Packing...Help?!

Although we do not have a date yet, it helps to keep busy and moving towards that travel date.  So...we have started gathering the things we need to travel. One suitcase is already full with items for the orphanage.  We  have also begun gathering our clothes and Asher's.  We will be taking 2 medium size suitcases, 1 carry-on bag, and one backpack for the laptop and snacks.  The number one advice about packing is, "pack light".  We will try, but it is winter, and it is not looking good.


Since it will be cold outside and hot inside, we will be doing a lot of layering.  My mom sent me a great coat and lots of great sweaters. She also sent me $ to purchase any other clothes we may need. Thank you mom!!!  I found a pair of great "snow boots" at Ross, thermal underwear, thick socks, and sweaters for Randell who has little winter clothes! Randell's uncle also had some great gloves and winter underwear that will be perfect. I think we are set as far as clothes!

Next we will start gathering the extra stuff that makes life "easier" while away from home.  For those of you who have made this trip before, we would love some advice on things you wish you had taken.  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Once we have a travel date we will decide if we are staying for the 10 day waiting period or not.  If the date is in Dec., we will stay, since I have 2 weeks vacation during that time.  If the date is in January, I will need to come back.  Randell will probably stay, and I'll go back for Gotcha day.  Our travel day will play a role in what we pack.  Hopefully we will hear next week.  Please continue to pray for a date soon.

Pictures of Room and Clothes

These are the items for Asher's Orphanage.  

This is Asher's closet.  I can't wait to see him in these.            I hope they fit.  : )

This is Asher's room.  I love how it turned out.  There is a dresser on the other side.  I made the blanket on the rocker and the matching pillow on the bed.  We had a lot of fun getting it ready.  I feel like we are on our "last trimester".   I have been doing a lot of "nesting."  : ) 

Keeping Busy While We Wait

Updates:

• No travel date yet. 
• We painted and decorated "Grady's" room.  It looks so cute.  I'll post pictures later.
• The suitcase for the orphanage is full of clothing and small toys thanks to my sister's help.  THANK YOU Edith for your donations to Grady's orphanage.  I'll post pictures later.
• Madison and I went shopping for Grady's clothes.  We had a lot of fun looking for cute stuff.  I asked about 10 moms with little ones which size would best fit a 3.5 year old.  We ended up getting size 4 shirts and size 3 pants.  There was consensus among the moms that the shirts run small and the pants are just right.  We'll see once we try the clothes on him. 
• We have a name.  His first name will be his given name since it is all he has known for 3+ years.  We can not share it yet on-line for privacy issues with the country he is from which we can not share either. I can tell you that his name in Greek means - strong; manly; courageous.  His middle name will be Asher.  We will probably call him Asher.  The name Asher comes from the Hebrew origin.  The meaning of this name is:  fortunate; blessed; happy.  In the Old Testament, Asher was Jacob's 8th son.  He was promised a life blessed with abundance.  My prayer for our little Asher is that he too would be blessed with abundance...abundance of happiness and love.

Prayer Request:

• Continued prayers for funding our adoption
• Continued prayer for Asher while we try to get him home.
• Continued prayers for a travel date in December.
• The government is once again voting to stop adoptions in Asher's country.    Please pray that the vote will not affect special needs adoptions or adoption in progress.  The vote is suppose to take place the week of Dec. 13th.  Read details below regarding the vote according to embassy website.

"The ___ parliament is in the process of voting on a bill that would suspend all intercountry adoptions from countries without bilateral agreements with ___, including adoptions from the United States.  The bill passed a first reading and vote, but must still pass a second reading and be signed into law by the president.  The second reading could take place in the next few weeks.  If the bill passes the second reading, it may be signed into law as early as the end of 2010.  The draft bill appears to include suspension of all adoptions in progress. The Department will post updates as information becomes available." 

Orphanage Donation

 Fill a Suitcase Campaign
One of the things we would like to do is take a suitcase full of items for the children who are in Grady's orphanage.  We are collecting new items for children ages 1-5.  Some examples are; underwear, socks, warm pj's, small toys, rattles, teethers, baby blankets, bibs, slippers, gloves/mittens, ...  It would be such a blessing to be there by Christmas, and take these items to the children.  Please contact us via email if you would like to bless the lives of these little ones by donating items.  coffmansrus@sbcglobal.net
Thank you!


