The Orphanage

 

First of all, I have to say how thankful I am for our agency, West Sands.  And for the fellow adoptive mamas I have recently met through facebook.  They have been a huge help and support already.  One mama said her son was in the same orphanage as Elliana and sent me a few pictures! 

The orphanage is called Selam and is located in Nazret. 

This is the outside of the orphanage.  Pretty, isn't it?



 

 

 

 

 

 

We were told that Elliana wouldn't be moved until after court, but after talking to some of the mamas who are in or have recently been in our place, it seems that sometimes our children are moved over to the transition home without them notifying us.  They just tell all the families they don't move them until after court, because is when they have to move them.  That is when we will start paying for foster care for Elliana to be at the transition house because she will have been declared ours.  This mama also sent me some pictures of the nannies holding her son.  They are full of smiles and giving kisses, so that's nice to see.  She also sent me this picture:

 

This is a room inside the transition house.  You can see the wall colors. 

 

 

 

Here is a tiny portion of Elliana's referral photo:

Do you see the wall color??? I think our daughter is at the transition home! :)  That makes me very happy!  (And I had to include a little bit of her hair in the picture, too!)

 

 

 

Here are some other photos of the orphanage, and you will notice that all the walls are white:

 

 

Very sad there are so many beds in one room, but otherwise I couldn't believe how nice the conditions were.  These are the only photos we have, so I don't know what the other parts of the orphanage look like though.

 

Several of the people who have visited in the past commented to me:

 

"If it is the one I'm thinking of it was VERY nice.  They had marble floors and very elaborate woodwork.  The kids were all very nice."

 

"We walked away saying we could be so happy adopting any of the children! They were all very sweet and well cared for.  The guy who runs it is a very dear man who really wants the best for the children and is so kind."

 

"We loved the Nazarat orphanage!"

 

"I remember when we visited Salem Orphanage-I left there feeling very thankful that my son spent his early months there--so clean and staff was friendly."

 

 

These are so comforting to read!  It doesn't change how we would love her- no matter where Elliana is from or is staying, but it is so nice to know her conditions are clean and she seems in good hands.

 

Someone also said they saw kids sitting up and rolling over, which means they are probably getting out of their cribs and possibly getting tummy time!  They still have far less interaction and care than we would want any child to have and still spent far too much time in a crib, but this is still all positive!

 

Wanted to share this news with you! :)

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



The day we have been waiting for!

There will be no January waiting list update......because we got a referral!!!

December 28, 2012 is a day that will always be very special to us.  We finally got the call.  And because I'm a detail person and I love hearing details of birth stories and adoption stories, I of course have to give you all the details on ours!  So here is how it went down....from the call, to announcing, to what happens next.

(and just a side note....I'm going to type this through and publish right away.  Both kids are sleeping and if I don't do this right now, it will be another month before it happens, and hopefully by then there are many more blog posts with more updates! So forgive me if I ramble and it's all over the place!)

It was 6:00pm on Friday night.  We had sweet potato fries in the oven.  We had received an email earlier in the day from West Sands about a new policy going into effect in Ethiopia.  As I was cutting tomato and onion for our hamburgers, I told Brent he should read the article.  He brought the computer to the counter, sat at the bar stool and didn't get past the first sentence of the article when his phone vibrated on the counter.  "Hello, this is Brent."  I, of course knew when he answered it that way that it was not just a friend calling and wondered who was calling on Friday at 6:00pm. Then he says, "Yes, we are. Can I put you on speakerphone?"  Whoa, those words.  I knew.  I looked at his phone and saw the name West Sands on the screen as he popped open the phone.  I don't think I can even describe the feeling that went through my body at that moment.  Life was about to change.  We heard the words that we were going to have a daughter. A two month old little girl.  A precious gift from God.

The phone conversation didn't last much longer and we eagerly waited by the computer screen watching for the new email to pop up.  She said it would be there within ten minutes--in reality, it probably only took about four minutes to arrive....but it seemed much longer.  We couldn't wait to see her name and see her sweet face.  We just stared at the photograph for quite a while.  Then wiped away tears and then looked at the rest of the documents in the email. 

I'm not entirely sure what I'm allowed to say other than the agency told us we cannot post her photo on any website, blog, or facebook.  But I am allowed to show you in person!  We have studied every pixel of that photo and she is just beautiful!  We only have one picture right now, but we heard that more will come after a few weeks.  So if you'd like to see her sweet face, you know this mama wants to show you! Even if you have already seen her....I'd be happy to show you again and again:) 

I'm not going to blog about her history either.  Not right now anyway.  This is something I'd be willing to share with you in person, or if you are a friend who I won't be seeing in person but would like to know, just ask.  I don't mind sharing what information we do have....just not on the blog.

