Travel approval and changes

Well, we finally got what we have been waiting for all along...we got travel approval from China to go pick up Hudson! This is such an exciting time and hard to believe that it is finally here! It came a little earlier than we expected, but we always like little surprises like this.

As soon as we got travel approval, we knew we were in trouble though, we are very short financially. We haven't worried much about this as we always know that the Lord will provide. But, now is the time where we can tell our agency when we want to go to China to get Hudson and as bad as we want to go asap, we cant. We do not have the money at this point for travel or for the remaining fees.

So, for the first day or two after TA we tried all that we could to get loans, check on one last grant, push our fundraiser harder. Nothing was giving. So we began to pray harder and talk and listed and came up with a plan B. As much as I have visioned and wanted Brock, Averie and myself to go to China to get Hudson together, we had to let that vision go. It has been decided that just I will go to China. It will save us a pretty good chunk of money, having the 2 of them stay home. I know it will be tough for all of us, but it is the reward in the end that I keep in mind. I will have almost 2 precious weeks getting to know our son, getting to learn about his country and bonding with him. When we return home, Ill stay home with Hudson and Brock a few days and then Ill return to work and Brock will stay home with Hudson until he is ready to go to a babysitter or preschool.

While we have made the change in plans to save some money, we are still about $8500 short of what we need to pay the final adoption fees and for my travel. We are continuing to sell the local Mattoon/Charleston discount cards. If you live locally, these cards are great! They have some wonderful businesses on them and awesome discounts! They are $15 each and every penny goes towards our adoption! If you would like to purchase a cards, please contact Brock or myself on FB or via email at bp042900@consolidated.net. I still have LOTS of puzzle pieces still available. If you would like sponsor a puzzle piece, it is $10 and we will write your name or a small message on the piece that you sponsor. Once the puzzle is completely sponsored we will put it together and frame it to hang in Hudson's room. One side is a world puzzle while the other has messages and names from many people who have prayed for or have supported the adoption.

You can purchase a puzzle piece or make a donation in 2 different ways...
1. Click the link to Paypal at the top right side of this screen. The money will go directly into our adoption savings account.
2. Send or drop off a check/money order to our bank:

First Federal Savings & Loan

Attn: Paul Family Adoption

800 Charleston Avenue

Charleston, IL 61920

As much as we hate to keep asking for support, we know that the Lord has a plan for this. His hand is on our adoption and will see it through. We are in the home stretch and have permission to go get him and bring him home, but we have to have the money to complete this journey. Please pray for us as we get this figured out. I will keep posted as to when I will be traveling to China. Also, please pray for my travel. Ive never left the country, never traveled alone and never flown. This will be hard for all of us, but my eye is on the prize....bringing our son home! 

Got this verse from our pastor the other day and I keep reminding myself of it daily:

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Fundraising!

As most of you are aware, we are soooo close to going to China to get Hudson! We are so excited and scared at the same time. We can not wait to end the adoption journey and to begin our new life with our new son. The end of this journey is just the beginning of another. We are so excited about that! We are a little scared with where the remaining funds are going to come from, the flight and leaving our two oldest children back home, being in another country and all the unknowns. We know that the Lord has His hand on this and He will see this through and that does bring us comfort, but its so hard not to worry. 

Last weekend we decided kind of last minute to throw together a rummage sale. We have SO much stuff to sell and defiantly need to continue to empty what was a storage room to be Hudsons bedroom. So we had a sale Friday and Saturday last week, along with Averies lemonade stand. It was a big success! My goal was $50-100 total, we didn't advertise other than FB and we are not on a busy street. Well, we raised right at $600! WOW! Averies lemonade stand (that had cake pops 1 day and donuts the next) raised $64, she was so excited! 

So we are going at it again this weekend. We don't expect as big of a weekend as we know some people don't visit the same sale 2 weekends in a row. But, this was our original planned weekend. We will have it Thurs, Fri and Sat, along with Averies lemonade stand. I think this weekend will be cookies and brownies along with lemonade and water. 

