Can you help?

This post is pretty difficult to write and I'm not sure why...  this is my sixth attempt at writing it and I keep going back and erasing everything I have written, which is not how I typically write.  Usually I sit down with a general idea of what I am learning and just start writing.  But this post is different because it doesn't just require something of me, it requires something of the people who read this post - and that feels uncomfortable to me.   So, bare with me, as I try to explain why this email is titled "Can You Help?"

Adoption is expensive - much more expensive than I think it should be.  We're talking about children that need love and families for goodness sakes!   But, I can't do much about that.  What we can do is be a part of the catalyst to sharing the love of our family with our daughter born of our hearts - Penelope.  Although I can't affect the lives of every orphan, I CAN pour love into one.  147 million orphans around the world - minus one.  The fees that go toward our adoption are purposeful.  Much of the money helps to provide shelter, education, food, medical services and clothing to children in the communities surrounding Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia).  And then there are the fees for Visas, paperwork and court fees relating to our adoption case, government fees that go toward the processing of that paperwork, fees to fund our agency's ability to continue to keep the lights on and work toward finding families for hundreds of children around the world each year.  Not to mention the cost of traveling to Ethiopia two times.  But the cost of it all can be what keeps families from going through the process of deciding to adopt.  The cost of an international adoption typically runs between 25K-35K.  It has been a great way for our family to choose to make decisions to sacrifice other "extras" so that we can be obedient to that call.  AND not every family is called to adopt.  It is a specific responsibility that God has called our family to.  But every family can do SOMEthing.  This is where you can help...

A fellow blogger at Africa Bound Andrews is doing an amazing thing.  She is selling tshirts that share the message of hope through adoption and donating $10 of each shirt's proceeds toward the family of your choice.  The shirts are $24.95 each and they come in adult and child sizes.  The graphic and concept are phenomenal - the shirts say "ReCycle Love" on the front and "Life's most urgent question is this: What are you doing for others? ~MLK" on the back.  

Here's the clincher!!    She is also donating $500 to the family who sells the most tshirts!  

This is why is is uncomfortable for me to write this post - I am NOT the saleswoman type.  I do not enjoy pushing products.  Actually, if I'm even more honest with myself, I don't like to ask for help.  I prefer to be known as someone who "has it all together".  But that isn't right.  If I don't ever ask for help, I would be cut short of experiencing the blessing of friendship, of support, of encouragement and of generosity.  Plus, I will also be cutting you short of the same things - of being able to respond to a need to help the children around the world who don't have a voice.  But, together, we can give them a voice.  Buying a t-shirt is a simple way to affect that kind of life-change.  

So I am asking if you will help - if you will buy a tshirt to help bring Penelope home to her forever family.  I have included a button to the website on my blog in the top right corner.  Click on it and you will be directed to the blog where the shirts are sold.  You need to type "DeMaio" into the memo line of the Paypal memo or we won't receive the $10 donation.  The sale ends February 18th and shirts are shipped about 1 week after the order is placed.

I am so grateful that I get to share this journey with each of you and I pray that you are blessed as a result.


**Note: When you buy a shirt, you will be directed to enter your information into paypal and then it will ask you to "Review Your Information" - on this page, right under your shipping information there is a link to add a "note to seller".  Click this and type in DeMaio adoption fund in the note to seller space.  Feel free to post a comment if you have any questions.