With Thanksgiving just behind us and much food consumed,
friends and family around the table, laughter and stories told, we press
forward. I love Thanksgiving. I love
family that flies down from New York to be with us, I love friends; new and old
who come and share food and stories with us. What a great time! As I recently
read on an Aussie friend’s FB, “How come we Aussies have embraced your
Halloween and not your Thanksgiving?”.
Good question, a very good question. I know, I know, it goes back to the
founding of this country, but surely we can hijack it – there is plenty of
other ‘American-ness’ that we steal. Maybe one day.
The adoption process continues to move forward. We are still
in the process of getting ready for the Homestudy. With plenty of paperwork
already submitted, plenty more still needs to be gathered and provided. As part
of the process we also need to complete Hague Adoption Training which requires
us to read three books and interview a couple who have already adopted. One of
the books I read is called ‘Are Those Kids Yours?’. A very interesting read that helped me think
through how our family will be changed with adopted children from another country.
I actually love the thought of an American-Australian- Besothian family…and a
Colombian-born dog! Who knows how it is all going to work. Cam and I are still working out the whole
American-Australian thing. J
Our hope is to have all the paperwork in by the first couple
weeks in December and then hoping that we can get our first Homestudy
appointment completed before the end of the year.
We have been super encouraged with all the t-shirts
purchased. I am really excited to start wearing mine and the thought that
people in the United States, Australia, Colombia and Singapore (and we are
still working on South Africa) wearing them definitely makes me smile. Thank
you for all of you who have purchased or made a donation through Bonfire, we
are so grateful to each of you. There are still 6 days left before the
t-shirts are printed and sent out, so if you want one there is still time. Just
click on the t-shirt on our home page and you will be directed to the purchase
page. Thank you! Thank you!
Our coffee fundraiser is also going off! Many of you have
purchased coffee through our online store front via Just Love Coffee Roasters.
Thank you!
In my last post I mentioned that the total adoption will
cost approximately $40,000. In the short time we have started our blog we
already have had $5,000 come in. Amazing, right? We are pretty excited and
encouraged.
Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
Psalm
68:4-6
Want to donate directly to Small World? Small World
is a qualified 501c3 organization, donors will receive a tax deduction for
these gifts so long as the memo states "for the child to be adopted by
‘Clausing’ family". Click on http://smallworldadoption.com/faq-2/payment-2/
Want to buy a t-shirt? Click on https://www.bonfirefunds.com/clausingadoption/?r=17312
Want to buy some coffee? Click on https://justlovecoffee.com/about/beneficiary/clausingadoption/
Thanks for sharing this journey with us. Until next time…
Taryn (& Cam)