2012 Photography Mini Session Fundraiser

Thanks to ALL who participated with the Mini Sessions last week! We raised $215 (after costs of props and help) to go toward the costs of our adoption! Thanks for my faithful photography clients! More sneak peeks on my facebook page.

STILL WAITING...

Behind. So, behind.

We had to postpone our home study update for NEXT weekend. ARgh! I put it off when our SW from CHI said to begin it 3 months before your USCIS paperwork expires. Well, I was so hoping for a referral and we wouldn't need to do it. Wanted to avoid spending lots more money. Well, our USCIS expires on 8/10/12, and no, I don't have the required paperwork our agency requires still!!! UGH!!! Gotta get TB tests and doctor appts...and more fingerprints... dislike, dislike, dislike!!!!

Statistics Accding to Colombian Mommy Blog

The Director of the Protective Custody division of ICBF, Adriana Gonzalez Maxcyclak, recent held a conference for the Family Advocates from 9 departments and Bogota. In her address, she revealed the following statistics:

1 - There are currently more that 60,000 children in protective custody.

2 - 15,054 of them are in protective custody because of abuse

3 - 7,594 are victims of sexual violence

4 - 3,859 are in custody because of substance abuse

5 - 3,031 were homeless
6 - 1,562 were malnourished

SO.... Where is my daughter? Which number represents her? Praying for the 60,000+ children in care!

CHI Called...

Nichole from CHI called to check in. I haven't gotten a phone call from CHI in some time. I had called her a few weeks back just asking if it was confirmed that we were sent back to Bogota. She did confirm that we were sent back to Bogota, and wasn't able to offer much more than the info that most of us have already heard in the adoption circles regarding the bad publicity ICBF received from a disgruntled adoptee who may have been taken away from his family. I totally think that's wrong, and am glad they are checking things twice and making sure things are LEGIT, but really??? Is it really taking this LONG??? We are supposedly on top of the list. I am hoping for a referral before the second week in July. If not, then we will schedule our next home study update. ANOTHER $740! I'm guessing you see my hesitance in putting it off. But, I will have to have it before the end of August when our USCIS paperwork expires. (translates - more money!)

Pray with us the adoptions in Colombia begin moving. Not just for us, but the hundreds of other families that are waiting with their dossiers in Colombia associated with different agencies abroad. ty.

ADVOCARE: 24 Day Challenge-Cleanse Portion

So, I thought I would do the 24 day Challenge with Advocare. Ben has been real successful with the Advocare program using the nutritional supplements and losing over 60 pounds!!! It's HARD people! You don't realize how addicted to food you really are until you begin to deprive yourself of the sweet little treats you often subconsciously salivate for!

I'm on DAY FOUR; and today, I was tempted for the first time. I called Ben and he talked me away from falling into the temptation, haha! I want to do it right this time. I want to lose poundage and inches if it's possible. I'm averaging 1000 calories per day and drinking lots of the agua! We will weigh and measure again on Day 10 after the "Cleanse" portion of the challenge.

It is interesting that as I begin to purge myself of these bad nutritional toxins, other things begin to the surface as well. Hmm... I am not sure I want to disclose this as of yet, but I know at some point I will reveal it to the www as it is part of so many other peoples' stories... that for some reason we don't share... and because we don't share we walk around with these gaping, bloody emotional/spiritual wounds pretending everything's okay... I have a friend who has a blog entitled "All Glory Be To God" and I pray that one day I'll be able to share my testimony to help bring Him glory...

With that said, I would like to thank those of you out there who have been faithful in supporting my family, who have prayed, text, or called with kind words. "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." -Proverbs 16.24

Thank you, my dear friends...

I am excited to hear and see what the Father has in store for our family. I know since we left the church it has been a difficult journey, but I can confidently say something's happening in the spirit and around us... and maybe, just maybe the purpose of this wait and the things happening around me right now are part of the "greater cleansing" that is needed before that complete restoration is possible. I rest in the hope of this song. My Father in Heaven does not see me as an Orphan, but as his daughter... despite the things I've done in the past... despite me pulling away from Him... He still pursues me! Wow! He pursues me... I just dream that I could sing like Avalon... what a powerful song! Hope you enjoy as well... 

UPDATE: the ONE:27 Project

To All:

We are uncertain what happened to the site where we hosted the Change 4 Change Fundraiser, but think it was hacked. All the awesome encouragement and comments shared from those who contributed and our support letter was lost. We are ambivalent about restarting it at this point.

After paypal fees, we raised $992.94!!! Nearly 10% of our ultimate goal! If we didn't have the Paypal fees, we certainly would have reached that! We are so very appreciative of those who donated and those who passed on the word. I am sure we will have more fundraisers here in the future. Not sure what direction we will take... but please continue to pray for us.

