Update

Many of our friends and family have asked for an update lately.  We don't have any huge news like a travel date yet.  We've finished all of our paperwork and received approval from USCIS to adopt internationally.  There was a small error on one of the papers with my name, so we're having to send it back for a name change.  But that won't hold anything up.  We've given Power of Attorney to the lady in Poland that will go to court for us so that we can receive guardianship of our children.  I don't know all of the details, but I'm thinking it's probably important since our children will be with us for a few weeks in Poland before we actually go to court to legally adopt them.

Here we've been enjoying our summer.  I worked for the month of June and made a little bit of extra cash, which helped pay for our house in Monroe while it was still on the market.  We closed on the sale of it yesterday (Praise the Lord!!), so we no longer have to cover rent and a mortgage.  It also means that we can close on our house here at the end of the month!  It seems like a lot of change all at once, but we want to be settled (as much as possible) before we bring the kids home, and this is a huge relief.  It's been challenging, to say the least, to have to deal with a house in another state for the last 20 months, but we knew all along that the Lord was calling us to move forward with the adoption.  Some days we had no idea how all of it would work out financially, but the Lord has been so gracious to us.  He's provided every penny we need to pay our bills, and He's shown us how He has made a way for us to adopt.  We have done nothing on our own, and we're so grateful that He gently reminds us of that so often.

In the last few weeks, we've been amazed at the outpouring of financial blessing that He's provided.  Before the sale of our house in Monroe could be final, we had to have some unexpected, yet costly, repairs made.  While we were stressing about how we would cover all of it, the Lord was working to provide.  We had applied for a grant from NAMB several weeks back and were told that we'd be receiving the funds soon. The day that we returned home from Monroe, we received a check in the mail that was exactly twice what we had spent on our home repairs.  I don't know why we ever doubt that He has it all under control, but I'm so thankful that the Lord continues to teach us of His goodness.  His plans are always perfect, and they are always for His glory.  

Since I updated last, we have applied for several large grants, and we are still working on the application for several others.  The only grant that we have received so far is the one from NAMB for pastors that are adopting.  Many grants pay out several times a year, and our tentative travel dates just happen to be very close to the next deadline.  So we are hoping that in that small window of time, we will receive the funding that we still need.  As with the sale of our house and every other adoption expense we've paid so far, we know that the Lord will provide all that we need in His way and His time.  Our prayer is that in our waiting, we will continue to trust Him.  

Please continue praying with us.  Specifically, we are praying for those that are working on our behalf in Poland.  We are praying for the judge to have favor over our case and see us as fit parents for our children.  We are praying for all of the paperwork to be correct and consistent, since every typo could mean delay.  We are praying for our children and their foster family, as the Lord prepares them for what is ahead.  

If you would like to give financial support, please click here.  We are also continuing our fundraising efforts by selling framed vintage hymns and hand lettered Scripture (please email requests to dcolle2@gmail.com or let me know on Facebook).

To find out more about RESOURCES that we have found helpful, click here.