During the summer of 2007 my husband and I met a little girl who was being hosted by the Kidsave Summer Miracles program. Before I even knew she was being hosted, before I even knew she was an orphan, God clearly told me she was my daughter. Not only that, He told me she was HIS daughter and that he chose me to take care of her on earth as He in heaven. I was immediately struck by the fact that I was co-parenting. When I learned the cost of adopting from Colombia and observed the $12 balance in our checking account that day I simply said, “Ok 
God, if all of what you are telling me is true, show me the money.”
I knew that I could not just sit back and be an observer of the financial miracle that must take place, so my husband and I started our fundraising campaign. Since this was before the internet, I littered the earth with postcards containing photos of my beautiful girl, sharing our story and bravely asking for money. We asked a restaurant owner friend to hold a silent auction for us with live entertainment, a fee to get in and he designated burger profits to our cause. My husband, a musician, held a concert. Our church held a community garage sale. We worked hard and so did God. There was a day when I sent a check via FedEx to Colombia for an attorney fee and did not have the money in our bank to cover it. The next day, a check for the same amount was on my doorstep in an envelope from my great aunt in Pennsylvania. There was no way she could have known. In three months, we raised $18,000. Our travel was paid by transferred airline points from friends.
I’m sharing this because when we speak to PAPs who struggle with what God has placed on their heart and the reality of their bank account this cannot be the singular obstacle that prevents them from being obedient. I share my fundraising story with PAPs. Yet in the same conversation I speak into them about financial responsibility, not just during the fundraising phase, but for a lifetime. Valeria has also cost us a bankruptcy associated with her medical bills. In hindsight, we could not have prevented this, but it was a reality we did not think of in 2007 – and is not an uncommon reality in international adoption due to the lack of government funded support for that population. So, I don’t believe that lack of funds should be a deciding factor for a family. It should certainly be taken seriously and prayed about. But God’s provision during our adoption was one of the initial ways He showed us how He co-parents.
I wanted to share because this is a testimony that is not just mine, but for everyone to share with families who are hesitant to adopt due to the expense alone.
