The Fundraising Dilemma

I continue to be humbled and amazed (although I shouldn't be) at the way God continues to provide for our adoption.

The issue of fundraising can be a sticky one in adoption circles. On the one hand, it can give the impression that you are "buying" a child. (There's a big difference between buying a plane ticket and buying a child.) There are those who believe if you can't afford the adoption, you can't afford to have another child. Some believe that those who help with fundraising might feel they have some sort of ownership of the child, a "look what I did" mentality. It seems those who are against fundraising are quite vehement in their stance.

On the other hand, some people feel led to give generously. They know they are not called to adopt, but can help the orphan by helping offset a family's costs. And who am I to forbid someone the blessing of giving as they see fit? And the reality is, giving birth often involves something called insurance. I don't want to make light of the medical bills a family incurs when a child is born to them. I know that this can be a very real issue. But a family's deductibles and out-of-pocket insurance maximums usually don't come close to the total figure of adoption fees, background checks, travel expenses, post-placement visits (China now requires 5! Several hundred dollars each time), etc. Most families choosing to adopt are average run-of-the-mill families like ours. And we often don't have tens of thousands of dollars lying around.

So after some prayer, we have taken the following course when it comes to fundraising: we are not asking anyone for money, but we are making the giving opportunity available as people ask. This summer, my parents and their friends generously threw a yard sale on our behalf. We have also found creative ways to raise money as a family. Dan is selling a bunch of LEGOs. I'm teaching piano lessons. We're taking advantage of Facebook and local online garage sales by selling off some of the things we don't use anymore. Dayna is even collecting the seeds from her apples so she can grow seedlings and sell apple trees (bless her for the idea!)

We have applied for grants, and we have been able to set up an adoption account through Lifesong for Orphans, where people can give on our behalf. We receive 100% of the donation (unless Paypal is used...they keep a small cut), and donations are tax deductible.

It's been really fun the last 6 weeks watching God throw open the floodgates and bless our family. Often a few dollars at a time. Somehow, I know He will provide. And He will provide abundantly. We are SO excited to see what's in store the next few weeks.