Our little sweetheart does have a name and a birth certificate.  Currently, her first name starts with the letter G. That will one day be her middle name, so one day, after court, I will write on the blog what that is.  But we have decided to give her a new first name, given by us.  We will call her Elliana. 

 Elliana G. Frazey

Elliana is Hebrew and means "God has answered my prayer" or "The Lord has responded" 

It has been our prayer that God be glorified through this adoption. We have sought His wisdom and guidance and it has taken us down different paths than we originally thought.  We have prayed many prayers for a child we had not seen or known.  We prayed for His will to be done in His perfect timing and we knew that He would give us the exact child He had planned for our family.  God has indeed answered our prayers.  He is so merciful and gracious to us even though we do not deserve it.  One example of His goodness was that it was our heart's desire was to have an infant but we did say we were willing to go up to 14 months.  But God gave us this sweet little girl that is two months old.  This is the youngest referral we have ever heard of for international adoption.  He is so faithful to His children. This is just one small portion of what He has done and we know as we trust in Him, He will continue to guide and direct us as we seek to raise Elliana and our other children in the fear and instruction of the Lord.

A couple other neat little things are about the city Elliana is from.  It is Adama, which is one letter off from my maiden name; Adams. Also, Adama is better known as Nazret, and was derived from a word that means 'cactus'.  Pretty cool, considering we live in Arizona:)  God has every detail planned and ordained.

So, back to the sweet potatoes in the oven....
We had always said that when we got our referral we would go to the Ethiopian cafe to eat and celebrate.  So, Brent walked over to the oven and turned it off and said, "We're going out!"
Before we left, we did a little face time with my mom and dad in Michigan and sister and brother in Ohio.  Then, it was off to Tina's Ethiopian Cafe!

 

 

 

Funny story here.  We had the video camera and everything, thinking it would be a great memory to have.  Got our referral and went to eat Ethiopian food.  Great idea, right?  We pulled up with Brent's mom and dad at 7:00pm.  We snapped this photo before we went in.  Right after we took the photo, a woman walked out and asked if we were going to come in.  I thought she just didn't like that we were loitering and taking pictures, haha!  Nope, it wasn't that.  Instead, she informed us they were closing.  That day was reservation only day.  She felt so bad. I assured her it was ok, that we should have called first, and that we'd be back the next day.  Well she said they were closing and would be reopening in February in a new location.  haha!  Well, at least we tried!

So, we went to Joe's BBQ instead! A great second choice:)  And they donated gift cards to the auction, so what a great place to celebrate!

 

We could hardly keep in our excitement, but we wanted to hear back from the agency before announcing the news.  Since we hadn't officially signed or sent them our referral fees yet, we thought we should get their permission first!  At 10pm Saturday night we heard back that we could announce!  We also got a 20 page booklet sent to us with lots of information from what to pack, to immunizations, and also what to expect in country. 

 

 

 

So what's next?  No, Elliana will not be here next week or even next month.  Adoption is a process of waiting.  First you wait for your fingerprint clearances, then you wait for your homestudy, and approvals, you wait in the doctor's office to get your medical check ups, wait for passports, for state clearance and federal clearance, then of course you wait and watch your number drop lower on the waiting list.  But now the real waiting has begun.  The waiting just got so much harder now that we see the face we are waiting for.  Now that we know it's a daughter we are waiting for.  It's hard to describe how much it can change in an instant, but it does.  She was always on our minds before, but now it is just different.  Now we know her age and what orphanage she is in.  But I want to know more-- who is holding her? Who is feeding her? What does her crib look like? Is she crying? Is anyone looking her in the eyes so she can smile at them? I'm here on the other side of the world wanting to rock her to sleep and cover her with kisses and all I can do is stare at a picture. These thoughts consume my thinking and I must remind myself to trust in my Father that He would protect her and comfort her and that He would be pleased to have this process go speedy and smoothly. 

But I digress...

 

So, what's next?  We are currently waiting for a preliminary hearing court date.  That is the hearing that our agency director will appear and someone from the orphanage will appear.  Once that is done, they will issue a new court date.  This is the big one! The important date we are praying to be soon because that is when we will travel! That is when we will meet Elliana and hold her in our arms! I will be sure to update the blog with those dates!! 

 

Right now, Elliana is in an orphanage.  Once we pass court, she will be moved to the transition home, which is run by the agency.  There, they have nannies and all the other children who have been matched are also there.  I'm praying that she would be moved before we go to court because I have heard that happens sometimes.  I know that she would receive much better care there. When we travel, we will go to the orphanage and see her.  We cannot take her out of the orphanage though.  In fact, they say we will only get to see her on 2 days of our trip for a few hours each day. We will stay in the transition home.  The director will pick us up from the airport and drive us while we are there.  They also provide food or we can go get it on our own. 

