Meeting Steven Curtis Chapman!!!

Okay...so when we first started the adoption process, there were two really great adoption agencies that I wanted to go with....America World or Gladney.  Although both are awesome adoption agencies, I really felt my heart tugging towards America World for our family.  The problem: doubt and thoughts of rejection started creeping into my mind.  I mean America World had sent us this amazing package of information and inside the package was a dvd sharing the story of a few families who had used America World, their thoughts, fears, and the joy of adopting internationally.  Along with their story was another chapter featuring the Chapman family and their heart for adoption.  I'm sitting in my office watching this dvd....crying and thinking...OH.MY.GOODNESS!!! Steven Curtis Chapman!!!!!!!! THE CHAPMAN FAMILY supports this agency enough to allow them to put their story on a dvd?!!!

Of course, the enemy started working overtime with this fear of the unknown....popping ideas in my head about how we wouldn't qualify for this agency.  The fear of rejection really is a beast.  I mean we didn't have any irregular things in our history but boy did I conjure up some thoughts about why they wouldn't accept us.  And then to be as transparent as I possibly can, throughout the dvd, I didn't see any African-Americans who were adopting internationally nor did I know any at the time.  At the time of my fear battle, I knew of plenty who had perhaps adopted domestically or were foster parents, which are fantastic options, but I knew no African-Americans, who had gone through the process of international adoption.  I kept looking at the awesome packet of info, on the website for the agency and thought....me and Tony, seriously???  How are we going to explain this to our family?  I was blessed to have scoured the internet and found a few African-American couples, including one in my area. I was still fearful but I felt God nudging me in the direction of applying for America World.  Okay, God.....high dive...here we go....in spite of my own fears of rejection.  So after going through the intensive application process, imagine my squeals when we found out that we were accepted into the Ethiopia program of our dream agency - America World!!!! ...and the rest is history.  We have LOVED America World, their amazing staff, and know that we made the best choice for our family.

So by now to bring this whole thing full circle....you know the regard (from above) that I have for Steven Curtis Chapman and his family, right? Well just imagine my excitement when last week as we are coming to a close in our fundraising, a really good friend of mine, Kimberly, invited me to attend a Steven Curtis Chapman concert with her and friend, Claire.  But get this.....we'd have backstage passes too!!!!  Shut up!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heaven.

I've been soooooo super busy since 2009 with saving, fundraising, and filling out adoption paperwork.  Between working full-time, being a mom, wife, staying up late, and getting up at the crack of dawn, boy......I felt well overdue and longing for a refreshing.  This night of worship this past Saturday was exactly that.  We first went backstage and met their 'friend from a previous road tour', Michael W Smith and then to his right sat Steven Curtis Chapman.  You know what I did, right?  NO.....I didn't pass out! LOL.  I pulled out that America World dvd, my Sharpie, and quickly shared that we had just finished fundraising, and asked if he would sign my DVD.  He looked at the America World dvd and said, "I love these guys".  This was a full circle moment for me.  Back in the Fall of 2009 when I first saw this dvd, I would have never guessed that Chapman would be actually personalizing mine. This very moment in time continues to prove to me that GOD IS SO INTO THE DETAILS!  If I could only put into words, how paralyzed with fear I was back then when I got this dvd, perhaps you'd understand the magnitude of him autographing this very thing...ya know, that moment in time that gripped me with fear.


BTW: We were also blessed to participate in an AMAZING day of worship with Matthew West, Big Daddy Weave, Kutless, Jonny Diaz, and Sidewalk Prophets!  WOWZER!!!!!!!

Zumba was a BIG Success!

Friday night was amazing! Zumba kicked my butt but it was worth every bit of the workout.  What a great way to conclude our fundraisers...Two zumba sessions...about 45 minutes each....ya know I didn't last, right? LOL.

Because the weather was HORRIBLE that night, it worked out really well that we sold tickets ahead of time.  In fact, we sold out of tickets 2 weeks prior to the event! (Yee haw!!!)  Tickets were available for a minimum donation of $10.  There were 2 ways to donate towards a ticket:

1. Via eventbrite.com
2. Through paper tickets that I created. Each was numbered and you could purchase via a designated 'Zumba Ticket Specialist' --basically my friends.

