Goat Milk Soap

Come one, come all!

We just got our soap shipment in yesterday!  I can't believe how amazing my house smells.  I'm not one to typically ooh & ahh over bath products, but these soaps have completely turned me!

We have partnered up with Goat Milk Stuff, out of Indiana, to sell these awesome bars of soap as a fundraiser for our adoption.  It is such a great family business, and I love supporting local work.

A little about Goat Milk Stuff...

The all-natural goat milk, from their own farm raised Alpine dairy goats, provides moisturizing and healthy benefits to all skin types.  It's a long lasting product that has provided amazing quality for all their customers.  If you read the testimonies and reviews on these soaps online, tons of people with skin issues (dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, sensitive skin, etc) have said that these soaps have provided them the first relief they've had in years.  Plus, I can attest to the wonderful smells of each of them!  Plus, these are amazing for babies.

We are selling each bar for $7 (if you can do a local pick-up), $8.50 if you need it shipped (multiple bars shipped will have a discounted shipping cost - just message us first).  I've listed the bars we have below, with a little description of what's in each.  We only have a certain amount of bars, so get yours today!  We are getting about 55% of each bar back to our adoption fund (we have to cover shipping costs, which is why it's an "about") - that is seriously an amazing fundraiser!  We LOVE Goat Milk Stuff!

Testimonials: http://www.goatmilkstuff.com/Goat-Milk-Soap-Testimonials.html


(All these pictures I took myself - color unaltered)

See!! Such cute packaging!

 Lavender: Made with lavender essential oils.
SOLD OUT

 Honeysuckle: Honeysuckle, with a hint of jasmine.
SOLD OUT

Luv Spell: Victoria Secret scent-a-like.  Floral & citrus goodness.
SOLD OUT

Ocean: clean scent; smells like there is a hint of cologne
SOLD OUT

Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey: beautiful smell; can definitely pick out the sweet honey scent
SOLD OUT

Nautical: a soft, manly scent
SOLD OUT

Black Raspberry: black raspberry scent, with a hint of vanilla
SOLD OUT

Clean Cotton: smells like a dryer. ah-mazing.
SOLD OUT

Pink Sugary: the vanilla is what turns the bar brown instead of pink
SOLD OUT

Purity: unscented
SOLD OUT

Orphan Sunday 2013

Tomorrow is Orphan Sunday.  So many words, so many emotions, are associated with the thought of tomorrow.  For me, orphan sunday is like any other day, because everyday is orphan day.  The day after will be orphan monday, and the day after that will be orphan tuesday, and so on.  But, orphan sunday is a little more special.  More churches, more organizations, and more people will be talking about the kids who don't get tucked in at night, the kids that had to grow up too fast, and the kids that have lost hope.  Tomorrow is a peak within the movement.

Orphan Sunday is a beautiful thing.  It encourages others to talk about the orphan care movement, to see the faces of those left in institutions and foster care, and to open their hearts to something new.  Tomorrow will allow people to see the hope found in Jesus Christ.  So, whether you go to church, sit in your room, watch tv, or sleep in tomorrow, I pray that you open your heart a little more than normal.  Jesus can do some remarkable things... who knows - maybe you'll even get the "adoption bug".

___________________________________________________________________

"Orphan Sunday calls people to boldly turn their hearts to children who are often forgotten: America's foster children, who are dismissed as 'unadoptable' because they are over a desired age, or the 'unseen' orphans in third world countries. Orphan Sunday acknowledges the needs of these children, and launches a tangible hope that stretches far beyond the scope of our reach." 

-Vanessa Vasquez

 ___________________________________________________________________

Sunday, November 3 will not be a typical Sunday. Orphan Sunday is a very profound demonstration to the world about who the church of Jesus Christ is. And it’s happening among thousands of congregations around the world as they all focus on God the Father’s heart for, and work on behalf of, the world’s fatherless.
Prayers go up, people are sent out, and orphans are brought into families.

Faith in Jesus is more than a belief

Faith in Jesus is a belief that is like believing in the existence of a loved one. You don’t just say, “I believe my wife exists,” and that be that. Instead, you demonstrate it by talking with her and learning what her desires are and then serving her in those.
Orphan Sunday is a clear demonstration that we know our God and care about what He cares about by caring for orphans and vulnerable kids.

