WE LOVE OUR CHURCH

We had a fundraiser at church this last Sunday. It consisted of Dan and I talking about adoption during the sermon and then we had a free will offering and an ice cream social afterwards. It was very exciting especially for me because I never talk in church, Dan however does it regularly. Dan did a small sermon about how God has ordained adoption and that we are all adopted by God and then I talked about our upcoming adoption, how adoption works etc. I was a little nervous and there were a few things I forgot and so you get to here them now. 
           First of all i love our church family and have from the first day we came there nearly three years ago, when they loved us from the second we walked in the door and made us feel so comfortable and welcome. Secondly: One reason (among many) we are adopting is due to the high risk pregnancy i had with our first daughter. For a long time I was very bitter that I didn't get the wonderful pregnancy everyone had always told me about. But then i realized that God knew we were meant to adopt, that it was what was in outr hearts and he also knew that I would never have had the courage to do it if "having babies" was so easy for me. So this is how God went about giving me courage. The last thing I forgot to say was what we would like you to pray for. I made little prayer cards and handed them out but I forgot to talk about them.  If you could please pray for these three things: 1) For the birth mother: that she finds peace in this extremely difficult decision and that she finds us. 2) That we raise the remaining money needed for the adoption in a timely manner. 3) that we do not get discouraged in this long period of fundraising and waiting for a baby.
            This brings us back to our church fundraiser. Everyone said we did a great talk and enjoyed hearing about adoption. We raised a little over $1,800 on Sunday. That brings the total the church has raised for us up to a little over $3,500. I find this incredible for our small little church and am overwhelmed by the love they have always shown us and continue to show us. I can not wait to pay that amount to our adoption agency.
             I am hopeful that we can get the remaining amount of money we need through grants and special adoption loans. I have a cousin who wants to make our adoption her senior project for high school, pray that that goes good as well. Have anymore fundraising ideas? I am open to them!