While We Wait - A Matching Grant!!!

One year ago TODAY we sent in our application to Lifeline Children's Services to adopt a child from Ethiopia.

One year ago.

It took about 6 months to get all of our paperwork to Ethiopia. Longer than we had hoped, but we trust the Lord's timing to lead us to our child(ren).

So here we are in the middle of our wait. We began in February on our agency's waiting list around #100. We now sit somewhere in the mid-70s on the wait list. That means there are around 70 families in front of us waiting to be matched with a child. Since the wait list is comprised of all of the families with our agency with a variety of parameters, our referral could come at anytime...or it could be a long time. We are approved to adopt a boy or girl or siblings ages 0-6 years old, so our parameters are wider than most of the families on the list. So...we wait and see what God has in store.

During our wait we are seeking the Lord for the funds we will need to complete our adoption. Our total adoption expense will be around $30,000 (more if we adopt siblings). By God’s grace, we've been able to pay the initial fees for our home study and agency fees. Additionally, we have applied for some adoption grant funding and have received $7000 in grant funding. God has been so gracious and faithful to provide for us at every step in this process. At this point, we still need a minimum of $13,000 to complete our adoption.

Hunter, Millie, and Will are thrilled to have another brother or sister on the way, and we eagerly await the time when we will find out who God has planned as the newest Friederichsen.

As we wait to be matched with our child(ren), would you consider helping us in two important ways? First, would you pray? Pray that we will wait well on God’s timing in this process, and that God would use this time of waiting to prepare our family for our newest child(ren). Pray also for our child(ren). The loss and brokenness that comes with being an orphan is unimaginable, so we ask for prayer for our child(ren) as they prepare to become a part of our family.

Secondly, would you consider giving a tax-deductible donation to help us with the remaining $13,000 of adoption expenses?  Lifesong for Orphans in partnership with Zarapheth Christian Church (a New Jersey church with an orphan care ministry) has graciously offered us a matching grant of $2500. That means that any gifts given toward our adoption will be matched up to $2500. Incredible!  Would you consider joining us in the process of bringing our child home from Ethiopia by giving a gift to our adoption?

To give a gift to our adoption, you can send a check to Lifesong to Orphans at the following address:

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40

Gridley, IL 61744 

Please put our name and account #3489 in the memo. Note: In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit organization. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use. We have to say that...but the money will go to our adoption.

One of the incredible things about Lifesong is that there are zero administrative fees taken out, so if you give by check, 100% of your gift will go to our adoption, and the first $2500 will be MATCHED. Wow. 

If you would prefer to give online, click the "Donate" button on the top right corner of this page, or click here. Any donation you give (minus about 3% Paypal fees) through our donate button will go to our adoption. If it's more convenient for you to give online, DO IT. We would rather lose the 3% and have you partner with us. 3% is still WAY LESS than the admin. fee of most other non-profits, so we're cool with it.

Once we receive our referral we have to be ready to pay the $9000-$14000 (one vs. two children) referral fee within 10 days. Since we have no idea when our referral will come, we would like to be fully funded this fall so that we could say "yes" at any time without concern for the funding of that referral fee. 

Would you help make this a reality? Could we be fully funded this fall so that we can pour all of our energy into preparing for our little one to come? We are humbled by your love and care for our family, and we would love for you to join to help us bring our little guy or girl home.

So, at this one year mark, let's celebrate our adoption application's birthday by funding our $2500 matching grant by September 22 and asking the Lord for the rest of our funding (at least $13,000 total) sometime this fall.

Feel free to contact us or comment below with any questions. 

We trust the Lord with this process and believe that He who calls you is faithful; 
he will surely do it.

I Thessalonians 5:24