Growing Excitement

I am so glad that the cape fundraiser has been doing so well!! There is 1 week left to place your order for capes (Oct 1 is the deadline). If you still haven't ordered your cape(s) yet, make sure you do so today!! 

Capes for Ari

I have been  patiently waiting on my Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for this adoption to move forward (currently on day 29) and I hope that everyone can pray with me that it will go through in the next week. The first week of October is a national holiday in China - yes, the entire week! SO, I really am pulling for my LOA to be complete next week ... PLUS, the second week of October, I will be in China on an advocacy trip with Gladney's Superkids. I am very excited about checking in on these kiddos and helping update their files, but I don't want it to put any paperwork for the adoption behind! 

The purpose of this trip, for me, is 2 fold - while I am very excited about helping with file updates, this trip is occurring in the province that Ari is from. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the culture he is from and give me a "dry run", so to say, before going back to China for the actual adoption. 

So, while I have been getting ready for this China trip, catching up on work stuff and preparing the house for Ari - last weekend I threw my back out. It is crazy how something so simple (bending down to shave your legs) can lead to debilitating pain. It has taken an entire week of Dr. & daily Chiropractor visits to get me standing up straight again! I am still not pain free, but I can move so much more than I could last weekend!   SO- time to catch up! 

I am still working on raising the $5000 for the matching grant received - so far there is $850 towards the grant and hopefully there will be more opportunities for fundraising soon! I pray I will be able to have a successful online auction soon .. :) 

Praises: The Cape fundraiser continues to do well and I am going to visit Ari's province! 

Prayer requests:

 - That fund raising continues to go well 

 - That the trip to China is very successful and safe

 - That I will be able to show Jesus' love to the children I will come in contact with

Overwhelmed By Love

Every time I hold a fundraiser, it AMAZES me the people who go above and beyond!!

This SuperHero cape fundraiser has been awesome - in less than 3 days, over 60 capes have been sold!

I jumped at the opportunity to do this fundraiser because I know SO many amazing superheros in my life.  I am blessed to work with kiddos with varying challenges and they continually prove to so many that they are SUPER!

Where I work, we have this hanging up :

I also came across this picture and shared it on my Facebook page yesterday: 

These 2 images fully envelop my life and my heart. Children with special needs are constantly battling something - be it a medical issue, overcoming obstacles to keep up with their friends and/or overcoming prejudices that continue to exist against these amazing kids.  I feel like they can also be utilized to describe so many of the precious kiddos that are adopted. 

Children that are adopted (both domestically and abroad) have often faced very difficult paths. Many of these kids have overcome not only abandonment, but malnourishment, lack of attention, decreased interaction and neglect. These SUPER kids have survived so much, but yet they face a huge challenge when adopted - being taken away from EVERYTHING and EVERYONE they have ever known. They may be taken from the only culture they have ever known, put with people (the adoptive parents) that have a skin color they have never seen, and then flown 1,000s of miles from the only place they can recall as calling "home" to be part of a new forever family. TRAUMA inundates these precious children - and THEY are SuperHeros in my eyes. Being Brave and Allowing Love In.

Thank-you so much, to everyone who follows this blog, prays for the process, participates in the fundraisers and supports us along the way! I could not do this without you guys in my corner and God continually providing for the pathway forward! 

I am trying to stay up with invoices as orders come in. You should receive an email from me (worthyofmuchlove@gmail.com) with your invoices and a PayPal link (PayPal.Me/worthyofmuchlove) . Utilize this link and click "Family and Friends" to avoid a fee. Once your payment comes in, the orders will start going out! :)  And don't forget, your donation is DOUBLED with a matching grant, so please keep sharing to all those you know who have little ones in their lives! :) 

In other news, I will be traveling to China in October with an advocacy group! I can't wait because I will actually be able to visit the province that Ari is from - maybe learn a little bit of the culture. This is an amazing opportunity and I cannot believe that I am blessed to participate in. 

Praises: That SO many people continue to support me in this process! 

Prayer Request : 

    ~That this amazing support continues. 

    ~That my heart is prepared to go to China and love on all of the children who are waiting for their 

      forever families

Order Form for the SuperHero Capes: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdI833gn5jVtzxPWnhb-UsZy2b-7ki0ouoUlMYBQa57MO8wKg/viewform?c=0&w=1

Cape Options: 

Capes for Ari

Good morning!!!! 

