Here's one from a couple of years ago. Chris' eyes are wild with enjoyment as he smashes fellow dean, Matthew Bradberry, with a tasty chocolate-cherry cake. I'm not sure how much Matt actually tasted. Resident student, Andrew Hwang, snapped this amazing photo.
It's the holiday season, a time when many of us buy a ticket home to see our families. But what if you had no way to purchase a ticket? Or even worse...what if you had no family to go home to? We need your help to purchase a ticket for children across this world to come "home" to see their "family". Your participation with us will determine whether many ever get that "ticket home."
We have embarked on a fundraising campaign to raise $1,000,000 to purchase "tickets home" for children. For some it simply means the initial stage of securing birth certificates and crucial legal documents that provide them with a legal identity that make the dream of a ticket to a loving home much more of a reality. For others it means a safe and clean transitional home where they can await adoption. And for others, it means a loving and adoptive home.
This $1,000,000 will give 5,100 children the opportunity for a ticket to a loving home.
If each America World family participates by purchasing one "ticket" at the cost of $300, we can meet and exceed this goal! Your ticket purchase will allow children "admission" to a system that would move them towards a permanent home. Would you please read ahead and see specific ways that you can join us in this effort?
It has been an eventful 2 weeks...
the Waiting...for our Certifications to come back from the Secretary of State. It is supposed to take about 2 weeks and it has been at least 2 weeks...when we get all that paperwork back, we can finally send our dossier off to our adoption agency. Exciting! Then the real waiting begins. I also found out that we may not travel to pick our little Ethiopian Reno until Sept or Oct, which is fine. We are enjoying our time together before the baby comes, and Chris needs to finish his thesis for his Master's Degree by August. God's timing is perfect!
the not-so-fun Surprise...2 weeks ago Friday I pulled out of my driveway on the way to Staples and had not been driving for not even 5 minutes when someone came into my lane from the opposite direction and hit me head on. Not fun. Airbags went off, etc, etc. But praise God neither of us was injured, besides the usual back/neck pain (which I am getting physical therapy for). Praise God I was driving a Volvo! We are big believers in Volvos, especially now. Amazingly, my mother-in-law had been praying a couple of days before for God to protect the family from getting hurt in any car accidents. If you had seen our car after the accident, you would realize how graciously God answered her prayer. Since our car was totaled, we are currently on what seems like an unending quest to find the perfect Volvo in our price range. We are super meticulous and price conscious - a car salesmen’s' worst nightmare. Until we find our perfect car, our good and gracious friends, the Tarrs, are lending us their mighty blue Honda. Thank you, friends!
the very-amazing-and-totally-unexpected Surprise...today we received an unmarked envelope in the mail. Inside was this very cute unsigned card and a very generous cashier's check with "for your baby" written in the memo field.
Remember that we have already met our fund raising goal for
our adoption and were planning on saving every month for the very small amount that was left. I am usually pretty non-emotive but when I opened the card, I was so overcome with thankfulness and shock that I teared up. When I rushed to Chris' work to show him, he had the same reaction.
Our good God just keeps pouring blessing upon blessing. Thank you and God bless you to the Saint(s) who sent this. God must be working through you to prepare us for some unexpected expense down the road. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
