Items for SALE!!!

We have a number of items for SALE that people have donated to us!
As we were reminded in church today again that God calls us to GO TO the helpless, homeless, poor and broken....we are more and more thrilled that God is using us to help a sweet little orphan girl.  Will our way always be easy? No.  Will it always be wonderful and exciting? No.  We know this and expect it. We are to be 'uncomfortable'.  It is not always easy or comfortable to go out of our comfort zones and raise money. It is not always easy going out of our comfort zone to open our home up to another family member (haven't we been through enough changes?!)  We DO know that God has called us. We DO know that God HAS OUR BACK (Is. 58).  We know that He will be there for us and that we are resting in Him for this journey.  We DO know that living for God and living AS the church is going to stretch us and change us.  We also know that it is going to take us right where we never expected to go.

You see years ago when I began to have a heart for the orphans and to adopt, I said I would never adopt over the infant age.  Well, you see, when you say 'never'..God says..ah ha! This is where they need to trust me and just maybe.....:)  I am looking forward to parenting this little one with my husband.  You see I am not sure what it is like to have an earthly, godly husband by my side taking the lead and being supportive.  The more I explore the grief and loss that orphans have in their lives, I am seeing my own self at times and my children.  Being a single mom ('widow') for a number of years and 'orphans' of my own has shown me what 'loss' feels like.  I also know that my own children ache with some of that heartache as well.  BUT I ALSO KNOW that God says many times in his word...'so they will know that I am the Lord'.   I also know that I KNOW my Lord in ways I never would have otherwise.  I KNOW that He is trusthworthy.  I KNOW  that He is Father to the fatherless.  I KNOW that He provides for His children . I KNOW that my Joy is found in Him.  I also KNOW that Kaylee's JOY is found in Him too and I look forward to holding her in my arms and telling her about my Father.  :)

Please consider purchasing any of the items listed on Kaylee's Hope Etsy Shop- Click Here! :)  We have had so much fun making some of these items ourselves and we are so grateful to have some people DONATE handmade items to sell!! :)  Thanks so much everyone for helping out!

Would you consider hosting a 'Hope for Kaylee' Party?

We, Derek and Alyssa Chirch, Kaylee’s soon-to-be parents, will be traveling soon to see Kaylee for the first time!  Adoptions from EE require two trips. We have filled out many applications for grants and/or interest-free adoption loans (that we will only consider to cover the amount expected back from the $13,500 tax credit).  We have sent off the paperwork to Indy which will then go to EE.  At that time we will “hear about Kaylee” and be “cleared to travel.” 

So basically, we are waiting to hear back from our agency that “all is clear” and “plan your flight”!!

This should take about 30 days to complete.

At this point the fundraising so far has covered all of the paperwork, fingerprints, forms, home study, etc. What we have raised will also cover all of our traveling expenses for our first trip!  This deserves a BIG thank you to all who are donating and supporting us on this adventure!! You are following God’s mandate to provide for orphans.  Praise God!!

Most people are amazed by those who choose to adopt, such as a 21 year-old Katie who founded Amazima Ministries and is now the mother of 14 Ugandan girls.  With her new book coming out, people keep telling her, "it’s so great that you found what you want to do with your life.”  Knowing God's heart for the fatherless, she simply replied, “Well I didn’t find it, it’s just in the Bible.”

Now,

Derek and I are still in need of the first adoption fee-- an amount of $7000.  We hope for some grants to cover some of these expenses, but we are still in the waiting process.  This amount is due by our first trip, which honestly could be in roughly 30-60 days.

I have to ask… does anyone like parties?!!!

I sure do!!

Well, this is a really easy and fun way to have a party!

Here are the steps:

1.        Decide to host a “Hope for Kaylee” Party

2.       Invite 10 friends to a party at any location you decide!

3.       Ask them to each bring $20 (or whatever amount your friends are willing to share!) and whatever else you desire to party about/with etc…. I have heard of one such party asking everyone to bring a pillow case, then making dresses for little girls out of the pillow cases and giving them to a charitable cause! Another idea is to have a Dinner Out; you could even have a Spa Party!, or whatever you’d like!  Be creative! Just have Fun!!! You could even invite people over for a “Make Handmade Items (bibs, bows, painted clothes, etc.) To Sell On Kaylee’s Etsy Store Party!!”

4.        Host your party!! Collect the $200 and party away!  Donate on our PayPal link for Kaylee at kayleeshope.blogspot.com. 

The fun thing about this fundraiser is you get to party together!! It’s easy because you can host a party anywhere you live!!

We have seen that we have followers ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY!!!!!!

This gives you ALL a chance to join in!!