So there was one sweet incentive to get our 'Zumba Ticket Specialists' to sell their little hearts out.  We hosted a little contest....basically whoever sold the most tickets or received the most donations within a week would receive a $100 cash prize! True motivation.  Let me tell you.....the competition was thick! There was lots of trash talking and it was HILARIOUS! The winner turned out to be my co-worker and friend Cynde.  Believe me, the ticket specialists were on her heels but Auntie Cynde will basically do anything for Selah. I think she called everybody she knew, including her healthcare providers! Loved it!  To top it off, she took her winnings and donated them right back to Selah.  Love that even more!

There was a little lounge area where I played about 5 adoption videos for resting guests.We stocked the lounge area with cold bottled water, granola bars, and cheese/peanut butter crackers.

We had fun with a photo booth that I created out of pvc pipe and some brown/white giraffe fabric. It looked a lot better at home because the torrential rain and the fact that I forgot the base at home made it a bit shorter and a lot more fragile. It was all good though! We still got some flicks!  Speaking of flicks, another one of my co-workers --Trenace, had her hubby, Greg, volunteer his photography services. We hope to have those photos soon!

We started out with 1 instructor, Leslie, but then she recruited 2 more instructors --another woman and a guy! They were all PHENOMENAL!!!!!

There were still so many details but the thing that topped it all off is that another adopting mama, Kelly, drove 2 hours from Pennsylvania with three young women to participate.  What she didn't know was that another one of my co-workers -Tamara- and I were in cahoots to take any money that people gave at the door and donate it to this sweet mama and her adoption fund.  That part was phenomenal AND Kelly won one of the door prizes which was oh too special. We loved surprising her!!!!

There's so much more that I could share about Zumba but I'll leave with this one last important detail.  The Zumba fundraiser was a HUGE success! In total, the Zumba fundraiser pulled in before and after the event over $3,000 in donations. I'd say that was a true FUNdraiser!

If you're an adopting parent and want more info on the zumba fundraiser, just shoot me a line at michelle365@me.com.  Whatever you do with your fundraisers...make it fun...make it fit what you enjoy....and know investigate what would appeal to your target audience.  This has been a blast!

COMPLETELY Funded & 7 Months DTE!!!

I am so thrilled to announce that our daughter's adoption is COMPLETELY FUNDED! Yep....every single penny! Unbelievable to me.....believable that God is faithful....unbelievable that we got to be a part of such a grand miracle.  The fact that we are funded before we're even close to seeing her face blows my mind!!!

But get this....I know from my life and scriptures that God is able to do EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY BEYOND what we can ever ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)  Yet, I was still so shocked when once we hit our goal, families and individuals continued to give because they wanted to start now on donations for us to take to Ethiopia for humanitarian aid! WOW.  What is so special about it all is that not only will their donations benefit our daughter Selah directly but now their donations will impact many more children in various parts of Ethiopia.  Thank you God!

When we first started this journey, I knew we could afford to take care of our daughter once she was home but taking care of the large expenses associated with the process of adoption....now that's another animal altogether.  The decision to save our money AND fundraise was a hard one because it was going to make me MAJORLY uncomfortable.  But I got over it and really moved into it when I realized it was not about me.  Christ paying the price/ransom for my life was downright uncomfortable, possibly even humiliating but He was obedient to what His Father asked Him to do.  He knew it was never about Him.  It was about 'them'...me...you.  To have such a perfect example in Him really helped me to move beyond my hangups and ultimately blessed SO MANY people who have now become so emotionally invested in our adoption and aware of the need of orphans.  In fact, yesterday, a friend at church, Gwen, talked about how Selah, our daughter, has really now become daughter to so many of them.  That just melts this mama's heart.  This video by Eric Ludy time and time again confirmed that we had made the right choice for our family to do whatever necessary to rescue and fight for our daughter. 


