Anybody Want To Buy An Ultrasound Machine With Me?

A little over a week ago I received an email from a friend in China with a newspaper article attached.  I honestly have no idea what the article says or is even about, but I do know that the picture printed with the article contains the face of one little boy our household just loves – Jack!  Needless to say, I was thrilled to see the picture as we have not received an update or new photos from the orphanage since January 7 (but who’s keeping track? Ha!), but I was intrigued by the fact the email’s subject line read “Re:  Ultrasound”.  I couldn’t figure out why this particular friend would send me an email about an ultrasound.  So, being purely human, I started scrolling down to figure things out.

It did not take me long to see that the email I had received was actually the last of an email conversation between my friend and another person there in China.  The earlier conversation had revolved around the need for a portable ultrasound machine at the orphanage Jack resides at, as well as a few others in the province, and had ended with the other individual letting my friend know about the newspaper article that had ultimately been forwarded to me.  Thus the subject line.

Well, you know me.  Once I see something that needs to be done I can’t do much else but try to figure out how to get it accomplished.  The general gist of the ultrasound communication was that the orphanages were really in need of the portable ultrasound equipment and apparently Show Hope was hoping to help with the acquisition of one.  It didn’t seem that this was a project that had been completed, but sounded more as if it was “in the works.”  Included in the emails, however, was a general pricing idea of the desired ultrasound and let’s just say it was more than just a few thousand dollars.  A definite need, but a definite pricey proposition as well.   So, this whole ultrasound thing really had nothing to do with me except that the information had wound up in my inbox and I could not shake the feeling that it had wound up there for a reason. 

As I went about my to-do list for the day, I simply couldn’t put it out of my mind so when I got to the point on my list that read “fund-raising tithe” an idea popped into my head.  As most of you know, it has been our commitment from the beginning to tithe 10% of all money we raise through our adoption fund-raising efforts to Show Hope.  I don’t say that to brag in any way, but we have been very open about this fact and feel very strongly that God directs us each to return the first fruits of any of our labors to Him.  That said, I had some money in our adoption account from the consignment sale and various other recent deposits that needed be forwarded along.  I typically work with the same two people at Show Hope when sending money to determine if there is a particular need at that time or if the money should simply be designated for where it is most needed.  This particular day I decided to see if there was a way to help out with the potential ultrasound project.  Keep in mind I really didn’t even know if the project really existed or was just conversation, but I simply couldn’t shake it from my mind so I had to ask.

What I quickly found out was that there truly was a pending portable ultrasound machine in the works as a result of a grant that Show Hope had received.  My question as to whether our forthcoming check could be credited toward that project, however, was a bit harder to answer as it was not an offer to underwrite the entire expense but merely a two hundred or so dollar donation toward the effort.  Before my contact at Show Hope could assure me that our check would be easily put toward the machine she wanted to check with the finance people to be sure we wouldn’t be creating confusion down the line in any way.  That was fine with me, of course, so I went about waiting for an answer to my query. 

What I also learned along the way, however, was that due to the grant Show Hope had received in relation to the machine desired, the entire cost of the project was $2000.  Yep, $2000!  A mere fraction of the actual sticker price of such a machine.  I also learned that the project really wasn’t open to public knowledge or involvement so it was somewhat secret in that way.  Needless to say, I found this entire situation absolutely incredible.  I believe my exact response to the actual cost was “That is CRAZY!  Crazy – amazing that is!”  And I should probably mention here as well that I kinda said I wished it wasn’t a secret because I would gladly shout the need from the mountaintops and raise the two thousand dollars needed to cover the entire affair.  Guess I’m not too good at keeping secrets, huh?

Well, as you probably all know at this point, the answer to that last question is a big fat NO.  I did not keep the secret, but what I did do was create a new one.  I did  not receive a quick response to whether our tithing check could be easily credited toward this project, but I was somewhat glad that I did not.  What I did receive was a later email sharing that the project wasn’t so much a secret as just something being undertaken off the radar as to not pull resources or focus away from the major aspects of long-term, sustained support for Show Hope as a whole.  In my world, the one where I could just feel God telling me He let me in on this for a reason, that was all I needed to hear in order to feel comfortable shouting from those mountaintops.  Okay, whispering from the mountaintops so that Show Hope wouldn’t know what I was doing and would thus be surprised later – but you get the idea.   =)

