A lot is going on right now.
Grant application #4 was mailed off last week. We are not expecting to hear back from any of them for a few weeks/months, but hoping and praying that we are chosen for a grant (or six). We are currently working on two more that will be complete in a few days.
We sent in our profile books to the agency. Our profile books are photo scrap books that we put together to give birth moms a little glimpse into our lives. The birth moms get to look at the profile books and decide which family they feel would be a good fit for the baby. The agency will start presenting us to birth moms as soon as they can.
"Wait, do you have all the money now to move forward?,"you may ask. Why no, no we don't. But, we know God is in control and are moving forward in faith. We have had some amazing things happen recently where God confirms in us that He has got this.
A few weeks ago, I was praying and crying out to the Lord, feeling so overwhelmed. I asked Him if we were still heading in the right direction. Had we missed something? Hours later, we got an email from a couple who wanted to give to our adoption. Boom...God is good!
We have been working on a grant and submitted the first portion back in June. We were supposed to receive a confirmation email giving us the next steps that we have to take. This is the big grant that we have been looking forward to. We have friends that received $10,000 from this amazing foundation. A month went by and we heard nothing. I thought maybe they never received our first application, so I resubmitted. Still nothing. We were starting to feel panicked as the final application process (which is very involved) is due Aug. 15. I was praying and just asking the Lord what was going on. He said, clear as ever, "Go check your spam folder". I ran downstairs and sure enough, there were 3 emails from the foundation. One of the emails was from the director asking why we re-applied. I explained the story to her and we kicked it into high gear to get everything in. Both of our agencies emailed letters within 15 minutes, our references were emailed and have either finished or are in process to finish tomorrow. Our pastor texted and is coming to conduct the required interview tonight. Then, we will have the essay portion and email our tax returns and what not and then wait (and pray). We should know if we got the grant sometime next month.
In the meantime, we are getting the crib ready. By getting the crib ready, I mean moving a little girl, who loves her crib, into a big girl bed. I think it will be a process. She is not a big fan of change but, she is so excited for a new baby to be in the house. I am hoping that motivation will help the transition.
Please pray as the agency starts presenting our family to birth moms. Pray for their hearts as they make the hardest decision of their lives. Pray for our hearts as we wait and hope in the Lord alone. Pray for preparation for each member of our family as we anticipate this change and excitement. Praise God with us as we watch Him do His thing!!
We have been so humbled by this experience!
