Sarah’s Treasure Box Fundraiser

It’s a little late, I know.  However, I have been fundraising like crazy on facebook.  So far, we are up to (I think) 15 pendants!!

We are very excited for this impromptu fundraiser that came over the weekend.  $5 of every pendant sold will be donated directly to Mayah’s FSP with Reece’s Rainbow.  http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsordziagwa.html

Please jump over to this site:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahstreasurebox

And check out all the cool pendants there!!  I ordered one a few months ago and I wear it all the time;)

There is surely something for everyone (ladies, of course!!) and it’s definitely a good time of the year to start shopping for Christmas presents for teachers, friends, family…EVERYONE!!

Thank you for helping us bring our girl HOME where she belongs;)

Stretch Armstrong

Yes this is how I have felt lately.  Forces of good  and evil pulling me in either direction.  God pulling on me from both ends.  Adoption is indeed spiritual warfare at its finest.  I’m a fan of adoption, but I could skip the whole war thing.  Really.

If you follow our blog, you know we have been fundraising like crazy people.  We have had a wonderful outpouring of people donate items and include free shipping to make giving even easier on our wonderful donors.

First off, our Gold Canyon Candle Drawing we ended up doing 2 draws!!  The original winner Colleen Herrick decided to re-donate the gift set for our use.  So we drew again.  Lynn Taylor was the next winner, and she was quite happy to receive the news yesterday morning. 

Let’s sum up how I have been feeling lately.  Last week I felt completely lost.  I was given a great word from the Lord, Hababbuk 2:2. Friday night, a sweet friend calls and shares how God ahared with her how Mayah would be ours. 

I basked in the joy of the Lord for the duration of the night and well into the next day. 

By Monday it was all gone.  I basked no longer.  Another family who was submitted the same day as we were got their SDA appt. My day was ruined.  Where was our date?  How quickly I had forgotten the reassuring word from our Creator, our Provider, our Lord. 

I crumbled like a house of cards being blown over by a baby. 

I don’t know what his journey is doing to me, but I do know at times I don’t like it.  A friend reassured me God streches us farther than we think we can ever go and it’s always for our benefit and His glory. 

While I don’t understand, nor do I like what I’m letting it do to me…I know in the end I’ll be able to look back and see what God was doing. 

During this time I’m reminded, “For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:9 KJV

There are days when I feel God’s love for me is conditional.  Yes, I know better.  That simply doesn’t change the way I have felt.  I’m working on it…with God, of course.  I feel like if I do this thing a certain way, then God will FINALLY grant us the final money to bring Mayah home.  He has promised us, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you”  John 14:18 NASB

I feel like everyone is watching and waiting for us to sink or swim.  The unbelievers and non-supporters in our lives and waiting for us to be let down by our God.  On the other hand…we have believers and supporters but many of them want someone else to donate…not them…their money can be best used elsewhere. 

For our Both Hands Project we mailed out almost 600 letters.  6 people donated for a total of $400.  Worst  Both Hands project ever.  Even people from our church claimed they would sponsor us and they never did.  I see them every Sunday and they never indicate whether they changed their minds or God simply said, “Please do not help that orphan come home to her family”.  So much anger has been stirred up inside me.  Resentment and negative thoughts about our own church body and I would LOVE to grumble and stay down…but I can’t.  I need to rise above!  I need to practice forgiveness and continue walking in love towards those people. 

I need a brighter note…

Yesterday I had a phone conversation with an old friend of Dan’s from high school.  She and her husband go to a church close to our home.  She spoke with her pastors and they would LOVE to support us and do a benefit dinner for us.  We are excited and very happy that a group of strangers would lift us up and help in any way they can to help us get our girl home!!

Some days I just wonder, “What is God doing?”  I know he’s up to something.  I KNOW HE will see to it in His own way that Mayah will come home.  

On His time.  On His dime.

 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Sveta Friday Came Early!!

I think we are going to run this drawing until Saturday at noon;)

****Molly was generous enough to add that WHEN we reach $200 in donations she will add another candle to the gift set!!  Molly says she will add a 16 oz Heritage Candle!!****

My Dear, dear friend, Molly Raraigh is a Gold Canyon Consultant.  She was generous enough to donate this wonderful gift set!!