So, there it was.  A need, a passion and a little bit of permission.  I told Dan that evening that I really wanted to come up with all of the money needed to pay for this machine and he was fully behind my efforts.  He exact response was, “I know you do.  I say:  Go for it!”  So I did!.  With a whole lot of excitement and more than a little prayer, mind you.  =)

I sent out an email to all of my Monday adoption update recipients minus those who work for or were spending the weekend with Show Hope.  (This was the same time that Show Hope was putting together their Cinderella event so a few of my email folks were literally spending the weekend with Show Hope.)  I also posted a message to several Jack-adoption supporting non-Monday updaters through facebook.  I really wanted this to be a surprise so I was trying to keep things quiet while still getting the word out.  My idea was to collect the money without telling anyone on the Show Hope end.  Then, when I sent in the tithing check I had already spoken with them about, I would simply send in all of the money rather than a small portion of it and let them be surprised when the envelope was opened and the full amount revealed.  My challenge – come up with the money in just ten days so that I could mail the money envelope in a timely fashion in relation to the conversation I had already started about the money.  Dan and I pledged to begin the collection with a check for $250; that left us with $1750 to collect in just 10 days.

The first day I had a couple of people reply that they would be putting a check in the mail or had a bit of cash to drop by.  This, to me, was quite the promising beginning.  After two days I had collected $150.  By day six our total was up to $869.  By the end of day seven we sat at $1114.  After checking our mailbox on day eight, our total had risen to $1369 and I felt it was time for one more plea for help.  I send out another mass message letting people know that we were only $631 short of our goal, and had only two days left to collect.  Then I said about fifty-five more prayers for success, faith and patience.  Next, I sent out another message through facebook, this time reading “Letting go.  Trusting God.”  Then I walked away from my computer and vowed not to look at it again for several hours.

When I finally returned to my email a few hours later I was stunned with what I found.  I had two emails.  The first was from a woman stating that she was putting a check in the mail for $250.  I couldn’t believe it, now we were just $381 shy of the prize.  After responding to this message with a huge thank you, I opened the second email and was further stunned.  This time the message was that a check for $300 had also just been mailed.  In just a matter of hours our shortfall had dropped from $631 all the way down to $81!  And the miracles weren’t over yet.  At approximately 5 pm that evening I walked past my computer and noticed that I had a new message in my inbox.  This time it was a pending donation from our PayPal account connected with this blog site.  The donation was for $100 which put us over the top and sealed the deal.  We could officially surprise Show Hope with not only $2000, but with a few extra dollars as well.  I could hardly control myself I was so excited!!

Well, to be perfectly honest, I must admit to all that I couldn’t keep this secret either.  This all occurred by Thursday evening and I simply could not wait until Monday to mail off the money and then wait even longer while the envelope made its way to Tennessee to let Show Hope know what had been accomplished.  I had to tell!  I simply had to tell.  So I did.  By the time I got ready to spill the beans it was after office hours on Thursday night so I sent out an email letting my contact know that not only would we be sending the original amount I had quoted, but we would also be sending the additional funds needed to cover the full amount needed.  The response, as you would expect, was one of surprise but great pleasure.  I quickly explained where the money had came from and also voiced my hopes that I would not be blacklisted somehow for sneaking around.  I think I am okay in that regard, but I guess that still remains to be seen.  =) 

And now I just have to wait until tomorrow to get the last couple checks in the mail and put together the entire package for mailing.  Hurray!

So, what have I learned in all of this?  Well, I guess I have simply been encouraged again to follow my heart and jump when God says "Jump!".  There is absolutely no way I could have collected $2000 in just eight days without the help of our Heavenly Father.  Believe me, I know, I’m the crazy fund-raising lady, remember.  But collect $2000 I did, and I am forever grateful to each and every person who helped bring this together.  Yes, my last few donations were sizeable ones, but I had many smaller donations as well and the total would not be what it is without every dollar contributed from those with Show Hope ties and those without.  I cannot truly begin to express how much I appreciate the prayers and support of each person standing with me to close this gap.  God is GOOD and His love endures forever!!

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.  Ephesians 1:19-20.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
   for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
   for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
   for His steadfast love endures forever

                                             Psalm 136:1-3

The Fund-Raising Phenomenon

Warning – This one is pretty long and it will most likely offend somebody.  Don't say you weren't warned...

So apparently my friend and I both opened up the same can of worms the other day and are right now really glad that God had us do it together.  Well, I’m not sure “together” is the right word as we are in completely different states and opened the cans in completely different areas of our lives for completely different reasons, but we’re together in analyzing the responses to said cans so I’m going to stick with TOGETHER after all.  Did you follow that?   No?  Yes?  Maybe I should explain?