We couldn't afford to drag our feet. Like Ludy shares in the video, I was personally challenged to call up every one of my family and friends to get to my daughter (well....close to every one of them...I talked to many, even the ones that I terrified to call because I didn't know what they'd say). Some said no and it was heart-wrenching but for every no...it got me closer to the ones who would say yes they'd support our adoption in some capacity.  As we saved our share, we've had donors who have given 75 cents and we've had a couple of donors who gave $5,000.  EVERY SINGLE donation was instrumental and made a major impact.

To top all of this off, we suspected we were fully funded on the date of our 7 month DTE anniversary! We were still in the process of doing some counting with Lifesong for Orphans and incoming donations but I didn't want to publicly call it too early until we were sure.  Just to document it, I sent my cousin, Shelly this Facebook message late that night:

Thanks to so many of you for being on this journey with us.  It's been an amazing ride and there's still more to come as we figure out ways to best impact Ethiopia. Stay tuned!!!

Love y'all!

I Won!

Remember the bet my hubby and I made about who could sell the most Zumba tickets and receive the most Zumba registrations in a week......well yours truly won!  Nothing like a little healthy competition between me and my babe to bring our daughter home.  It was so much fun.  So maybe you're wondering how much did I win by....sorry honey.  I have to post this....the people have a right to now.  (smile)

He sold about $100 worth of tickets and I rallied any and everybody I could think of because I didn't want to end up mowing the grass.  I took in over $1,000 towards baby girl's donations! That was all in fun but seriously Praise God for the people who joined in the fun.  Smooches.  Smooches.  Smooches.

Now I have to get to planning that menu! You know he owes me breakfast, lunch, and dinner in bed......so what do you think should be on the menu?

New Necklace Design: Selah (40% OFF with Coupon Code)

(deal has ended)
Last August, I shared on our blog that we had decided to name our daughter Selah.  This was such a special moment for various reasons.  A couple of months ago, I began to consider whether or not I was making the right choice based on a conversation I had with a Ethiopian gentleman.  After continuing to give it further consideration and talking to some great friends, we've decided that in some way, her first name or middle name will be Selah.

 In honor of the announcement of her name last August, I've created a really special glass tile necklace with the word Selah on it.  The packaging is pretty awesome because it shares our story of how God arrested us out of our middle-class little bubble that we had made and broke our hearts for adoption and Ethiopia.

 

At the end of the little card that also serves as the packaging for the necklace, we ask you very candidly:

So...what’s the Selah in your life? 

What do you feel God nudging you to do? 

What has He been speaking to you?  Have you acted? 

If not, what’s been holding you back?  Selah.

Perhaps it's not adoption but what I know for sure is that God has something for every person to do that will stretch us beyond our comfort, causing total reliance on Him.  Ours was this adoption.....seriously, what's yours?

Purchase the necklace here for yourself or a friend.  What a great reminder as you wear it that God calls each of us to something bigger than ourselves.

P.S. For a limited time, if you enter the word ZUMBA in the coupon code at checkout, you will receive 40% off the cost of the necklace.  I love a deal! Don't you?

I Don't Want to Mow the Lawn....so please help!!!!!!!!

So we can be a bit of a competitive family. We really like pushing each other which can be good thing....well... until you make a friendly wager with your husband, right?  So far, Tony has sold 10 tickets to the Zumba adoption fundraiser.  I have sold two. Of course that's given him bragging rights...and I wasn't having that so I made a wager with him.

The Wager: I bet Tony that I could sell more tickets for the Zumba adoption fundraiser than him by next Sunday, August 7th. Of course, he'd never stand down from a challenge so the bet's on!  
The one bonus is that donations can be included into that total.

What's at Stake: You guessed it! If I lose, I have to mow the lawn. Please understand that I have NEVER mowed our SIZABLE lawn before and I'm pretty okay with that. I hate the outdoors and it's pretty humid outside now so you have to mow it earlier in the morning. 

If I win and collect the most dollars/tickets from July 27 to next Sunday, August 7th, he has to clean the ENTIRE house AND make sure that I have breakfast, lunch, and dinner served to me in bed. I L-O-V-E it!!! So let's go team! I'm sure his boys will be trying to help him out so I have to get moving because I sure would love a clean house and meals served to me in bed for an entire day!

