Then, things started dying down, as they typically do with fundraisers. So I started getting frustrated. And my heart was not quite right at this point, and I knew it. I wanted so badly to shout from the rooftops about our adoption so that people would know about it. But I knew that would just annoy the heck out of people, so I refrained. So I started praying for God to put our adoption on other people's hearts. I prayed this for days and days and tried to let go of control (I tend to have problems with this). 

Well, God answered my prayer. However, since I'm not so observant, it took me a few weeks to realize that he had already answered it. 

First, my co-teacher's husband, who owns Newk's in Tyler, had the idea to have a fundraiser night at the restaurant where 10% of the proceeds would go to our adoption. All people have to do is show up, buy dinner, and we get 10%! People don't even have to bring a flyer or say they know us or anything like that. So that is happening this Tuesday night from 5-8:00.

Then, Jodi Miller, who runs the Gresham Barn Sale called me and asked me if I wanted to do a Mini Fall Photo Session where all the proceeds would go to our adoption. She didn't charge me a thing and she set me up with pumpkins, hay bales, and sweet props for the pictures. I did that two weekends ago and made $1300 for our adoption!

Around the same time, some of my photography clients started asking if their photography money could go towards our adoption. Over the past two years, my photography money has gone to Parental Care Ministries to help orphans in Uganda. I didn't want to take money away from this amazing ministry, but when my clients requested that their money go to our adoption, I couldn't say no. So I prayed and prayed over this issue, and God seemed to tell me to let my clients decide. So now, my clients get to tell me how much of their money they want to go to PCM and how much they want to go toward our adoption.

Then, my father-in-law decided to start drawing again. He was an artist a long time ago, but hasn't done any art in several years. He drew portraits of our whole family and then told us that he wanted me to tell my friends that he would draw their portrait for a donation to our adoption. He really does a fantastic job. And who wouldn't want a portrait drawn as a perfect Christmas gift?

We also have a friend who has offered to design t-shirts for our adoption, so we will be selling those as soon as they are designed.

Finally, another friend who is also adopting, told me about Just Love Coffee. This is a website where you can buy coffee and then part of the proceeds goes toward our adoption. So we registered for an account. We figured these would be great Christmas gifts also. So, you can go to www.justlovecoffee.com/reedfamily and buy coffee!

So, praise the Lord for his provision. He has put our adoption fundraiser on other people's hearts just like I asked him to. We are so blessed! Thank you to everyone who has helped us out.