   The italics under each description are my personal comments 😉

‎5oz Apple Spice heritage candle – Delicious baked apples sprinkled with cinnamon, nutmeg and rich vanilla. (25-30 hours burn time.)  mmmm just in time for fall, friends!!

9 pack Clean Sheets tealights – The warm feeling of crisp, lean sheets captured through a breezy blend of f…ruits and florals with a touch of musk. (each tealight 5-7 hour burn time.)I had a tealight that I would leave on top of my toaster oven (accident!!) and it would melt and the house would smell wonderful!!  Just from a tealight;)  AND to top if off…I have a clean sheets candle.  I can put it on my candle warmer in my basement and it will start smelling up the stairs as well!!  Clean sheets is one of my favorite scents!!
Ginger Lime Car Freshener – Bold Citrus and a spicy blast of ginger make this an intriguing and distinctive fragrance that will enliven any environment.  I have a car freshener, it’s the best one I’ve ever had!  I can smell it when my van windows are open and I’m walking down my driveway!  But it’s not crazy strong or overbearing either, it’s just awesome!!

 

Our total need as of right now, is $8152!!!

We were not given an SDA appt today, which we weren’t expecting…hoping, but not expecting.  We are expecting one in the next 2 weeks;)   

Every dollar donated is tax deductible.  It is going directly to our FSP with Reece’s Rainbow.

Chances are $3 for 1 and $5 for 2.

Some rules for paying:

1.)  If you are paying at http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsordziagwa.html  PLEASE be sure to include an additional 3% (15 cents for every $5) to cover paypal fees for Reece’s Rainbow. 

2.)  When you pay to our RR FSP, PLEASE be sure to email me at dziagwax6@gmail.com, leave me a facebook comment, OR post a comment ON THIS BLOG that you paid for xx amount of chances. 

3.)  If you do not want to pay via paypal (credit cards are accepted via paypal even if you don’t have a paypal acct) feel free to mail us a check or money order.  If you still want it to be tax deductible, we will send in a donation in YOUR name so you will get the credit for tax purposes. 

4.)  When you pay via paypal IT IS IMPERATIVE you put “DZIAGWA FSP” on the “message to seller”  Our name MUST be on the transaction somewhere (it does not happen automatically) so we will get the credit to Mayah’s account.

 

Lastly, please PRAY God moves in the hearts of the people He knows will help us with the last bit of $ to bring home Mayah 😉

We have had an outpouring of donations for drawings, so please keep stopping by, you never know what we’ll have next!!

ONE MORE THING 😉  Can you please post our blog for us on facebook, with your friends, via email, etc.  so we are able to get more traffic and raise more money and awareness for Mayah and adoption.

Our goal for this week’s drawing is $100!!!  No donation is too small.  $1 is better than $0.

Thank you all!

 

As normal, Dan and I will match 10% to Sveta’s grant.  Please help that little girl get a forever family!!

And The Winner Is…

This week was David’s week to pick the name.  After I got them all printed and cut, since we had so many names we had to shake them up in a big bag instead of a hat;) 

Thank you ALL who participated this week.  Adeye, I will be emailing you with Faith Jobes’ information so you can take a pic from either a hat or a headband.

This weeks grand total:  $110!!!!!

I am suddenly unable to find where to enlarge my text…hmmm.  Dan and I will be sending $11 to Sveta’s account as a Thank-You to everyone who helped us not only meet but BEAT this week’s goal!  I can’t wait until our FSP is updated to show our current amount.  Our thermometer on the side will be updated when our FSP is updated. 

We have had an outpouring of people wanting to donate handmade items to us.  We are sooo greatful!!!  We already have next week’s item ready!!

Welcome to the Third Sveta Friday Drawing!!

Sveta is a beautiful cutie pie living in Eastern Europe.  Sveta does have HIV and a possible  heart condition.  No kidding, if Dan and i were to receive 100% funding we’d get her ASAP.  HIV should never keep someone from having a home.  Please, if you are skeptical as Dan and I were when we became Sveta’s Prayer Warriors, please feed your brain with knowledge.  There are plenty of groups and other parents who currently have children with HIV living in their home!!  If you have any questions at all, PLEASE don’t be ashamed to ask them.  dziagwax6@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to help.

She deserves a home, don’t you think?  She should not suffer because of something that was out of her control.  Please join us in praying Sveta gets a home.

