Let’s just come right out and say it: The asayplacey has got some spacey so we are adopting!
We are in the process of adopting a sweet little person, whose face we long to see, (likely with some minor special medical needs) from eastern Europe into our family! Can you tell we are excited?! It’s exciting to be adding a new awesome kid to our family.
But can we share something we’re really not so excited about? We are not excited that children are in need of families to begin with. It’s not okay that there are over 210 million children is even one child carrying the label ‘orphan’ throughout our world (there are roughly 300 million people living in the USA to give you an idea). But because there are children without families, and out of an overflowing joy in having been adopted ourselves into the family of God through the work that Jesus did on the cross, we desire to care for and give the joy of a forever family to even just one sweet little one. We desire to defend the cause of the fatherless, to take action, and to be changed for the better by welcoming a child into our family.
When Tad and I were first engaged (this is still how we roll nearly 6 years later),
and were talking about our future family together, we made a decision that someday we would eventually like to grow our family through adoption, and due to some specific health issues that may make it dangerous for my and/or our biological baby’s life should we become pregnant, the decision was pretty clear that, ‘Hey, now is the time to start adopting!’
So we set out on an up-hill hike journey seeking a direction that lined up with what had been pulling on our hearts – to adopt in a little girl (or girls) out of a situation where child trafficking or child prostitution would be a very likely future for her. We know trafficking and prostitution are of issue in so many places, but one specific region had been placed on our hearts. In an effort to keep our story short, we pursued a specific country multiple times where this awful event occurs rather rampantly, but the door seemed to keep closing. We pursued yet another country we felt would be a good fit for us, and the door closed there as well. And the same result came about when we pursued yet another option. We felt stuck until we found an agency that we trusted who had an open program in eastern Europe. After doing some research on the program, country and adoption process and after much seeking of the Lord, we felt at peace and realized that for the first time, the door was wide open! So to answer the question, why eastern Europe? The answer is simply that the door was wide open, so we’re walking through it!
We have begun the miles of paper work, notarizing of legal documents, and background checks, have severely depleted put a very large dent our savings to get the ball rolling, and are thinking of every way possible to come up with the… are you ready for it? $35,000+ it will take to bring our little love out of the orphanage where she won’t be receiving the love and care she needs and into our home where we are anxiously waiting with open arms.
We are confident in the goodness of adoption and the call that we have to grow our family through adoption, but let’s face it; adoption comes with far too heavy of a financial burden to carry alone! We are doing what we can including giving of what we have, are selling many of our goods we can go without (and are probably better off without!) and are putting 100% of our small second income from my photography business (LibbyAsayStudio.com) into the fees associated with an international adoption, but much financial burden remains. So here’s the question – Would you consider being a help in carrying the load?
There are MANY ways you can help beyond giving of your money including:
- duh! PRAY for us, the whole process, and our child who waits
- DONATE your talents, products, or services to help us fundraise
- DONATE your ‘JUNK‘ to add to our garage sale or online fundraisers
- BOOK a session with LibbyAsayStudio (who doesn’t love fresh photographs?!)
- GIVE of your time (fundraising seems to steal lots of this these days)
- GIVE when the time comes of your in good shape items that you’re no longer using (car seats, clothing… that third car that holds 3+ car seats that’s just sitting in your driveway [does this really apply to anyone?! Maybe!] etc.)
- GIVE of your money (click here)
We will be keeping you all updated as we begin new fundraisers in the coming days/weeks. For now, please stop right this minute and pray for us. Ultimately we are placing our trust in the Lord to provide for ALL of our needs as He has already proven himself SO faithful to provide just what we need. We also know He delights in using people in His provision so if you feel the urge to give of your goods or services (or junk), please shoot us an email to share the details or show up at the asayplacey doorstep, and if you would like to help carry the financial load, please click here to give.
Every hour, prayer, and penny counts. Let’s bring our sweet little love home and together we’ll carry the load.
Please subscribe to the blog to keep up to date as we move forward with the adoption! We’ll be having fundraisers in the very near future so keep an eye out for those as well.
**If you’d like your donation to be tax deductible, you can send a check made out to Cornerstone Church with ‘Asay Adoption’ in the memo line to the address below:
Cornerstone Church | 56829 US Highway 30 | Ames, IA 50010
It is a ONE THOUSAND piece puzzle, of which we are ‘selling’ the pieces for $10/each to raise funds for our adoption journey. I am so looking forward to having you guys write your names (or I’ll write it for you) :) on the back of your very own piece as you become a piece of our puzzle! Some have already been added – see below!
This is what the finished puzzle will be. I designed it and ordered it through this sweet etsy shop. But we can’t put it together until each and every piece has been purchased and has a name on the back! Help us put our puzzle together, purchase a piece – or 3, and watch as God provides through all of you! Get excited – big things are happening through all of you!
The Asay Placey 