Adoption-How God Provides!

Update: Adoption Fund-Raiser!

Well, sorry if I left you hanging yesterday-we decided to take a day of rest after the blessing.  We were so filled with peace and joy that we just wanted to take a full day to soak in it, post God's hand upon us!

The fund-raiser was amazing.  We didn't do a head count, but there was probably around 150 people who came out to support my family in this adoption to Ethiopia.  We were shocked and certainly amazed by all the love that was poured out for us. 

I think for me the biggest thing that kept me on emotional edge was that we had so many people who considered us their friends.  Honestly, for hours I pushed back the tears as I went from table to table thanking everyone that came out in support. Some people we hadn't seen for years and years.   I think somewhere in the midst of what I do here, I forgot that I had friends.  It was an overwhelming revelation for me. Some of them had become *Refrigerator People* due to the fact that I only saw them when their Christmas card arrived to adorn my refrigerator.  Now, they all had actually arms that embraced us and hearts that oozed real love upon us all night! What a blessing from God.

The hall was decorated to the hilt by my friends/adopted family Beth and Rachael (their dad actually threw the benefit for us).  They had balloons to match the Ethiopian flag, they had tableclothes and centerpieces that also matched, the food was endless and so good...but mostly the love was oozing out of every crevice of that hall and moving hearts to boldly join us in financing this call from God.

My beautiful daughter Bella made a slide show for after dinner...it had many pictures of our family and ended with all the pictures that had been sent to us from our agency, Celebrate Children International, of our daughter Princess Sweetness.  Most people had only seen her face on the ticket they had bought.


  As the slide projector (which was borrowed from our awesome friends Dave and Patty) showed her face, the crowd was moved in spirit.  The pictures tore right to the heart, I could feel the Spirit of God moving as the projector slowly scrolled through each of her pictures, that we have treasured as we wait for her.  I am sure that I wasn't the only one wiping away tears.

We had a silent auction raffle after dinner...there were tons of items that people had bought raffle tickets for.  Each basket was numbered correlating to the item it belonged to.  My oldest daughter, Bella, was the ticket caller.  She was a hoot- a highlight of the evening with her wit and charm!  There were among the 47 plus items (many things had multiples to be auctioned for each number), restaurant gift cards, spa gift cards, a colored printer, a flat screen t.v., toys of all sorts, homemade items (stuffed toys Bella and I made), an afghan my Mama made, huge baskets of all sorts of donated items, tools, a gigantic-enormous bottle of wine, wine baskets, HUGE baskets from my girlfriend Michelle's floral shop.....lots of wonderful fun stuff to be had.

Of all the events the Pedro family has hosted over the years...they never saw so many raffle tickets being sold.  Honestly, it was a frenzy!

Post raffle, our dear friend Bob, grabbed the dj's microphone and asked my family to come forward with him.  He then announced how much the benefit had raised.  Believe me he was as surprised as we were with the figure.

Before I tell you I want to tell you something the Holy Spirit had spoke to me, after Bob had come to us telling us he wanted to throw this fund-raiser to help us.  God led me to Psalm 39:19 one morning while I was reading the Bible and soaking in His Presence.  This is what it said, He told me to hide it in my heart; as it was going to happen soon.

(NLT) Your goodness is so great! You have stored up great blessings for those who honor you. You have done so much for those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

in NIV ...

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

 

I pondered this for weeks, wondering what it meant.  Then Bob Pedro called my family to stand before the crowd, he made the announcement in front of 150 or so that had rallied around us.  He said he was thankful for everyone coming and being able to hand us the money box filled with....

 

Yup, I was weeping from JOY, at the Goodness of my God!

Thank you for praying for us and helping it be such a huge success! 

We are grateful, refreshed and so blessed!