Look Stylish for a Great Cause

Ok, another fundraising opportunity has presented itself to us.  My sweet friend, Gwen, has some mad sewing skills and a creative mind.  Her husband is the college minister at our church and they both have beautiful hearts for orphans. 

Gwen has offered to donate a generous portion of the proceeds in July on this dress to our adoption fund. 



This is Gwen modeling the dress. 



The back





Another fabric

The dress is available in hundreds of different fabrics and in sizes 2-14.  Your dress will be custom made to fit you! It's a fitted bodice, an empire waist, and a floor length skirt. So fun to wear! Perfect for weddings, a hot date with your husband, or just for fun! $76 each.  If you're interested in ordering you can view more pics here and order from Gwen.  You can also check out Gwen's other creations here. 

Yard Sale Update

Our second adoption yard sale was last weekend and it was a HUGE success!  So many sweet people donated items for us to sell and I believe we even had a larger inventory than last year. Last year, it poured all day on Friday while we were trying to set up, so we decided to get a head start this year and set all the tables up on Thursday.  I even started putting things out that could get wet on Thursday.  Even with this prep work and an incredible group of friends, it still took several hours on Friday to get everything set up.  Customers trickled in all day while we were getting ready and I think we made about $200 before the sale even started.  The weather was BEAUTIFUL and we only experienced about 5 minutes of rain during the entire two days. 



A portion of the sale!



Sweet Alex selling baked goods



Part of the crew (Megan, Leah, Jen, Chad, and Mike are missing)

We've all heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child.  Well, I am certainly convinced that it takes a village to adopt.  I sit here with tears rolling down my face as I consider the circle of support we have around us.  We have many good friends who gave of their time (and probably their sanity) to help make this sale happen. We are humbled by the sacrifices many have made to help us bring our little guy home and know that God is using other people to help make this adoption possible. 

We began this process in June 2010 with three very young kids and not enough money.  The process has truly been one of the most significant spiritual journeys of my life.  God has continued to remind us that He is in control and we don't have to have the answers.  He has given us so many loving reminders that we are in His will.  He has blessed us with the sacrificial giving of others and has reminded us of what we're really living for.  One example of this happened through a sweet friend from church.  She is an amazing baker and had decided that instead of baking for the sale that she would take orders from people she knew the week before the yard sale.  She was able to get 35 dozen orders and handed us a check for $300 on Friday morning.  What a labor of love! 

So...with the baking money and the money from the yard sale, we raised $2,143 in two days!  Peeps, I pray this does nothing but points you towards the One who made it possible.  God called us to this journey and he is providing step by step.  I don't have answers for you about what each step is going to look like or how we are going to handle it.  What I do know is that my heart is at rest.  I'm sure we're going to hit some hard times.  We already have.  I'm also sure we're not going to be facing it alone. 

Yard Sale

Last July, we had a huge yard sale to raise funds for our adoption.  It certainly felt like the mother of all yard sales!  Our friends donated items they no longer wanted/needed to the sale.  We sold baked goods (provided by friends) and gallons upon gallons of lemonade.  It rained A LOT and at the end of the day we still profited $1,750!  We were so touched by all the people who donated, helped organize and price, set up/tore down, worked at the sale, and baked. You know who you are, and we couldn't have done it without you! 

So, we come to you again, humbly asking for your help.  We are planning to have another yard sale on Friday, June 24 - Saturday, June 25.  If you have items you no longer use and would otherwise donate to Goodwill, etc. we would be happy to take them off your hands. We will also need help pricing/organizing ahead of time and help the days of the sale.  The baked goods were a huge hit last year and we could use bakers again as well.  You can message me on FB or email me at michellerwitt@yahoo.com if you are able to help in any way. 

Your support through this process means so much to us.  There are times when I feel so fearful about this journey and am convinced that were absolutely crazy.  It's a tremendous blessing to experience the love and encouragement of others.  It doesn't come easy to us to ask for help, but we pray you will be blessed as you invest in our adoption. 

For Real

Well, hello again!  It's been quite a while since I last posted and I think that's just going to be my style.  I guess I'll blog when I have something to say.  Here's a little bit of an update.  My daughter Grace sees specialists at Cardinal Glennon every few months.  Frequently when we go to the appointments we wait quite a while in the waiting room.  Last time we waited much longer than we expected.  We waited and waited and waited in the waiting room until I thought they had somehow skipped passed her name.  I checked with the receptionist to verify we were still on the list of patients and we continued to wait.  Finally, they called her name and I felt a glimmer of hope that we might beat rush hour traffic.  No such luck.  It was really just a tease.  We started the waiting game over again in the little examining room.  By this point, I was getting frustrated.  We waited and waited and finally the door swung open...again, just teasing me.  It was the medical student there to examine her before the actual doctor came in.  He proceeded to examine her and left us to wait some more.  International adoption feels much like this waiting room scene.  When we started this process we had an idea what the time frame would look like.  We are going to be in the waiting room longer than we expected.  Most of the time, I'm at peace with that.  Most of the time I trust that God's got this one.  Most of the time I'm content with waiting.  Sometimes I'm not.  Sometimes my heart longs so much to bring that sweet child home and love on him.  Sometimes my arms ache to hold this child I've never even met.