How To Cast Your Vote

Make a donation because you can't attend the event... 

     1. Go to www.firstgiving.com/michellemckinney
     2.  Vote with your donation by putting my name or Tony's name in the comments section.

Purchase a ticket to the Zumba event... 

     1.  Go to www.zumba4selah.eventbrite.com
     2.  Vote with your ticket purchase by putting my name or Tony's name in the 'who referred you to this event' box.

Since he's not typing this post, I sure hope you'll favor me, me, me this time, right? (smile)

So She Thinks She Can Zumba!!! (Fundraiser Video Promo)

So by now, you may know I'll do 'just about' anything for fundraisers that we dream up to bring our daughter home...that includes gettin' right silly! This week was no different.  Check out this crazy video promo with me and my friend, Trenace.  BIG thanks to Marty Cunningham for the camera work and putting it together, as well as Kristen for her hand in directing.  These are all my co-workers (believe it or not --lol) but they're actually more like family.


Enjoy....and don't forget you can purchase a ticket at www.zumba4selah.eventbrite.com or if you'd like to donate but can't attend, hop on over to our partners at www.firstgiving.com/michellemckinney and let us know that you saw the video.  Many thanks friends!

Final Fundraiser...Zumba! Zumba! Zumba!

Yes indeed! Yes indeed! We are all set to host our final fundraiser on Friday, August 19th and I can't wait! As some of you know, I don't like to work out or eat healthy BUT I found something that I actually really like....Zumba! Don't get me wrong...I'm not the most coordinated chick in the bunch. Beyonce would totally pick me last on her dance squad....trust!  Yet, there's something about Zumba that makes me happy.  Sometimes I have taken the back row spot at the class and other times, I venture up to the front.  It's a great workout but it's so much fun.  So....why don't you join us and heck, if you can't come, purchasing a ticket at $10 will sponsor me and I'll shake my booty just for you.  LOL!

Purchase tickets here:  www.zumba4selah.eventbrite.com

Announcing Twins!!!!

Not me sillies....but my friend, Chelsea who is an amazing photographer in Fairbanks, Alaska just posted their recent adoption of twins....and oh my goodness! They are soooooo super perfect.  Yes, I watched every single minute of this video and was in awe.  I totally felt like I was there as I watched this beautiful love story unfold that her hubby captured.  Check it out for yourself and then head over here to Chelsea's blog to see her amazing photography work.  I bet once you see her work, you'll be ready to throw on your heavy coat and head over to Alaska just for a session with MachC Photography!  Well, at least that's what I want to do! Ya think Sarah Palin will stash me in her suitcase on her next return trip from here in Washington, DC???? 

Untitled from Chelsey M. on Vimeo.

Pink Never Looked So Good: New T-Shirts!

So this is my girlfriend, Deborah.  She is all things international and a phenomenal mom.  We first met while working in the corporate world together.  Since then, Deborah has moved on to do bigger, better things.  In fact, check this out -- she owns an awesome business called Lessons From Abroad where she and her dynamic team teach children and adults foreign language and culture.  Check them out by clicking here.  Deborah's been a dynamic supporter of our adoption from the very beginning.

So here she goes again....she's looking FANTASTIC in our newest t-shirt by Mocha Club.  Pink never looked so good on!  So much so....you have to snag one for yourself.  Just like the original Mocha Club shirt we were selling, this one also has the explanation of the shirt printed on the inside....quite clever!  Haven't seen the explanation of 'I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me' yet? Check out the YouTube clip...every single word shared is printed inside the shirt: 



Beautiful message for a beautiful person like you!  Yep...even strong men wear pink so if you're a gal, grab one for your guy.  Sizes: XS, Small, Medium, Large, XL.  (Deborah is wearing a Medium in the picture above.)

Ordering (requesting a t-shirt) is easy as 1-2-3!

1.  Make a donation of $20 or more at our partner site www.firstgiving.com/michellemckinney. As a thank you gift for your donation, the shirt is all yours!  We'll even pay for shipping within the USA.