 James 1:27 -  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Please Pray!

Prayer Request:
The country from which Grady is from is about to have a very important change in law that could close adoptions there temporarily or permanently for Americans.  There will be a vote in the next few weeks to approve this law.  If it is approved it will also halt those adoptions that are in the process.  Please pray that this vote would not take place or that it would be turned down.  Please pray for the orphans who are in need of families and for the families who are fighting to get to their children.  Please share the word!  Pray for the 100,000+ orphans in this country who need families.  This change in law would be devastating for them.


Update on Progress:
We are waiting to hear from the SDA.  Our prayer is that we will hear from them in the next couple of weeks and be able to travel in December. We are currently "nesting" and preparation for Grady's room has begun.  Randell's aunt and mom donated bedroom furniture, and we are painting his room next week.  We bought some clothes for him, which was no easy task since we do not know his size. Madison wanted to pick all of the clothes.  She loves the big sister role!  When I have asked her what she wants for Christmas, there is only one thing that she will say...Grady home!  She is so excited!

Fundraising:
Many thanks to those who have been donating to our Reece's Rainbow page.  It is up to $1000.  WOW!  We are still short on funding our adoption, but know that God will continue to provide what we need.  We are greatly blessed to have friends and family members who have been so generous in their giving.

We are Submitted!

Update:
We received an email this morning that we were submitted to the SDA.  Praise God!!!!!!!!!!

What Next:
Now it is a waiting game until we receive our travel date.

Prayer Requests:
Please pray that our paperwork is all accurate and that our travel date will be early in December.  Also pray for us to be fully funded for the adoption.

Fundraising:
We have raised $2000 dollars selling dolls and a coin on ebay!  WOW!  Only $9,000 to reach our $25,000 goal.  Thank you to all our friends and family who have been so generous!

When Thank You is Not Enough

This is a post I have wanted to write since last week, but words were not enough to express how I was feeling. 

Last week one of my coworkers gave us a special donation.  It was a golden coin that is worth about $400.  The value of the donation was great, but it was the meaning of that coin that brought me to tears...and still does.  She shared that this coin was given to her when her son was going through cancer treatment.  Her son passed away when he was 2 years old, and she wanted us to have the coin so that we could bring our son home. Words can not express how thankful I am for her sacrifice!

Since then, I have thought a lot about this special gift.  I reflected on how our Heavenly Father gave up His Son so that we could become His adopted sons and daughters.  When a sacrifice is so great, how do we say thank you? ... We accept His call.  We do His will above ours.  We focus our lives on the things He cares about.  We give thanks regardless of our circumstances.  We love unconditionally.  We give to those in need.  We love the unlovable.  We share His gift of salvation so that others may be saved.  These are all things I know, but do not always do.   Please pray that as we prepare our travel plan and our home for Grady, we would not neglect our spiritual growth.  Lord, may my thankfulness for Your gift of salvation be reflected in the life I live.

The Eagle has Landed!

Paperwork Update:
We received word that our dossier arrived in Grady's country yesterday, the facilitators have begun working on it. It actually arrived two days earlier than expected!  Many thanks for all of your prayers and for your faithfulness. 

Fundraising update:
Randell's parents donated to us a doll collection that belonged to his great aunt.  We had an appraiser come and check them out since we do not know anything about dolls. She spent about 2 hours going through them, although her fee was $50 per hour, she only charged us for one hour when she found out why we were having them appraised.  We were so grateful for her generosity and for her help.  We thought that if we were able to make $500 on ebay, we would be happy.  After a week of posting dolls on ebay, we have raised $1,000.  What a blessing! 

I am so thankful for the the generosity of my coworkers and family!!!!  They have been such a blessing in providing prayer support and also donating.  In the last couple of days envelopes with donations marked "For Grady" are appearing in my mail box.  One coworker committed to donate about $1,000 over the next few months.  Another coworker has started a fundraiser by selling candles.  We have also received a large donation from family members.
 
We still have awhile to go before reaching our goal, but we are getting closer, and I know that God will continue to provide.  Thank you to all of those who are helping us bring Grady home!