 

They told us that we should be prepared to travel in approximately two months.  Some families though, traveled as quick as four weeks after their referral. My birthday is January 30.  2 years ago I had a wonderful gift of my first born, Raelynn.  I went into labor on my birthday and she was born the next day.  Maybe this year's gift will be a court date!!! :)  

 

I'm going to stop there for now.  I have so much more to write.  If you have questions, either drop them in the comments or email me! I'd love to try to answer them and maybe you have thought of a question that we haven't.  So much going through our minds right now and so much to do now with Lord willing, little time to do it in.      

 

So I will leave you with some outtakes....because who doesn't love some good bloopers?

 

Such a great smile, but no sign!

She did a great job of looking at the sign...

 





Did you want me to smile?

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog and our story.  We appreciate your support and your prayers.  More updates to come!

Slacking!

Hello there!!! I haven't forgot about the blog, even thought it seems that way.  I have been meaning to post an update for an entire month now and just haven't done it! Total slacker over here...sorry about that! Most people just ask me and I tell them where we are at.  I don't even know who really checks this blog...and let me tell you, there won't be a change that isn't posted! So no news on the blog pretty much just means there is no new news.

We were emailed the December update on November 29....we thought early was a good sign that December would be packed full of referrals....but it wasn't.  We currently still sit at number 2

 

 

We were surprised that we didn't have a call this month.  The previous couple months have had 6-7 referrals all in the first couple weeks of the month.  But not December.  Not sure why.  Ethiopia celebrates christmas in January, so it isn't because of the holidays.  There are still a few days left in the month, so maybe it still will be December.  We are excited to get the call, but we still wait patiently and peacefully knowing that God is in control and is working all things for our good as those who love Him.  We rest in the fact that He knows the exact child that will ours forever and the exact moment that we will see his or her face. 

 

Thank you to those who are praying for us and for the health, care, and safety of our child.  It means more than words can ever express to know that you support us and are praying for us. May God receive all the glory.

 

 

January update soon!  Praying January would be a month of many children going home to their forever families.

Wear Your Support!

Want to show your love and support?  Then wear it!  I will custom make a shirt for you.  There are a couple options:

-If you live in Arizona:
1. Give me a shirt you either already own or that you purchase yourself. 

2. Tell me your shirt size, style (long or short sleeve/round or v-neck) and I will go purchase the shirt for you. 

-If you live out of state:
1. Tell me your shirt size, style (long or short sleeve/round or v-neck) and I will go purchse the shirt for you.  I'll mail it to you and include the shipping costs in your total. 


I have been getting the shirts from Target.

**If you are an adoptive family adopting from another country in Africa, let me know and I'd be happy to customize the heart for you.

Shirts are $20 if you are in state and $25 if you are out of state.

If you are interested, email me at abfrazey@gmail.com and we can get your order placed the way you want it. :)

Thank you for your support!!

Here are a couple examples:


Back Shoulder

Stitched Heart

close up

Back Shoulder

Baby Onesie

 

Custom made baby onesie and mama's back shoulder

Mama and baby Brucks wearing their support!

Custom made for the newlyweds! (Woman's front hip and men's shoulder)

Close up

My very first one! On an old shirt from Kohl's



Mr. and Mrs. Giarrizzo showing their love!

Baby Onesie







 




Matching father and son shirts!

 

 





Family Tree

I got thinking about family trees.

Webster's dictionary defines 'family tree' as genealogy.  When I looked up genealogy I found this:
"an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms"

Do you know the descent of what person or family you came from?  I bet you do.

My heart is heavy right now.  Heavy with the thought that my son or daughter does not know the person or family which they come from.  Right now they don't have anyone to call mommy.  Yes, they did come from someone--someone who abandoned them.  And yes, they do have a mommy, and that is me.  But right now, at this very moment, as they sit in their crib in an orphanage 8,000 miles away from me they don't know I'm here.  And that breaks my heart.

Then I think of all the other orphans there that won't call me mommy.  The ones that don't have anyone to call daddy.  No one to teach them how to play, read, pray, or how to love.  All the orphans that will never get adopted because they have committed crimes such as too old, too sick, or having a sibling.  They will grow up and eventually they will age out of the orphanage.  They will have no family tree. 

Go then and make disciples of all the nations. 