Even in the waiting room, good things are happening in our family.  On Sunday, May 15, both of our daughters were adopted!  Now before you start thinking we've lost our minds, let me explain.  They both made the decision to accept Jesus into their hearts and give their lives to Him.  They are now a part of the family of God!  God is the author of adoption.  Since my girls have accepted Him, He calls them His "own."  They are HIS!  Amazing!  Nothing could give my heart more joy.  Nothing.  Grace took the time to write out the prayer she wanted to say and asked me to "save it for Oliver and our other brother for when they want to ask Jesus into their hearts."  Beautiful!  You see, when adoption takes place it is "for real."  My heart truly breaks when I hear/see instances where having biological children is considered more noteworthy than adopting.  Peeps, when my girls said "Yes" to Jesus on Sunday evening, they were adopted and it was for real!  I'm so thankful Christ doesn't have a category for his "own" kids and his "adopted" kids.  If you're a believer and part of God's family, I'm sure you're thankful too. 

Romans 8:14-17

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 

The Roller Coaster

I've said it before and I will say it again...international adoption is like a roller coaster ride.  An article was released this week that Ethiopia will be reducing international adoptions from the country by 90%. The number of Ethiopian adoptions has grown dramatically over the past few years.  As it has grown, changes to policies and procedures are necessary.  It seems that this is a very dramatic response to the problem, and many organizations, including our adoption agency, are in communication with Ethiopian officials to further understand their position. 

I really don't think I meant to allow my heart to love the children of this country so deeply, or to allow myself to picture my own family with a little chocolate chip or two around the table.  I really meant to put some better safeguards around my heart because I know how international adoption can work.  But here we are and we face the future with many unknowns. 

I do know that God is on his throne and that these children are his.  I know that he is truly the "father to the fatherless."   I know that he has a plan.  Today that's about all I know and I'm just resting in that. 

Please pray with me for the sweet children of Ethiopia, for Ethiopian officials who are making decisions regarding adoptions, and for families adopting from Ethiopia. 

Leaving a Legacy

I'm gearing up to write my next post on why we chose to adopt from Ethiopia, but for today I'm going to take a short break from adoption talk. Today I am pausing to reflect on the life of an extraordinary man, Pastor Fred Winters.  Two years ago, March 8, 2009, Pastor Fred was killed after a gunman walked into First Baptist Church of Maryville during his morning message and opened fire.  My heart still aches over the untimely loss of such an amazing individual and for the family he left behind.  The events of that day were nothing short of traumatizing and many of the vivid details are still etched in my brain.  However, what interests me much more than remembering how he died, is remembering how he lived. 

A few months back, Mike and I were in the home study process of our adoption.  Our social worker asked us the question, "Who have been the most influential people in your life?"  I answered, "Fred and Cindy Winters."  I told her that we began attending First Baptist Church of Maryville a couple months after we were married and began to build relationships with the Winters family.  I told her how they have been mentors to us throughout the early years of our marriage and parenting. I told her that Fred’s life and death will leave a mark on my life forever and that Cindy is a dear friend whose faith in God, love for others, and strength in the midst of tragedy amazes me. 

We lost a lot on March 8, 2009.  One thing we didn't lose is the legacy Pastor Fred left.  He was loyal, wise, caring, and genuine.  He had a way with people and was able to talk to anyone.  He genuinely cared for others.  He had overcome many hardships in his life and risen above them.  He was incredibly intelligent.  He was consistent.  He had a way of seeing the strengths in people and helping them to build those strengths.  He was a great story teller.  He had vision.  He was faithful.  He was a true example to follow.  He obeyed the command in Luke 10:27 to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself." 

I will never forget Pastor Fred and the legacy he has left for us to follow.  I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to call him my pastor. 

Counting the Cost

By far, the two most frequently asked questions when people find out we are adopting are: "How did you choose to adopt from Ethiopia?" (I'll answer this one next time) and "Doesn't that cost a lot?" The answer to this one is, "Yes." In fact, I often tell people that it will cost about what the average American spends on a new vehicle. The fees are paid incrementally to several different entities as so many steps are involved in international adoption. Here's a rough idea what the breakdown looks like:

• Application fees to adoption agency and home study agency


• Home study and adoption training


• Physicals and testing


• Documents (original birth certificates, marriage license, passports, etc)


• USCIS application fee and fingerprinting


• Dossier fee (due to our adoption agency)


• Adoption agency program fee (due at the time we are matched with our child. This fee will be double if we are matched with twins or a sibling set. This fee goes to the adoption agency and to Ethiopia. Much of this fee goes to provide humanitarian aid in Ethiopia.)


• Travel fees (Ethiopia requires two trips. Fees include plan tickets, lodging and meals.)