We were submitted to the system in ukraine yesterday!!  Now we are waiting to get an appt with the SDA.  In the meantime, we still need to raise over $9,700 (i’ll get the exact figure later) to bring her home.  We are fundraising left and right upside down and sideways.  In fact, we have been fundraising non-top since January of this year with the exception of August.  Our God has provided every single dollar we have needed and we remain faithful He will do it now.  If you are in a position to donate just $1 we’ll be happy to add it to Mayah’s account!! If $1 is out of your budget, we encourage you to join us in prayer.  Please pray God moves in the hearts of those He is calling and the called hear and feel Him moving.  Thank you!  We long so much and our hearts are aching to bring our girl HOME where she belongs. 

Now, without making you read anything more…..(almost) here is this week’s ADORABLE drawing prize!!!

Faith Jobes another adoptive Mom I “met” through my sister, Beth is adopting from another country in EE.  They are making hats and beautiful bows for their daughter’s adoption fund.  We have purchased 2 hats already from Faith and probably will own all colors in the future!  This is your chance to get one for little cost AND free shipping!!!

She can be found by “Faith Jobes” on facebook and her photoalbum is “Headbands for Hope” 

This is the hat we just bought on Thursday.

This is the next one I’d like to get

we got pink on pink for Mayah

There are just sooo many!!!  Orange, cream, more AND headbands!!

How pretty is she?!

Baby Girlies look adorable as well with a Headband for Hope!!

Love them like we do?!

You too can own 1 (or more!!)

Chances are the same as always $3 for 1 and $5 for two.

The Drawing is starting at 7am Friday and will End at Noon EST on Saturday.

Please make all donations to :

http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsordziagwa.html

all donations are tax deductible!!

Our goal for this Sveta Friday is $50!!

Like every Friday, 10% goes to Sveta (we seem to be donating that personally every week so Mayah gets the full amt raised)

There is a thermometer on the side which still needs to be updated once RR updates our FSP.  We are in need of about $9921 to be fully funded!!  GOD CAN DO THIS!!

When you donate via RR please leave a comment or email at dziagwax6@gmail.com or via facebook how many chances you paid for so we can enter you in the drawing.  We are not made aware of daily donations to our FSP, so if you don’t tell us, we can’t enter you for this beautiful hat/headband!!

Thank you all for helping us raise money for Mayah and Sveta!!!

And the Winner Is…….

Thanks to 3 Amazing people, we were able to raise $28 total!!!

I am sending $2.80 to Sveta’s account as soon as I am done.  I will update her thermometer later today!!

We have a few more things up our sleeves to help raise money.  Auction or another drawing?  I’m thinking auction, do you agree readers?

I am also going to be teaming up with another adopting Mom for a wonderful sale!!

Will post a Dziagwa-life update later.

Thank you again!!!  We LOVE seeing Mayah’s FSP grow grow grow!!!  Every single dollar counts!!!

Sveta Friday Drawing!!

Happy Sveta Friday!!

I’m working on an update for us but it will have to wait until Saturday after the drawing is over;)

Check out what Lindsey Malone:  https://lindseymalone.scentsy.us/Home

has donated from her Scentsy Business!!

Lindsey was kind enough to donate a plug-in warmer ($15 value) and 2 bars of scents ($10 total value of bars) 

*shipping is also donated by Lindsey, how nice is that?!*

The available scents are:

Camu Camu
Perfectly Pomegranate
Rainforest
Vanilla Walnut
Clean breeze
Citru Sun Tea (4)
Maple butter (4)
Enchanted Mist
Blueberry Cheesecake
Sweetpea and Vanilla
Tropical twist
Paradise Punch
Grape Granita (2)
Peligro

She has 1 of each of the above with the exception of the noted scents as indicated by (#)

Lindsey also does online Scentsy parties and people EASILY can order their products and the shipping is incredibly fast!!  She is now booking parties in her local area for October.  If you don’t know what Scentsy is, PLEASE check it out!!

I would also like to say, if you’re looking for an extra income (small or large!) please check out the “join” section of Lindsey’s site.  Joining Scentsy is cheap!!  (I’m thinking of doing it myself) and the products really do sell themselves.  Lindsey is very excited to share her business with anyone interested, so PLEASE email her if you’d like!!