We also have a NEW fundraiser! We have Mattoon/Charleston discount cards available! They have 24 businesses on them, many who are not on any other sort of discount card. We thank each and every business! These will be for sale at our rummage sale, we will also be set up at Bagel Fest and friends and family members will have them at church and to sell! We have a Facebook page set up designated to these cards, if you are interested in a card or to sell cards, feel free to go to our Fb page and contact us. We think these are very good cards and a great value at only $15. We get 100% of the money from each card, it all goes directly towards our adoption expenses! So this is a MAJOR fundraiser for us! We have a goal of 1,000 being sold, this would take us very close to where we need to be within the next couple of weeks! 

Thank you everyone for your support. Please continue to pray for us and Hudson. We are in the home stretch of completing this adoption! Please pray for the cards to be a success and an answer to where the remaining funds will come from, pray for our travel worries, pray for our children and family we leave behind while traveling to China, pray for Hudson as we prepare to meet him and bring him into the family, pray for the other waiting children and families. 

Here is a link to our FB page for more information about the discount cards: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/174056466107359/

New pictures!!

We were blessed with some new photos of Hudson by a couple of women who recently went to work at our sons orphanage. While he may not look as happy as he has in past photos, we were told that Pat, the physical therapist who helped get these photos, was so excited to see him again that she scared him a bit on accident at first. He squeezed out a few grins in the last photos. I cant believe that we are going to China next month to get our son! We cannot wait!

This last one is my favorite! I picture her telling him he has a mama and baba coming soon! I think he is just BEAUTIFUL! I cant wait until we meet him. Ill have to hold back a little or Ill scare the kid to death loving on him so much! I just want to hug and kiss him and wrap him up in my arms. I cannot wait! Love you little Hudson Keith Paul!

Fundraisers, progress and more!

So, Averies puzzle piece fundraiser has not been taking off like she has hoped for, so she is already dreaming of a lemonade stand and cake pops! But, it is still up and going and please, if you want to help her raise funds for her travel, just make a note orFacebook message one of us if you make a donation towards her travel.

We also have a Thirty-one fundraiser now! A super nice adoptive mama volunteered her services to us and will donate 100% of the profit towards our adoption. So for every purchase we will receive 25% of the total cost. Thirty-one bags are very popular, good quality, and super cute! If you are interested in purchasing a bag you can purchase online or if you are local I can give you an order form if you prefer to use that method. There is a Facebook page set up for the fundraiser, it is https://www.facebook.com/events/537718219622424/?fref=ts

The direct buy link so that the profit goes to us is https://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/catalog.aspx?eventId=E3423654&from=DIRECTLINK

The fundraiser ends July 21st, so order before then! Also, please share the information with your friends and family, anyone and everyone can order, they are delivered to your home!

Now, our progress!! July 5th last year we received pre-approval from China to adopt Hudson, that day he was officially considered our son! This year on July 5th our Article 5 was delivered to China. The US Embassy was closing on July 5th through July 24th, if we did not get that paper there by then our travel would of been delayed about a month. We made it ON the deadline! So, July 5th is a pretty lucky day for us!

We had a wonderful 4th of July! Celebrated with some family and friends! That morning Averie and I got up and went to watch the parade. She sat on my lap, anticipating the sights and sounds of the parade! Emotions ran over me, I remembered sitting in that same spot with Averie last year, talking about how next year we would have Hudson home and she would talk about what he would and wouldn't like at the parade. I know we are so close now, but I couldn't help but be sad and tears filled my eyes knowing my son is still not home, he is on the other side of the world. Thankfully I got the news before the parade that our paperwork would be dropped off on time, so I was able to keep it together.

We will be going to get our son in August. ONE MONTH!!! It is so crazy and exciting and scary all at once! We all love this little guy so much and can't wait until he is able to join the family. I've been working on his bedroom and will share photos once it is ready. I even packed his suitcase the other day, I'm sure Ill unpack and repack it a few more time, but just seeing those cute little boy clothes and picturing him wearing them, made my night!

We pray that the Lord continues to guide us through the journey. I know that the end of this journey is just the beginning of another. We are so excited to start that new journey. Please continue to pray for us. Pray for our son, Hudson. Pray for the other children that wait. If you would like to contribute towards some of our remaining adoption costs, please use the link to Paypal on the top right of this screen. We really hate to ask for help, but we have experienced a lot of bumps during this journey and we have exhausted any other funds that we had.

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
Psalm 68:5-6