Our Father is good

Orphan Sunday sheds a public light on the inner life of the church. No one in the church is a disinterested bystander in the cause of the fatherless, since every one of us was rescued by God the Father and brought into His family through Jesus. When we get together to focus on that, we remind ourselves and those around us that our Father is good.’

The Holy Spirit is building a family

Through biblical teaching on Orphan Sunday, there will undoubtedly be many who are moved by the Father’s goodness to faith in Jesus. Others will be moved to take steps toward adoption, foster care, or child sponsorship. All will clearly see the big story through the Bible is about the Holy Spirit turning people into God’s children as hearts cry, “Abba, Father!”

The gospel is a message of hope for all creation

Everyone knows the world is messed up. We see it in the news, we smell it in the pollution, we feel it when we experience tragedy. No one is immune from the world’s brokenness.
Orphan Sunday is just another opportunity to share the gospel’s message of hope for all creation. This is a truth that sticks out in Romans 8:21,”Creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Speak out on November 3 that there is a future hope for the whole world and its found in Jesus Christ.

-Global Fingerprints

Big Heart

Our family has been so blessed by the most precious little girl.  Her birthday is today and, instead of gifts, she has selflessly asked for donations for our adoption fund instead.  We are so thankful for her willingness to help our family grow!

It's amazing how God works.  She is so beautiful, inside and out.  When I was her age, I would never have thought to do this for someone else.  I hope that we can raise our child to love like she loves.  

A beautiful example of Christ's love for His children.

We are forever grateful for you, Kyah.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Home Study: Part 1

Sorry we haven't posted in quite some time!  There are points within the adoption process where we're just doing paperwork (lots and lots of it!) and that's not very exciting to read about :)

But today was a big day!  Our social worker, the lovely Sarah, came over today to do our home tour and the first interview of our home study.  I had been nervous about this meeting all week long!  Since we had never gone through a home study before, I wasn't sure what to expect, so, we made sure to cover all our bases.  Last week, we developed a cleaning schedule so that we could tackle the task of cleaning our house in a less overwhelming way.  So, everyday, we cleaned/organized/weeded-out a different part of our home.  That made the entire process less daunting.

We also did lots of paperwork/answering questions to prepare for the interview portion of today's meeting.  Hours and hours of answering questions like "What memories do you have of your mother from your childhood?" to "If the adopted child is of a different race, will you try and persuade them to date a person of your race/culture when the time comes?" to "What are areas of growth within your marriage?".  All these questions deserved lengthy responses, and therefore required a lengthy amount of time.

ANYWAYS - today went much better than my pessimistic mind was anticipating.  Our pup, who is much bigger than his age makes you believe (7months old at 90lbs and still growing....) is an intimidating sight for a non-dog lover.  But he did great, and she loves dogs - Ammo didn't tackle her and Sarah loved him. 

She came in, asked us lots of questions about our marriage, how we handle disagreements, good/bad memories within our marriage, etc.  We chatted about how we've grown together, what we love about eachother, what we do in our free time, and how excited we are to jump into parenting!  She's so easy to talk to (I probably talked her ear off!) and she is super relatable, making you feel like even the most awkward questions are harmless.  She helped make a daunting amount of personal questions and concerns seem like a cake walk.

Then, she walked through our home.  We have enough rooms to be considered for 1 (or 2) adopted children; our chemicals/medication/knives were secured with locks and child-proofing technology; our firearms were locked with ammunition locked up in a different location; we have a fire extinguisher; we have smoke detectors in the perfect places; and our backyard is awesome... seriously.  So, all of our planning and methodical preparation paid off - we have no alterations to do on our home for her next visit! Home tour: COMPLETE.

Now that the big walk-through and first interview is over, we have quite a few things to accomplish within the next few weeks.  Adoption is never boring! - we always have things to do, papers to sign, or people to see.  So, we will be getting copies of all types of marital/financial/personal paperwork to her (including Ammo's rabies vaccination).  We will be working on more paperwork that we need to finish before the next meeting.  We need to create a will, and begin our "education".  We have classes (a 2 day workshop in November), a book to read, plus parenting/adoption videos (over 10 hours) that we will be watching/participating in.  We will get certifications that they will include in our home study.  Some of these educational videos/meetings are required by our agency, some are required by Bulgaria.  Either way- there is a lot to do!

