I’m grateful my brother and his wife heeded the gentle whispers they heard and the subtle nudges they felt. Not all are called to be adoptive parents, but they knew they were being led to help the fatherless. Even though Bill and Gretchen already had three children of their own, they felt God etching this desire in their hearts. By answering His call, they have shown how obedience, hope, and love can change a life. They were able to bring their infant daughter home from Ethiopia in 2010. Since then, she has blessed each of our lives abundantly with her sweet laughter and loving nature. Here is a recent picture of my beautiful four year old niece:
This girl's struggle began as soon as she was born. When she was found, she was severely dehydrated and malnourished. Her circumstances were dire. By the grace of God, she fought her way back from the brink of death. She embodies the meaning of courage, strength, and tenacity. Since Bill and Gretchen have brough her home, we have watched this sweet little girl bloom and grow. We've seen her thrive. She has taught us that, even in the darkest circumstances, there is light and hope.
Today, her life is filled with people that love and cherish her. Recently, she was posed this question: What would you ask God if you were given the chance? She replied that she didn’t have a question for Him, but she'd like to thank Him for her family. We are fortunate to have this tender heart gracing our lives.
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There is another precious girl in the Democratic Republic of Congo, waiting to come home to her family.
Unlike my niece, I don't know what circumstances this beautiful girl has faced, but there IS one thing I know ...
She has parents who are anxiously awaiting the day they can be united with her.
Nick and Tracy began their adoption journey at the beginning of 2011. Finally in late 2012, they were matched with this adorable, brown eyed girl. Yet, one obstacle stands in the way of holding her in their arms, the funding to bring her home.
Here's more from their fundraising page ...
We are in the process of adopting our daughter from The Democratic Republic of Congo. After over a year of waiting to bring our sweet girl home, we are at the last step now. Recently, we have had a few setbacks in the process. The first came a couple months ago when we learned of some changes to how adoptions are processed in DRC. For three years, we have expected to be in country 7-10 days. Due to the changes, we are told to expect to be in country 3-5 WEEKS. That alone will increase the cost of our trip dramatically (food and lodging for 3-5 times as long). We also learned of a recommended change in lodging due to safety issues. The new, safer hotel is about twice as expensive per night as the original place we were going to stay. Both of these things mean our travel expenses will be A LOT more than we have expected.
All money raised here is going towards our travel expenses. Every donation helps and is MUCH appreciated. Thank you for helping us bring our daughter home! ~Nick and Tracy Pigg
Knowing what a difference adoption has made in my niece's life, I was glad to see that the Piggs were answering their call to the fatherless too. I've been following their progress from afar, but recently, I started thinking about something I could do to help them with their efforts. A couple of designs started dancing around in my head, and this is the one I finally settled on:
I'll be putting this tag in the etsy shop. When one of them sells, I'll be donating to their adoption fund. If you're local, just send me a message, and I'll be happy to make one for you. I'll continue pounding out tags until the Piggs are able to bring their beautful daughter home.
Adoption is a complete leap of faith. It takes courage, hope, and love. Who knows what life has in store for this girl? However, I do know that her life will be better because of this journey that Nick and Tracy have begun. Please consider helping them. Take a leap of faith too! Make a difference in someone else's life today. Here's a link to the item in our etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/listing/169946483/hand-stamped-brass-necklace-africa-hope?ref=shop_home_active
If a necklace isn't your thing, but you still want to help, check out their fundraising page here:
http://www.gofundme.com/4owjqc
Any way you can help will be greatly appreciated!
Remember, whatever you do in this life, be the change ...
Joyce
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