Okay, here’s the deal.  Apparently fund-raising for an adoption can be seen as both good and bad.  In my world, I think it is good.  It helps the family, it helps the child, it helps the church be involved with the family and child, it fulfills God’s directive to care for orphans in their distress all while supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ.  But I seriously doubt that my opinion or views on this topic would surprise anyone at this point so let me share some of the other side. 

I won’t go as far as to say that some feel adoption fund-raising is “taboo”, it just seems that there are many out there who feel that the financial burdens of an adoption are part of the commitment to adopting in the first place and thus the responsibility to bear such burdens falls upon the shoulders of the adopters.   This would mean paying for fees out of your personal bank accounts, taking out loans, applying for grants, using credit where necessary, etc.  And it is not so much that there is bad blood between people with these differing views, but more of a “you’re not living up to your responsibilities” kinda vibe coming from the do-it-yourself group if that makes sense.

Now, let me put a quick disclaimer in here and say that in no way are these two groups inclusive of all those with views on adoption, nor do people fall definitively within one category.  There are several shades of gray here and many people who see both sides of the coin, as well as the situational impact which is different for every single adoption.  This is our third time on this ride and each one has been very different, so please don’t think that I am speaking in absolutes.   I’m just trying to work through the experiences that my friend and I have had these past couple weeks.

So, let’s get back to those worms.  My friend’s family is currently in the end-stages of an international adoption.  They are waiting for their final paperwork from China which should be quickly followed by their travel dates and their actual trip to bring home their sweet little girl.  This family, like ours, is still currently many thousands of dollars shy of having their adoption paid in full and thus are working tirelessly to raise the remaining money they need.  Due to some extenuating health issues my friend’s out-and-about possibilities have been quite limited lately so she decided to turn to Twitter to help get the word out.  Many people have been very responsive and supportive through this effort, but she has also faced a good deal of criticism for fund-raising for adoption expenses.

In my own little world, after a great weekend with a group of friends from Show Hope, I found myself wanting to compile a list of fund-raising ideas that could be shared with other waiting families to help with their adoption expenses.  There are hundreds of families applying to Show Hope for adoption grants and many of those families are also curious about other things they might do to cover the costs.  So, in an effort to start this list I sent out a request to all of my adoptive-family friends simply asking what, if any, fund-raisers they did while in the process of adopting.  My question was answered by many and I was frankly a little bit shocked by the varying attitudes toward fund-raising that were revealed as a part of that survey.

I feel like I need to put in another disclaimer here.  Both my friend’s family and ours feel 100% sure, without the shadow of a doubt, that we have been called by God to bring the child we are adopting into our families as this child has been ordained by God to be a member of our family.  We also feel 100% sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that God has not called our families to incur substantial financial hardship as a result of His direction.  And that is why we are fund-raising rather than emptying our savings (which wouldn’t be enough in our case anyway), choosing to pull out a credit card or march down to the bank for a loan.  We don’t begrudge anyone who has chosen to do things differently I am again just trying to process information here.

I cannot speak for the other family as I am not privy (nor do I want to be) to their bank account balance or credit card payments, but I can tell you for my own household we are a debt free home, living on a calculated monthly budget, working to build up our emergency savings account while paying our bills on time, saving for future known expenses, and making the tough choices each month about what we will and will not do in order to remain debt free and move closer to financial security for our family’s future.  And through all of this adoption journey we do not hear God’s voice telling us, “Take a huge step backward.  Go into debt and cripple your monthly budget for the next several years to pay back that debt so that you can bring Jack home.”  Now, will we take on debt if the time comes to travel and we are still short of funds?  Yes, we are prepared to face that situation if it arrives, but we are also praying that things will not come to that.  We truly believe and trust that God has brought us safely thus far in this journey and He will complete what He has begun as long as we are faithful in our purpose.   

So, I just have to say that I really don’t see the issue against fund-raising.  If I had access to $27,000 of our own family’s money would I use it?  Absolutely!  I would certainly use our own money if I could and not ask others to help us cover the fees required for our adoption.  But I don’t have that kind of money, nor do the vast majority of people that I know.  So that leaves the average adoptive family to cover the cost in some way and either you go into debt to acquire the money or you get it from other people who don’t expect you to pay it back.  I suppose selling off all of your worldly possessions might be a possibility here as well, but I really don’t see anyone jumping at that as a truly viable option.

