Grant Work ...... sigh!

2 words that make me cringe these days........

GRANT WORK

 

While we are extremely grateful for these grants - they are TONS of work!  Not difficult work, just tedious work, work that must be done in utter silence for my brain to function.  Hours and hours spent at the computer reading qualifications, order of paperwork, and question upon question of our beliefs, proof of income via tax returns (some needing all pages, some needing just the first two pages), etc.  Hours spent.....

 

 

I just sent in our 4th application.  I am currently working on a 13-page application and had to take a break.  Sometimes I feel like I get into the rut of filling in the spaces and trying to get the best wording to really portray our family and the request that we are making. Here lately as deadlines get closer to some of them I am forgetting to do what is important..... and pray over these applications.  Pray that even if we do not get selected to receive a grant that the money will go to a family that really needs that final push to get their child/ren home.  Pray for the board members that give up their time and make efforts to pour over these applications and listen to God's leading.  As well as give thanks in my prayers that God has generous people out in this world to give money when they can to a good cause! 

 

I will stop and say right here and now - that we are not worried about the money side of these adoptions!  While we are adopting up to three precious children and our cost almost triples, we have no reason to doubt.  Let me clarify - the number is very scary when we have to fill in that blank on the grant application of Total Cost of Adoptions $________!!!  But there is no possible way that we can doubt how God has provided thus far.  When we started on this journey, I'm not going to lie - that number scared the skin off of me - but now I am looking forward to seeing how God is going to make that money appear.  Because I know He will! 

 

While it has been mainly my job to find and organize all materials for these grants, Ryan has been a gem!!  I left him a post-it note with 4 or 5 copies to make, answers to fill in, or documents to scan in last weekend while I was out of town and my honey came through!  God has blessed our team efforts and while we do things in COMPLETE OPPOSITE ways - we are accomplishing our goals! 

 

I also want to thank those that have agreed to help us out.  Many of you have been willing to be a reference for a grant or fill out a questionnaire on us.  We know this takes time and efforts on your parts to do this for our journey.  We give thanks for you and couldn't do this without our friends!  (Sorry family, you don't count on this one, because we can use you all as references!)  Let me also shout out to our awesome agency and program director!  She has done so much for us and I feel like we are the only family she has since she gets back to us so promptly and efficiently!  Guidance, kind words, and encouragement help this process go smoother!!

 

So I'm heading back to my paperwork refreshed and renewed after a time of prayer!  Lord help me to not loose sight of your plan and your design of how this journey looks!  Let me be faithful in EVERYTHING.  Amen!