(Luisa, Erika, Tatiana, & Nataly)

I got fingerprinted last week. Ben will get his this week. We will begin to compile the needed info for our home study update including physician appointments, fingerprints and more releases. Oh, and MORE MONEY! I hate that part! Just wished our referral were here already! BUT I KNOW God's timing is best, and while we could always wait to get "something else" in order, will everything ever be in the right place at the right time? Or is any time a good time...? You see how my mind races, lol!

So, fundraising and earning extra dough... I'm still taking pictures. It is more time intensive than one may think. I've collected and bought lots of fun props to use. I seem to give more away than keep, but I'm learning to be more business minded as I spend more time with other photogs (even if it's learning from them virtually!). I love it. I love seeing my photographs on print! I've sold my first canvas, and TWO more have been ordered! Outside of pictures, I'm out of fundraising ideas. =( so, help! help me generate some ideas, friends! Please leave me comments below.

<3 to all my Bloggin' Family!

Cookbooks - $10

We have 24 cookbooks remaining! They were given to us by an adoptive family who adopted domestically. They raised money for their adoption and didn't sell all of the cookbooks so they offered us about 70 books to sell. We have sold over 40 with the help of a friend who got her mom to help (Heather W!) and sold about 15!

THIS WEEKEND ONLY: IF YOU WILL BUY 2 OR MORE BOOKS, FREE SHIPPING IN THE 48 STATES! THEY MAKE GREAT GIFTS & SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE!

EMAIL ME @ wendiacklen@hotmail.com or post a comment with your email or contact info if you are interested in buying some cookbooks! Thanks so much!

Wendi

Change 4 Change Fundraiser! Join the $6 Club Today!

We are looking for 1505 more people to join the $6 club! Will YOU be one of those people? For only $6, you can help us bring our daughter home! We've raised over $950 dollars in THREE days!!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to those who have contributed. We appreciate you so much!

For those who can contribute, you can go to this link and make a paypal donation.  Why? Adoption is expensive. To put it bluntly! We have agreed to answer the call and make room for another child who does not have a home, a family, or love, shelter and all that good stuff that every child deserves. We just need to get past the adoption costs and get her home! We NEED YOUr help!

So how can we make this fun for everyone? I thought about presenting it as a "State Challenge?" I am looking for 153 people to find 10 people in their networks to donate $6 each! I think it would be cool if we could get representation from every state in the union to sponsor or make a donation to help unite an orphan to her Forever Family!

I also think it would be cool to see how many contributors from each state are represented in the $6 Club as part of the ONE:27 Project (caring for the orphan). So, I have compiled a list of those who have contributed thus far:

TEXAS - 5 donors            Total raised:  $65
In the lead! Thanks to my cousin, Brandy, who forwarded email to co-workers! Thanks Brandy! 
MISSISSIPPI - 4              $80
MISSOURI - 3                  $18
ARIZONA - 2                   $550
KANSAS - 2                      $120
LOUISIANA - 2                $30
FLORIDA - 2                    $26
NEW YORK - 1                $50
PENNSYLVANIA -1        $6
COLORADO -1                 $6   (SINCE INITIAL POSTING OF THIS BLOG ENTRY!)
WISCONSIN - 1                $12  (SINCE INITIAL POSTING OF THIS BLOG ENTRY!)

States NOT represented include:

Arkansas

Oklahoma

Virginia

Maryland

Rhode Island

Oregon

California

Nevada

Utah

Georgia

Hawaii

Tennessee

North Carolina

South Carolina

Michigan

Minnesota

Delaware

North Dakota

South Dakota

Alabama - I have someone who pledged $200 on 6/15!

Illinois

New Hampshire

Vermont 

Wisconsin

West Virginia

Idaho

Iowa

Ohio

Wyoming

New Jersey

Colorado

Indiana

Montana

Connecticut

Washington

Nebraska

Maine

Alaska

Kentucky

Massachusetts

New Mexico

Please spread the word! Send to your friends FAR and WIDE! Raise the banner of Adoption and please help us bring our daughter home! Your support and encouragement are appreciated more than you know. Please pray for us as we pursue an updated home study as our USCIS paperwork is expiring. We also pray for a referral sooner than that! Thanks for waiting with us! 


Wendi

the ONE:27 Project

Please take a minute to go to our newest fundraiser, the ONE:27 Project. We are looking for 1667 people to make a small one time contribution of $6 to help us bring home our daughter. We hope to raise the last remaining $10,000 by August 31st which is our 12th year wedding anniversary! Will you be one of our 1667? You can make the pledge through Paypal. You can also leave a challenge or word of encouragement for others who peruse the site. Any donation amount is appreciated! 

We are excited to see how this is going to work and are very hopeful we get the referral soon! 

Thank you as always for your support!