The one challenge with Josephine's adoption has been financial. Since purchasing Africa Sleeps, we've been working hard to pay off the business debt so that the business can become a second source of income for us. Our plan was to begin saving for another adoption hopefully sometime in 2017. Currently, we're still working to pay off that business debt and we are beginning our children's full-time Catholic School journey in August.
I'm going to be completely honest here. Private adoptions are expensive. Anna and Anthony's adoptions cost roughly $15,000 and that number has gone up since. As you can imagine, coming up with that kind of money with no notice and no pre-planning is a challenge for our single income family of 7.
So here's what we've done. Jeremy passed his CPCU exams and as a result, he received a trip to Hawaii. We have been saving to extend that trip. However, with the new addition to our family, we will be deferring that trip and taking next year's trip with State Farm instead. All of the money we've saved for that is going towards Josephine's adoption. Additionally, State Farm offers a $5,000 adoption assistance program that we will use to help us out.
Even with all of that, we come up about $5,000 and some change short for Josie's adoption. In order to finalize her adoption, we have to have all of those funds paid.
Many people have expressed the desire to help us. And that is so very humbling. Asking for help is hard for us, but in this case, we have to do it! We've decided to do a puzzle fundraiser to help us raise the last $5,000 to cover Josie's surprise adoption costs.
The way this works is:
- We've created a custom 200 piece puzzle with a photo of our 5 beautiful children on it and the Bible verse from 1 Samuel 1:27 ("For this child we have prayed. And the Lord has granted the desires of our heart)
- Each puzzle piece is a $25 minimum donation to sweet Josephine's adoption fund
- Puzzle pieces can be paid for via PayPal, check, or cash
- We've set up a PayPal account to route all funds through so that it's easy to track. Any checks/cash will be deposited into that account as well
- you can also do ate directly through GoFundMe here https://www.gofundme.com/2324e8s
- Each donor will get their name written on the backside of a puzzle piece. We will frame the puzzle with glass on both sides so that we can see all of the people who have supported our family during this exciting time.
- In addition to a donation, we are putting together a Spiritual Bouquet for our kids' birthfamilies from each donor. So if you would pleaser offer a specific prayer for R, B, and J (our kids' birthmothers) and let us know what that prayer is (adoration hour, Mass, rosary, Hail Mary, Our Father, fasting, etc...) we will write that on the puzzle pieces as well. Our children's birthfamilies are never out of our minds. Their selfless gifts of love have created our beautiful family. Without them, we wouldn't be parents. We are forever grateful for them and we'd absolutely love to honor them with our prayers. Please pray for them.
- With 200 pieces at $25/piece, we will be able to raise the necessary $5,000 to fund the rest of Josie's adoption.
If there's one thing that we've learned on our journey to build our family, it's that we are abundantly blessed with the most wonderful, supportive community and family that we could ever ask for. So many people have prayed for our family, brought meals, helped clean, watched children, given hugs, supported us financially and emotionally, and gifted us with so very much. It truly takes a village and we are humbled by the very kind and generous village that we're surrounded with.
Thank you for your consideration and thank you for your prayers. Please consider purchasing a puzzle piece and help us lift up our children's birth families in prayer!
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