Garage Sale Gratefulness

When we started this adoption, we honestly had no idea how we were going to come up with the $35,000 to bring this little girl home in a very short amount of time.  Our family agreed that we would do whatever it took to provide Nora with a loving family.  We are so grateful that so many wonderful people have come alongside us in this journey!

The results of our garage sale fundraiser are truly an amazing story of God's provision...

• Sheridan Wesleyan Church shared their space for our fundraiser.  They were welcoming and extremely accommodating.  A HUGE thank you goes out to the Pastors, staff, and members of this congregation.
• Over 60 families donated their unwanted items from around their house to create one of the largest garage sales I have ever seen!  Not only was our family blessed abundantly by their donations, but the "shoppers" were also blessed.  They could not believe that all we wanted was a donation.
• Approximately 50 volunteers helped us: gather items, advertise our fundraiser, sort the items, work during the sale, clean-up, etc.  We could not have done it without them!
• Hundreds of people came and SHOPPED.  The bigger items were priced the first day, but then the second day all price tags came off.  Most items at the garage sale were not priced and just offered to whoever needed them -- at whatever donation they wanted to give.  I was amazed at the generosity of most of the shoppers.
• Friends and even people we didn't know - stopped by the sale to offer encouragement, tell us that they are praying for us and Nora, and make a donation. 
• Two anonymous families generously pledged matching funds of $500 and $4,000.  I am excited to share that we exceeded our goal of fully earning these matching funds! 
• Plus, a group of sweet little girls raised enough to purchase a few animals for families living in poverty.  They sat at their bake sale for close to 10 hours!!  Something as simple as a goat, can make a huge impact on a family.  It can provide nutrition, money for school (selling the milk), and also the ability to pay it forward by giving away their goat's offspring. 

When I look back over the planning and the actual event, I kind of have to chuckle.  I was stressed.  I was worried.  Was it all going to come together?!  Would we raise the funds needed?!  God, like usual, was completely in control of the details.  Every. single. detail. came together better than I even could have imagined.  This fundraiser taught me so much.  My faith has been deepened tremendously.  God has really showed Himself to us through this whole process.  I cannot wait to see what he has in store for this little girl. 

Thank you to each and every person who was a part of our fundraiser!