It just seems a bit ironic to me that in some ways applying for a grant is more “acceptable” than fund-raising.  Why is that?  How is it better to ask someone to simply hand you the money rather than to offer a service in return for the money someone is willing to share with you?  Whatever happened to good old, hard work and elbow grease?  Why is “free” money more acceptable than “worked for” money?  Now, don’t get me wrong, we’ve applied for grants along the way too – twice in just this adoption – and I have nothing against the grant process, but why is that route viewed as more justified than working for the money you need?

And then there is the whole debt thing.  How is it better to incur debt to reach a financial goal than to ask others to share the burden with you, again in return for providing goods or a service?  I know so many families striving to be debt free, working hard to stay debt free, or living with happy, peaceful hearts because they are debt free – why ruin that if you don’t have to?  And what about the families that aren’t debt free?  The families that already have credit cards or loans to pay off.  Does it make sense for them to take on more debt out of some sort of socially-advanced it’s-your-responsibility peer pressure myth?   I don’t think so.  Romans 13:8 addresses debt by stating, “Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another…”  It is not God’s intention for anyone to suffer under the weight of debt, this is clearly addressed in both the Old and New Testaments, so why do people think He would provide a family with a path to a child without providing the means to complete the journey without financial strife?

Now I am not saying that every adoptive family should or can accomplish the task of adopting without any lingering expenses or debt.  I am realistic enough to know that this is not realistic.  We came out of Jolene’s adoption right where we started, but we were not so lucky with Becca’s and I am okay with that. And I am certainly not trying to imply that God will make every path smooth as silk as long as you are “faithful”, for that is not promised either.  But I do believe that God is faithful, and I do believe that adoption is God-ordained and that He does not direct us in ways that He will not lead.  And I also believe that if the church is to truly know His heart, it must open itself to the needs of its people.  Adoption is not supposed to take place in isolation.  Adoption is God’s calling for His people and for those who are not called to be the adoptive family, where does this leave them?  In my opinion, it leaves them as the support team.  And how do you support if you are of the opinion an adoptive family is on its own and responsible for its own journey?  Wouldn’t it make more sense for the support team to be actively involved with the process?  Isn't that what is meant when we are encourage to "carry other's burdens" (Gal. 6:2) and reminded that "two are better than one" (Eph 4:9)?

I don’t know, perhaps this is a silly thing to write about.  Perhaps no one will ever even read this last paragraph because everyone stopped reading five minutes ago.  But perhaps just one person will read this all the way through and understand what I am trying to say.  And maybe that one person will see that even though a person may not be in the process of adopting he or she can still play an active roll in the process for someone else by helping them address the astronomical cost of the adoption process – trust me, there is no shortage of families out there in need. And as a very wise woman put it earlier this week, "we should ALL be supporting someone's adoption every month as a part of our normal budget...it's kinda in the Bible!" 

"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:10

"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."  Philippians 2:1-4

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up."  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Running With Endurance and Finally Feeling Some Success

Today I sent out a “Monday Update” email that just needs to be posted here as well.  It included two of the most precious messages any family adopting from China wants to hear. 

1 -   “Here’s the news you’ve long been waiting for – your dossier was sent to China late Friday afternoon (4/8/2011)!”

2 - “Congratulations!  Your dossier has been delivered to the China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA, formerly CCAA).”

These two pieces of information, both arriving in my Inbox within a couple hours of each other, serve as both closure to the dossier preparation portion of a Chinese adoption as well as the welcome to the China side of the equation.  But let me back up just a bit.

For those of you following this blog from the beginning, you know that we began the first steps of this adoption way back in September.  Since then, for seven long months, we have been working to secure all of the necessary paperwork to formally submit our adoption dossier to the CCAA (now the CCCWA).  The hurdles of this road – applications, homestudy, notaries, USCIS approval, etc. – were all laid out clearly before us from the start, but we seem to have hit every possible detour and slowdown we could along the way.  In hindsight, many of these obstacles are now simply laughable (I said in hindsight!) and others are still more frustrating than ironic, but slowdowns they still were.  That family that began their adoption process just two weeks before us back in September is now approximately three months ahead of us and waiting for their travel dates.  That, in my opinion, is a considerable slower timeline on our end.  BUT rather than being frustrated by this situation, we praise God for the hand He has laid upon their journey and for His steadfastness in our own.  We know that God is ultimately in control and that He has been at work in this process all along the way so even though we do not understand why things have taken such a turn for the slow we “know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28a)

