International adoption is a lot of work and costs a lot of money. There’s no way around it. That’s just the way it is. It seems so very wrong. There are approximately 153,000,000 orphans worldwide, with about 1,000,000 in China alone. With a need so great, one would think the process of adopting one of these children would not be overly difficult. Nothing is further from the truth. The piles of paperwork, length of time, and huge amount of money required keep most people from pursuing adoption. It is most definitely a daunting task. But… the need remains the same.
It’s been asked, “What difference does it make to adopt one child when there are millions who need adopting? In the vast sea of orphans, it doesn’t even make a dent.” But it does make a dent. It makes a difference to the one. In fact, it makes all the difference. And so for us, it is worth it. It is worth the time, money, and hassle.
We have been super encouraged by the fact that the adoption community has proven to be extremely helpful, supportive, prompt, kind, and largely committed to following the call of Christ in their lives. We have heard over and over that money doesn’t stop anyone who is following God’s lead to adopt. We have heard story after story of the amazing and miraculous ways that God has provided every cent that is needed. God cares about the orphans.
So, encouraged and pumped up, we’ve been doing some fundraising with two other families in town who are also adopting children from China. One family arranged for all of us to sell pre-made smoothies on July 4th. Hannah made smoothie costumes for the kids to wear, which were very cute and successful! Emily and Hannah also made July 4th key chains with handmade paper boxes to sell that day. We had a lot of fun and are thankful for the way God blessed our efforts.
Notice the homemade boxes, made by Emy. Hannah’s key chains are inside.
There's Always Room 