2.  Put the words 'shirt' in the comments section when submitting your donation information. 

3.  I'll contact you via e-mail to retrieve your size and mailing address.  (I currently have some shirts on hand but will need to place an order if we run out. In which case, please allow 7-14 business days for your shirt to arrive.)

BONUS:  Your donation through our giving partner, First Giving, is tax-deductible. Double yay!

Really....Why Are Our Medical Exams Always Drama-Filled???

So....here we go again on our merry-go-round of lab work and physicals! As we prepare to update our home study, as with last time, the medical piece is never a piece of cake.  So we fasted this week and went in for our labs.  When I went online to review our lab results, I immediately realized that they did not pull all of the required labs to comply with our America World physical examination form.  So....I went to my doctor's office to let them know and it was agreed that we would fast again last night and then go back this morning to get the additional labs pulled along with a urinalysis.  Now please know that I REALLY enjoy food so fasting for me often leaves me crabby. My solution:  go to bed really early so that I don't have to deal with myself.  (LOL...yeah, it's that deep.)

I got up this morning, kept myself busy with house work and was then off to the lab.  I arrived only to find that the labs hadn't been ordered and I'm thinking No! No! No! There's no way I'm going to fast again.  So the lab tech said they could just pull a 'rainbow collection' of my blood work and just wait until the doctor is back in on Monday to have her order the tests.  Cool with me!  So my blood was drawn, I tinkled in the cup (like a lady --lol), and was then headed home to get me some grub.

Next up was my hubby....he didn't start his fast until later the previous night so he had to go to the lab later.  He arrived at the lab only to have them tell him the same thing about no lab orders being in the system.  He had the lab tech call me.  I explained what the previous lab tech did.  She said we really didn't need to fast for this second set of labs....I'm thinking 'oh great!' She shares her take on what needs to be done which is different from what the other technician had me do.  So now....I'm just hoping that somewhere in the middle of this madness, we get what we need before our physical exams on Thursday with our doctor ....and then on to the paperwork nightmare of dealing with Kaiser's medical form process.  The one highlight in this part is working with our doctor and her nurse.  They really are sooooo sweet.  But really....why are our medical exams for this adoption process always drama-filled???

New Orphans & Widow Glass Tile Pendant! FREE with Donation.

Limited quantity available. (Will post here when supply runs out.)

Whether you're an advocate for orphans or widows, or perhaps both, this necklace makes such a beautiful and bold statement.  "He fought for me.  I'm fighting for them." 

On the back of the necklace the scriptures from John 3:16 and James 1:27 serve as a reminder of how He fought for me and what I should do about it.

How did He fight for me?  John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

How should I honor His fight for me? One way is by doing what He shares in James 1:27 for them:  "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.

Make a bold statement and remind yourself each time you put it on that we are called to be His hands and feet by taking care of orphans and widows.  Hold the reminders of those two scriptures close to your heart.

Great gifts for: Adopting parents, family and friends who are supporting your adoption, missionaries, orphan advocates, widow advocates...and others.

Ordering (requesting a necklace) is easy as 1-2-3!

1.  Make a donation of $20 or more at our partner site www.firstgiving.com/michellemckinney. 

2.  Be sure to put the words 'necklace' in the comments section when submitting your donation information. Because of the various types of donors to our site, you MUST state in the comment section the words 'necklace' to trigger us to send you this special gift.  Note:  If you would like to request more than one necklace, your donation should be in multiples of $20. 

3.  I'll contact you via e-mail to retrieve your mailing address.  (Because each necklace is handmade, please allow 7-14 business days for me to create your necklace.  I generally try to get completed on the earlier side of that time frame.)

BONUS:  Your donation through our giving partner, First Giving, is tax-deductible. Double yay!

Fearless....well at least today! (smile)

Well last, week -- July 4th to be exact-- I confessed that I had been procrastinating on getting started with our home study update.  Our adoption agency, America World (AWAA) sent us the info but based on how things went last year, I've been putting it off....BUT guess what? I got over my pity party and moments of fear right after I typed that post!  Yes indeedy!  That's one of the things I love about blogging.  It's so therapeutic because I get to blurt out all of the craziness and then usually, I'm totally fine.