And love Him we do.  We love Him for creating such a beautiful child for our family to love and for Dan and I to call our son.  We love Him for providing for each financial need we’ve had along the way.  We love Him for providing us with friends and family to support us throughout this journey.  And we love Him for being in control so that we do not have to.  There have been many times throughout this journey that I have felt simply beat down and completely flabbergasted by the newest ridiculous obstacle that popped up in our way.  But I have never felt alone and I have always trusted that God knows what He is doing.  Sometimes I’ve wished He would share just a bit more of His insight with me, but as the song says “God is God and I am not”.  And to be perfectly honest, I’m okay with that – most days I have a hard enough time just being me.  =)

So, here we are.  Seven months later and starting in on the second half of this journey called international adoption.  From here we get to, believe or not, do a lot more waiting.  But this time we are waiting on the finality of the thing.  Sometime in the next few weeks – hopefully the next few days! – we will hear that our dossier has been logged-in with CCCWA.  The day that happens will officially be designated our LID, or Log-In Date.  Pretty fancy acronym, huh?  Our LID will then dictate the estimated travel window for us to finally bring Jack home.  Right now that estimated wait time is 4-6 months from LID.  Of course we will be praying for the shorter side of that window, but who doesn’t?  

In the meantime we can expect to receive paperwork from China officially matching us with Jack – more officially than the paperwork we received back in October that is.  We will also have a bit more US immigration paperwork to arrange once the China makes things more official.  Then we will wait for China to give us official travel dates so that we can arrange flights and our agency can coordinate in-country travel and lodging.  So, we really are still a long way from the final chapter, but we are markedly closer than we were just one week ago.

At this point I would just like to say thank you again to all who have supported us as we have made this journey.  Crazy as it has gotten at some times, we have never been walking alone and each one of you is truly special to us.  I know this sounds a bit like I am wrapping things up even though there is still so much to do, but as I said at the beginning of this entry the events of today do truly serve as the conclusion of one part of this journey.  This afternoon we are in a very different place than we were just a few short days ago and it definitely feels like we are moving forward.  Slow and steady, with lots of prayers for quick! ;-)

In honor of Jack's birth-country, I figured I'd end this post with a bit of Chinese celebration.  Fireworks! (All the way from Maria's Big House of Hope!)

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  Hebrews 12:1-3

I Think Matthew West Got It Wrong

There's a child
Been abandoned out on the street
Now she's waiting for someone to be her miracle

There's a wife
Somewhere halfway around the world
Begging God for a little girl she can call her own

Well, worlds collide
And colors fade
And a man and wife
Brought their little girl home today

And there’s one less
One less
One less broken heart in the world tonight
Yeah, there’s one less
One less
There’s one less broken heart in the world tonight

For those of you who are not familiar with them, the words above comprise the first verse and chorus of the song One Less by contemporary Christian singer Matthew West.  I share them with you here because as much as we love this song in our house (Jolene even calls it “our” song), I think there is something definitively wrong with it.  The chorus is just, well, wrong.  No offense meant to Mr. West, I love his music and the explanation he has published in relation to writing this song , but his numbers are all off.  

How so?  What do I mean?  Well, what I mean is that when a child is adopted into a family “one less broken heart” doesn’t cut it.  That number is just too small.  Just ask the woman going through the motions at Christmas while her adoptive child spends the same day in an orphanage across the world.  Ask the man who was told after months of waiting that a prospective birthmother has chosen him to be a father.  Ask the couple racing to the hospital to meet their newborn child after months of waiting for a referral.  The to-be parents with travel approval in hand boarding a plane to bring their child home from a foreign country.  The excited brother or sister praying for a sibling they have only seen in pictures.  You see, I understand the sentiment of the waiting child’s broken heart being healed by uniting with a family, but there is so much more healing that goes on when an adoption comes to fruition.  Adoption fills far more than one void – it completes a set, a collection of hearts that were meant to be together from the beginning.   Not just one heart, but many.

