Kidnapped. Held Hostage. Ransom.

Please view THIS POST first.

Kidnapping really isn't something to make light of.
We're using the terms in our fundraising efforts
but I've been uncomfortable with it from the beginning.
People are taken from their families every day.
Children are stolen.
Held hostage.
Sometimes, if the family is lucky, there is a ransom.
A little glimmer of hope that their family member is alright and can be returned to them.

In this adoption, I've heard a lot about the fee's that we have to pay.

That's why we are fundraising, after all. To pay those fees.
I've come to think of those fee's-
That $20- $25,000 that this adoption will end up costing
As The Child's Ransom.


He has lost his family.
LOST.
He is suffering the greatest loss a child can have and it's possible he doesn't even know it.
He's never lived in a family setting.
But he has lost his family.

And now, he is being held by his country,
(while we try to jump through all the hoops
fill out all the paperwork
and sign documents in our own blood)
For a ransom.

A ransom we MUST pay to be able to allow him to have a family.

If you are reading this because a friend or family member has contacted you and said
"I'm kidnapped, being held hostage by a family who is fundraising for an adoption. Help me raise my ransom?"

Please, consider it. The ransom you contribute towards today isn't really your friend or family members ransom.

It's The Child's ransom.

Thank You.

Saturday Kidnapping

I've been teasing about a fundraiser that we'll be doing this Saturday.

Now I'll tell you what it is all about.

We have searched out and found 7 people who have volunteered to be Virtually Kidnapped. 

So for a few hours on Saturday, These volunteers will be held hostage until they are able to raise their ransom. 

So if you are contacted by someone who sent you to this blog saying, "I've been virtually kidnapped by a family who is fundraising for an adoption," You're at the right blog.

You can read about our family HERE.

You can read about our motivations to adopt HERE.

You can read about when we were Matched with The Child 

and Why we are adopting Internationally HERE.

You can read about how The Child's life will be changing HERE.

You're welcome to read back through the entire blog if you'd like. =)

So this event is going to work like so:

The people we have kidnapped have been given a ransom amount. They then have the day of Saturday to raise that amount. Every ransom will go towards the adoption fee's. 

The easiest way to help one of our kidnapped volunteers is to make a donation with the Chip In account, in the upper corner of the screen. It would be helpful if you note who's ransom you are donating towards.

Another way you can contribute towards a ransom is to mail your amount to us.  If you'd prefer to send in a check via the mail, check with your kidnapped person and they can give you our address. Or you can mail it to them and they will get it to us.

Another way is to hand them money in person. I trust these volunteers so if you hand them cash they will get it to us. They volunteered because they are eager to help us raise the funds needed to move along in this adoption process.

Thank You! If you have any questions You're welcome to contact us through our Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/HughesFamilyAdoption

-Hughes Family.

October Is Almost Over

Thank You!

Our goal is to reach 300 marbles by the end of October.

Yesterday's yard sale was wonderful. 

Of course, we all got sunburned.

And are exhausted.

But we raised $412!

And we have another fund raising event this upcoming Saturday.

I am excited to see how this one goes. =)

I'll post more about it closer to the day.

And Then What?

Shakespeare Frustrates Me.

Bear with me.

Shakespeare had a knack for telling stories until they weren't finished.
The viewer, reader, primary witness sees the scope of the story only as far as the main character is involved.
Essentially, He loved to pick up a story half way through, toss the audience into it, drag them through in a whirl wind, then kill off the main character, ending the play before the story is told in full.
He leaves an awful lot of, "Yes, but then what?!"

Indeed, and then what?
And then what?
and THEN what?
And then....
You see how this goes.

I feel like we're stuck in a Shakespearean Play.
Maybe not a tragedy.
(Please, not a tragedy?)
But I feel like we have have stepped into a story half way told.
We're struggling to catch up with the back story.
We're trying desperately to see where The Author is taking us.
We're reading the description on the back and hoping that the story within doesn't stray too far from the ending we've imagined.
We're checking all the cliff notes.
We're reading the cross references.
We're trying desperately to keep up, keep pace, maintain memory of the back story while mentally reaching forward into the story in small increments,  tentatively feeling for a small foothold to propel us forward.

Or, at least, a cozy ledge to rest upon until the next flurry of excitement.

Right now, we're clinging to a ledge.
 Waiting.
There is no Great War to be fought.
There is no Great Enemy to vanquish.

There is only paperwork...

And One Child.
One Child, who is unaware that this play is even being performed.
How it will be for him, when we meet him?
Will he feel like he is in a Shakespearean play?
Tossed into a story half way told?

