| This is quite possibly the sweetest note I've ever received! It's from our precious little neighbor boy, who I think is 9 years old! Oh how I love the heart of a child! I'm thinking this little note deserves a frame! I'm willing to bet this is his allowance money from this week and he chose to give it towards bringing Isa home! Oh it just makes me cry! As always, amazed at the ways in which God is writing this story and who He is using to accomplish His purposes! Even 9 year old little boys! And is this not just the most perfect little handwriting you've ever seen?! |
So sweet and encouraging!
ReplyDeleteSo incredibly awesome!!
ReplyDeleteThat is precious!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Amy
Preciousness. I got tears too! "For the kingdom of God is within you." -Jesus Luke 17:21
ReplyDeletenow TAHT is very cool !
ReplyDeletesorry, ' THAT ' :)
ReplyDeleteTotal sweetness.
ReplyDeleteLOVE THIS!!
ReplyDeleteMy heart just melted.
ReplyDeletehow sweet is this?! does he know that his $4 gift is matched to make $8?!!
ReplyDeleteThat is the most PRECIOUS note ever!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is so sweet!
ReplyDeleteSo precious! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI'm new to your blog and LOVE IT! It's so amazing to see all God is doing. I run a blog at www.leemeandthegirls.blogspot.com, and right now I'm working to raise awareness for the orphans in Africa. I would LOVE for you to do a guest post and talk about your matching Lifesong grant! If you're interested, let me know. :)
ReplyDeletemccallald@yahoo.com
Hope to hear from you soon, and God bless!
-McCall
oh, my goodness! SO PRECIOUS!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is so sweet! Our son who is nine....friend wrote him the sweetest note about us adopting...I just wept when I read it! I put it on my adoption blog too...children have such loving hearts!!!
ReplyDeletesorry I wrote the wrong URL earlier!
ReplyDeleteOh my, how sweet is that? What a loving boy!
ReplyDelete(from a new reader!)
oh my stars! that's absolutely precious!
ReplyDeletejust amazing.
I'm really hoping that you allow my comment to remain posted, and that you support an open dialogue about your adoption, seeing as you have a blog dedicated to it.
ReplyDeleteSome couples go through thousands of dollars worth of fertility treatments, or spend thousands on domestic adoptions, but it seems the only people who ask for donations to support their "family growing" are those who choose to grow their family through international adoption.
I'm wondering if you can tell me why you think that is, and specifically why you personally think that your choice to adopt a child should be paid for by others?
Seth, I won't remove your comment, thanks for asking about why we are fundraising, I think it's completely a legit question. Do you mind emailing me at hilmhelms@gmail.com and we can communicate that way?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I think that your audience (those whom you are asking to donate) should hear your answer, don't you?
I obviously wouldn't ask you such a private thing normally, but you are purposefully sharing your private lives with the public, not only just to "share" your story with others, but also to drum up donations.
I also think our discussion will be beneficial to others who are considering international adoption and the financial aspects of it.
I'm not sure it has much relevance, but my wife and I are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia, as well. I was doing some googling, and came upon your site.
Seth,
ReplyDeleteI can respond on here instead, our hope is to be as approachable and transparent as possible, because ultimately we aren't writing this story, God is, and we hope to represent Him well.
First off, I'd like to say that I'm happy to hear that you and your wife are adopting from Ethiopia as well- I wish ya'll the best of luck! I love that both our kiddo's will have a unique and amazing story of how God joined them with our families!
To be honest, you're the first person to ask this question, which is not to say that others don't have it as well, so thank you for having the guts to ask the "touchy" question. Truth be told, every families' adoption story is different, and so I can only speak on behalf of ours. Long story short... we knew God was calling us to adopt, we knew we needed to be obedient, even if it didn't add up financially. We desperately prayed for guidance and wisdom on how to tackle the financial aspect of this journey. God began to open one door after another from extra odds and end jobs for us to take on, to people hearing our hearts and wanting to join in. Yes, this blog is dedicated to documenting the pages of this journey and an aspect of that is fundraising, it's just a part of our story. That being said, we have never felt like anyone was obligated or responsible for being a part of funding our adoption, rather we felt like God has asked us to let the need be known- and trust Him to provide. As a result, our prayer is that those who have given have done so out of willingness and a desire to be a part of accomplishing God's work in bringing Isa home. I think often God uses the unlikely circumstances and people (cause that's clearly us!), so that He gets the glory.
Seth, I'm not sure what is at the root of your question, if you find fundraising for an adoption offensive or weird or whatever, I just pray that you hear my heart when I say that we are truly doing this entirely our of obedience to what God has asked us to do! That's all. And I love that every adoption process is different- because I think God is woven in every one!
I don't doubt your intentions. But, I can't really argue with your actions, since you don't take any personal responsibility for them. It sounds like you aren't adopting because you want to, but because someone else told you to, and you are just being "obedient". I'd much rather hear that you are adopting solely because it is a personal choice of yours that you feel deeply about.
ReplyDeleteObviously, we have such disparate world views that I doubt we can have a healthy discussion. But since you kind of asked... The root of my question is that I don't approve of fund-raising for adoption anymore than I approve of fund-raising for a car or a vacation.
I do approve of giving to charities, but these children aren't a charity and they don't need to be "saved" by us.
If you want to give to a charity, go ahead and fund-raise. I'd be happy to see you raise $30k for an orphanage in Ethiopia.
But if you want to give yourself the gift of a child, I just don't think you should be asking for others to pay for it.
I'm sure we will just have to agree to disagree.
Are you also planning on accepting the roughly $13,000 Adoption Tax Credit (http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html)?
Seth,
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, we're both just coming from completely different places as to why we're adopting and how we're going about it. BUT, here's the deal.... at the end of the day despite our differences, a child who needs a loving home will be given just that, and that's a really good thing. So I pray blessings on your journey to your child!
And yes, we plan to accept the Adoption Tax Credit, and while I won't go into all that we plan to do with, rest assured, it will be covered in prayer and given towards orphan care in some aspect.
I'll be praying for you and your little one on the way!
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