These orphans may not know an earthly family, but I pray that someone, somehow, someday will show them the love of God.  The One who is their Savior, Redeemer, and eternal Father.  Who in His mercy sent His one and only Son to walk a perfect life of humility and obedience on this earth for them.  He walked it all the way to the cross and laid His life down.  For sinners such as them.  These children; though weak, defenseless, and fatherless, are not exempt from God's judgement.  They too, are sinners and need a Savior.  My heart is aching for them right now.  I wish I could bring them all here and raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  Show them the truth and teach them the Gospel.  That is a bit unrealistic though....So I will just pray.

Yes, it is unrealistic for me to bring them all home.  But it is not unrealistic for me to bring one home.  What about you?

One less.  One less orphan.  One less without a family tree.

There are 153 million out there waiting.

Decision and New Number

Tonight we got a call.  No, it wasn't the call....but I did think it was for a moment.  And for a moment my heart skipped a beat.  I can't explain the feeling I got when I heard "Hi Allison, this is Sheila from West Sands Adoption Agency." Whoa. When I get that feeling  when I hear those words, I know this means we are so close.

So, if it wasn't the call, then what was the call? Why is it significant enough to write a blog post about?

Our agency wanted to discuss our requested age range with us. We originally selected the age range of 0-9 months with no preference for a boy or girl.  That was fine until now.  Until Mr. Declan made his arrival and is now 3 months old.  The agency said that they will support us whatever our decision, but that they suggest and 'best practice' suggests that there be at least a 6 month gap between the child and the children currently in the house.

So, she suggested that we broaden our range from 0-12 or 0-14 months.  It doesn't guarantee that our child will be in that older range, but it does open up that possibility.  Children do not get referred younger than 5-6 months and they don't want to make us wait longer than we already have.  If we wait for the child to be on the younger side of Declan, then we'd have to wait until he is almost a year old...another 9 months from now. 

So we were faced with a decision. Change the age range or just wait and let all the children for the next nine months go to another family.  This is one of the first 'issues' to come up in the process. (Which is awesome, by the way! Praise God!)
Remember when we wanted to do a domestic adoption so we could bring our baby straight home from the hospital at just days old and that would be the 'easiest'? Then, we decided that was selfish on our part.  We could not ignore that God was calling us to international adoption, even though would mean a little older child. Well, here is a new little milestone to remember.  We're taking God's leading down the path He has for us and opening up our age range to 0-14 months. 

As I mentioned, it doesn't mean that we'll be certain to get an older child, but it just opens up the possibility.  If God has planned that we get a younger baby, then that will happen regardless of our new range.  Or maybe He is just trying to stretch us yet again to be open to His will. Providentially, we visited with a family who just adopted a 21 month old boy tonight. Literally, we were late for dinner because I was on the phone with the agency!  Not that we could base our decision on this, but we did think it was neat how God timed that for us.

So what did we base our decision on? These kids need love and a family whether they are infants or toddlers. We have our plan set in our mind, but the Lord is directing our steps.  We could not say no when thinking of these little children that need us.  They are the least of these.  The fatherless.  The weak.  They are His and we have the privilege of being entrusted with their hearts and lives.
What is the difference in a couple of months? Nothing that we can't overcome with the strength and grace of our God.  His grace is sufficient for us and we can do all things through Him.  Sure, maybe it would be easier to get a younger child.  But I know I've said it before....adoption isn't easy.  It's hard.  We have a hard road ahead and we shouldn't deny that.  And we definitely shouldn't run from it and hide because we're scared.  Instead we will trust in the Lord.  God is good all the time.  All the time, my God is good. And I know He will do all things for my good and for His glory.  This life we live is all for Him and as He directs, we will go.

Now here is the other exciting news....when I asked what number we were currently at..she said #2! BUT, she wasn't sure if the one family ahead of us was requesting a girl or had no preference.  If they are requesting a girl only, and a boy comes up, then we are NEXT! (or vice versa)
So now that we are so close it's more like we're #2 but possibly #1! (They don't share those details with us about the families ahead of us.  This means we're #2 overall, but really could be #1 on the 'no gender preference' list).  WOW!  We are so close! The next post we write could be with photos of our little one!!!!!
**Update:  Spoke with agency and the family ahead of us is waiting on either gender, 0-2 years old.  But they are working on paperwork right now.  If a referral comes before they are finished, then the referral will go to us.  However, if the child is not 6 months older than Declan, we will be skipped. 

So for now we continue to wait.....and update our homestudy. again.

Wearing Their Support!

Ally and Ryken showing their love and support for Baby Frazey by wearing their shirts!  Thank you for your continued prayers and love, Ally!  I hope these shirts keep you nice and warm up in Fargo!

If you missed this post that explained the shirts, check it out!