So, we will be very busy within the next few weeks, paper pushing and video watching.  We applied for our first grant today, and will hear about that in January.  We did learn recently that Bulgaria does not have any children on their "waiting children" list that meets our requests.  Although that was hard to hear, and slightly disheartening, we are trusting in the Lord and thankful that He walks with us through the battles.  Even when we are overwhelmed, He is taking our worries and blessing us in ways we couldn't even imagine.  Even when we are told "no", He tells us to be patient.  Even when the paper pile seems to grow with every passing moment, He tells us to be persistent.  He knows our struggles, and He knows our pain.  He knows our hearts and guides our ways.  If I've learned anything through this process, it's that adoption isn't easy.  And that, when Christ died on the cross for us and we were adopted into His family, that wasn't easy.  Adoption takes sacrifice, and Christ was sacrificed for us.  But now we have a family.  We have a Father that listens to us when we're hurting, gives us grace when we do wrong, and loves us til the end of time.  The Bible provides us with the most difficult, yet, most beautiful adoption story of all time.  And even though it wasn't easy, it was oh so worth it. 

And even though things are hard, it will be oh so worth it.  Thankful for an example to guide us, thankful for a Lord that listens, and thankful for blessings in disguise.

Food Raffle

Get in on our FOOD RAFFLE today! We have 121 puzzle pieces left - this raffle will help us cover the costs due at the end of our home study (~$2,250).  Each puzzle piece is $10, and your name will be written on the back so the child can see who loved them and helped bring them home!

Raffle includes: $10 Starbucks GC, $15 Panera GC, $25 Olive Garden GC.

First Interview & Beyond

Our first interview with our Bulgarian representative went great!  Ry & I had a brief interview together, then she explained the next few steps in detail.  We then had individual interviews to start our child abuse & neglect paperwork and it was over!  She is so sweet and so willing to answer all our questions and to explain everything in a way that we understand.

Next step - our Kentucky social worker from Lifeline will be setting up interviews and home visits.  We will also begin the fingerprinting process and send a "child matching" form to Bulgaria to see if our child is on their ginormous waiting list.

Please keep us in your prayers - the mass of paperwork that you always hear about is coming soon :)

In the meantime, we started prepping for our social work visit by buying a fire extinguisher (a home study requirement)!

Poker Tournament - SUCCESS!

Our poker tournament went wonderfully!  It was such a fun time, and Ryan & I were able to meet some new people that night.  Everyone was so kind and thoughtful, and seemed to enjoy themselves - at least that's what I thought from all the laughing I heard :)  It was a big hit, and the game lasted until midnight, when the 3 men last standing decided to split the pot.  People graciously bought concessions, a few puzzle pieces, and bought back in.  I had a great time watching everyone play, and Ryan had a great time participating in the background.  We raised $350!!!

We really want to thank everyone who came out to our first poker tournament - it was such a huge success and it wouldn't have been without each of you!  Thank you for coming out, playing the game, and sacrificing your time & money for us!

We want to give a special thanks to Brian Elstner, Mike Smith, & Shaun Morris.  Thank you for reaching out to people on our behalf, giving us the most helpful advice, supporting us, and your willingness to donate so much to our little family.

We also want to thank the Cohen Family for letting us use their chips, chairs, and tables. You guys are the best!

Trust

We got the call/many emails from our agency, Lifeline Children's Services, approving us to go ahead with the adoption.  We have been sent many emails, all of which we were told to just "look over".  Well, as I "look over" pages and pages of requirements, forms, numbers and acronyms I don't understand, definitions, FBI background information, medical forms, and translation needs, I'm completely overwhelmed.  So much to do, all having to be done at the perfect time to appease the governments on both ends.  We will be in contact with our case specialist shortly, which is who we can defer our endless questions.  I guess the waiting overwhelmed is part of the journey.

