Sunday, January 27, 2013

Finishing up Home Study & Dossier

Our Home Study should be done this week! We are so blessed! Since it had been less than 3 years since our last home study, Christian Adoption Services agreed to file it as an update which was a savings of $900! PRAISE GOD! Plus, because it was an update it only took 2 weeks to have it completed instead of the normal "up to 3 months" which means we also saved 2 1/2 months time! Wow God! Thank you!

Next we have our dossier left to complete. Since we had adopted before, we have already started collecting the documentation that we need for the dossier. This Thursday, Dustin and I have to have a psychological evaluation and testing (this is different than our other adoptions) but this is the LAST THING WE NEED TO GET DONE before we send our preliminary dossier to the Philippines! Woo-hoo!

Now, we have not submitted the USCIS paperwork yet (unlike with our Ethiopian adoptions). We will file the 800A USCIS paperwork once we receive the official copy of our home study (as the home study has to be included). We are not sure how long it will take to get approval from immigration, but as a rough guess, we are thinking about 2-3 months? They will give us information about where to go for our finger printing, and then that will be sent to the Philippines to COMPLETE OUR DOSSIER! Once the complete dossier is in the Philippines with the USCIS 800 approval, we can be officially matched with our children (there is no way to know how long it will take to get matched).

All in all, things are going very quickly and smoothly. Please continue to pray for our adoption process and for God's provisions.  Our friends trading us for their 15 passenger van, the savings on our home study update, and the many individuals who have already committed to donating items for the Quarter Auction are some of the ways God has shown His faithfulness by providing for this adoption, and we have no doubts that He will help us bring these children home if it is His will. We have already received 2 monetary donations, and we are thankful for all of the individuals who have listened to God stirring in their hearts to help bring these kids home. We could not do it without your help; thank you for being an instrument of God's provision. If anyone else would like to make a tax-deductible donation, there is information for online giving or where you can send a check directly to our adoption agency at the top left of the blog.

We are also still collecting prizes for the Quarter Auction which is scheduled to be Feb. 22nd. If you have a prize you would like to give, please email me: the.bestul.family@gmail.com  We hope you will attend! It is a lot of fun. We will be organizing a yard sale too in the near future, so please start looking through your house for things you would be willing to donate!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Art with Heart

A talented artist and a wonderful friend of mine has offered this beautiful piece of art for a small (tiny, really) donation to help with our adoption. I am humbled and honored at her heart and generosity. 



Special thanks to Heike McDoniel

Monday, January 14, 2013

Ordinary Hero Adoption Fundraiser


Have you heard of Ordinary Hero? It is a great non-profit organization (you may recognize it as it is the same organization that Fasika ran her half-marathon to raise money for their Ethiopian work). They also work in other countries and around the United States. They have sponsorship programs, advocate for waiting children, help raise money for adoptions and mission trips, organize mission trips,..etc. Their mission is to "inspire and empower ORDINARY people to make an extraordinary difference in the life of a child in need."

They offer an adoption fundraiser that is super easy! You can buy some of their cool products and/or clothing, and 40% of the proceeds go towards our adoption! They have coffee cups, t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and more! Surely you can find something there that you can use!

Make sure you CLICK on the AFFILIATE option at the checkout and choose DUSTIN & ANDREA BESTUL option.

http://www.ordinaryherostore.org

Happy shopping! Thanks for your support!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

A Sea of Hope Quarter Auction Feb 22!

A Sea of Hope Quarter Auction is scheduled for February 22nd, 2013, and we have been officially chosen to benefit from it! If you have never been to a quarter auction they are so much fun! They are a great time with a chance to win phenomenal prizes for just a quarter, and it is all for a great cause (to help bring orphans home!).

What do we need to do?

Well, as a benefiting family, we are required to come up with 30 donations for the auction, and that is where we need your help! Can you help us collect prizes for the auction? We need gift baskets, gift cards, and other donations.  If you are a small business you can donate products or services. There are additional opportunities for anyone who wants to be a vendor (just email me for information).

When you are in a store or restaurant, ask the manager if they will make a donation! Or, maybe you have a gift card you got for Christmas you would be willing to part with? We would be so grateful for your assistance in collecting prizes.

If you have any gift cards, you could send them directly to our house for the auction. Our address is: 155 John Humphrey Rd. Burgaw, NC 28425.

If you have a basket or something larger than a gift card, we will arrange to get it from you (please email me): the.bestul.family@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your assistance with collecting prizes for this year's quarter auction!


Friday, January 4, 2013

15 Passenger Van

Well, here it is! Here is our "new" 15 passenger van that we hope to have filled with the completion of our latest adoption!  If you didn't read the amazing orchestration of how we came to get this vehicle, it is in the previous post, "BIG NEWS." 



Now, we need to get these kids home! Check back frequently to follow our adoption story as we strive to follow God's call for our life, and we begin the process of adopting seven children from the Philippines!