Official Approval by our Adoption Agency!!!

I feel so excited right now it's hard to type!! I just got off of the phone with our adoption agency and we are approved to move forward in our adoption!! Even though I knew deep down we would be approved it feels so amazing and official now! It feels like I just found out I am pregnant! Of course we have quite a journey ahead of us and we have only just begun but I can be patient with God's help! Our next step is to sign more agreement forms and send in our first program fee of $1500. This is really happeneing and now it is time to begin our fundraising! In the next 4-6 months we will need to raise about $5700 to cover our initial costs before our referral to Ethiopia is sent out. God is so much bigger than money so I know we can make it happen! Our total adoption fees from start to bringing our child home is between $25-35,000. That sure sounds like a lot of money but for some reason it doesn't scare me. I know we will raise it and feel very excited to watch God at work through this process. Jared and I are brainstorming about fundraising ideas and we welcome your ideas too! We need all the help we can get!
We're thinking our first fundraiser is going to be a marathon right here in Sacramento on December 5th. We will keep you updated as we organize this event! We hope you will join us in running, getting people to sponser you or Jared for the run, or just donating to our cause!
We also plan to do a huge rummage sale fundraiser in the early Spring of next year so stay tuned for that!
I have figured out how to add a donation button through Paypal on here so you can donate anytime right through our blog! When you see the email address as Bellabargain5 it is me, it is just my Ebay email that is linked through Paypal but it will go directly into our account which will help us bring our child home!!
I hope you will get involved and get excited! You will have a direct connection with our future child and know that with your help she will be an orphan no more!
Thank you and keep checking back to see new posts! We would love if you would become a follower of our blog and send it out to anyone you might think would want to help!