The first fundraiser to go towards the matching grant of $5000 is now up and running!!! 

Do you have little ones who like to play dress up as their favorite super hero? 

Yes?! 

Do you have kiddo's in your life who ALWAYS want to be a superhero for Halloween?! 

Here is the chance to jump on their costume early AND help a great cause AND have your donation doubled!!!

https://goo.gl/forms/kNYSOgQs1whRBE6y2

Please share this with everyone you know who has a little kiddo in their life. Superheroes for a Cause ... There is nothing more awesome than that!! 

Locked In

I received word today that I now officially have Prior Approval  for my sweet little boy!!

This is an AMAZING day!!!

What does this mean, you ask?
WELL, let me just tell you ... :)
- This OFFICIALLY means that no one else can ask for his file, no one else can be provided with his information as we are now attached to each other through paperwork!!!

I am SO SO thankful that things seem to be moving smoothly forward. I am praying that I will have the Letter of Acceptance from China by the end of this month ... that would be awesome.  If I can manage to get it before the beginning of October, I may still have a change to be with my boy before or on Christmas ... and there would be nothing sweeter than that!!!


Thank-you, everyone, who has prayed for this journey!! Please keep doing so as we aren't quite to the finish line just yet!

Stay tuned in the next day or two as I have a couple fundraisers in the works ... stuff your kiddos will really enjoy!!

Praises: We are locked in - stuck together for the rest of my days!!

Prayer Requests:
- That fundraisers begin to come together and over $5000 is raised to match the grant being provided!!

What's the Big IDEA?!

I received notice today that I the grant I was being recommended for has come through!!! 

I have been provided with a $5000 matching grant!!! 

What does this mean? 

I am now open to ANY and ALL suggestions for fundraisers as I need to raise $5000 to receive the money that is being provided through the grant! 

This is an AMAZING opportunity to give your fundraising ideas (no matter how "average" or "off the wall") the chance to  help bring home a precious little boy!! 

Praises: The opportunity to receive this AMAZING gift towards the adoption!!! 

Prayer Requests:

- The determining of how to raise the $5000 to be matched. God has been providing thus far, and I know the ideas out there will lead to hitting the goal!!!

- That donations to our family fund @ lifesongfororphans.org/donate (McIvor #6316) will come in fast and furious to meet the matching goal! 

From Un-Adoptable to Worthy of Love

The day that I have been waiting for since late December 2015 has finally come ...

I have Sunshine's file in my possession!!! 

This last 9 months has been the craziest roller coaster ride! I am so thankful that his file is finally here!! 

To see his little face in 2 pictures that I had never seen, have all of his information down on paper, see when his last surgery was and the milestones he has met ... It is almost surreal. THIS IS HAPPENING ... THIS. IS. REAL. LIFE. 

I know you guys are probably thinking, "Well, that's great ... But what is the big deal?!?". Trust me, I would be thinking the same thing if I were in your shoes ...

Low Down on the Big Deal:

Sunshine was born with a severe congenital disability - if he had not received care when he got it, it's very likely he would not be living today. 

Due to being so involved, his orphanage did not believe that any family would ever want him. They believed this so much that he didn't even have a file when I first expressed interest in him. (Not to mention it costs money to put together a file ... Which they didn't think was worth spending if no one wanted him). 

Initially, he had NO hope of finding a family ... Without a file, you are "unadoptable".  That word is so finite, so limiting!!

I am so thankful for the people who advocated for him in China!! They were able to convince his orphanage that he WAS worthy, that their time and money WAS worth it ... Because Sunshine has a waiting family!!!

So, what are the next steps? 

My letter of intent to adopt him has already been sent to China. Once they approve this, I will have Prior Authorization (PA) to officially adopt Sunshine. Once PA is received, China will then continue processing my file with his and in a month or so we will be provided with a Letter of Aceptace (LOA) ... 

Once LOA is received, more paperwork will be submitted (along with a copy of the LOA) to US Immigration to officially receive approval to bring Sunshine home!!

Praises: Sunshine's file has been received!!! 

Prayer Requests: That this process continues to move forward smoothly, hitting very few (if any) road bumps. Also, that funding continues to come in via. grants.