• Post placement services

When we decided we were going to adopt in 2008, we knew we needed to prepare financially. We began to make sacrifices and challenged ourselves to cut back anywhere we could in order to save. Even still, the fees seemed so much higher than we would be able to finance and we knew God would have to provide. Throughout this time, we also felt the effects of the economic downturn and I resigned from my job after having our third child.



We officially began the adoption process in the summer of 2010, and our first large payment was due in early August. At the end of July, we enlisted help from many wonderful friends and had an adoption fundraising yard sale. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of people who donated items to be sold and those who gave of their time to help. Let me make a long story short...It poured almost the whole two days, and we made a whopping $1,750! Amazing! The next week our payment was due and we were thrilled to have made a significant portion of it at our yard sale. We were brought to tears when we opened our mailbox to find a check from a sweet family at our church that covered (to the penny) the remainder of the payment. This family had not even been aware of the specific need at that time or of the amount brought in from the yard sale. They had only felt the nudge to give and had obeyed. God-math.



Our second large payment was due right before Christmas. We had applied and interviewed for an adoption grant, but were not sure we would be approved. Right when I was needing to mail off the check, we recieved confirmation that we had been approved for the grant. The grant covered a large portion of this payment and we were so grateful. A couple days later, Mike recieved a very unexpected bonus that came quite close to covering the remainder of the payment. God-math.



The majority of our adoption expenses are still ahead and we don't know exactly how they will be covered. We are doing our best to make wise decisions and sacrifice in order to continue to save. I'm not convinced every step will be easy. God doesn't promise us that. I am convinced He will provide and I'm actually excited to see how.



I am in a Beth Moore study on the book of Daniel that has been life-changing. A great quote from the last session has stuck with me: "Our calling will cost us something." This statement took my thoughts to our adoption...the cost is high and has required us to make some sacrifices. But, this is our calling...part of our life's purpose! Oh my, is it worth the cost! Every. single. penny. I'm so thankful that through our own selfishness we didn't miss it. I believe that would have cost much more.

Why Not Us?

I really can't remember a time when I didn't have a soft spot in my heart for adoption. For years, Mike and I have discussed adopting "someday." Sadly, I never really believed that we would. I mean, while I always believed it was a great thing to do, my list of fears was entirely too long...How would we handle a child who had been in an orphanage or foster care? How would we pay for it? Would we be able to develop a bond with the child? How would our family respond? My multitude of concerns made it very easy to put adopting in the "someday" category and leave it alone.

In 2004, we had our first child. In 2006, we had our second. In July 2008, I began to desire to add to our family again. Around the same time, I picked up a copy of a magazine with several great articles about Ethiopia and other African countries. I read every article several times and couldn't stop thinking about the needs in this area of the world. I found myself staying up till the early hours of the morning to read websites/blogs about Africa and then couldn't sleep because my heart ached for these innocent children. God had definitely got my attention. My questions began to change...Why do I live a life of plenty, while so many others are living without even their basic needs met? How can I continue to go about my life pretending that these extreme needs don't exist? What am I doing to obey the command in James 1:27 to care for orphans? Who will help the 143 million orphans in the world? Why not us?

We made a decision to follow God in adopting and on my birthday, we announced to our closest friends that we were going to adopt from Ethiopia. Since that point, I've not only had a spot in my heart for adoption, I've had a spot at my table. I've begun to love a child I've never met.

Ironically, about a month later, two lines on the little stick showed that baby #3 was on the way. While this was a surprise to us, it was all a part of God's plan. Our sweet little Oliver was born in 2009 and I can't imagine our lives without him.

Throughout this waiting period, God continued to grow our hearts and prepare our family to adopt. In June 2010, we completed our application to adopt from Ethiopia. In the past 7 months, we've been neck deep in paperwork. We've become licensed with DCFS, completed our home study, submitted our paperwork to USCIS and we are currently waiting for our approval so a bunch of our paperwork (called a dossier) can be sent to Ethiopia. We are approved to adopt a little boy up to 18 months of age and are also approved to adopt siblings or twins. We recently applied and were approved for the Waiting Child Program at our agency, as well, which means we may have the opportunity to chose a child who has special needs.

I regret having not kept a blog throughout these past several months as they have been some of the most growing of my life. I have been enlightened about my own spiritual adoption and how desperately I needed to be rescued. As my heart has grown for adoption, I have begun to understand in a way I have never grasped before what Christ has done for me. He adopted me (Romans 8:15-16) and he calls me his child. Our sweet Ethiopian babe will become a Witt. He will be part of our family. He will fill the empty chair at my table. He will pick up some our our strange habits and our sense of humor. He will be expected to follow our family rules. He will be ours. I am told in Scripture that I am God's child. He has adopted me. I am His. He has poured out His love freely to me (Romans 5:5).

There are still many fears that lay on my heart at times. International adoption is full of ups and downs. There are so many unknowns. Yet we know as God's children, we have been commanded to care for "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40). With nearly 5 million orphans in Ethiopia alone, and an estimated 143 million orphans worldwide the need is great. Many people will need to act in order to make a change. So why not us?