We will send you Kaylee’s Hope bracelets and Thank you/Prayer Cards with a picture of Kaylee for those that participate!! We have a limited supply, so be the first in line!  Just send us your address and date of the party so we can get them to you in time!  Thanks!

Now, let’s add this up….

$7000 total divided by $200 donated by each party equals the NEED FOR ONLY 35 PARTIES!!!

I think we can all make that happen.

I will start.  If you like to sew and live in, near or are willing to travel to Valpo…come on out for a sewing party!! Let’s make little pillow case dresses for Kaylee!  

Send me a message on Facebook or call me if you are interested so I know how many more people to invite!! Also, let me know which day works best!

Now, would you consider hosting a party?

PUZZLE REVEAL!!

The puzzle complete!! 750 pieces!!

We put it in two frames in order to use glass frames so we can see the back of the puzzle pieces.  We are planning on hanging them on her wall above her dresser with a 'family' picture in between the two frames as soon as we get her home!

CAN YOU FIND YOUR NAME??

We hope you could find your name! Love you all and thank you so much for donating to her puzzle! We could not, in no way, no how....have done this without you!! :)

Love, Alyssa & Derek

Guess What?

The puzzle is done!  Thanks to some sweet friends and especially a wonderful family who loves adoption, gifts have come in tonight that helped as complete the puzzle and then some!  Again, we thank our friends---new friends, old friends, friends near and friends far---all of you who have supported us over these five months.  We still have a long way to go, but reaching this milestone energizes us and encourages us so much.

We also got news tonight that we may be able to travel in about a month or so if our documents move smoothly.  Pray for things to move quickly so that we can get to EE and get assigned a court date for Kaylee.  Tomorrow, we will do the drawing for the restaurant gift card, the Target gift card, the John Wooden autographed print, and a t-shirt/bracelets.  Maybe you will be a winner!

Fundraising Update

Nearly five months into this journey, we have been blessed to have over $10,300 of our adoption covered! The funding has come from several places.  We have put several hundred dollars a month into the adoption account---we have cut back on extras and those choices have left over money to go towards the adoption.  This has been tough as we are also committed to paying off our debt.  God has seen our hearts, though, and helped us to pay off a credit card despite the numbers not seeming to add up.  Thank you Lord!  About $1,000 came in through our spaghetti dinner.  We are so thankful to our church for helping us to host the event and to our friends and family who served or came out and supported us.  The majority of the rest of our funding has come from donations from friends and family who have contributed to our 750 piece puzzle.  We are now at 722 pieces, or $7,220!  We're only 28 pieces away!

Once the puzzle is completed, we will have it framed in double-sided glass and hang it on Kaylee's wall. For every $10 that is donated, we write the name of the donor on the back of the piece.  That way, she will one day be able to see all of the names of people who helped bring her home.  So, we are waiting for 28 more $10 donations.  If you have considered giving towards the puzzle, now is the time!  All of those who have given will be entered into a drawing for various gift cards, sports memorabilia, and t-shirts!  You can give to this fundraiser by clicking the "donate" button in the top right corner of the blog.

We have been busy applying for grants and adoption loans over the last couple of weeks.  We are praying for an adoption loan of $13,700 that will be repaid by the adoption tax credit.  Please pray with us that the Lord will grant us a loan.  We are also applying for several smaller grants and we should know in the next six to eight weeks whether we have received any.  Even with potential grants and loans, we will still have to likely come up with another $5,000-10,000.  Some of that will come from our own paychecks and from family that are going to give when needs arise.  But, we still have needs.  If you have been reading the blog and God is moving on your heart, please prayerfully consider giving to our adoption fund.

The reason I am writing this now is because we are actually quite close to traveling!  We have submitted our documents to our agency and hope to have approval from Kaylee's country soon.  We are being fingerprinted in a couple of weeks and US permission to adopt should be coming soon after that.  Things have moved very quickly, and that means the money also has to move quickly.  We do not want anything to delay us getting to her and bringing her home.  So, as much as I don't like talking about money, God says that we sometimes have not because we ask not.  We're prayerfully asking Him to provide for us and we are sharing that need with all of you.  Most of all, we appreciate your prayers, support, and kindness...it has meant so much to us!

Mom's of Adopted Kids Support Group!

Might as well call it a parenting support group as well!! :)  Had a great time and lots of good conversation! Thanks to all that came out and shared, loved and laughed! :)  I look forward to meeting more Mom's in the future!  

Tonight it was held at my home, but I am open to other options, like coffee houses (have to watch the closing times though!), restaurants or other homes.  We had a nice time of sharing and I want to share a little of what I learned as a new going-to-be adopting Mom....