Francis Chan Video

Well, I couldn't have said it better.  I think he sums up what I was trying to say in my last post. 

Orphan Sunday

Today is Orphan Sunday.  Churches and people across America will take time to raise awareness of the orphans in the world and pray for those children.

Today we also celebrate that we are no longer orphans and that God did not leave us alone.  We were separated from God because of our sin, but God sent us a Savior to redeem us to Himself.  He left heaven and came to earth for us and sacrificed His life to die for us. For a sinful people who did not deserve it at all.  He gave us life, a hope, and a future.

What an honor we have to be able to show an orphan just a glimpse of that love in an earthly form.  God is the defender of the powerless.  Pslam 68:5 says "A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His Holy habitation" and Isaiah 1:17 says "Learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow."  We are God's hands and feet.  We are to be like Christ.  Adoption is not easy and is completely sacrificial.  But what better way to express this love and follow God's commands?

James 1:27 tell us that "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world."  Orphans are in distress.  We are called to help.  For our family, that means adoption.  What does this mean for you and your family?  It is not a verse to be overlooked or one to be pushed off  'until the time is right'.

November is National Adoption Month in America.  I am not a very good writer- never have been and probably never will be. So you'll have to bear with me a bit this month as I attempt to open up a bit and share more of our heart to you.  I might use a lot of quotes because sometimes when I read something written by someone else I think--"That was EXACTLY what I was thinking! I just could never say it so well!"  (You'll also have to bear with my grammatical errors.....sorry, Andrea!)

Today, I will share the same thing I shared last year on Orphan Sunday. 


Dear Orphan,

I saw your picture today and heard about your plight. Your face is so beautiful and sad, and it tugs at my heart.


I hear you don't get enough to eat, and that there isn't always medicine if you get sick. You sleep in a room with many children, but you still feel alone.


You have never had anyone wish you a "Happy Birthday", give you a gift, or even sing you a lullaby goodnight. No one has ever told you about Jesus or that He loves you.


I wish we could adopt you, but....

It is such a long way to travel, it would cost so much money, and it involves so much paperwork.
Our home isn't very big, and we already have children. Adding another child to our family would mean they would have to share a bedroom as well as our love and attention.
What if you have health issues or special needs that are not yet diagnosed?
You might have a hard time adjusting to a family after never knowing one, or have "issues" from years of neglect, malnutrition, mistreatment, or abuse.

I'm sorry, it just feels like too much of a risk and sacrifice. Adoption doesn't really feel like our "calling". Maybe there is another family....

Written by Amy B.
http://justamomofseven.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-wish-i-could.html

God Provides

We want to share the outcome of our auction with you!  God is good.  God is faithful.  God provides. 

We are once again so humbled by the generosity of people and by the abundant blessings of God.  We had a lovely turn out for our dinner and there were many items to bid on.  Bidding concluded on Saturday at 4pm and resumed at the dinner event for final bids.  It was neat that some of the items did go to the online bidders. 

Thank you to all those who donated their services, items, and time.  Many people couldn't come or it wasn't in their budget to bid on an item, but they made something or gave something to be bid on.  That helped so much! 

Many of you were behind the scenes hanging lights, unloading tables, making dessert, cooking noodles, stirring sauce, or praying for us near and far. 

It was a fun night with great fellowship and good food!  But it wouldn't have been possible without the help of so many.  Thank you.

The Lord blessed our efforts to raise $5000 toward our adoption costs!!!  We have $8000 due at the time of referral, so this is a HUGE help!!!


Thank you for your continued prayers and support.  It means so much to us.

NEW ITEMS!

Many new items have been added to the auction!!

Please check them out--there is something for everyone here.  Thanks for looking and we hope to see you Saturday for the live auction.  There are many more items there that are not listed online.  Those that are able to attend the dinner will have the final bid on the items.


www.32auctions.com/FrazeyFamilyAdoption


All the information can be found at the auction website



We also spoke the the agency and we are still at #5! :)

Auction!

It's time!!  Our auction is beginning on Sunday, October 8 at 12:00PM Arizona time.  The auction will be open for bidding all week and will end at 7:30PM on October 13.  To view the items and place your bid, go to:

www.32auctions.com/FrazeyFamilyAdoption

The website is easy to use.  It does have you sign up if you want to bid and you have to enter your name and address.  You don't enter any payment information unless you win the item. We will be adding new items all week as we continue to have items donated.

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has put in your time to make this auction possible.  Many people donated your time making handmade items, many gave items from your shop, some donated services or items that were new and unused.
We were blown away by the generosity of businesses and know that it is only by the hand of God this has all come together and we are so thankful for His blessing on this so far. 

