Why?

Do you know where I should be?  In bed.  But I am here at the computer listening to the thunder, reading blogs...blogs about children in the far off country that we will travel to soon. 

I have been preparing school for next year - we homeschool and I need to have a school plan for our two oldest kids to follow when we're gone...no, they will not do it on their own - we are not THAT homeschool family with the independently entrepreneurial (I can't even spell that word) children who graduate at 12 all while growing our own food and building our own house...my parents will keep them and will keep school going in our absence.

I'm not one of those people to prepare for the very worst.  When I was pregnant I REFUSED to watch TLC's Baby Story...I find myself doing the same thing with this adoption.  There are documentaries, blogs, facebook groups...many sources of information that I could read to prepare myself for what we will see when we travel to the orphanage in this far off country.  But, being an optimist who pretends to practice realism - I don't want to look.  I wonder things like "what does our little boy do all day?" 

I had an interesting question asked of me this week - here is my well-thought-out answer that I couldn't think to give at the moment:
  
             "Why" - the lady at the nail salon asks why would we adopt when we 1) have three children and 2) could have more of our "own" -- and to her I said "we love children."  But, it is so much deeper than that.  Yes, I love children but it isn't love that drives us to spend our savings, leave our beloved children, travel to a scary place and open ourselves up to love a child who will likely hurt us emotionally.  It has to be more than love.  It isn't duty.  I don't need to adopt to prove myself.  I don't need  that jewel in my crown.  It is so much deeper than this.  It is a calling.  A compelling feeling.  A deep understanding of where I would be without a family, without my Father God.  It is placing myself mentally and emotionally into that dirty crib, never washed, never held, poorly fed and ignored - that is the deep, the connection.  That is the "why."

We have decided what we are going to do to raise money for this adotion and we are hoping to get some help from you...will you help us?  Here is our idea:  a silent auction/dessert party
                                                  When:  middle of July
                                                  Where: at our church
                                                  Who: You are all invited
                                                  What do we need:  if you have a gift or service or item that could be
                                                                                included in a silent auction, would you donate it to us?
                                                                            We will list the available items on this blog and then on
                                                                                 that night, you can come and enjoy amazing dessert
                                                                              bid on the items.

Our adoption is going to cost at least $25,000.  It's dependant on our time in country and travel expenses mostly.  It's an expensive process and for this country, the turn around is fast - which is great for us! but means that we have to raise the money in a shorter amount of time. 
So, our main fundraiser will be the silent auction.  We are requesting a matching grant to assist with that from Lifesong and there's always the option of people donating at Reece's Rainbows - there's a button on the left side of the page to direct you to that site.
If the silent auction item interests you, message me here or message me on facebook.  We are really excited to get this started!  July will be here before we know it and we are tentatively planning to travel in August or September.