Overwhelmed by paperwork, and overly curious about the process, I am quickly reminded that my automatic desire to worry is unnecessary.  My subconscious wants to fret over what to do and when to do it is pointless.  The Lord will continue to renew our strength through the battles; we will walk and not faint.  Our hearts will be at peace and won't be troubled as long as we trust.  Trust is what this process will take the most of.  Every step is complicated.  Every step seems long.  Every step, although one step closer to meeting a child who is in your heart even though you don't know what they look like, is still too far to love on them.  But we will rise, for the Lord is our strength and our shield.  Our hearts will TRUST in Him and we will give thanks.  For without Him, we wouldn't have been adopted into Christ's church.  Adoption is love, and right now, all we can do is trust.

But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.       Isaiah 40:31

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. John 14:1

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. Psalm 28:7

Poker Tournament/The Application is SENT!

The poker tournament is quickly approaching!  We've changed some of the rules/happenings/guidelines so that the tournament will be much better run.  Even more of a reason for you to come!  Just check out the updates on the tab right above "Charity Poker Tournament".

It's on September 1 - the night before Labor Day so you can sleep in on that Monday!  It's a $20 buy in, with a chance to win $200.  Drinks & snacks will be available for $1 or less that night.

This event will be so much fun - we're so excited! Please come and be part of the fun - and invite all your friends!  We don't have a maximum for how many people can come, so invite everyone! 

Just shoot us a message on facebook, or comment on the blog with the names of people who are coming so we can save seats :)

Thank you all so much for your love & support - we sent out the application today in the mail so things will get rolling very soon!

Love & blessings,
Ry & Kristi

Avonlea's Story

Her exact words were, “She has no one. No one wants to adopt her. She has no family.  There is no one.”

This story is beautiful, wonderful, and so blessed.  For a look into the hearts of an adoptive family who traveled to Ukraine to find their daughter.  Just click on the link below to read the family's story featured on Lifeline's blog.

 Avonlea's Story

Puzzle Raffle: Edition 2

We were going to wait til later to introduce our new raffle but since a few people have already bought puzzle pieces for it, we figured we might as well let everyone know :)

The next puzzle piece fundraiser grouping is to help cover part of the agency fees that are due at the end of our home study.  To get some of this covered, we have a goal of 213 puzzle pieces to get reserved.

And the raffle is....

A day of FOOD!  $10 to starbucks, $15 to Panera, & $25 to Olive Garden.  Enjoy a whole day of good food and good service.

Get in on the Food Raffle - we've got 213 pieces!

Target Gift Card Raffle Winner is.....

Congrats to the Ellis Family!

Thank you so much to the Ellis family for donating the gift card to buy things for our child's room!

My soul waits.

My soul waits.
 
Today, I woke up with a heavy heart.  Today, although my eyes have no tears left, still felt like crying.  Today, I realized that our child could be being cast aside right now.  

Since we will get a 2-5 year old, right now, our child is a little baby, being told that they're not good enough, that they don't hear enough, and that they can't stay.  They can't stay in a warm home with caring parents.  They can't stay in a house that will be clean and have a fridge full of food. They can't stay where there is love.

They are being institutionalized, left in a hospital bed, next to other children who are suffering the same fate.  This breaks my heart.  The wait is more painful than I expected.  We could easily go and get them today, bring them home, and love them til they burst.  But government control, paperwork, and silly rules tell us we can't.  We have to leave them there.  Alone.

So, the only thing we can do is wait.  Wait for the Lord and pray through the battles and the fears.  We will not lose heart.  We will pray for our baby, and wait in excitement for the day we meet them as a toddler.


"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning."
                                              Psalm 130:5-6

Why Bulgaria?

We know some of your were wondering "Why Bulgaria?  Why not a cheaper country, or here in America?"

We chose/were forced to choose Bulgaria for a list of reasons.  Hopefully this will help bring understanding to the path we're going down.

