Blessed to reach first fundraising goal – the same day the bill arrived in the mail!

We had a fundraising goal of $1,350, which is the first big payment due for our adoption. The very day we raised just over that amount, was the day the bill came in the mail. Coincidence? We don’t think so. We believe it was God showing us that His hand is a part of this process, and that He will be a part of it all the way!

I know I already commented on it – but our first yard sale was amazing financially – bringing in over $1,000 towards the adoption. That was on a Friday and Saturday. That next Thursday, we sold food at a Home School Used Book and Curriculum Sale. Thanks to the generous donations and food purchases of many, we were blessed with over $200.00 in just 4 hours of time! Then, the next day on Friday and then Saturday, we had decided to go ahead and set out the items left over from the first yard sale at our own home. We live off from US 40 where every year at this time there are hundreds of miles of yard sales through multiple states. We put out a few signs directing people to our sale and were blessed with another $200.00!

I know I write a lot about the fundraising part of this adoption, but I want to make it clear that it isn't only the financial aspects of the fundraising that we have been blessed. We have been able to speak with so many people that are adopting, have done foster care, are thinking about adopting, have had siblings who were adopted, and so on. We had so many people stop at our sales - just because the signs said "Adoption Fundraising Sale".

As a family, our eyes are being opened to something so big that words can't even describe it. Growing up, I would watch the television commercials saying that for just the price of a cup of coffee you can feed a child for a week. Those children are real! There are children that are starving not only for food, but for family - for someone to wrap their arms around them and say they love them - to stick by them and encourage them. To teach them of Jesus and give them a home filled with love. We are so thankful to God for bringing us down this road. We are thankful that we are able to provide a home to a little girl who needs one, we are thankful as a mom and dad who are looking forward to having another daughter, for two sisters who would like another to call "sissy", and for one brother who is already thinking about what he will do with THREE sisters instead of just two.

In His name,

The Burgess Family

Food fundraiser and used book sale - Plainfield Christian Church this Thursday, May 28th from 10 - 2

This Thursday, May 28th there is going to be a homeschool used book and curriculum sale at Plainfield Christian Church from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. There will be 50 tables full of used books, curriculum, games, some videos and DVD's, and many other fun, educational products - all at great prices! There is no charge to come and shop and you don't even have to homeschool! Be sure to bring lots of small bills and change with you.

Plainfield Christian Church is located at 800 N Dan Jones Rd, Plainfield, IN - Church phone number: (317) 839-2384 Dan Jones is between Rockville Rd in Avon and 40 in Plainfield. It's real easy to get to but we will have signs up just in case!

Every year there is a fundraising food booth at the sale. This year our family will be selling the food to raise money for the adoption expenses. Yummy marshmallowy rice krispy treats lightly drizzled with a fine milk chocolate will be on the menu! (Did I make that sound good enough to get you to the sale?)

Hope to see you there,

The Burgess family

Blessed by an amazing yard sale!

We weren't blessed just financially by the fundraising yard sale this past weekend, we were also blessed by the wonderful people we were able to talk to during the sale. Many stopped in just because we had advertised that the sale was for an adoption. We had others that donated money even though they didn't buy anything and still others who said to "keep the change - put it towards the adoption".

Our girls had made crosses out of popcycle sticks, painted them, and then wrote "Jesus died for our sins" on the backs of them. They wanted us to hand them out to people at the sale. This opened the way for some great conversations. Handing out flyers with this adoption blog address on it and our Chik-fil-a fundraiser coming up, allowed even more doors for good conversation to open. It was great to hear all the stories from those who had already adopted, who had once had foster children, and who knew family members or friends who had adopted or were thinking about it.

Thank you to all who helped make this sale a success - those who donated items, those who helped set it up, and those who stopped by to shop. A special thanks to those who helped during the sale and for the family who let us have it at their place. Because of all of you, we were able to raise over $1,000 towards bringing our daughter home.

With heartfelt thanks,

The Burgess family

Fundraiser Yard Sale - This Friday and Saturday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm rain or shine!

Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm rain or shine!

All proceeds will go towards adoption expenses.



From Moorseville or 465 take 67 to W. Camby Rd and head west - it is only about 1 mile from 67 - there will be signs.

From Plainfield take E. C.R. 700 S. (first road south of 70 off from 267) and head east. It is only a few miles from 267 and 700 S. turns into Camby Rd.



Some of the items we will be selling include:
.25 kid/baby clothes
.50 adult clothes,
100's of books,
home school items,
fishing items,
DVD's,
toys,
household items,
home gym,
Hostas - $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00 and include some verrigated ones,
Home gym,
75-gallon salt water fish tank,
Large lizard cage with stand,
Fun, healthy lizard with cage and stand,
Solid oak entertainment center

Many more items - too much to name

Thank again - and hope to see you there!

The Burgess family

Thank you for all the yard sale donations!

We want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has donated items for the fundraiser yard sale this weekend. Complete strangers (and friends!) have donated many, many items. One kind gentleman and his sons even followed me home with their donations in the back of their truck because my Rendevous was already full of donated items!

The weekend forecast for Friday and Saturday is sunny and warm at about 80 degrees. There is supposed to be rain on Sunday though - let's hope it doesn't move on into Saturday until after the sale is over! Prayers that the rain holds off and for God to be softening the hearts and generosity of those who attend the sale would be greatly appreciated.

I'll post some of the items we will have available for sale as well as the location in my next post.

Thanks again!

The Burgess Family

First big fundraiser is a yard sale - Friday and Sat May 22 and 23

We are cleaning out our house and our garage - doing our best to come up with items to sell next weekend. Multiple emails to friends and acquaintances asking if they have anything to donate towards the sale may by clogging up their inboxes! (Many thanks to those who have already donated!) We are still in need of many items to sell in order to meet the goal that we have set for ourselves on the 22nd and 23rd.

All of the money collected at the sale next weekend will go towards the costs of adopting a little girl out of an orphanage (or foster home) in China. Our new daughter will be what is called a "waiting child". A waiting child is a child who has been identified as having a special need. She could of been born with a cleft lip and palate, a heart condition, limb differences, a club foot... she could have been put on the list because she is older and considered harder to place... whatever her need is, God is already preparing a place for her here in our hearts and in our home.

Thank you for being a part of bringing a little girl without a family into one where she will be welcomed with open, waiting arms.

Karen

God answers the little children!

What a glorious God we have! As a family, we have been selling some hostas out at the road for a little extra cash to pay for some of the expenses we have for the adoption. Laurel, Tyler and I were on our way back from putting out some hostas this last Tuesday when Laurel said she wanted to pray. She said she wanted to pray for there to be $40 in the coffee can when we got back from our home study. We walked up the driveway praying for God to work it so that there was EXACTLY $40 in that coffee can when we got back.

We went to the home study and came home to check the coffee can. Guess what? There was EXACTLY $40 in the can! I am so thankful to Him for answering her prayer! Not b/c of the money, but for showing Himself in so clear of a way.

And if that wasn't enough... we had to head out again later that same day. I went out to replace those hostas that were sold and met a lady at the end of the driveway. She said she had already paid for one hosta and was going to get another. I thanked her and told her that all the money would go towards our adoption expenses. She found a hosta she liked, put money in the can and drove away. I looked in the can. There were five one dollar bills and on FIFTY dollar bill! Did she make a mistake and mean that fifty to be a five? I thought so at first, BUT I soon found out that while I was talking to the lady, the kids had been up at the house eating ice cream and talking... and they prayed! The kids told me that they had prayed before I talked to the lady that we would have over fifty dollars in the can! That wasn't a mistake - that was God.

In His name,

Karen