So....I filled out all of our paperwork! Milestone!  Here's a brief version of our remaining things to do:

1. Get fingerprints done at local police station and then send them in to CJIS in Pikesville, MD.
2. Drop off medical forms at our medical center for me, Tony, and the boys.  THIS PART IS THE PIECE THAT WAS THE NIGHTMARE LAST YEAR.  Get the forms notarized and sent in to AWAA.
3. Get lab work done prior to physicals scheduled for next week....yep, 12 hour fast needed first.  Send completed forms back to AWAA.  (Our medical center takes about 14 business days to complete).
4. Drop off child protective clearance forms off and obtain receipt.
5. Send completed Home Study update form to AWAA.

 Now here's what the long version looks like....yep, I'm pretty much into writing out the details:

Six Months DTE!!!

Yes sir! Today marks 6 months of us waiting to be matched with our daughter.  It's so funny that we are here in THIS seat because I remember when we were still waiting to get our paperwork, I was in such AWE at those who were at this milestone.  So....we wait!

Each month, we try to celebrate by serving others.  I don't have any specific pictures of what I've been doing to serve someone specific.  One really cool thing since our church's 'God is for the Poor' series is that I've been working with a homeless gentleman to prayerfully get him on his feet.  I learn a lot from him but it is his faith in God that always humbles me.  My kids know him by name and if they see him while we're out, they'll say, 'Hey there's Mr. Such and Such'.  They see me talking to him in the parking lot, giving him money, groceries, or whatever.  I just pray that they'll do the same and so much more in learning to serve others.

So family............here's to 6 Months!  We're getting closer!

I Have A Confession

Yes...I have a confession. I have paperwork anxiety. We found out last month that we had to renew our homestudy and clearances because it's been almost a year since we were first approved....darn lengthy process! (smile...okay...maybe I'm not smiling)

I've had the update paperwork that our adoption agency, America World, sent to us but I haven't been able to budge yet.  Yeah...I've been extremely busy at home and work but I was busy when I went through this paperwork pile last year.  I was fired up and ready to take on the challenge.  The difference now is that I remember how difficult....I almost want to say horrible....the process was with our medical records and clearances.  We have an HMO plan and our providers go through a particular process.  Every single piece of it was tedious and sometimes the 'system' doesn't work as simple as I'd like.  We had to mesh our agency's process with our provider's process and both are pretty particular. So.....here we are...having to do this all over again--YET.....when I think about my daughter, it gives me just a 'little' push to beginning tackle this tomorrow.  Pray for us, our medical clearances, security clearances, that I don't get cold feet, and that things won't be as bad as I remember last time.

Happy 4th of July! Hopefully, this is the last one we'll spend watching the fireworks as a family of 4.

My Very FIRST Adoption Airport Arrival!

Remember my girls (Jenn, Stacey, Monica, Susan, and Bethany) who also live here in the DC area and are also adopting from America World???  WELL....Susan and her hubby Ed came home with their THREE children from Ethiopia and OH MY GOODNESS...it was more than I could have ever imagined.  The love, joy, and tears were beyond words.  Don't believe me??? Catch this.....BUT WAIT!  Among many others parts, one of my very favorite moments in the video is when Susan's son, "J", meets back up with his Ethiopian friend, "A".  Who but God could orchestrate something so amazing so that these two 'best buds' who lived in the orphanage together now also live only minutes from each other in America.  God, You Rock!!!  Take a peek....



Hold on to your hearts though....Stacey and her hubby, Evan are leaving TOMORROW to go pick-up their son!  I don't know if my heart can take another one of these airport arrivals.............nah....yes, I can!

We Hit Another Milestone This Week!

What another phenomenal week!  As we continue to chug along in saving and raising funds to totally complete our adoption costs, including travel, I am astounded at the love our daughter receives.  So on June 13th, I tweeted that I thought we could hit 88% completion of our adoption goal:

Well we did it!  This morning, I entered the offline amounts and we made it with a few bucks over.  Beautiful! 

