this and days where we are filled with hope. We are clinging to those days and determined to climb as many mountains as we have to, to bring Iryna home. Iryna is three years old and for medical reasons needs to be here. Not only for the love of a family but to manage what can be a very manageable illness. We are paper ready but have hit a huge financial wall. We have tried everything possible but still are unable to come up with all of the money in order to complete this. Please consider helping us to help Iryna. She as well as all these children deserve the love of a family. If you or anyone you know would like to make a donation you can click below to make it. Just make sure to use our name, Ramirez. You can also follow our journey at www.foriryna-lr.blogspot.com

Thank you and we are eternally greatful.

www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsorramirez.html

Laurie & Michael Ramirez

http://www.foriryna-lr.blogspot.com/ - check out their blog!

Josie Belle Designs on Etsy! All proceeds benefit our upcoming adoption!

2010-05-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.etsy.com/shop/josiebelledesigns is our online store to help raise funds to begin our second adoption process! We fundraised the entire time we were in process to bring our son home & ended up with TONS on a credit card - we are hoping to build a small 'adoption fund' before we even start the process - here are several tutus, hairclips, and more on Etsy at less than half the price I sell them at Christmas craft fairs for - we are just trying to raise funds quickly to hopefully bring another little one home soon!

Thank you for checking it out & thank you for sharing!! I hope you find something awesome!!

Kate

Adoption Fundraising Network!

2010-04-13T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hello! So I will make this brief....my husband and I are in the process of another international adoption, we are fundraising - yet again. We know there are SOOO many people in our same boat. So many people have a heart for adoption but simply don't have the bank account for adoption. I am hoping that we can network here. If you have an online adoption fundraiser please email me - I will post it here along with links to your fundraiser! Please email me a bit of background that I can post with your link. This will be TOTALLY free - my only requirement - you must promise to return to this site and make a purchase from another poster once your adoption fundraising is completed.

I will post no more than one fundraiser daily.

This is obviously 'on your honor' - but I am hoping most will do this!

Please share this blog with friends! Please pray for our adoption process - we will pray for each family that contacts us!!

Blessings ~
Kate