• God is always working to shape us and change us more into His image and showing us about His heart for others. 
• Just when you thought - oh no, that's not for me...He is saying, YES it is! 
• He will show you more about yourself through your child, revealing things wanted and unwanted.
• Buy a music CD (lullabies), toy with native language or book with sounds in your child's native language while traveling in order to help soothe your child during some grieving moments after the move. 
• You may need a rocking chair! Even if your child resists at first keep trying to rock the child at times.  It will end up being a soothing time for him or her.
• Be prepared to lead a dull and boring life for maybe up to the first year the child is home.  For those that don't understand.....this means, plan on spending all of your 'free' time with your child working on bonding, reading, teaching, loving, etc.
• One thing that amazes me is that from all these adoptive Mom's I have run into in the past few months...I am only hearing, "I want to do it again!" and "next time...I will do this" and "I can't wait for our next one..I actually have one picked out!"  Wow! Fabulous!
• My security is in the Lord as I hear about His faithfulness to others in their process and can lean back on Him- knowing that He is orchestrating this adoption.

Looking forward to the next group in September! :)

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it." Psalm 24:1a

Blessings to all, Alyssa

The 'Girls' Room and Fingerprints

Our weekend began with a trip to Chicago with Derek's parents and Sam (our 16 yr. old) on Saturday.  Derek planned a trip to Wheaton to visit the campus, the Wade Center and the Billy Graham Museum.  It was so fun, educating and encouraging! Sam loves to read and write for those that don't know her!  She knows so much about authors, books, playwriting and writing in general. She amazes me with her knowledge.  That girl can finish a thick book in one day. When she has needed a correction in the past, I had to ground her from her books! well....almost! :)

Then we went to a shop in Lisle, Chicago from Kaylee's country.  It was so cute and had so many things!  We bought a plain stacking doll that Derek is going to draw our family on and I will paint them! That will be so neat! We wonder if Kaylee has ever seen one!  I also bought some tea, which I am really looking forward to trying yet.  'Giga', Derek's Mom or Babushka bought a Children's book written in English.  It was a neat experience talking with the owner. He is 2nd generation from her country.  His parents are from EE and opened the store years ago and now he runs it.  He has 5 children and was playing with his youngest in the store as we visited.  It was sweet.  He said he has never been over there yet, but they have family over there still and communicate often. We told him we would visit once we have Kaylee home with us and he welcomed that!  He speaks her language!

Then off to lunch at Cheddar's! An old fav of the Chirch family when Derek went to Wheaton.  It was delicious and very affordable! :) We loved it.

 We also loved making faces at the camera.

NOW OFF TO IKEA! OUR PURPOSE FOR GOING TO CHICAGO!

 WE CAME HOME WITH A FEW ITEMS FOR THE 'GIRLS' ROOM...NO LONGER SAM'S ROOM, BUT THE GIRLS ROOM.  SAM REALLY ENJOYED GETTING HER ROOM ORGANIZED WITH NEW BINS FOR HER SHELF AND GOING THROUGH ALL HER THINGS IN ORDER TO MAKE ROOM! HERE ARE 'SOME' OF THE PICTURES....MORE TO COME ON THE PROGRESS!

WE BOUGHT A SHELF AND A DRESSER FOR KAYLEE AS WELL AS NEW STORAGE BINS FOR SAM!

When she left for volleyball camp this morning, she said, "I am a little sad to be leaving as I was having so much fun doing my room!"  No worries Sam, it will be here when you get back! :)

This was a wall art 'map' and we pointed to the US and to EE!

Putting the furniture together! The boys willing jumped in to help! Cade has always been amazing at putting things together!

Logan liked to help!

Folding clothes to put in the dresser! :) We have so many clothes that have been given...since we don't know her size exactly, I have kept 2T's up to 6x's.

Cade randomly taking pictures of me as I am folding and talking.

HER DRESSER!!

The dresser in its spot with random things around it!

Sam working hard to get rid of things...and send them to the North Pole! (inside joke between derek and sam)

HER NEW SHELF FOR TOYS AND BOOKS! 

We put some of Sam's new storage bins in there as well that we will show later, 

since we got Sam some other ones as well.

Logan loved playing in the boxes! He is still young enough to enjoy them! This was a blessing to see him playing like this still! :)  Sometimes he tries to be like his brother and act too old! 

OH AND TO FINISH OUR DAY WE GOT OUR FINGERPRINT DATE IN THE MAIL!! WE GET TO DO THEM RIGHT IN MICHIGAN CITY! THEY ALSO TAKE WALK-INS SO WE MAY GO EARLIER THAN AUGUST 17TH! 

WE ARE ALSO FILLING OUT MORE GRANT APPLICATIONS AND KEEP RUNNING INTO MORE AVAILABLE! YEAH!!! THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS AND PASTOR THAT HAVE FILLED OUT REFERENCES! :)