Christmas Shopping with a Cause Fundraiser

In case you aren't a Facebook friend of mine here is the information for a fundraiser we are having in a few weeks, organized by my new, wonderful friend, Andrea Olsen.

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 Christmas Shopping with a Cause

Sunday November 21st, 3-6pm

Coldwater Golf Links 

615 South 16th

Ames, IA

 

You are invited to come out to Coldwater Golf Links on Sunday, November 21st to do some Christmas shopping with a cause. As you may know, our family has been approved for the adoption process and we are now fundraising for the costs associated with the process.

Our fundraiser will include packages featuring massages, photography packages, Arbonne products and more.

With every purchase from our fundraiser, we will be receiving a portion of the proceeds to help bring our children home.

Our biggest hurdle right now is actually affording the adoption process. With limited funds, but faith in the All knowing God, we are daily falling on our faces before Him to guide us in this journey and provide what is needed.

If you can't make it but would still like to support us, please contact us and we can forward information on how to order through our fundraiser.

Thank you for your support!

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 And in case you can't come, here's a letter that will be available at the fundraiser. Photo and design by my friend Caitlin!

Since we were first married, over nine years ago, we’ve had a special place in our hearts for
orphans and the idea of adoption. Having both just turned a young 20 right before our wedding
day we had no clue of everything that God would bring us through in the next nine years. We
entertained ourselves with dreams of a family, which would include a few biological children, fun
times in a cozy little house, a dog, a cat, and maybe a white fence around the perfectly kept yard. 
We always thought that adoption would be later on, when our kids were a lot older, we were in
a bigger house, and more financially comfortable.
As we strived to get to that place, in the last nine years many life changing events have taken
place. God had some other sanctifying plans.  A loving parent was taken to heaven, babies were
born and one was lost, and we endured two military deployments and many spiritual struggles. 
This was not comfortable. Joyful and painful at many times, but definitely not comfortable.
God has a way of allowing that doesn’t He? He’s never told His followers that the walk with
Him would be comfortable, struggle free, or include a fan club. But He has always promised that
the walk with Him would be good. Sweeter then honey actually! And now we believe that He’s
leading us deeper into His sanctifying process again through adoption. We’re sure there will be
many very uncomfortable things about this new journey and even though the timing isn’t what
WE had planned, we are excited that it is God who is in control and that He is working!
Adoption to us is about making one or two or however many less orphans out there, but it’s
mostly about God and His glory. It’s a chance to portray the perfect picture of Christ adopting
us through the cleansing of His blood over our sins and gracing us with a relationship with the
Father who created us. It’s a chance to everyday give many hugs to a child who has no one on
the world, but even more for a child who needs a mom and dad to teach them about Jesus. The
same Jesus that we all so desperately need.
As we began praying more and more about adopting, it became clear that the question was no
longer, should we adopt a child, but should we consider adopting two children. Taking us from a
family of five to a family of seven!  We believe the answer for now is yes and we trust that God
will open and close doors when and where He sees fit. 
Our biggest hurdle right now is actually affording the adoption process. With limited funds, but
faith in the All-knowing God, we are daily falling on our faces before Him to guide us in this
journey and provide what is needed.
We appreciate your prayers and support and thank you for joining us in this journey. May this God
story glorify Him and cause many to come follow Him!
We would love for you to follow this new adventure in the Crawford family by checking out our
family blog! jandjcrawford.blogspot.com
 In Him,
Jason and Jess