We will still have the live auction and dinner on Saturday, October 13.  If you missed the previous post, here is the info:

Dinner and Silent Auction Fundraiser
Saturday October 13, 2012 at 6pm

2510 W Loughlin Dr
Chandler AZ 85224
(Treva Lint's home)

Dinner will be served from 6-7pm 
Items will be out for viewing and bidding 6-7:30pm

So, if you are unable to attend the dinner but still want to bid on your favorite items, you can do so online!  But we would love to have you come enjoy a dinner with us if you are able.  Please RSVP that you will be coming so we can prepare food and seating.

**There will be more items at the auction that are not listed online. Some things we are not able to get early enough to list ahead of time.

Wear Your Support!

Would you like to show your love and support???  Just wear a shirt!  I would LOVE to make one of these shirts for you!  I am not selling these to raise funds, just to raise support and give people a way to show their love for our little one in Ethiopia. 


Thank you to my beautiful models, Andrea and Adele:)



There are two ways to have your shirt made.  I can purchase the shirt for you (Target has a great v-neck ladies shirt for $10 in several colors) and then I will make it and only charge you for the cost of the shirt and shipping if I need to ship it to you.  OR, if you live close and want to just give me the shirt, I'll take it home, sew it up and return it for no cost!

Target also has a nice men's shirt for $10 as well and I made Brent one.

There are two styles:  the reverse applique, which is shown above or a zig zag stitch on the outside, which is shown below  (I know it's hard to tell in the photos.  In my opinion, the zig zag stitch is more for kids!)

Raelynn wearing her Africa onesie


 

Please contact me if you're interested.  And even if you come across this blog and I have no idea who you are, I'd love to make you one, too!  Just leave a comment below or email at abfrazey@gmail.com



Reverse Applique Close Up



This one is on an old t-shirt I had from Kohl's.  On back shoulder.



Also a shirt from Kohl's.  Front lower hip





October Update!

Well, October has arrived!  I didn't update our number in September because we have been at a little bit of a stand-still on the waiting list.  We are currently in the process of updating our homestudy because we had to add our newest family member to it!  Brent also got a new job, so that of course had to be added in as well.  But I didn't want to leave you hanging for the month of October, too!  We spoke with the agency and they said that if we were to have our homestudy paper work completed right now and were able to receive a referral, we'd be.....drum roll please.....#5!!  Wow, right?!  We can't believe we are in single digits!  So excited to see what God has planned for us in the next few months and how our family of four will be growing.  We continue to trust Him with our plans and know that His timing is perfect.  To God be the glory!

We'd ask that you please pray for:
-God to be glorified through our adoption
-Our child in Ethiopia, who very well may have been born
-Our homestudy update to go through with no complications
-Our dinner fundraiser to come together smoothly in the next 2 weeks
-God to bless the silent auction and dinner fundraiser and our efforts toward it


Have you checked out the items for our auction yet?  We still have many that we haven't collected to take photos of, but here is a preview of some of the items.  God has blessed this so much and we are overwhelmed at the generosity of others.  Now we pray that we will have people to bid on these great items!!
Check them out:   www.facebook.com/FrazeyFamilyAdoption

Auction Item Photos

To view photos and descriptions of items up for bidding, please go to:

www.facebook.com/FrazeyFamilyAdoption


New photos will be added, so check back often!

Silent Auction Items

This is not a complete list, but here are several of the items we have for the silent auction.  We aren't listing everything in detail yet because we may be combining some items to make 'themed' baskets.  We will also update the blog with the starting bid price for each item as it gets closer.  If you're interested in an item, either comment below or email us at abfrazey@gmail.com and we'll be sure to keep you updated!  Pictures will be coming of some items as well!

Current Auction Items:

Various restaurant gift cards
Free games of bowling
Bounce-U Bounce Pass

Jesterz Improv Tickets

National Comedy Theater Tickets
 Brook Dunning Hair Salon Hair Cut
Brook Dunning Hair Salon Cut/Color
Hamilton Beach Juicer
Homemade Cupcakes
Gift Certificate for Specialty Cake
3 hours of Baby-Sitting
Homemade and Delivered Meal
Handmade ASU onesies
Handmade Baby Towel
Baby Girl Headbands and Bows

Baby Boy Bow Tie Onesie
 Handmade Coasters
Handmade Cards
Tastefully Simple Products
Tupperware Products
31 Products
Phoenix Suns Merchandise
Dave Ramsey Book Set
Proverbs 31 Art
Keepsake Box
Movie Gift Certificate
Wipes Cases and Burp Cloths
Scripture Art
Whole Grain Bread Co. Bread Basket

Baskin Robbins Sundae Certificates

Mary Kay Products

Dinner and Silent Auction Fundraiser

What:  Adoption Dinner and Silent Auction Fundraiser

When: October 13, 2012  6-8 PM

Where: 2510 W Loughlin Drive, Chandler AZ 85224  

(Treva Lint's house located at Elliot Road and the 101)

Why: As most of you know, the cost of adoption is great.  As we move up the waiting list, we move closer to needing the funds to complete our adoption.  We also need to fund two trips to Ethiopia once we get our referral.

