January 22nd Totals

Total Amount Needed for Adoption:

$26,830.00

Donations sent to IGAO:

- $3,976.00

Donations sent to Johnsons:

- $4,650.50

Other Donations:

- $6,992.50

Total Needed via ChipIn:

= $11,211.00

Donations via ChipIn (as of Jan. 22):

- $11,325.98

Leaving us with this remainder to collect:

= ($114.98)

Praise God!!!


Philip and I have never been comfortable with asking for money. We struggled when friends suggested that we try to raise the money to adopt Misha. These precious friends began reminding us that this adoption was not about us, but about Misha. We decided to lay out the fleece of provision for the necessary funds (without us taking out a loan), and also God allowing enough time to complete all the paperwork.


We began this fund-raiser in October and in just a little over three months, God has used each of you to raise over $26,000. I can't began to convey to you, how deeply moved our family has been through this entire process.


Originally, I started the blog as a diary for Misha. When we began this, Philip and I weren't sure what to expect. Would God bring people who had never met us, and give them a desire to unite with us in adopting a handicapped child? My faith in our abilities to raise $27,000 in less than six months, was very small.


Some of you have shared your discouragement over the lack of interest your friends or church family have shown, as you have tried to help collect money for Misha. These are economically troubling times. Please have grace on others who might not share our zeal.


Instead, I want to encourage you with a bigger picture that our family has been blessed to observe. We have seen the generous outpouring and love of fellow believers. We have received sacrificial gifts from loved ones as well as total strangers. Young children have emptied their piggybanks and asked their parents to give all their Christmas money to Misha. Many families cut way back and made this Christmas a time of joining in Misha's adoption.

We do not begin to know all the sacrifices each of you have personally made. When we began receiving money, we decided to keep a record of all the names, addresses and donations given so that we would be able to personally contact everyone who has joined with us in adopting Misha. This book is filled with all the information that I have on everyone who has given, so that I can update them of Misha's progress through the years. This book reminds me of a book that God is keeping. In His book, He is recording every detail concerning circumstances, motives, thoughts and actions over every daily deed of each of us. My only responsibility is to make sure that the entries under my name are worthy of praise.

Let us rejoice in what God has done and is doing!