Introducing the newest KRAFT :-)

I have passed a big milestone in my adoption....I am out of COURTS, here is the message I received today:

Great news!  Mackenley's file is out of Courts!  This is where the civil court document and Act of Adoption have been created.  This means Mackenley has legally become your child and taken your family name of KRAFT.

YAY!!!!!  His middle name is not on his paperwork but his name will be Mackenley Earl Kraft (taking his grandpa's middle name!)  The next time I get news from GLA will be to tell me they have applied for his passport!!!

MACKENLEY EARL KRAFT

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!!!

Who Will Sell A Box of Chocolate at Work/School

Hello ALL.  SO today I have been sitting around on this, my last kidless spring break, filling out grant applications and brainstorming fundraising ideas.  I have personalized a label for World's Finest Chocolate and in doing so, I need to order 25 boxes.  The candy bars would be the milk chocolate with almonds. (In order to get the other kinds I would need to order 100 boxes!)

So, before I actually place this order, I need to know if there are friends out there who would sell a box of 60 at work/school.  Candy bars are $1.  I would prefer for the box to be paid for up front ($60), this way you can take your time, and we don't have to keep coordinating to get $$$ to me! (That got a bit tricky with the bracelets.)

Upon making this order, I will have 1,500 candy bars which in the end would raise $750.  This would help out tremendously when it comes time to fly!  I have 7 more flights to pay for!!!!!  So, please, after reading, let me know by commenting on FB, the blog or emailing me as to if you would like to sell a box or two or three! (jlkorange23@yahoo.com)

I will also be selling these two items this spring and will have them available at our Adoption Garage Sale in June.

Bracelets are made in Haiti and are $8 and the coffee, also from Haiti is $12.

THANKS FOR READING AND SUPPORTING!  As always, if you would just like to GIVE and not buy anything, there is a paypal button on my blog.   Your donation will be tax deductible.  You can also give by check. 

Lifesong for Orphans

Kraft Adoption #2438

PO Box 40

202 N. Ford St.

Gridley, IL 61744

Thanks!!!

I wish I had news...I just want to write :-)

Well, I know I don't have one of the most popular blogs out there...millions are not reading it every day, but this aspect of blogging is pretty cool.  These are not all of the countries on my list, but are the top 10.  There is nothing identifiable about the readers except the country they are in when they read my blog.  There are a few blogs that I check DAILY that belong to people I did not even know 1 year ago! I really do wonder who some of these people are :-)  The number stands for page views, not people...Poland?!?  Latvia?!?  Kendra....would Russia be you?  Even though you are in the Ukraine?  I suppose I know who France is....:-) Hi Kathryn!  That couldn't all be you, so who else do I know in France?!?  Germany?!?!  No Idea!  Anyways, once I have any news to share concerning either of my adoptions from Haiti, I will be sure to blog.  For now I am actually really enjoying my Spring Break.  Twins Game yesterday, Feed My Starving Children today....good time to relax and rest!  Have a blessed day!

It's a GOOD Friday

I have the desire to WRITE and WRITE a lot!  Won't do that here...not now at least.  Lots on my mind...adoption, other things about life...etc. etc.....but It's Good Friday.  I am SAVED because of what Jesus did for me today!  It's a good Friday because SPRING BREAK has begun!  It's also a very good Friday because I get to see this little munchkin, all 22 pounds and 12 ounces of him in places of the orphanage that I have not seen him. I NEVER saw him sleeping, although I am told he LOVES his afternoon nap and sleeps long and hard.  I NEVER saw him eating (besides the treats I brought him) and apparently at meal time he is as close as he can get to his nannies ready for his turn!  I like these shots of him down in his nursery.  The pool was not set up when I was in Haiti, but he LOVES the pool and I HOPE and PRAY he is home summer 2013 so we can have LOTS of fun in the water!!! On January 24 I returned him to the nursery in that black and red NIKE shirt...happy to see him in it :-)

HAVE A BLESSED GOOD FRIDAY!  Jesus is the Reason!

Authentication, Translation, USCIS, Post Office & Parquet!

This has already been a full week when it comes to adoption!!!  LOTS of people are getting LOTS of news out of HAITI which is FANTASTIC!!!!!!

I had dossier #2 entirely finished and ready to bring to the Minnesota Secretary of State.  On Monday I made my ride there and had 12 documents in my dossier authenticated by him.  I ran into some other friends who are adopting from Ethiopia.  Always fun to bump into someone who know at the State Capitol :-).

My dossier was also sent to a translator today where much of it will be translated into FRENCH.

I also had to file my i-600a form which is an immigration form where you ask for an orphan in a foreign country to be called your immediate relative and granted United States Citizenship.

I sent all of my originals to my dossier to Kentucky and my i-600a form to USCIS in Texas (United States Citizen and Immigration Services.)  Upon handing those envelopes to the man at the Post Office, my heart went a bit crazy, so I spent a good chunk of time praying!  Praying that the documents get to their destination safely!  Praying that they get processed quickly, in God's Time!  Praying that soon and VERY soon all of these documents will be sent to Haiti for the adoption of my second precious child!

Also this week I heard news that my adoption with M has moved from Parquet onto Courts!!!!  The timeframe for Parquet was 1-6 months and so that step went rather quickly and I pray for this next step to also go QUICKLY!  Courts are expected to take from 2-3 months.

I have a post in February 2012 that outlines the steps and time frames called "How long until my child comes home you ask?"

Thank you for continuing to pray!  I appreciate it greatly and trust the Lord to bring me through each of these stages and bring these two little kiddos home to me in His timing!

Both Hands Project

Last Spring the youth from my church along with some friends and family participated in the Both Hands Project.  The project comes from the verse in James 1:27 about pure religion....helping the orphan and the widow.  I sent out LOTS of emails asking people to help with this project but I got very little response.  The idea is to find a WHOLE lot of people to commit to a work day on a widow/ers home.  Those working would then send letters to friends and family, asking them to support their day of work.  All donations would go to the adoption fund of bringing an orphan to a family.  Some people raise over $10,000 on this day!  We did not, and that is OK!  It's not all about the $$$!!!!  :-)

I have created a video of this work day.  The video will soon be on the Both Hands site where others who do not even know me may find it and choose to give.  On my blog there is a paypal button that links to the Both Hands/Lifesong page where donations can be given for my adoption.

What was so great about this day is that though very little money was raised, the youth from our church and community were able to experience TRUE RELIGION!  These youth sent letters to their families, friends and teachers.  Some money did come in.  To me the most important thing was the experience of how important it is to care for people in our community.  We had a great day together pruning trees, weeding the yard, cleaning out a carport, picking up big cement chunks and washing windows.  I am so proud of each of these kids!

Enjoy!

I goofed up on a couple of subtitles and so that's why it still says "add subtitle here"  :-)

Birth Parent Interview

To some degree, I have been dreading this day for a LONG time!  There are two interviews that the birth parents must attend.  Today the US Embassy interview was successfully completed!  Thank you Lord!  My stomach has been in knots for some days now.  I pray I will sleep better tonight!  Thank you to everyone who was praying!  One more item checked off the list to getting Mr. M home.  By the way, I changed his name to M throughout my blog, hoping that when I googled his name I would no longer see all of the pictures of him that I have posted.  It did not work!  So if there is a techy person out there who could help me I would be grateful!  I know what's on the internet is probably forever on the internet but........

AHHHH, I am breathing a sigh of relief and shedding some happy tears!