Woohoo for adoption grants!

 

Tonight we received news that we have been awarded a matching grant from Hand in Hand that could total up to $6,000.  We are so thankful that again the Lord is providing.  Now to fundraising the $3,000 to get matched before the end of the year!  What a great way to kick start our Christmas season!   *all grant related details to follow, soon.

Today: Orphan Sunday

Matched!

We received official word at the beginning of this week that we were awarded the full match from We Care for Orphans/Lifesong.  To this point they have received $3,900 on our behalf - complete with match = $6,900.  Wow.  Thank you for all who given and prayed for us up to this point.  You have already been such a blessing in our lives.

Surprise Staff Meeting

Wednesday morning, we had an impromtu staff meeting.  It isn't completly uncommon for us to have one, but it quickly began to feel like I was the only one who did not know why we were there.   I am not always the most perceptive person and I had witnessed a lot of odd things going on that morning.  I was too busy trying to get the video feed set up so that we could have a web meeting. 

I perked up when several from my office began to read the following poem:

Twas a regular Wednesday, right here in Fin Aid

Are we here for new regs? Are we making the grade?

 

But it’s not a staff meeting and it’s not Q & A.

We celebrate something quite different today.

 

The story unfolds in our own Father’s heart,

Who gathered us near, tho’ we’d wandered far.

 

Once we were strangers, but now we belong

To the family of God, tied with eternal bonds.

 

Now one of our own is spanning  a gulf

To add to his family a new baby Wolfe!

My office raised more than $1200 to help us bring home Boaz. 

We are continually humbled and amazed that God is using so many of those around us to bless and encourage us.   We are in awe of His goodness to us. 

 

Wow!  We are humbled by the outpouring of your generosity. We are celebrating that after one month of promoting our We Care for Orphans/Lifesong matching grant we have raised $2,500 of our $3,000 match!  We are almost there!  Lifesong will continue to leave our account open even once we reach our goal.   They will reimburse expenses from our adoption (up to the entire cost of the adoption), if donations continue, until our adoption is finalized and Boaz is home. 

 

We have also been blessed with a $4,500 grant from ShowHope (the letter received, in the week full of blessings post)! 

 

 

 

After the adoption is complete, M’s employer will also pay up to $4000 in expenses. We are extremely overwhelmed as we watch how God is (through many of you) financially providing for us.

 

Where does that put us to date?

 

 We have paid: $11,984.

 

Grants/Donations: $12,650

 

Just Love Coffee Sales: $556

 

Remaining Balance: $9810

 

 

Ok enough about money!  If you would, please continue to pray. So far our faith and obedience seems to be constantly challenged as God uses this long and expensive process to refine us as a family, as a couple, and as individuals.  The Ethiopia program referral times seemingly continue to grow longer. We are confident this is exactly where we are to be, but we are unsure of all of the steps along the way. Pray that we are a reflection of Christ, grow as parents and keep learning during the wait!

Promo Video

A video from our agency

A Week Full of Blessings

Last week was full of tangible blessings.  Our family received a new uncle (brother-in-law), a phone call and a letter.

Congratulations to Uncle James and Aunt Leanna on a beautiful beginning to a God honoring marriage!   

Our phone call was congratulating us for receiving the We Care for Orphans adoption grant.  It is a matching grant where if we raise up to $3,000, those gifts will be matched with another $3,000.  We Care for Orphans has given us a deadline to raise the funds of $3,000 for October 31^st.  We Care for Orphans recommends we send out letters to explain the process.  Here is our letter below:

Dear Family and Friends, 

                               

"A father to the fatherless...God sets the lonely in families..." - Psalms 68:5, 6

God has commanded us in His Word, the Bible, to care for the orphan. We, the Wolfe Family, believe we are following in obedience to his direction by adopting a "fatherless" child. Our next son will be a little boy adopted from the country of Ethiopia. As a family, we are excitedly praying for him, Boaz Moses Wolfe!

 

God desires for orphans of all nations to be loved, cared for and adopted by Christian families, ultimately so they can hear the gospel and be adopted into His eternal family through Jesus Christ! There are many verses God has used to prick our hearts and to move us to adopt, here are a few:

 

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction... James 1:27

 He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will...Ephesians 1:5

 We are excited about opening our hearts and home to another child, but overwhelmed at the financial extent that is required to make this adoption happen. We estimate our total cost for adoption fees, document preparation, home study, airfare, travel, attorney fees, etc. to be over $35,000. We know that God is faithful and He is asking us to trust him. To this point, by God's grace, we've been able to pay the initial $11,500.

Honestly, it is difficult and humbling to make our needs known to the Body of Christ around us, but we know it is very Biblical to do so. We appreciate your friendship very much and would like you to pray and consider helping us in our adoption. There are two ways you can help:

1. Prayer - Please pray God would tenderly care for Boaz in Ethiopia until we are able to bring him home. Pray that God would prepare our other boys for the upcoming changes to our family. Additionally, pray that God will give us wisdom, discernment, and insight as we raise Boaz to know Jesus Christ.

2. Financial support - Will you please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us pay the remaining $23,500 in adoption expenses, to bring Boaz home? We Care for Orphans Adoption Fund (www.wecarefororphansfund.org) and Lifesong (www.lifesongfororphans.org) have graciously given a Matching Grant of $3,000 to help pay the ransom for Boaz.

 

If you would like to be an integral part of bringing Boaz to our family, you can send your tax-deductible gift between now and October 31st to the address below. Lifesong is a trusted organization administering the funds on our behalf, and will pay adoption expenses out of funds received.

1. Please make checks payable to: Lifesong. You may preference how the donation might be used by writing "Preference Wolfe # 2958 Adoption" in the memo section of your check.

 

(*Note: In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to Lifesong which retains full discretion and control over its use.)

2. Mail checks to:

 

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40 / 202 N. Ford St

Gridley, IL 61744

Thank you for investing in the Kingdom through prayer and finances. Your investment has eternal return!(Matt 6:20) It is our hope to continue to keep you updated as our adoption proceeds with details as we receive them. Please pray this entire process will glorify God and fulfill His purposes!

In Christ,

The Wolfe Family

 

Did you catch that!  Boaz Moses Wolfe.  Why a name reveal?  Choosing a name is very personal.  Many people wait until the birth or a referral to reveal their child’s name.  Instead we have decided to reveal his name so you, our friends and family, can pray and give financially for our son specifically.  We want this adoption to become as “real” as possible even before we can see his face.

Please pray with us as we watch how God uses his church and those we love to help financially support our adoption. 

And stay tuned for the letter blog post (mentioned in the intro).