Thankful Hearts

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.

                                                                       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)