Also, if you are in need of a great fundraiser idea Scentsy is it!!  Lindsey’s contact information is on her website. 

 * You do NOT need to be a local to host an online party or fundraiser*

As usual, in honor of Sveta Friday 10% of all funds donated will go to Sveta’s FSP:  http://reecesrainbow.org/hivee1.html

And just because it is SVETA FRIDAY here is her picture. 

Really all, if you have any reservations about adopting a child with HIV PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do your research.  Project Hopeful is a great place to start!!  I have been learning a LOT as we go along so please email me at dziagwax6@gmail.com I assure you NO QUESTION is lame or stupid .  If an answer means you will gain knowledge leading Sveta to gaining a FOREVER FAMILY it’s totally worth it. 

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And most certainly, last but NOT LEAST is our Mayah.  The reason we are doing this in the first place. 

We still need to raise about $9,700 to fully fund Mayah’s adoption.  Let me reassure you

EVERY

SINGLE

PENNY

COUNTS

Each donation made to Reece’s Rainbow, whether it’s online to our FSP http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsordziagwa.html

or via check or money order through the mail:

Reece’s Rainbow

PO BOX 4024

Gaithersburg, MD 20885

is tax deductible.  When you donate please be sure to add “DZIAGWA FSP” on either the memo line of the check or money order or in the “special message to the seller” when paying via paypal. 

RULES:

CHANCES for the drawing are $3 for 1 and $5 for two.  If you’d like to purchase 3 chances it’s $8 and 4 chances $10.

Like the last drawing, this one will last 24 hours!

As a bonus, if you advertise for us with a link to our blog (facebook, twitter, your own blog, etc) we will add an extra chance in for you!  Please be sure to notify us via comment on this blog of your advertising for us!  *HOLLA!*  

*at least one purchase is necessary for the free chance*

Again, chances are on the honor system:  when you purchase chances via RR please be sure to leave a comment on this blog how many chances you are paying for.

If you have any questions please email me:  dziagwax6@gmail.com

Again, if you pay via paypal with RR please include an extra 3% to cover paypal fees so RR doesn’t have to incur the charges. 

 (30 cents for every $10 donated(cheaper than a stamp or fees to purchase a money order))

We thank you all for stopping by our Sveta Friday Drawing.   We are so excited at the outpouring of volunteers we have had to donate items each Friday to help us raise funds.  Please share our blog with your friends!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a weekend!

Ah, this weekend was more than I imagined.  We planned for Labor Day weekend to be a great time spent with family.  Dan works a lot of hours, and A especially has a particularly hard time with Daddy not being home when he wakes up.  We have had 2 nights of fires and food outside;)  Everything tastes better when it’s made over the fire, doesn’t it?

Nana visited yesterday and enjoyed time with us and today both Nana AND Pappy came to visit and the neighbor kids came over and played and had smores, popcorn and played IN the van all night.  No lie, we decided to have a camp-out in the back yard in the van.  They had a blast playing monsters, aliens, racing, whatever their imaginations dreamed of, they did!  We had so much fun watching and listening to them all play together.  I love this house!  I LOVE having wonderful neighbors who love to play.  Dan and I are incredibly excited at the thought of Mayah and Lauren playing together next year.  Lauren will probably be so excited to have a female companion!

Church was wonderful as well.  Everything about it was handed directly from God himself.  Beautiful.  We are so happy and so blessed to call that place our home. 

Our plane tickets got booked today!  We are excited.  Dan and I, though it will be a fast-but-long trip are looking forward to the short adventure together.  Thanks *K family for allowing us this time together. 

God is doing amazing things in our lives.  I’m so blessed to be the daughter of One Awesome God. 

Mayah’s FSP with RR is up to $47.  Everyone who must have purchased ‘chances’ yesterday, must have changed their payments to RR.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing that her FSP is no longer at $0.  FINALLY.  Thank you Jesus!!

Thanks to freecycle, we are getting a piano!  Just in time for Mayah to be here, Alexander to start learning and the others to start playing on.  This will be my second free piano in my lifetime.  My first, when I was a child, was blue.  No lie.  It was a blue upright piano.  I’m not even sure why or even how we got it.  My parents could never afford lessons.  Eventually, when I got older, I taught myself via keyboard in high school.  I’m sooo looking forward to playing again.  How I loved it. 