And let’s consider the second verse…

We are called
To the widows and the orphans
But it's easy to ignore their silent cries
Oh, but every single time
Somebody reaches into the darkness
Makes a choice to help the helpless
They let mercy save a life

And there's one less
One less
One less broken heart in the world tonight
Yeah, there's one less
One less
Yeah, there's one less broken heart in the world tonight

Again, just one?  Have you ever done this?  Have you ever reached out to an orphan?   To a widow?   To the helpless in any situation?  Can you truly say that when you did you walked away unchanged?  Were you able to serve, consciously or not, as the hands and feet of God and not feel some sort of impact on yourself?  Do our philanthropic actions really just “save a life”?  Or do they perhaps save more than that?  Do they in reality save our lives too?  I don’t mean saved as in salvation and redemption of a soul, but when we act as God has ordained for us to do aren’t we saved just a bit from our own selfish ways?  Drawn a little more out of our own private world and grown into better examples of Christ and who He dreams for us to be?  God created us to love and be loved.   1 John 4:7 tells us, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. “  

Scripture reminds us that “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.” (Psalm 68:5)  But it also calls us to act.  James 1:27 specifically states, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  Do you think that that world might just be the selfish, self-oriented, me-first message that we are bombarded with on a daily basis?  The impious mindset that views God’s will as outdated or unnecessary?  That sees God as a kill-joy that wants to keep people from having fun?  Perhaps the same world that looks upon adopting as crazy or orphans as undesirable?   Well, one of my longtime favorite verses might just be the answer to that criticism as 2 Corinthians 5:13 reads, “If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God.”  

Now, I am not trying to say we all need to run out and adopt all the orphans in the world.  That would be great, but it obviously is not realistic.  Not everyone is called to adopt.  And not everyone should be.  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”  God does not expect us all to be the feet, or all to be the hands, or all to be the eyes of Christ for just as the body needs all its parts so does He.  But He does call us each to do something.  There is no pass for those who just don’t feel orphans are their “thing”.   And He is so serious about this expectation that He himself set the prime example when He adopted YOU!  And I guarantee there was one less broken heart in the world that day.

Well the truth is we are all the orphans
But love has left the 99 just to find the one

So let worlds collide
Colors fade
Let your life
Be the miracle today

Well, perhaps, Matthew West wouldn’t approve, I don’t know, but in our household we sing the chorus of this song like this…  “There’s one less, two less, three less broken hearts in the world tonight…” because we understand that widows and orphans are not single, solitary beings in the universe.  They are part of our family and any time you reach out to one or two or three of them, you are healed a little bit too.  Even if you didn’t even know you needed it.

One less
One less
One less broken heart in the world tonight
Tonight I know there's one less
One less
One less broken heart in the world tonight

One less night alone
One less child without a home
One less birthday gone forgotten
One more soul rising from the bottom

ONE less
TWO less
THREE less broken hearts in the world tonight

"In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will - to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us inn the One He loves."  Ephesians 1:4b-6

How Hoarders Start?

A few months ago I met a new Fort Meade friend who has a lot of consignment sale experience.  I have some, thanks to my longtime babysitter back in Tennessee, but this woman has A LOT!  And a heart for adoption.  So, of course, we became friends quite quickly and had lots to share and chat about.  Not a bad way to start a new friendship if you ask me.

Well, after a few conversations, this new friend suggested that I collect items to sell at one or more of the spring consignment sales to help raise money for the Jack Fund.  She told me that she once made over $800 at one sale, but that she did it by having a huge number of items to sell.  She encouraged me to send out the plea to my friends in the area as well as the Fort Meade community and see what I could collect.  I told her I’d think about it, but wasn’t quite sure I wanted to jump into that scene as consigning takes a lot of time and, well, I just don’t have a whole bunch of that to spare these days.

Obviously, I ended up changing my tune as I did decide to go the consignment route.  I figured that I had done the same thing back in the fall with the She-Sale and had made a couple hundred dollars so if nothing else I could sell my own things – clothes too small for Ellie, baby gear we definitely don’t need anymore, whatever toys we are finished with, etc.  I hoped that I would get a few donations from my friends at church and maybe a few things from around base, but I never imagined I’d get the response I did.

I made the announcement I was collecting items to consign the last week of January and the donations started rolling in.  Friends from church contacted me to say they had clothing, baby gear, room decor and toys.  A couple of those friends even had other friends (who don’t know me) who wanted to donate things to the sale as well.  Friends here on base let me know they had clothes and toys and a high chair I could sell.  And then there were the donations from the bigger Fort Meade community.  People I didn’t even know saw my post on Facebook about collecting items to raise adoption funds and contacted me with donations – pack-n-plays, books, toys, clothing, bassinets, ride-on toys, bouncy seats, activity mats, and on and on.  The response was amazing!  And the best part was that each time I collected something else to sell, I had one more chance to talk adoption with just one more listening ear.  This was turning out to be a GREAT plan!