1.  We chose international because of a few reasons.  

One - international orphanages (especially those in Bulgaria) have it much worse than those in America.  Yes, there are so many kids here in orphanages and homes that are not taken care of properly, loved on enough, or tucked into bed at night.  But, those children still have food, clothes, and hope.  Those same children, if placed in an overseas orphanage, wouldn't be given any of that.  They would be institutionalized, malnourished, and not provided with the means to succeed.  A deaf child overseas would never have a language, would be placed in an institution, and could never get a job no matter how old they were.  They sit, in dirty filth, all day everyday.  If you doubt this, please stay tuned for our posts with Bulgarian orphanage footage.  We've posted one already.

Two - We do not believe we can handle an adoption here in America where the birth parents are either involved from the beginning, or there is the possibility of not properly terminating parental rights.  We think that those who do have an "open" adoption (or some form of it) are so brave and wonderful - there should be more like them.  But unfortunately, our hearts don't lie there.  We have been scared away by too many stories of parents coming back; we don't think we want an open adoption for our family. 

Three - Our hearts have been called to international adoption from the beginning.  It is not up to us to say which children are more important (American vs. International).  Children are children. 

2. Bulgaria doesn't have a minimum age limit.

Many countries have very strict rules that go along with international adoption - making it even more difficult to find adoptive parents.  China has a minimum age of 30 for both parents.  There are a few countries that have a minimum age of 25, but there are other issues we have with those countries as well.  And, if we can take care of a child now and feel led to do so, why wait?  This is a 3-4 year process (if adopting deaf) in almost any country so we feel as if it's time to start.

3.  Bulgaria has a HUGE special needs orphan population, therefore, our agency believes finding a deaf child will not be difficult.

Another option of ours was Hong Kong (different than China).  But, they are too small and don't believe they would find our child.  Hungary was a similar situation.  Those that are aware of special needs programs often didn't think they would be able to find our child.

4. Timing.  

The other countries that were options for us required us to travel for a 6week or longer stay in that country (Hungary, Uganda, etc.).  Unfortunately, Ryan's job won't allow him to be gone for that long.   Bulgaria requires 2 trips, each 5-7 days long.  Totally doable.

5. Our hearts.

Everything about Bulgaria (except for the initial cost) seemed to be falling into our laps.  Everything seemed to be working beautifully.  We feel like we have a moral obligation to fill - and we are trying to fill it.  Our hearts break for the orphans and we feel like we are definitely on the right path.

These are the main reasons that we chose the path we're going down and we hope this clears up some confusion.  If you have any more concerns or questions, please feel free to email us or message us on facebook.  We love to answer questions about why we feel called to this mission.

WHAS11 Interview

We were so blessed to be interviewed and shown on WHAS11 News.  Thank you so much to our awesome videographer/photographer Dave! Just copy & paste the link to view the video and read the story.

http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Louisville-couple-looking-for-help-in-adoption-process-219206691.html

If you haven't checked this out already, "like" our facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/welcomelittlechild

Puzzle Video Update - bonus features included :)

Puzzle Video Update!  Watch for some awesome BONUS FEATURES :)))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyN7INMOuW0

Puzzle Update!

We've gone from this....

 

TO THIS!

Thank you all SO much!

Just need 100 more pieces to go before our home study!

RAFFLE!

Someone has blessed our mission by donating a $50 TARGET GIFT CARD as a raffle for our puzzle piece fundraiser to support our first goal: our home study!

Just $10 to enter!

We need 175 puzzle pieces BOUGHT within 2 WEEKS to start our home study!!!  If 175 pieces are sold within 2 weeks, we will hold the drawing!  If you purchase a puzzle piece (or have ALREADY purchased a piece), you will be entered into the drawing.  Each piece bought acts as a raffle - if you buy 1 piece, you are entered 1 time; if you buy 100 pieces, you are entered 100 times!

Buy NOW so you can be entered into the Target drawing! 

Just $10! Click on the PayPal button on the right and type in your total!

Home Study: What does that even mean?

Since our next goal is raising funds for our home study, we wanted to let you all know what a home study was and what it meant for us.

We will be assigned a social worker through Lifeline to complete our home study.  The home study is basically a way for the agency to check to see if we are a reliable, stable, secure couple looking to add a child into our home.  Ryan & I will go through a parental training course during this time and will be participating in many interviews with our social worker.  These interviews will help our relationship with our social worker grow, but it will also allow them to see us as a couple looking to parent, and it will give us the opportunity to share details about how we see our adoption playing out.

