Our 1st Birth Mom Interview and a Triathlon Fundraiser

A lot has happened since our last blog. We’ve been meaning to update, but as always life continues to fly by and keep us busy. God has blessed us and shown us so much favor.

     To start, back in July, we were given a $3,000 grant from the Katelyn’s Fund Ministry in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We applied for the grant in June and were given a phone interview in July. The four board members who interviewed us prayed over us at the end of our interview, and really spoke blessing and life into our adoption process. Then to receive the grant a week later was icing on the cake!

     Last time we blogged, we also talked about Steve training to run a marathon. Our plan was to apply for a matching grant and give people a chance to sponsor Steve for each mile he ran and then have it doubled by the matching grant. Well, we never received the matching grant. So Steve ran his marathon regardless on August 11^th and finished just under 4 hours, placing third in his age group! We are so proud of Steve. It is quite a feat to finish a marathon, but to finish his first marathon in under 4 hours at high altitude is pretty awesome. If you can’t tell, I’m a proud wife.

     When we drove home that day and picked up our mail, there in the mail box was the matching grant we applied for! Even though it was late for Steve’s marathon, we see God’s favor and blessing in receiving the grant. So we have come up with another plan to have it matched! On October 6th, I, Alyssa, will compete in my third Triathlon. You can help us raise money for our adoption by sponsoring a leg of my triathlon or sponsoring all of it.  

          *You can sponsor $5 for the 5K run, $15 for the 15 mile bike, $25 for the quarter mile swim or $45 for the whole Triathlon. Every dollar that is donated will be matched up to $2,500. If you would like to sponsor me you can do that by writing a check to GGAM and include a note that it is for us. Their address is: PO BOX 4, Modesto, CA 95353. You can see the attached picture for more information.

     Along with applying for the grants we have received, we have also applied for two interest-free adoption loans. We hope that if we are approved for one of these loans we will have what we need financially to cover the cost of any birth mom or medical expenses and legals above the adoption placement cost. Please pray for God’s favor in this area. The more financially ready we are, the more adoption situations we can have our profile presented to, as the costs vary widely from situation to situation.

     As far as the adoption process goes, we had our first birth mom interview yesterday. A mother from Detroit has narrowed her decision down to two families and wanted to talk with each. We answered her questions and shared our hearts for 45 minutes with her. It was a neat opportunity and even if we are not chosen we appreciated the opportunity to talk with her. We know God will lead her in the right decision.

     We’ve had our profile shown to 15 birth moms. The other day God showed me so clearly how He has been involved in every detail of my life. He specifically brought to mind examples since Steve and I have been married. So many times He has spoken to us in ways that made us say, “This is definitely God!” because He made it so clear. And then God showed me the leaf on a plant and spoke to my heart. If God is so detailed and precise in creating a leaf, how much more is He concerned about my life and the intricate details involved in it. 

     His timing is always perfect and His plan is always best. I have known that in my head for a long time and even told myself that many times as we have been waiting for our baby. But for the first time I truly believe it in my heart and have total peace about when we will finally be united with our baby. God told us what to do. We obeyed. Now we trust Him, His plans and His timing. And with that comes indescribable peace. Thank you Jesus!