Pass it on! NO MORE MOUNTAIN!

It's time for a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you ready!?!?!?!?!

(drum roll please...)

We are FULLY FUNDED for Connor & Cooper's adoptions!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES!!!! IT IS TRUE!!!!

Our amazing and incredible God brought in $38,000 in just 4 months time to fund the adoptions that were HIS IDEA in the first place!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!

But...

there's more!

WHAT?!?!?!

 

Listen to this amazing story:

BELOW IS DIRECT FROM MY NEW FRIEND, AMY SHAW
....let her share with you what God has laid on our hearts...

Amy writing now:

"My crazy awesome friend Chasity Cole is also adopting. We adopted in Uganda together back in the summer of 2011. She called me last week to let me know that God had performed a miracle and they were fully funded.

She wanted to help me with funding.

So she invented and pulled off a MOST AMAZING auction. (see previous post!!)

Then, today Tuesday February 26, 2013 God brought the rest of our necessary money in and we now share the status, "Fully funded."

I have a sweet friend, Angie Rylands, who is also adopting as well. (go figure!) This family is adopting TWO children at once from China. (VERY EXPENSIVE!) The two children are older boys...the ones who often get overlooked. A 9 year old boy and a boy who is about to age out (almost turning 14.)

Side note: In China, children are allowed to live in orphanages until they are 14. Upon their 14th birthday they are moved along in life. They are put out on to the streets. If they have any kind of special need, this is a death wish. Sexual slavery, drugs, street life awaits. 15% commit suicide. Most have no education or job skills. At age FOURTEEN. This is a desperate situation.

So, anyway...back to the Rylands...they have been raising a CRAZY amount of money to go and bring these boys home. I often thought, "wow, glad that's not MY amount..." And today...they saw God move mountains as well...

...their number went from $30,000 left on December 1st to $17,000 on January 1st to $12,900 on February 1st...and yesterday their need was $7,778 And today...with our full funding we were blessed to be part of polishing off their need and now they join us as:

FULLY FUNDED!!!!

And this leads us to another family, the Smiths, who are in dire need of funds. They were in China last August adopting and fell in love with this sweet girl: 

Guan Ya

They knew that God had her for their family and they worked their tails off to return to China to bring her home. One problem...she ages out on March 8th!! They leave in THREE DAYS to go bring her home before she ages out...so Angie and I thought we would help THEM raise their final funds!! 

God has blessed each of us: Chasity, us, the Rylands...now it's time to bless the Smiths!!

But wait!!!

SCREEECH!!!

They are now only $200 odd dollars away from ALSO BEING FULLY FUNDED!!!!!

So I was telling Niki, "We are going to blow that outta the park!" And she said, "Nope! Got someone on it! Go find someone else!!"

HA!!! LOVE IT!!

So...we now issue out a challenge from ALL of us:

CHASITY, ANGIE, NIKI and MYSELF:

We want you to help us get Jennifer's daughter home!!!

Jennifer has traveled to China multiple times and has ministered to many orphans over her trips. There is one orphanage especially founded for children with Brittle Bone Disease. There is one very special child who has captured Jennifer's heart in a way unlike any other orphan ever has. 

Jesus whispered, "She is yours."

So along with some red tape that none of us can do anything about...Jennifer needs funding to be able to travel to get this sweet child and attend to her medical and spiritual needs.

Now one of the most AMAZING things is that Jennifer is the CEO of the non-profit ministry Into the Field that exists to serve as servants around the corner and around the world. A huge passion is loving orphans home. Once Jennifer's adoption is FULLY FUNDED then monies will be available for other adoptive families in grants! In other words: IT KEEPS ON GIVING!!! TOO COOL!!

So go here and keep the momentum rolling! Donate to her Razoo link on the sidebar! $15,000 is the number to hit! Ready...set...GO!!!

Join with us as we link arms as a body of Christ to help MORE ORPHANS HOME!!! LINK UP!!

What Mountain?

Boy, friends! 

I have to brag on our God tonight!

 

 

He is moving an enormous financial mountain so effortlessly! 

 

On December 1st, that mountain was $30,000 tall.

 

On January 1st, it was $17,000 tall

 

 

On February 1st, the mountain was $12,900 tall

 

 

 

With each passing month, God provided.

 

With each bill that came due, God provided.

 

Now, we are looking at a number that, before our experience with adoption, would have seemed like  a very large number. 

 

But now?

 

Now, it is just a number. 

Another obstacle that God will remove from our path because nothing is going to stand in the way of us bringing these boys into the home that God has chosen for them.

 

 

We leave in 9 days.

9 short days.

 

I would LOVE for the March 1st mountain to be ZERO!

 

We are super close y'all!

Keep an eye on that thermometer. 

I will continue to update it with each new donation.

If you would like to be a part of our sons' stories, you can donate via our donate button on the left.

 

We are grateful to all who have come alongside us on this journey with constant and faithful prayers, encouragement and financial support.

 

Tom & Angie

 

 

 



Labor Pains

The time has finally come--

The Labor Pains have begun.

Adoption Labor, that is.

That's right!  This morning we were notified that our Consulate appointment has been confirmed!

This is the final piece of the puzzle before we book travel.



Cameron and I, along with my Mother, will be leaving on March 6th.

