We have an LOA and lots more AWESOMENESS!!

Ever been at a loss for words as how gloriously God works?  The last 2 days I have been. The last 99 days have been days of peace, stress, complete frustration and joy.  When we accepted our little girl 99 days ago and began our LOA (letter of acceptance) wait, I never thought it would take 98 days, but it did.  Thank you God that our LOA has been issued and we have been accepted to parent Ivy!!  We are over the moon excited and relieved!  After that many days it has been hard not to wonder if something was wrong with our dossier, if something was missing, etc.  God's timing is perfect and I had to fight to remember that day after day.  One of the coolest parts of it coming on day 98 was that it was Hallie's 5th birthday!  Last year Hallie wanted her sister to come to her birthday party...she could not understand that it was not time yet.  We told Hallie that when she turned 5 it would be time to go get Ivy very soon.  Yep, God's pretty cool! 

The last 2 weeks have been especially amazing.  On May 28 we got news that we have been granted a matching grant through Lifesong for Orphans and our church, North Way Christian Community.  We were thrilled!  How this works is friends and family can give a tax-deductible donation in our name to Lifesong for Orphans, North Way then matches dollar for dollar what is given.  The cap on what can be donated total is $3500.00 and that $3500.00 turns into $7000.000.  Amazing huh?  It doesn't end there!  This was also the week of the yard sale.  We want to thank everyone who donated stuff, their time, prayers, and support of this sale.  It blew our socks off and all the work was worth it!  We made just shy of $2000.00!  God blessed the day more than we even thought possible.  The day of the sale (and the day before) the weather was iffy.  I was constantly filling tables and covering everything with plastic for that pop up shower.  I was so relieved when we woke up and it has not rained Friday night.  As Jason and I were emptying the garage about 7:30 am, it started to sprinkle.  Jay looked across the street and above the trees was a gorgeous RAINBOW.  At the same time my 2 sisters and bro were walking down the driveway.  I said, hey look at the rainbow and it was gone.  Not kidding, it was there less then a min!  I had a moment of peace where I knew everything was gonna be alright!  God never breaks his promises!  We ended the day exhausted, excited, and so, so, so blessed! 

The blessings continued!  We got news today that we have been awarded a $5000.00 grant!  In AWE does not even put lightly how I was feeling.  I have no words still.  If you had told me 15 months ago that God would supply every cent for our adoption from money we didn't even know was there, I would have doubted how that was going to happen.  But it has!  We walked in obedience fully knowing that we could not come up with this amount of money on our own and never have we not had the cash when a fee was due.  With the Lifesong Grant, the yard sale, and the grant from today we are on our way to being fully funded!!!  With our God, money is not an option! 

The end of the summer can't come fast enough, we can't wait to travel to bring Ivy home and start the beginning of the real adventure with Princess Ivy! 

As I was driving today just after hearing about the grant, this song came on K-Love.  It was so fitting to how I was feeling!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzfPHnoT0-0

 

 

 

Thanking God for abundant blessings!!

 

Jason, Dawn, and the kids

 

P.S. If God so stirs in your heart to donate to our matching Grant though Lifesong for Orphans, checks can be mailed to:

 

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40/ 202 N. Ford St

Gridley, IL 61744

 

Please put "Henricks #3656 Adoption" in the memo of your check.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!