Soon, however, I had boxes of donated items taking over our dining room.  I had items stashed in the "secret" room under our stairs.  I had a rocker and ottoman, exersaucer, electric car, bassinets and more stacked in our garage.  One corner of Ellie's room was now an organized pile of crib mattresses, activity mats, baby bedding, and pack-n-plays.  And I suddenly had a lot of work to do!

My plan was to consign through the Wee-Sale in Annapolis March 23-27.  To accomplish this, without losing control of my life, I decided I would begin hanging clothes and tagging items on or before March 1st.  The deadline for entering tag information into the computer was midnight on March 21, so I figured that gave me three weeks to get the work done.  I also figured that this way I could take my time and be done way ahead of that midnight deadline.   Ha!  It gave me three weeks, yes.  But it turned out I had about six weeks worth of work to do.  Donations were great, but I didn't really understand just how many items people had donated until I started hanging and pricing.

I posted a blog earlier about sorting through each bag of donations so I won't bore you with all of the details here, but I will explain that it took quite a bit of time.  Each bag or box of donations I collected had to be sorted by what I could sell at a spring consignment sale and what was not seasonally correct.  Then, all of what wasn't seasonally correct needed to have a home designated for it - hand-me-downs, clothing swap, sell yard sale style via the Fort Meade for sale page, donate to another family or Salvation Army, or trash.  Each item that was right for a spring sale also had to be sorted by size and gender as well as inspected for stains, tears, missing buttons, etc.  Anything falling into the latter categories then also had to have a future destination determined for it as I could not sell imperfect items.  Many of these items wound up in a stack designated for Maria's Big House of Hope as their weather, like ours, is just starting to warm up and spring clothes will be needed despite minor flaws in their condition.  None of this is really difficult to do, of course, but it did turn out to be quite an undertaking.  I would estimate all total I sorted through no less than 1000 pieces of clothing in addition to the toys, baby gear, bedding, books, etc.  I know that probably sounds like an exaggeration, but it really might actually be a conservative estimate.  Needless to say, three weeks probably wasn't a wise time frame.  

Oh!  And I ended up begging almost everyone I know for hangers!  After buying a few at Wal-Mart and then seeing how far they were not going to fill my need, I started sending out the plea.  Luckily, people answered.  I was given hangers by Mommy & Me friends, post friends, complete strangers, and even Old Navy.  Remember that friend that got me into this? Well, she was gracious enough to hit the mall late one night and collect hangers from the "trash" at Old Navy. And then there was the trip I made to Old Navy a week or so later as I still didn't have enough.  Apparently they simply throw them away each night so if you ever need hangers...  That picture there is just one of the bags we collect from Old Navy.  =)

Well, after hanging clothes for several long nights, I found that not only was my garage filled with items to sell, but so were all of our closets.  Ellie's closet was filled from end to end with girls' clothing ranging from newborn up to junior's size 3.  

When I started putting boys' clothing in Jolene's closet I originally told her I was going to need about half her closet.  I pushed Dan's army gear over to the left and moved her dresses a bit to right and started hanging boys' clothes in the middle.  By the end, however, I had shoved Dan's army gear WAY to the left, had moved Jolene's dresses down to the farthest right and I still ran out of room and had to start moving into Becca and Sophie's closet.  

Becca and Sophie's closet, which is naturally more used simply because it is shared by two people, began as a maternity clothes holding zone.  Then I started adding in the boys' overflow.  Then, I ended up adding in a few junior pieces that no longer fit in Ellie's room.  

 

As I said, this was beginning to take over our house.  And I think it was right about this time that Dan came in from the garage one day, looked me straight in the eye and said, "I think this is how hoarders start."  I assured him that ALL of these things were in our home temporarily, but I'm not entirely sure that brought him much comfort.  Good thing he hadn't actually seen what was hanging in the closets upstairs, but he had been living with a tower of "stuff" in the dining room for weeks by this time.

It was also about this time that I realized I might have another problem.  How was I going to get all of these things from our house to Annapolis (25 minutes away) for the sale?  It was obviously going to fill my car more than once, and was going to take more than one trip.  Not a problem as long as I signed up for two drop-off times, right?  Well, would you believe that there was a problem with that plan?  I mean, come on, you didn't actually think any part of this adoption plan was really going to go by without a hitch did you?  Just not in the cards I would say.