We invite you and your family to enjoy a dinner with us!  We will be accepting donations that evening or if you are unable to attend but feel lead to help us, you can donate through pay pal on this blog. 

Dinner will be served from 6-7 PM.  The auction will be open from 6-7:30 PM. 

We will be updating the blog with items that will be in the auction as we get them.  If you see something you want to bid on but know that you will not be able to attend the auction, please email us at abfrazey@gmail.com about it with your maximum bid and we will bid on it for you that evening.  If you do win the item, you will just need to pay shipping if we need to ship it to you or if you live in state we can meet at a later date to get the item to you.

We have a lot of great items as well as services that will be available at the auction.  Check back to see the updated list or subscribe to the blog by entering your email on the left side bar and you'll be notified when there is an update.

To help us prepare, please RVSP at abfrazey@gmail.com if you know you will be attending.

**If you would like your donation to be tax-deductible, please let us know.

One Year!

Today it has been one year since we made it official we were adopting from Ethiopia.  It was this day one year ago that we were fingerprinted and we started our paperwork.  We are so thankful for the smooth journey that God has laid out for us over this past year.  We continue to trust in His plans for our family and know His timing is perfect.  I will email West Sands next week for our new September number (hopefully it's a new number!)  and will update as soon as I hear from them.

If you are in Arizona, mark your calendars now for October 13, 2012!  We are holding a fundraiser that will be a dinner and silent auction.  We already have some great items and services that will be auctioned off!  If you have any suggestions for us, we would love to hear them or if you would like to donate any services or items to be raffled, please leave a comment or contact us directly.

Thank you for your continued prayers.  In addition to praying for our child and this adoption process as a whole, please specifically pray for this fundraiser.  We hope to get a very good turn out and have a lot of items to auction off. 

August's Number

Our current position on the waiting list is.....

We moved a lot last month!  We are friends of West Sands Adoption Agency on facebook and just saw today that they gave out six referrals today.  I'm not sure if this number reflects those six or not. It's so exciting to watch this number get smaller and smaller as we get closer and closer to meeting our child!

July's Number

We have moved on the waiting list! Our current number is:

Making progress!! :) 

Depraved Indifference

This is a video by Eric Ludy called Depraved Indifference.  It speaks of the longing and desire of our hearts to meet and hold our little one that is so so far away from us right now that we have never even met.  I watch it and am reminded again how undeserving of God's mercy and grace I am and yet he has called me to Himself and He willingly died for me, a wretched sinner.  He has adopted us into His family and has placed that desire in our hearts and called us to give that same love to a child in Ethiopia.  We love our child so much already.  I cannot wait to meet him or her face to face!

When I came across this video, I couldn't help but share it with you.  Please check it out! 
We are on a rescue mission and  it is all for our King and His glory!! 

(Eric has a son named Hudson.  That is who the reference refers to in the video.  You could probably infer that on your own...but just in case you couldn't, now you know!)

Matching Numbers

We have a new spot on the waiting list for June.  We didn't move far in the past month, but we are content with that and know that God is moving us along at just the pace that He wants for us.  It happens to be the same number of weeks that Allison is pregnant!  We are currently........

#35 on the waiting list! 

Moving Up!!!

We have a new number!  Our current position on the waiting list is.........

Whoo hoo!  Encouraged to have moved up SIX spots in the last month.

Waiting List Update

We have moved up on the waiting list!  Making progress:)  Today's number is.......

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.  To God be the glory!

8,942 miles

8,942 miles from here, someone has our dossier.  We received word that it has arrived in Ethiopia! God continues to bless this journey and it is so evident this is His will for our lives as the path continues to go so smoothly and quickly. 

Please pray for the people who will be making the decision of placing our child in our family.  We know that God already has this child chosen for us, but we would pray that He would direct their decisions in His perfect time for our good and for His glory.

Now that Ethiopia has our dossier, we have been assigned a number on the waiting list.  They will not update us as it changes.  We have to contact them if we want to know.  So each month I will update our number (I don't want to bug them too much!)  as it changes.  Their waiting list consists of ALL families waiting to adopt.  Not just the people in our category.  So we really have no idea where we are on the list of people waiting for a 0-9 month old boy or girl.

