Will You Help? & Shhh It's a Surprise!

Family and Friends,

WE ARE ADOPTING FROM ETHIOPIA AGAIN!!!

We are so excited about this and know it is God's will for our family.

This will be my husband and I's 3rd adoption and with every adoption God streches me more and more in a good way, but a scary way!

With that being said, I want you all to know that I am working on taking God out of the "box" I tend to put him in, completely trusting him, and doing what he is commanding my family to do.

The inspiration for this blog that will document our next adoption can be found here. I actually posted this link on our family blog not that long ago and it helped inspire what I am asking for help with. So if you need to be convinced on how important our adoption and any adoption is please go here and listen.

1. I am humbly coming before you to ask for help to fund the first chunk of our adoption that we will need to get started. This is scary for me to put out there but, I know our God is bigger than my fears and he will provide.

2. I would like this to be a surprise for my husband Kent. With our past 2 adoptions his pride has not wanted to ask for help with the funds and I want to bless him with all of you and how you reach out and support those around you not just with dollars, but with true prayer and support.

So WILL YOU HELP ME WITH THIS SURPRISE?

To get the ball rolling I am giving away gift cards to a very wonderful organization called Tom's shoes. With every purchase of shoes Tom's give a pair of shoes to a needy child. This is huge folks. You can read more about thier organization here.

HERE IS HOW THE GIVE A WAY WILL WORK

I am giving away 2 Gift Cards to Tom's Shoes.

Gift Card # 1 in the amount of $25 will be drawn and given to all those who have posted about our adoption and linked to our blog on their blog or through e-mail to friends and family. (Unfortunately I can't do facebook because if you are friends with my hubby he will see!)

Gift Card # 2 in the amount of $50 will be drawn and given to those who post this on their blog and/or e-mail it out and donate to our adoption.

HERE IS HOW TO ENTER

1. Leave a comment on this post stating you have posted this on your blog and/or e-mailed about this to friends for Gift Card #1.

2. Leave a comment on this post stating you have posted this on your blog and/or e-mailed this to friends and made a donation using the chip in meter on the side and you will be entered for Gift Card # 2. Or if you do not want to use the chip in please e-mail me at carriestamm@gmail.com.

Easy Peasy Folks!

I will start this on Tuesday February 22nd and end it on Sunday, March 6, 2011. The hubby's B-day is on March 14th so I would love to surprise him with the whole amount we need to get the ball rolling for our next adoption.

What is that amount you say? It is $16,335.00! I know huge money, but it is huge also because we feel God is possibly calling us to adopt not just one baby, but twins!

We were accepted in the Ethiopia program through our awesome agency All God's Children International on Wed. Feb. 16th, 2011.

Here is a list of our initial expenses that add up to what we need to raise.

Application Fee $300.00
Home Study Service Fees $1,750.00
Agency Service Fee $7,500.00
Program Fee $1,500.00
Eyes Wide Open Workbook $40.00
Adoption Parent Education $170.00
Authentication $300.00
Translation of Dossier $200.00
International Service Fee $5,500.00
County Certification Fee $10.00
State Certification Fee $10.00
U.S. CIS Fee $670.00
U.S. CIS Fingerprinting Fee $160.00 (80 Per Adult)
Misc Birth Certificates & Mailing $200.00

$18,310.00
Waived Fees ($1,800.00)
$16,335.00

A check for $9,290.00 will need to be mailed after our orientation packet is filled out which we received on Friday the 18th. Whooooooweeee!

Are you ready to join us on this exciting ride??? I HOPE SO!


I appreciate you all more than words can say and hope that if God puts it on your heart to help you will and more than that I covet your prayers as we embark on our next adoption.

I have so many things to share with you, and over the course of this adoption I will! God is doing huge things!