Adoption journey #2!

Wow, what can I say? It's been 2 1/2 years since I last posted! That's what happens when you are busy with family and life and it's been an amazing 2 1/2 years!

Isaac is now going to be 6 this summer and Micaiah just turned 3! WOW, last time I wrote in here he was just 6 months old! Been busy with family stuff, homeschooling, my at home job with Usborne Books & More and helping with the church worship team! Jim and I recently got back from Haiti after going there on a missions trip to help our missionaries there who are building houses and more for those who live in tents since the earthquake. Jim and I are also praying about some big things we feel God may be working in us and leading us too and so if you read this please be praying for us for God to continue to direct us, give wisdom, guide us to the right godly counsel from the people He sends us to and that He would make it clear which way He'd want us to go!

If you haven't heard from Facebook yet or read the title, we are SO EXCITED to share with you all that we are in the process of bringing home Starkey baby #3. Now part of me feels weird saying #3 because technically Annabelle is baby #3 and she always will be but I also know she is perfect and whole and home with Jesus and so that's why I've decided to say baby #3, referring to the babies we have here with us on earth!

HERE'S WHATS BEEN GOING ON THE PAST FEW MONTHS....

*We signed on with a christian agency called Choosing Hope Adoptions who really minister and help support the birthmoms before, during and after the adoption and that is a huge factor for us!

*Our wonderful friend, who is a graphic designer is creating our profile book for us and it should be ready to be going off to the printers this week, which is exciting!

*We are almost finished with our HOMESTUDY yay! This has been a lot more work this time with the extra things we needed to get or have done with having two kids this time! We are very excited to be officially on the waiting list by the end of April!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

*We ask that you pray for us as we seek the Lord about whether to also sign in with another agencies waiting list as well as the one we are with (many families do this), because we are specifically wanting african american or bi-racial as the studies, research and adult adoptee's we've heard from have shared how important it is for siblings to have at least another sibling that has a similar shade of color of skin as them! We found out from our social worker that in the 1-2 years since they started, they haven't had any african american or bi-racial birthmothers so now we are curious and praying about whether to get another on agencies waiting list that are either in an area or seem to reach out or have a big enough reach where they have many african american/bi-racial birthmothers coming in. So we would REALLY appreciate your prayer in this!

*We are so very grateful for my job with Usborne Books & More as it will be paying for a huge chunk of this adoption. As you all know adoption is costly....whether you are talking about our adoption in Christ or earthly adoption. Adoption domestic or international can easily have an average of $25,000-$45,000! We are hoping to stay under $30,000 but we just do not know! So please pray that God would lead us to do the right fundraisers and for the funds to be raised to help along with the income from my job, to help pay for this adoption! We do not want to take out any loans or go in debt for this adoption so we will be saving throughout the months as we are on the waiting list! Thank you so much for your prayer! Jim and I throughout the past several months have seen prayer answered in so many ways and our faith grown by God by seeing His faithfulness and what He is doing in our lives and others. Prayer is powerful friends so we greatly appreciate you taking the time to pray for our journey! Please be in prayer for the birth family as well!

WE HAVE OUR FIRST FUNDRAISER!!

This adoption, we will be fundraising a bit differently than last! I think we will probably just do the Adoption Puzzle Fundraiser and here in a 1-3 months we plan on doing a Crossroads Candle fundraiser! We just started the adoption puzzle fundraiser yesterday and so we are at 5% of it completed!! The puzzle itself should be in next week and that is when we will start writing your names on the puzzle pieces. We look forward to praying over each of the names and thanking God for each of you who are helping build our family!

Here is what the puzzle will look like! I cannot wait to see it when it comes in the mail!

YOU will be a part of completing our missing piece to the puzzle. If we sell ALL 500 pieces to complete the puzzle that will be in the mail next week, that will raise $5,000! This will cover a nice chunk of our adoption! We will write your names on the back of each puzzle piece you buy and put the completed puzzle in a double sided frame and plan on turning it around from time to time with our family and sharing all the names outloud with the kids and praying over them, thanking God for each of you who helped build our family!

HOW TO GET YOUR PUZZLE PIECE:
We would be so honored if you were a part of bringing our baby home! To get a puzzle piece, either go to www.youcaring.com/starkeyadoption or paypal it to aprilcstarkey@gmail.com , or check by emailing me at aprilcstarkey@gmail.com or message me on here and I will send you our home address so you can send a check in the mail or you can hand deliver a check or cash to us. If you use the square cash ap, you can find me on there and do that as well!

THANK YOU! I will hopefully be updating every so often on here now! Woohoo! I'm excited to be back to the blog world!