Give1Save1 Week!

Well, I know my blog is long over due for an update, and I promise one is coming. In fact, I plan to over blog in the next 2 weeks. But, in the mean time, I wanted to share about our friends Angie & Tom Rylands and their adoption journey back to Asia for two more, yep, two more older children!

Tom, Colin, Tommy, Cameron & Angie

I met Angie when she and her husband, Tom, were in the process of adopting Colin and Cameron, two of her (currently) three boys. They were "aging out of the system", and she was racing the clock for both of them because of their age (on paper) stated that they were almost 14. This would mean they are no longer guaranteed a home in the orphanage and no longer adoptable. But, by God's grace, they got the boys home in time.

 

The Rylands boys are in USA shirts

I only knew Angie via email and facebook, until the beginning of last year. But, I followed her journey and her friends journeys, and they welcomed me with open arms into the Ch**a adoption community as we began our journey to Meili Joy. When we finally met in person, it was as if we'd known each other for years. Bottom line, this family gets it. Their hearts are committed not just to their family, but to 100's of adopting families and children and bringing glory to God through it all.In fact, Angie has taken a job as the SC State Director for our agency, Lifeline (and y'all know how much I love Lifeline!).  Angie and Tom have been incredible blessings in the Carpenter family's life this year. God even moved them into our neighborhood which means we get a chance to see them a little more often. Justus especially adores Colin, and often asks to "I see Colin?"

Connor Rylands

Last spring and this summer, God called their family back for 2 more boys. I remember in April, we were at Together for Adoption Boot Camp in Greenville, and Angie could not put down a picture of another child. We kept just staring at her wide eyed. Really!?! Four boys? Yes, that was God's call. And now it will be 5 Rylands boys, 4 from Asia and 1 from birth. They have amazing stories of how God led all of them to these boys, and you can check out all the details on their blog.

Cooper Rylands

Their process is a little different than ours since they met their next two boys from a "Waiting Child List", they did not have as many wait times as we did. So,  even though they started a few months behind us, they are on the almost on the identical time table as we are. We may even get to travel together for part of this trip!  

Here's the catch: since their process goes faster, they have had a lot less time to fundraise. They haven't had 18 months to fundraise, like we have. They've had since this summer, about 6 months, and they are adopting 2 more boys!  They have the orphanage fees to cover for both boys as their next step. 

As I've shared, the orphanage fees are fees that are required and paid to care for children who are not adopted yet. They average orphanage fee is $6,000 per child. There are also 2 extra plane tickets to come home, visas, hotel for about 2 weeks, etc, and travel. So their total need is still over $20,000 and it looks like they'll be approved to travel by the end of February, early March, like we will be.

Do I believe it's going to come in for them? Absolutely. Is it crazy to say that? Yes, but after what I have seen God do this year in our own adoption and the support of Journey Together, I know that God is calling so many to give just a little to do something very big! 

This week, the Rylands are featured on the Give 1 Save 1 Blog. Checkout their story here. They also have a matching grant from Journey Together for the first $1,000 that they raise. Check out their post, their video and all the fun here!

About Give1Save1: 

I love Give1Save1: Asia because they are creating a community and habit that continually supports adoptive families, much like what we hope the Charleston community will feel called to do with our Hope Families. I hope that supporting adoptions becomes a normal part of budgets and planning and generous giving, etc. Give1Save1 asks families to log on every week and give just $1 to an adopting family that is featured on their website. So, this week, it's our Rylands!



Please pray for this precious family, and if God tugs at your heart to give $1, $5 or more, thank you and please do it! And please never think that your $1 or $2 gift doesn't make a difference. It really does. I can testify to that! Just getting a $10 bill handed to us during this journey has been a crazy encouragement.


Thank you for taking the time to read about our special friends and their journey, and thank you so much for your love and support over the last year.  

P.S. Angie also has some other adoption related fundraisers on her blog. One of them is amazing Goat Milk Soap for $6. It has cleared up some of my skin issues better than anything I've used in ages! 

P.P.S. Her oldest son, Colin, has his own blog now, too. The link is on her blog! 

So, there are lots of ways to get involved!