a small thing

I know that many of you reading right now have small children, and that some of you use cloth diapers on those adorable little bums. Others of you don't use cloth diapers, in large part because of the chore of washing all those dirty diapers! It has recently come to my attention that one of the baby homes in Uganda, which houses and cares for around 20 babies, has been HAND WASHING cloth diapers for all 20 babies. With no hot water. As I'm sure you can imagine, this remarkable laundry feat requires a great deal of time, time that could otherwise be spent holding and loving and playing with those sweet babies. An additional concern is the fact that these diapers are shared among all of the children, which means that many germs and parasites that would otherwise be killed off by a good hot water machine wash are also being shared among the children. While disposable diapers would obviously be one solution in this situation, they are seriously cost-prohibitive for this baby home - running nearly $800 per month! The other solution that has been proposed is the purchase of a water heater and washing machine for the baby home, a purchase that would cost around $1000. I know that many of you have already given so generously, but if you're able to give just a bit more, your gift would be so appreciated!

If you'd like to give to this end, click over to the baby home's website. Once there, you can click the 'Donate' button to send support through Paypal. There is a space to leave a comment for the seller, and you can indicate that you'd like your donation to go toward the washing machine. Alternatively, you can find a mailing address on the website if you'd rather send a check - which may, in fact, be preferable, since every cent of your donation will go to the baby home. And if you're unable to give right now, would you please pray for provision? It's such a small thing, but one that would have a large impact on the lives of these babies and their care givers. Thank you all so very much!

another match

After finding out that sweet little E would be going back to his family, Eli and I had to decide what to do next. Should we pursue another child? If so, what age range, needs, etc should we be looking for? Or should we just continue with J's process for now? We decided that we were still committed to adopting 2 children, and the baby home sent us some photos of a couple of little boys to consider - a 4 year old and a 10-12 month old. By the time we got back to them, the 4 year old already had another family committed to him. We spent a day or so praying and considering whether we should pursue little C, and then let the baby home know that we would like to pursue his adoption. We got confirmation on Sunday, July 3rd that we are a match with this sweet baby boy! His paperwork is at the same point as J's, so there isn't anything on that end to change our timeline - though the process is, of course, long and rigorous (as it should be!), with lots of opportunities for detours and changes in plans. In the meantime, we are excited to learn more about the happy, smiley baby we've seen in photos, and, ultimately, to meet the precious children that God has chosen for our family.

provision

As many of you know, we held our first adoption fundraiser this week. On July 4th, we had a pig pickin' at our house, with carnival-type games for kids and a silent auction for the adults. We were expecting around 200 people to come out from 12pm-6pm. In spite of some pretty brutal heat (I've heard that the high that day was 99!) and the fact that we didn't have electricity for the first 3 hours of the party, our guests were absolutely amazing! People pitched in and helped get things done when we were behind schedule due to the power outage, everyone was cheerful and excited to be here during the meltingly hot afternoon, and when a severe thunderstorm was heading our way that evening, tents and tables were taken down and put away within minutes. We are so humbled by and grateful for the community that we're so privileged to be part of. Thank you all so very much for your help!

But, of course, this wasn't just any old party, and the real reason everyone was gathered was to help us raise money to bring our kids home from Uganda. While everyone's cheerful service was more than enough to remind us of how blessed we are, that wasn't the end of Monday's story. No, these same kind, generous people also generously opened their wallets for us, and we were able to raise over $4100! We are just blown away by people's kindness, and we are reminded anew of God's promise to provide all of our needs. The money we raised Monday will likely be exactly enough to pay for our plane tickets when we travel. Thank you all, yet again, so very much!

If you weren't able to make it out for our fundraiser, but you'd still like to contribute to the cause, your chances are certainly not over :) We're planning to have a yard sale in August, so if you have anything we can take off your hands, we'll be glad to do so. Also, we have some gorgeous jewelry for sale that was handmade by Ugandan women. Our initial purchase of it helps to support families in Uganda, and your purchase helps to bring our kids home from Uganda - it's a win-win! You can see the jewelry here, or if you're local, you're welcome to come by sometime and take a look.