Well, it turned out to be two really good things that I decided to consign early and I started working with my inventory at the end of February rather than waiting for the last week before drop-off.  Apparently, when I registered to consign at the Wee-Sale, back in January, I managed to register for the Wee-Cycle Sale instead.  Two totally different things.  One in Annapolis in March, one on post in May.  Luckily, the oops! sale is here on post and not hours away so I can still use that registration, but not what I intended to do.  Getting to work early though allowed me to catch this mistake and thus get registered for the correct sale.  It also allowed me to sign up very early for my volunteer slots (you earn a higher percentage if you volunteer to work) and get a good drop-off time, 7pm - after Dan is home from work so no kids and multiple trips, not a problem.  But then there was the next problem.

Come the first few days of March I attempted to log into the Wee-Sale data base to download the list of suggested prices for items.  My goal was to price low and sell!  Only I couldn't log in.  The system kept saying I wasn't registered.  I knew I was registered (for the correct sale) because of my having to switch things over back in January and working with the sale coordinator to do so.  Somehow the database remembered my volunteer times, but not that I was registered or had a drop-off time.  Yikes!  After a couple of unanswered emails I finally registered for the sale again, ugh!, and went directly to the drop-off page to see if my time was there and what was left if it wasn't.  Of course it was not there and the only times available now were either 8 o'clock in the morning or 2 o'clock in the afternoon.  Do I need to mention those times are not great for a mom of four with one starting school at 8 am and the other three napping from 1 until 3 in the afternoon?  Thankfully, I have a wonderful neighbor who graciously volunteered to sit at my house during naptime so that I could take the 2 pm slot so I quickly signed up.  Now what to do with the double load problem...

 

Have I mentioned that Fort Meade Facebook For Sale page yet?  Oh, like 100 times?!  Well, it definitely came to my rescue.  About a week before my drop-off time I started posting pictures of the bigger items I had to consign.  I wasn't worried too much about transporting clothes, but I had some pretty big items in my possession so I figured if I could sell a few of those here on base I would lighten my transportation load a bit.  This turned out to be a great idea.  Not only did the items I was selling go to military families, a huge perk as far as I am concerned, but I didn't have to pay a commission to the consignment sale and I sold over $300 worth of items.  Oh!  And I sold enough to actually fit everything I was consigning into one, very full, van load the time of my drop-off slot.  Which by the way, I must admit turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  Since I ended up with that 2pm naptime slot the drop-off area was very un-busy so I was able to check in all of my over 200 items and have them out on the floor in just about one hour.  If I had gone at my original drop-off time, I would most likely have been there closer to three hours for the same task.  Guess this wasn't as much of a hitch as I thought it was. =)

 

Well, when it was all said and done, I was able to enter 262 "items" into the consignment sale registry with many of these items really being two or three or four articles of clothing all bound together as a set.  I sold well over 50 items via the Fort Meade facebook page.  I took eleven grocery bags of clothing to the MOPS clothing swap which were then either "adopted" by another MOPS mom or donated to Teen Challenge.  I kept one plastic tub's worth of, hopefully, size-appropriate off-season clothing for Jack.  I sent three or four bags of clothing to a family on base who just added a baby girl to their family of three sons.  I have taken one load of donations to Salvation Army and have another load waiting to go.  And I have sent one box of clothing to Maria's with several more "shipments" awaiting their departure over the next few months.  What started out as a maybe-I'll-make-a-few-dollars project actually blossomed into one of those gifts that just keeps on giving!

 

Oh!  And I got my consignment sale check today - $654.19!!  Not bad for an idea that started out as maybe-I'll-make-a-buck, huh?  Add that to the $340.65 we raised through Fort Meade and we raised  $994.84!!  How about that?! One big job on this end, but one HUGE step in the right direction for paying adoption fees!  Definitely well worth the effort!

And, finally, a GREAT BIG, HUGE, ENORMOUS thank you to everyone who helped in this effort.  Thank you to those who donated.  Thank you to all of those who helped organize.  Thank you to all of those who purchased.  Thank you to those who helped with delivery.  Thank you to everyone else that I am forgetting to thank.  And just thank you, thank you and thank you!  I never imagined we would be this successful!  God is good!  And He is still AMAZING me!!

Wee-Sale prior to opening

Wee-Sale

 

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everfyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”  Matthew 7:7-11

  

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7