We appreciate your prayers and support.  This is such an exciting time for us as we pray and patiently wait and prepare for our child to come home.

Our current number is:

Be A Piece of Our Puzzle

We have purchased a puzzle for our baby's room!  We need your help to complete this puzzle, though. We know that God works all things together for our good and His glory.  Just as He has been and continues to work all things together on this adoption journey, we will watch as the pieces come together in this puzzle.
With your generosity of a donation, we will write your name on the back of the puzzle pieces. Your donation will go directly to helping us bring our child home. We have large agency fees due when we receive our referral and with your donation, you will help us raise that money. You can know that your donation is going directly toward a little boy or girl that you will one day meet. You will see this child and watch him grow. You will make a difference in this child's life.  Would you please help us?

You may wonder, "Isn't it hard to ask for money?"  The answer to that is yes.  It is hard and very humbling.  However, we knew from the start of this adoption journey that we would need to raise some of the funds we need.  We have put full trust and faith in God to provide.  His hand has been evident all along and we continue to trust in His faithfulness as we seek to do His will.  Your donation will go directly to helping us pay our agency fees.  Each puzzle piece will make a difference!  By helping us bring one more child into our home, you will help make one less orphan in Ethiopia.  What a testimony of God's goodness and mercy it will be when we read all the names to our child one day.

Here is a picture of the puzzle:

We will write your name on the back of the pieces that you purchase. If you would like something additional written please email us at abfrazey@gmail.com

Update: Dossier Complete!

On Friday, February 10, we mailed our dossier to West Sands Adoption!  This was a lot to gather and complete in less than two months, so we are happy to have it completed.  According to the flow chart West Sands gave us, it takes 2-3 weeks for the dossier to be sent to Ethiopia.  From there, it says that the process varies by country, but they gave us an estimated 3-6 months of waiting for a referral.  Once we receive a referral, we will travel to Ethiopia for the first time for court. Then it will be another 6-8 weeks when we travel there again to bring home Baby Frazey!  The dossier is a huge step done because now we are just waiting for a phone call......


We are also required to get fingerprinted by USCIS at Homeland Security in Phoenix this week.  Those take six weeks to process, but West Sands told us that they do not need those in order to send the dossier.

From here, our updates will be letting everyone know where we are on the waiting list.  We don't have a number yet--so stay tuned! :)

Garage Sale #3 Update

We had a garage sale on February 4 to raise more funds for adoption costs.  We had so much left from the last sale we decided not to collect any more items this time around.  Again, God blessed this sale.  He brought many shoppers-it did not slow down until almost 1:00pm! All of the big box TVs sold (which previously no one seemed interested in) and the clothes were very popular at this sale.  As I have said before, it was so neat to see people get excited over the littlest things.  One woman found a bag of beads and walked up to her husband and said, "Look what I found! I love them!" It's fun to see the reactions! :)

This week we are mailing in our dossier.  We are going to the bank together on Tuesday to get our papers notarized and then, Lord willing, we will be mailing it off!  With that, we must send $500.00 so we were hoping that we would raise that much at the sale.  God is good and faithful.  He has answered our prayers according to His will. 

Garage sale #3 raised $565.00

Thank you for all your support and prayers leading up to this sale.  Please continue to pray for our child and God's blessing to be upon this and that He would direct our steps.

Thank you!

Progress Progress Progress!

Our passports came in the mail!  They took less than the 4-6 week range we expected, so it was a great surprise to see.  We are also almost finished collecting the items needed for the dossier and we plan to get the dossier mailed off in the next couple weeks!

With our expected timeline, there is great possibility that God is forming our child in the womb at this time and will be born in the next few months. How exciting!!  :) 

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!

We are once again blown away by our garage sale total!!  We thank God that our friends and family were able to donate items, that He drew a constant crowd of people on a 3 day weekend, and that those little 25 cent items add up! 

Special shoppers Joe and his grand-daughter

Thank you SO MUCH to the people that donated items for our sale.  Every little bit helps--and you know the saying: "One man's trash is another man's treasure"!  It is neat to watch people get so excited over the little things they find and that they are getting such a bargain price for things they want. 

Again, thank you to the Frazey family for letting us take over the garage (especially Marissa who has been parking outside since the last sale) and for helping us sort, price, set up, and sell! 

We could never have done this without all the support from our friends and family.  Thank you!

Another special shopper looking at clothes for baby R.C!

So now, what you really want to know:

the total raised at our sale today was.......

$728.91

God is so good and faithful!

Even with that amount raised, we still have a lot left over! We will be having another sale on February 4, so if you have items you would like us to pick up, please let us know.  Thank you!