Ben Sayin'

If you’ve ever wanted to know how well you really know your spouse, and want to be intentional about strengthening your marriage, taking a couple’s assessment like the one Prepare/Enrich offers is definitely one of many thorough ways of doing it.

As part of the beginning of our adoption process, Kim and I had to answer 276 questions each dealing with all sorts of things ranging from the adoption, to habits, to our family’s past. Generally these types of tests are encouraged to be taken as a part of the premarital counseling process. As in – before you’re married, not 15 years in… This way, you have a good idea of things you may not have thought to talk about prior to making the commitment “for better or for worse.” It brings to light some issues you will probably have to work at harder than others, as well as some strengths on which to build.

Had we taken this test 15 years ago, there would have been red flags everywhere and as a couple we probably would have been extremely discouraged. Back then we really didn’t need a whole lot of convincing to know we had a long road ahead of us, however we were both certain we would always fight for “us” no matter what.

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In just the next few days we will be scheduling the beginning of our home study. This is just after a little over a month of fundraising, we’ve been able to raise enough money to pay our first (of four) agency payments of $3,775!!! This first payment will allow us to start our home study process, and then by the end we will need to have raised our 2nd payment to complete the home study. Truly, God’s timing is wonderful and what he provides is exact, and perfect.

What we have found to be truly amazing is the community of family and friends who have come around us to support our adoption financially. If there was any doubt if we could do this in the beginning of our process, it has definitely been diminished by the people with whom surround us. Continue Reading…

Tuesday night Kim and I did an impromptu CFA shake date, brought our macs and hashed out some family items we needed to discuss. We also did a good bit of letter folding, addressing and stamping some envelopes for our support letters. This is something we had planned on doing back when we first talked about fundraising, but we procrastinated.

As of right now we are $2,250 away from our first (of 4) financial goal, and it’s hard to believe in only a few weeks we’ve raised as much as we have even though the physical support letters were just mailed out yesterday. We still have a ways to go but we both know it’s still VERY early. Continue Reading…

For a while now I have been reading up on the vast options, as well as varying opinions stating the pros and cons on both sides of fundraising (or crowd funding) for adoption. Mainly because Kim and I currently do not have the money right now to flat out write a check for $40k and we are willing to do whatever we can to adopt a little brother for our biological three (bio3). The tension is real, and although currently we roll with a circle of really close friends (like 20 deep yo) who have been extremely generous and supportive, the doubting part of our brains are causing us to ask if fundraising should even be a part of this journey.

My initial thoughts surrounding asking our friends and family for financial support in the adoption process, is similar to the idea behind fundraising for short-term mission trips. There are many people who, although they may have the biggest heart, are unable to feasibly go on a mission trip (or adopt), but by inviting them into the process and journey, it allows for an avenue in which they absolutely can participate and be a part of a bigger story.

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