Leah Stirewalt

Out of Deep Waters

Only 8 More Days!

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Only 8 More Days!I can’t believe the time is almost here! In only 8 days, we leave for Bulgaria for what’s commonly dubbed as our “pick up” trip. Unlike the trip we made this past June/July, we won’t be returning home after having to leave our children in their orphanage for a little while longer. This time…THEY ARE COMING HOME WITH US!!!!

While the wait has seemed unbearable at times, we know that compared to many adoptive families, our wait has been very short. We began this journey just under 20 months ago.

We can’t wait to share pictures of the newest Stirewalt kiddos, and believe me…pictures will go out the moment we land safely back in the states (November 21). So stay tuned…

Until then…we still have much to do:

  1. Packing for 5!
  2. Finishing the kiddos’ bedroom.
  3. Purchasing last minute items we still need for them.
  4. Finishing up tasks at work, as I prepare to take adoption leave.
  5. Meal prep and freezer cooking to have some things ready to eat after we get home.
  6. Scheduling doctor/dental/vision appointments for our children for when they get home.
  7. And so much more…

So many of you have “traveled” this adoption journey with us…you’ve prayed for us, donated to our fundraising efforts, prayed, gathered clothing for our children, prayed, sent gifts, prayed, and…did I mention…you prayed!?!?! Without a doubt, prayer has been the single most important gift to our adoption journey! Without it, we shudder to think how difficult and much harder this process could have been. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

While it may seem our adoption is coming to end, it’s actually only just beginning. The paperwork piece of it is finishing up (although, there will still be post-adoption visits and reports for two years), but the parenting portion is just starting. We’ll have many challenges up ahead, and we’ve been as prepared for those as we can possibly be, but we also know the there will be “surprises” as well. As a result, continued prayer is vital. Anytime the Lord prompts you to pray for us, please do so. Thank you, in advance!

We continue counting down the days until we get those cuties home!

The Finish Line is in Sight!

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downloadIt’s amazing how so much can change in so little time!

Less than two weeks ago, I was pining over the difficult waiting days we’ve been experiencing while in this place of limbo…waiting to return to Bulgaria to bring our children home. And then…just when I thought the wait was never going to end…we got THE call!

Our adoption has been approved, and we’ll be returning to Bulgaria in about a month to pick up our children!!!! Woohoo!!!! We couldn’t be more ecstatic!

We’re busy taking care of those last minute details in preparation for their arrival…making sure their room is ready, shopping for things we still need, scheduling doctor’s appointments, etc. We also have packing lists to make, as we’ll be traveling over to Bulgaria just the two of us and returning home with three more. With Thanksgiving, the wedding of our oldest son, and Christmas on the heels of our return, we need to be extremely organized before leaving. And yet…the timing is EXACTLY what we prayed for. We asked God to bring our children home by Thanksgiving. And. He. Said. Yes!

We kept hearing they’d be home by Christmas, but we knew God could make anything happen, and we really wanted them home by Thanksgiving. No detail throughout this whole journey has gone unnoticed by Him. Especially when it comes to finances.

We began this journey expecting the fees to total around $35,000. However, when we committed to adopt a sibling group of three, those costs increased to closer to $50-55K. Regardless, we have been completely dependent on God to raise the necessary funds to complete this adoption. We are THRILLED to share we only have just under $9,000 left to raise to completely fund this adoption. Through our personal savings, various fundraisers, grants, and gifts from friends and family, God has already provided over $35K. Simply amazing! This has been nothing short of a faith walk, and He has been so very faithful!

Addtionally, we just received word this week we’ve been blessed to have received a Lifesong for Orphans matching grant of $2,000. Here’s how this works:

Lifesong will match…dollar for dollar…every donation made to our account up to $2,000. This is HUGE y’all. Since we’re just under $9,000 away from having our adoption completely funded, and with your help…this would almost take care of half that. All donations will only be accepted by Lifesong until our children are home, so we really need your immediate response, if at all possible. They’ll match $1, $10, $100…until the $2,000 mark is reached. That makes your $25 gift turn into $50 and your $50 turn into $100. See how this works? The simplest and most expedient way to donate is online. Simpy click on this link:

http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate/

Select “Give to an Adoptive Family.” Complete the online form and fill in our “Family Account Number” (5546) and “Family Name” (Stirewalt) fields.

Thank you, in advance, for helping us reach the full benefit of this grant and ultimately getting that much closer to the financial finish line. We. Are. So. Close.

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.

Individual donations $50 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request. Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization.

We can’t wait to “introduce” you to our children and share pictures of their beautiful faces. Thankfully, there’s not too much longer to wait for that! We’ll meet you at the “finish line”!