Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Pray for registration!

Calling all prayer warriors: Tomorrow is the day India opens its registration for the first 100 adoptive families from all placement agencies. If our agency is unable to register us, we won't get another chance until April. PLEASE pray hard with us that our agency can get us registered so that all our time sensitive paperwork will be in India, making us eligible for a referral!

We just found out last night that all of India's changes are necessitating a change in the payment structure as well.  Instead of $10,000 being due at the time we accept a referral, it will be $5,000 at the time of registration, and then $5,000 when we accept a referral.  That means we could owe an unexpected $5,000 as soon as tomorrow, and the money was not in our adoption account!  Thankfully, the concerns about JMI helping us fundraise have been addressed and are no longer an issue.  So with a possible immediate need for $5,000, I walked to the bank with a check for over $6,600 from the Puckett's fundraiser and other donations previously made in our name through JMI!  Wow!  That timing cannot be coincidental!  I won't assume anything, but I am hopeful that we will need that money tomorrow because we will have been registered with India!  PRAY!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Support adoption and get healthy!

You may have noticed the lovely logo on the side of our blog inviting you to get healthy while supporting our adoption.  We have been so blessed by the team of people that has come around us through AdvoCare to help us work toward bringing our baby home.  In fact, we are now seeing this as our primary means of not only funding our adoption, but providing the ongoing income we will need to care for our little Lotus Bud post-airport.  

For those of you on facebook, you have probably seen me post about my love affair with Spark and the 24 Day Challenge.  I am not at all exaggerating when I say that it has revolutionized motherhood for me.  In short, the 24 Day Challenge is a comprehensive wellness program that gently cleanses your digestive system, and then fuels your body with elite nutrition, while jump starting a long-term, healthy lifestyle.  Sammy and I were already very healthy people, eating well and working out regularly, and were blown away at how much better we felt with the only change being the addition of these products to fill in the nutritional gaps.  It literally took me from lying on the floor praying for nap time while N played around me, to having the energy to engage with her all day, and still have the energy leftover to do the other things that I love.  After almost two years of napping when my daughter napped and passing out at 8pm, that truly was revolutionary.

Right now, we are offering an opportunity for anyone out there to try the 24 Day Challenge for FREE.  Anyone who has ten folks who order the Challenge will get theirs from us for free.  The only rules are, all orders must be in by 11pm on Tuesday, 2/21, and each person can only be counted once.  I will also be awarding prizes per Challenge Group.  Everything is better within community, and I have seen first hand that people tend to get better results when they are part of a group doing this.  The accountability and encouragement, and even a little friendly competition make it fun!  And of course, I will be here not only to share details with anyone you have who might be interested in this, but to personally walk through the entire Challenge with everyone.  This is not a drugstore where you buy something off the shelf and are then on your own.  I am passionate about helping people get healthy, and I truly enjoy holding peoples' hands as they embark on this journey.  Give me a shout if any of this sounds appealing.  I will be happy to get you some more details.  Even if this isn't something you're looking for right now, it could be beneficial, even life changing for someone you know!  I want you to feel like your best you.  As you pursue that, you are also helping us bring our baby home!  It doesn't get any better than that!

***Please let everyone know to contact us prior to placing orders so that we can share the discounts available and the ordering tips we have learned that will help maximize results! We are committed to helping you find your fit, and walking with you on this journey.***

itallbeginswithaspark@gmail.com


Registration with India

Things have been a little crazy for everyone as we try to figure out and readjust to India's changing requirements for adoption.  We were originally eligible for a referral as soon as our agency had our completed home study.  That changed to needing our home study, dossier, and USCIS approval before we could be registered with India.  However, I just found out that since we have filed with USCIS, we can be registered with India, since our approval will be following soon!!

India is now only taking new registrations the first of every month, and only allowing a certain number of total registrations from all agencies before the website locks down.  In good news, our agency was able to register all of their eligible families at the start of this month.  We are now eligible for the next round on March 1st, and are hoping that they are able to get us registered within India's set quota so we won't have to wait another month to be eligible for a referral.  

That probably sounds overwhelming to those who have not been through this process.  It's overwhelming to me and I have had my finger on the pulse of it all for months now.  Please just pray with us that our agency is able to get us registered with India on March 1st.  Thank you for your prayers, friends!  That will put us one giant step closer to our little Lotus Bud!

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