We are thrilled and slightly manic that we will be heading to Asia 2 weeks from TOMORROW!

After a quick stop over in Hong Kong to meet with some partners there, 

we will move on to Chongqing to meet our son Connor on 3/11.  

We will expedite his adoption, finalize the following morning, and then hop on another plane and head to Changsha.  

It is here where we will meet our son, Cooper on 3/13.  

That is not a lot of time to adjust from one child to the other, so we will be very grateful for all your prayers for physical and emotional strength.

So, as we work quickly to make all the arrangements, would you cover our family with prayer?

Please pray:

• for financial provision (currently need $9,189 very, very soon)
• for logistical details such as flights and hotels
• that my brother in law can secure reduced rate hotels for us in HK & CQ
• for Tom as he manages the household and cares for Tommy and Colin in my absence. Please pray for physical strength for him while I am away.
• for the boys staying home, especially Tommy that he would stay busy and not miss mom too much. 
• for a peace in the hearts of our two newest sons as they embrace this new life. 
• for health a travel mercy for our whole crew as we move from place to place.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

As we prepare to travel, it seems only fitting to leave you with this...

"Goin' Back to China"

Valentines Day Preparation

So, once again, Pinterest saves the day!

 

For those of you who are under some illusion that I have ANY domestic skills whatsoever, pay attention:  I don't.

 

So, I am NOT that classroom mom who volunteers and plans school parties.

 

Until very recently, I was the Mom that barely remembered to buy that cheap, easily ripped box of thin Valentines with some superhero on them.

My biggest accomplishment on Valentines Day was taping a cute pencil to each of those cheap looking cards! (A proud moment, to be sure)

 

But this year? 

 

This year is different.

 

Maybe it's because I am leaving for China soon and have been in active
"nesting" mode

for the last few weeks.

 

Or, maybe it's because Tommy will be staying home with Tom.

 

Who knows.

 

All I know is that when I stumbled upon this adorable idea on Pinterest, I knew I had to do them. 

 

It didn't hurt that I have more time than $$$ right now and these were very affordable!

 

Step One: 

Goodie Bags.

I got mine for $3 at Wal-mart (Qty. 100)

 

 

Step Two:

Printable

 (click here for the Blog that has all the instructions and link to printable fishbowl)

 

Step Three:

 

Cut out fishbowls & get child to SIGN their name and...... Voila'

 

Beautiful Valentine.

 

 

Step Four:

Assembly

 

 

 

So, without further ado...

 

Ta-Da!

 

60 some odd bags later, the boys are ready to present their "homemade" Valentine's to their friends.

 

And yes, that's as good as it gets! :-)



Final Jewelry Fundraiser

Back in the Fall, our dear friend, Tammy Palmer of Be A Voice donated a large quantity of jewelry and other items from her stock to our family so that she could help us get our children home.

 

(If you don't see what you want here, go check out the Be A Voice site and you can order directly from Tammy.  She will donate $75 of your purchase back to us and ship to you.)

 

We also had a neighbor donate some handmade jewelry to our Fall Pecan Festival fundraiser.  The rest of those items are listed here as well.

 

 

I am listing them again here now to help clear out the rest of the inventory and to get some more funds in as we are so very close to needing to book tickets. 

 

 

If you see something that you would like to give as a gift, maybe even for Valentine's Day, please email me at tommysfolks@gmail.com and let me know what you want. I will keep the shipping as low as I possibly can and combine items when possible.

 

Bookmarks- $3 each
I have many of these, especially the eagle and flag

Various items for the horse lover
Pins: $3; Barrett: $5; Bracelet: $5; Hair band: $3

 

 Bracelets

Love is.... $20

 

 Faux stone is purple in color:  $10

 

Necklaces

 

Pink Circle: $5
Faux Diamond: $5
Sun Dial: $20
Cross on long cord: $15
Three stone: $10
Dainty Faux Ruby/Diamond: $10
*I have one of the sun dial, but multiples of the other styles

 

Can be worn as necklace or bracelet- Qty: 1

$8



Can be worn as necklace or bracelet- Qty: 1

$8

 

Thin double strand cord in black
Qty: 12
Cost: $5 each

 

 Gift sets

 



$10

 

Orange/ Yellow beads
Set: $10

Black/ White set: $10



$5/ pair  (black pair- on purple paper- is SOLD)

 

Pottery- $20 each

 

 

 

 



Goin' Back to China! China! China!

We're a little excited around here...

 

 

 

 

 

For the three people who read this blog who AREN'T adopting, this stands for Travel Approval!

 

The only down side is that the TA came in to our agency at 4:30 PM on a Friday.

 

Not just any Friday, but the Friday before Chinese New Year.  Soooo.....

 

that means that we can't request our CA (Consulate Appointment) because the US Consulate in Guangzhou is closed for CNY until 2/13.

 

So, we wait. 

But, this wait is sooooo very different than all the other waits. 

 

As soon as the Consulate opens and we are able to request our Consulate appointment, we will be able to book flights and get our boys HOME!

 

 

These two beautiful boys are about to have a house full of FAMILY!

 

As we iron out the remaining details, we are about $12,900 short still to get all the fees wired to China, so we would be very appreciative of your prayers.

 

God Bless,

Tom & Angie