We will then have numerous home visits where the social worker will check to make sure our home is a safe place for a child.  We will have to meet state, national, and Bulgarian requirements.  This process may even require for health and/or fire inspector to come as well.

We will also be going through health statements; both of us being required to offer a detailed physical.  Income statements will be gone through, so they can make sure we can take care of an additional person.  We will have fingerprinting and background checks done as well.

This is a 4-5 month process.  At the end of the home study, we will get a report on how we did.  If we pass, we can apply for immigration and our paperwork (dossier) is sent to Bulgaria.

The home study really solidifies the adoption process and, more importantly, legally allows Bulgaria to start looking for our child.  
Please help us get to this process by donating a puzzle piece (paying through the PayPal button on the right).

Help Ammo become a Big Brother!

We need 215 puzzle pieces bought so we can start our home study!  Pieces are only $10!!  Your name will be written on the back and when the puzzle is finished, it will hang in our child's room as a reminder of everyone who loved them before they were even home.  Please help us bring them home by purchasing a puzzle piece!

Just go to our blog (http://welcomelittlechild.blogspot.com/) and click on the PayPal link on the right.  Type in the denomination of how many puzzle pieces you want to reserve ($10 for 1, $20, for 2, etc).  We'll put up a photo of your puzzle piece!

Adoption Video Update 1

 

the who's, what's, and why's of our adoption

Indiegogo

Check out our Indiegogo Crowdsourcing page!
 
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/deaf-adoption-from-bulgaria/x/4251780?show_todos=true

Bulgaria's Abandoned Children 1

This is the type of orphange our child is sitting in.  Bulgaria has the biggest "special need" orphan population in Europe.  Heartbreaking.

GO! - ASL

For the "signing-impaired", please read the post right below this one :)

GO!

God is saying "GO". 

So, although nervous, we are "going" with open arms.  This means that we are pursuing an adoption with Lifeline Children's Services.  They are a Christian agency that serves 10 states, one being Kentucky.  They have helped us answer our numerous questions, and solved the biggest problem that we have - our age.  Although we are under the minimum age for most countries, Lifeline has been there to help find us some loopholes.  And loopholes we have found!

We are pursuing a deaf adoption from Bulgaria.  Deaf adoption has been on our hearts since we've been thinking about adoption in general.  Since Kristi's schooling (ASL & English Interpretation), we have had a love for the Deaf community.  It just seemed perfect to open our hearts to a deaf child.  We are so excited to offer this orphan, our child, a rich language and a community that they wouldn't have access to in Bulgaria.  

The Bulgarian Adoption Program seems like a wonderful program that will fit our restrictions and needs.  We are so excited to begin this journey and are so very blessed to have each and every one of you walking with us.


Right now, we are asking for prayers.  There are a lot of uncertainties with adoption and we are trusting in the Lord.



Blessings,
Ryan & Kristi


If you would like to learn more about the agency and the Bulgarian program with Lifeline, please click the link below.

http://lifelinechild.org/adoption/international/bulgaria

The Choice to Love

               "And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me."

                                                                  Matthew 18:5

Hi.  My name is Kristi and the good looking guy in the picture to the left is my husband, Ryan.  We met at a football game in 2004; I was just 14 and he was only a few months older; we've been in love ever since.  We were hitched 3 days after Christmas in 2011, and are about to make the next big "move" - we're finalizing on our first home by the end of this week! 

Although that excitement is overwhelming and amazing, I seem to be overjoyed by a different thought.  God placed adoption on my heart years ago, but lately, it's grown so much that I'm praying for patience and the courage to wait for His perfect timing.  So, in the wait, I learn.  I've been preparing fundraising ideas and lists of helpful information so that when the time comes, we're ready.  I've been praying and I think that time to bring some beautiful children from anywhere in the world into our home will be sooner than later.  Although nerve racking, besides marrying this kid sitting next to me, I've never been so sure of anything else.  It's an amazing feeling to know exactly what you're supposed to do with your life, which makes the waiting even harder. 

This blog is to help me document this wonderful journey, starting with prayer and education.