It’s getting late and my house is quiet.  G is sleeping and the boys are camping outside with their Daddy. 

Working on a plan for our first ever auction!  We’ve got some AMAZING things (especially for the locals)

For the non locals, I’m working on some amazing things as well, I wouldn’t forget you!

I only wish I would have thought of doing Sveta Friday giveaways so much earlier.  We hope to be in Ukraine in 1 month (or thereabouts) and we still need to raise about $9700.  God CAN do it!  It’s all on His time.  I know I definitely needed my time away from fundraising.  I’m sure other people were glad to have a reprieve as well.

First, I sent the money this morning via paypal to Sveta’s account.  I will update her thermometer as well 😉

We will be doing another 24 giveaway next weekend.  Details will be posted on Friday.

I FINALLY got our docs in from the SOS yesterday.  They were shipped yesterday and because of the holiday, they won’t arrive until Thursday.  There was no way to get the overnighted at all.  BOO.  HOWEVER it IS on God’s time. 

We are now hoping to travel mid-october.  Another BOO.  I wanted to be home by then.  Again…it’s on God’s Timing, not ours. 

We had a simply wonderful day yesterday. 

This is how truly amazing our God really is.

We were supposed to have a play date with a friend of the boys.  A few days prior, God told me Saturday was going to be for “something else” not the playdate.  Uh, God…do I just cancel and say, “I have no idea why.”?  Friday I get an email from B’s mom telling me they had to change their plans on Saturday and would be unable to make it.  I shared with her how great God is.  It was still at this time we had no idea what was going on. 

Finally, Saturday morning almost afternoon, I share this inkling with my husband.  “HMM” he says, and left it at that. 

We continued to discuss a few goings on here and prayed together a few times. 

This is our story:

A few months ago God told Dan we needed to give away our mini-van.  I of course, wanted to sell a vehicle.  And definitely did NOT want to give up my mini-van, Penny.  Yes, that was her name.  It’s no longer her name because she’s no longer mine.  I have a bigger van now.  I love it!  The van-formerly-known-as-Penny was driven by my husband for a few weeks.  Friday, he started driving his car again. 

We later decided we should sell the car.  It just simply didn’t work out with the guy who was buying it. 

It was then we were back to giving away the van.  I called the church to see if they had a need.  No need immediately stood out to them, but people were praying. 

Dan was talking with another man who we thought had a need for the van in his family.  We wait a week or so and Dan finally calls yesterday.  Saturday.  The day God told me was going to be a great day.  I felt something was going to happen, I assumed the other family would want to come get the van for their other family member right away. 

That simply was not the case.

During Dan’s phone call, I post a sign on the door (he was outside):  “Stop talking, this doesn’t feel right.” 

He gets off the phone and no kidding, a minute later I initiate a chat with someone on facebook about their status update.  In this conversation, I see the line about them needed a new car. 

There it was.

On Saturday.

THE something AMAZING.

I simply asked if she wanted our van.  Her reply, “We have no money, honey.”  *”That’s not what I asked”  I said.  “I said, do you WANT it?” 

MMM to be filled with that power.  The power of the Holy Spirit working in you, incredible. 

Needless to say, this new family will have the van, the one that is no longer ours, still sitting in our yard.  This week Dan is going to change the oil and we’re going to clean it up and we’ll be on our way in a week to its new family!!

Isn’t the God we serve AMAZING?

And the winners are…….

Theresa and Christina

 You have the choices of the earrings posted in the original fundraising post.

Because of everyone we were able to raise $37.80 for our girls’ adoptions and $4.20 will be sent to Sveta’s Account via paypal later this evening;)

 We know many of you who donated via Both Hands were later sent an email that the way I posted was an incorrect way.  You can choose to pay in any way you prefer…IMO http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsordziagwa.html is the best way.

we do ask that you add 3% to the total payment so RR doesn’t have to incur the fees.

we thank all of you who helped us this week!!!

There will be ANOTHER drawing for something else next Friday for Sveta Friday;)

we are very excited to be getting closer to our girls!!

If you would like to buy a set of earrings we will deduct $3 from each paiR you’d like to purchase.  They are originally sold for $10 per pair including shipping.  From now until next Friday’s drawing we will offer them to people who donated at $7 PER PAIR!!!