Putting the Pieces Together: Puzzle Fundraiser

Pinterest is full of creative fundraising ideas! The one that people consistently chose was the puzzle fundraiser. So, we thought we would give it a go. We bought a 500 piece puzzle titled "A License to Life." It perfectly states our wishes for our child: "Dream big. Live Well." We need your help putting the pieces together. When completed, we will have the puzzle framed and hung in our baby's nursery. It will forever be a symbol of how our village of supporters helped bring our child home.

Here's how it works: 

We will put this puzzle together one piece at a time. Your name will be written on the back of each piece you sponsor, and each piece donated is $5. 500 pieces at $5 = $2,500! We will take pictures to show the progress of the pieces coming together. If you are feeling led to donate some puzzle pieces and you already have a PayPal account, enter the email address RichardAndSarahAdopt@gmail.com. If you do not have an account, you can mail a check to avoid PayPal fees. Let us know if you need our address. Thank you all so much for your support! Blessings!! 

Vulnerable

Sharing the story of our loss is easy. Well, not easy but it is becoming easier. It's just a story. It happened in another life to someone else. I am not the girl I once was but a woman who has suffered grief few can comprehend.  

Sharing my heart is something else entirely. It is frightening to make myself so vulnerable. I am an emotional person, but very few people have access to my innermost thoughts and feelings. So, from here on out I ask for mercy.  

I have tried to write about our experiences as we progress on our journey, but it ends up falling flat. The facts are there but emotion is missing. The problem is that I am not sure I can adequately express how I feel at any one particular moment.  

Over the last several weeks there has been a myriad of emotions. I have felt happy, angry, thankful, frustrated; the list is endless. It is overwhelming. 

How do I describe the home study visit without expressing my feelings of resentment? People the world over have babies without needing to be assessed. Thankfully, our social worker made it a pleasant, informative conversation with a friend.  

How do I describe the excitement of being approved to adopt without expressing my feelings of loss? Adoption requires facing the likelihood of not having a biological child. Carrying a baby in your heart is not visible on the outside. Without the physical aspect, expecting a child is surreal.

How do I adequately describe the feeling that reigns over all the others: Hope? For the first time in a long time things feel right. We are no longer playing God by forcing my body to function in a way it normally would not. We are trusting God, His plan, and His timing. I wake up each day with hope in my heart and move forward with certainty that our baby is coming home. 

We Need Your Help

“Adoption is not about finding children for families, it’s about finding families for children.” -Joyce Maguire Pavao

Dear family and friends,

We are so excited to share with you that we are in the process of adopting our first child. Our home study visit is complete, and we should have official approval within the next few days. We are pursuing a domestic, newborn adoption and hope that we will soon be the forever family for a beautiful baby boy or girl. There is a child destined for us, and we dream of this little person every night.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but we now realize that it will take a village to bring our child home. You are receiving this letter because we need your help. We are hoping to find our own birth mother through word-of-mouth. If you know someone who is pregnant and considering adoption, please let us know. Also, please share our story with your friends and family. You may be the person that finds a home for a baby born into the world.

We were hesitant to proceed with adoption because of the daunting costs associated with the process. As impossible as this seems, we feel that we are being called to adopt and trust that finances will fall into place.

This adoption will cost in the neighborhood of $30,000. We know that sounds like a lot (and it is), but we are doing everything we can to bring that total down. We are researching loans, applying for grants, and brainstorming ways to raise funds. Matching with a birth mother without the assistance of an agency will help, and we are considering adoption organizations that have lower fees.

Just as the Great Wall of China was constructed one stone at a time, we are relying on God for $1 at a time. We would be amiss if we did not also ask for help from family and friends who may be willing to donate to get us one step closer to our child. No amount is too small! Our plan is to explore as many options as possible and pray that doors will open for the money to come through.

If you are unable to send a monetary gift of any amount, perhaps you can help by donating new or gently-used items for a yard sale we will be having in February. All the proceeds will go straight into the “Belgrave’s Baby Fund.” An auction/raffle is in the works, and we will put out information as soon as the details are finalized.

A special account has been set up at Bank of America to collect monetary donations. PayPal is the easiest way to donate. If you already have an account, sign in and click on the “Send Money” tab. Then, enter the email address RichardAndSarahAdopt@gmail.com and the amount you would like to send.

Please feel free to share our story (Facebook page “The Belgrave’s Adoption Journey”) with anyone you think might want to help us bring our baby home. Mother Teresa said it best, “There is a [child] who needs you. This is your chance.“ We greatly appreciate your help and support!

Sincerely,
Richard and Sarah Belgrave