And when does the play end?
For Shakespeare, it's usually well before the story is fully told.
Because, really? is any story ever fully told?

In the big grand scheme of things,
the Big Story
the Rotation of the Earth
the Twinkle of the Stars
the Breath of the Universe
the Heartbeat of God,

This adoption journey we are on... is nothing.
But to us, it is everything.
And to The Child?
It will be life changing.

Right now, we wait.
Play our tiny part.
See where The Author takes us.
and Pray.


And this is where we breathlessly ask,
And then what?
And THEN what?
And then....

Don't be afraid.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of babysitting one of my great nieces, Aubrey. 

She is just a few months younger than our Mordecai so it makes for a fun filled day when she visits.

The three children often play together in the bedrooms with the toys.

I overheard Magdalena telling Aubrey, "It's okay. Don't be afraid." 

She said, "God is with you. You don't need to be afraid."

I could have cried.

"It's okay."

"Don't be afraid."

"God is with you."

"You don't need to be afraid."

After a day spent in angry, 

sorrowful prayer on Tuesday

 where I focused on

 all of God's plans which I need not understand,

THIS

is exactly what I needed to hear.

"God, I'm freaking out down here. 

This isn't going like I'd hoped. 

I'm afraid. 

I'm worried.

 I'm constantly thinking about The Child. 

Please help me."

and He comes back with

"I know."

"It's okay."

"Don't be afraid." 

"I'm with you."

"You don't need to be afraid."

"I've got this."

"Promise."

"Trust Me."

Peace.

It may not be apparent but I enjoy feeling in control of my life.

This adoption? I have no control over it.

None.

This is God's work.

I'm learning to do my small part

then try to enjoy the ride.

It's a daily struggle.

There are SO many Highs in this process.

And SO many Lows, as well.

We swing from pure joy

to overwhelming sorrow in seconds.

The joy of watching The Child

our son

walking unassisted on a video

when his file said that he could not walk unsupported.

Pure. Joy.

Then to know that it will be nearly a year before we can bring him home.

To know that he has to spend 

every

single

day

of his life

in the orphanage.

Without the love of a parent.

And to know that there is 

NOTHING 

we can do

 to help him any 

QUICKER.

Overwhelming sorrow

 doesn't fully convey the 

emotional turmoil

 that kind of knowledge brings with it.

All we have is God's plan.

The peace He affords us.

And to know that HE knows.

He's got this.

We don't need to be afraid.

The October Prize Give Away!

As Promised,

Here is the October Prize Give Away!

A friend has been kind enough to donate a 

BRAND NEW

IN THE BOX

SINGER SEWING MACHINE!

If you click on the picture it will open to a larger version.

How this give away will work:

We will have a roll of tickets.

If you'd like to enter to win this prize,

Make a $1 donation for the intended purpose of having a ticket entered,

fill out your name, phone number and address

and we will enter your ticket into the drawing.

A $1 donation gets one ticket.

A $20 donation gets 20 tickets.

We will accept donations for tickets until Tuesday, October 30th.

On Wednesday, October 31st,

We will take a video of Magda choosing the winner.

Contact the winner.

Then post here about it.=)

Someone who purchases a ticket will have this Sewing machine in their home.

And since this thing is 

BRAND NEW

IN THE BOX!

You could enter to win it

to give it as a Christmas gift!

if you want=)

So there she is.

Let us know if you'd like to donate for a ticket.=)

Oh, If you don't live locally

(Within an hour drive from us)

And you'd like to donate for a ticket to win this prize,

Please be aware,

If you win and this needs to be shipped to you,

You'll need to cover the shipping.

Sorry.

Thank you!

This Week in Our Adoption

We're working on the medical examinations for

every

single

person

in the

household.

Yep.

Possibly,

We won't know for sure until later in the week,

but it's possible,

we may have all of the paperwork finished by this weekend.

We might can mail it in to the agency early next week.

Maybe this weekend's fund raising Yard Sale will be spectacular.

We're packing the entire yard sale up and taking it to  Main Street in Blountsville this Saturday.

Hope to see you there!

Oh, We wrapped up last month yesterday with a whopping 

181 Marbles

 in the Marble Jar

That's only 19 short of our Goal for last month.

Thank you so much for every single donation!

Thank you for shopping our yard sales

And Thank you for buying our crafts.

I keep saying it But I feel like it needs to be said often:

EVERY DONATION HELPS!

And We appreciate it.

Really.

Ya'll have no idea.

Thank You=)