Sean and I have been praying about adoption for several months. We started thinking about it last year and looking into the different options. There are so many orphans domestically and internationally. We prayed for God to open a door for us, and after several months of prayer, He led us down the path to Ghana, West Africa. We sent in our application and were approved to begin the process with Ghana. Our hearts are overwhelmed with joy and we are anxiously awaiting to learn more about our future daughter and all of the plans God has for her. I have been asked several questions since our adoption so I decided to answer them on our first blog.
Why adoption?
John 14:18 says "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
Ephesians 1:4-5 says: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."
James 1:27 says: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
These are just a few of several verses that speak to my heart. I believe God adopts us as his children. He calls us to love one another and take care of each other. We are called to reach out to those in need and share the gospel with the lost. The first question I always get from someone about adopting is "why don't you have your own children?" or "can you have your own children?" My answer is simple: Yes we can have our own children, but there are 140 million orphans in the world and God is calling us to bring one home. God has given us a huge heart to bring a child home and make her a part of our family. We are going to be able to provide a life for a child whom may not have survived without our care and love. We are going to be able to love this child unconditionally the way Christ loves us. We are going to be able to give her a home, take her to church, pray for her daily, and raise her with Godly principles to help her throughout her life. Most of all, she will be a blessing to us from God. She will change our life in more ways than we can imagine. We are praying for her as we anxiously await to find out who she is. We think about her and know that God is watching over her right now. We are so blessed that the Lord chose us to have this calling.
Why Ghana?
Ghana holds very near and dear to my heart. I went on a mission trip to Ghana in 2010 and my life was changed forever. I stepped off the plane having no idea what to expect, and I came home a different person. My heart grew daily as I loved on the precious children in Ghana. The Lord used me to reach the children and families in ways I didn't know were possible. I was able to interact and love on children each day I was there. My heart was broken for the children who did not have a home. I realize now that God was preparing me for what we are going through now. I can't wait to go back with Sean so he can experience the same thing I did when I went. We can't wait to bring home our little girl.
How much does it cost?
This is always the next question that I get. Our goal is to raise $30,000 to bring our little girl home. I always see two big eyes when I give those figures to people. I am sure that when people go purchase a car they don't think twice about the $30,000. The fact that we are able to bring our little girl home is priceless to us. She is worth everything and far more than the $30,000 it cost to get her here. These fees include the US fees, International fees, and travel expenses since we go twice.
How can I help?
I love getting this question- it puts a huge smile on my face. The most important thing you can do to help us is PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! We need your prayers more than anything. Pray for us through this process, pray for our little girl while she is waiting, and pray for our families as we all await her arrival.
Fundraisers
We will be holding several fundraisers over the next few months to help bring our little girl home. We have a fundraiser section on our website that we will be updating frequently. Our first big fundraiser is a RUMMAGE SALE on May 18th. We are currently taking donations of items (ANYTHING) and we will pick them up!! Some other fundraisers to look forward to: donation letters (you can donate through paypal on our website), bake sale (sponsored by my wonderful mother-in-law), t-shirts (created by my BFF Aubri Duran), dinner/silent auction and possibly a speaker (our biggest event with the help of my wonderful parents), a raffle basket full of great items (we are looking for donations), cookbooks, and selling art and jewelry. We are open to any fundraising ideas that anyone has! Please let us know if you would like to help out with any of our fundraisers.
Please feel free to join our blog and follow our journey, and please feel free to SHARE our story with your friends!! We will update frequently and keep you informed of our timeline. Thanks for taking the time to read our blog, follow our journey, and pray for us daily! We could not do this without the great abundance of love from God, family, and friends. We love you all!!!
--Sean and Sarah