Totally amazing that we may be totally funded through our savings and fundraising BEFORE we are even matched with our daughter! Who knew?!

Rev Run on Adoption....gotta watch this!

As we journey through this adoption process, I always find strength in hearing other family's stories.  Well, imagine my delight when I came upon this video today where Rev Run (of rap group Run DMC) TRANSPARENTLY shared their family's adoption journey at Catalyst West.  I loved every single bit of this because it was from a man's perspective.  You see, I know what we think about as women as we travel this adoption journey, but it was so great to hear Rev Run (ya know...a real dude) share what the adoption journey was like for him.  Trust me, all 3 videos are worth viewing.

From Tragedy... (Part 1)


To Love... (Part 2)

**....and please (smile) don't ride him about his comment about loving his adopted child more than his biological children.  Take it into context and what he's really trying to articulate....in the beginning, he didn't know if he could love his adopted child the same way he loved his biological children.  In fact, he discovered that he loved Miley more than he could have ever imagined.

A Dad's Perspective (Part 3)


Whether a family decides to adopt a baby or a teenager, he's right -- adopting a baby (a child) will blow your mind!  Can't wait to see when our daughter gets here how she turns this testosterone-dominated house into a pile of mushiness! (smile)  I'll keep you updated.

Big hugs,

We're Closing the Gap!!!

I am so excited because since my last blog post, we've reached another milestone!  We shared then that we had about $5500 left to complete our adoption.  Well, the word got out and we saw some amazing movement.  Everything from straight-out donations to t-shirt and necklace purchases.  Here is just a small sampling of how God moved people's hearts.  There was:

• the widow without much money who donated $5 via my aunt Johnette (simply amazing and beautiful);
• the adopting mom who keeps coming back to donate even though she's raising money herself;
• my pastor who keeps putting the word out on his personal twitter and facebook page;
•  friends who are repeat donors;
• the family member who shocked me with $200 in an envelope...i literally screamed!;
• the friend who keeps supporting and is now donating $20 every pay period;
• the beautiful people who donated who don't even know us but just heard our story;
• and truly...the stories go on and on.

So I say a big THANK YOU! We are now only $3,713 short of closing the gap on our adoption costs!!!  Thank you for being a part of our daughter's adoption story.  What a beautiful story we are weaving together.  Collectively, I believe we'll finish this by the end of the summer!  *eek* so excited!

Don't forget, when you donate through our partners via our First Giving page, it's a tax-deductible contribution!  Check it out here:  www.firstgiving.com/michellemckinney

We Couldn't Have Done This Without You!

If you've followed our adoption journey from day one, you know that this has been a remarkable journey for us.  We started out as a family stepping out on faith with a big dream....a God-sized dream.

From the very beginning, we were staring at a debt of around $25,000 that later grew to around $31,000 due to changes the Ethiopian government made to the adoption process.  Staring at that debt was well beyond anything we could ever do....but you know what?  The God we serves specializes in paying debt.  If you don't believe me, check out John 3:16 in the New Testament. (smile)

...and TODAY, in looking at our fundraiser thermometer, we see we only have about $5,500 left to finish out our adoption costs.  This is MONUMENTAL!!!!

Why?  We are the average middle-class family without boat loads of money sitting in a savings or retirement account.  We save as much as we can and find cool ways to raise funds.  Most of all, we have seen what your sacrificed donations of $5, $10, $20, and $50 have done at chipping away at this debt.  It may have seemed little to you at the time, but your donations have meant the world to us.  We've been blown away in the past year by two separate $5,000 donations....and then how one of those donors decided to also do a donor match back in February.  Your stories of sacrificial giving amaze me and are making a difference in the life of a child who has grown in this mama's heart for the past 2 years.  Like today, receiving an unexpected donation did this mama's heart so good.

We're at the home stretch family!  Will you partner with us to finish strong by donating today or this week?  Don't forget, your donations are tax-deductible when you donate through our partner at Lifesong for Orphans/First Giving.  As you've seen every little bit of sacrifice is changing the world....one orphan at a time.

Love y'all!