NEED A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA?
Purchase a "LOVE Ethiopia"
T-shirt to help support our adoption fundraiser! Shirts are $15 each and
are preshrunk (50% cotton 50% polyester). They are super comfy and come
in great colors! Here are the sizes and colors that we still have
available.
SMALL: 1 Red, 2 Purple, 1 Gray
MEDIUM: 2 Green, 2 Red
LARGE: 3 Gray, 1 Green, 1 Red
XL: 2 Blue, 1 Pink
3X: 1 Blue, 1 Gray
Contact Megan at megananne1020@hotmail.com to purchase!
***PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS***
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Philippians 4:19
Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted! It was a super busy summer full of activities, vacations, and ADOPTION FUNDRAISERS!
In July, my awesome friend Tessa Going hosted an Origami Owl Jewelry Party for us to help raise money for our adoption. She is an independent designer who so generously offered to donate all proceeds on the jewelry sold to go to us for our adoption fund! The party went great and we were able to raise $451 for our adoption. I can't thank her enough for giving of her time and energy to host a party and more importantly for donating all of her proceeds to us. She is a wonderful sister in Christ with a heart of gold!
To find out more about Origami Owl Jewelry, you can visit Tessa's site here.
While we are on the topic of fundraisers....we had great success with a quilt raffle fundraiser this summer! My wonderful friend and 2nd mom, Carol McKinney made a beautiful handmade children's quilt for us to raffle off. With the help of McKinney Sew & Vac, who graciously hung the quilt in their shop, we were able to raise $440 on the quilt raffle fundraiser! Thank you to the McKinney's for their part in our adoption journey! We love you guys!
The end of our summer was spent getting things ready for our 2nd Yard Sale Fundraiser! For those who remember how big our 1st Yard Sale was, well the 2nd one blew that one out of the water! It was twice as big with THOUSANDS of donated items!
It was held on September 20 and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. We had a building full of great items, wonderful family & friends who helped volunteer, beautiful weather, and a great crowd of shoppers. By end of the day we were able to raise $4,700 for our adoption! We were blown away that we exceeded the amount of the last yard sale and were amazed to see God at work, yet again!
Check out some pictures below.
In July, my awesome friend Tessa Going hosted an Origami Owl Jewelry Party for us to help raise money for our adoption. She is an independent designer who so generously offered to donate all proceeds on the jewelry sold to go to us for our adoption fund! The party went great and we were able to raise $451 for our adoption. I can't thank her enough for giving of her time and energy to host a party and more importantly for donating all of her proceeds to us. She is a wonderful sister in Christ with a heart of gold!
While we are on the topic of fundraisers....we had great success with a quilt raffle fundraiser this summer! My wonderful friend and 2nd mom, Carol McKinney made a beautiful handmade children's quilt for us to raffle off. With the help of McKinney Sew & Vac, who graciously hung the quilt in their shop, we were able to raise $440 on the quilt raffle fundraiser! Thank you to the McKinney's for their part in our adoption journey! We love you guys!
Quilt handmade by Carol McKinney |
The end of our summer was spent getting things ready for our 2nd Yard Sale Fundraiser! For those who remember how big our 1st Yard Sale was, well the 2nd one blew that one out of the water! It was twice as big with THOUSANDS of donated items!
It was held on September 20 and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. We had a building full of great items, wonderful family & friends who helped volunteer, beautiful weather, and a great crowd of shoppers. By end of the day we were able to raise $4,700 for our adoption! We were blown away that we exceeded the amount of the last yard sale and were amazed to see God at work, yet again!
Check out some pictures below.
At our Yard Sale, we debuted our "LOVE Ethiopia" T-shirts (shown above) that we are currently selling as a fundraiser. They are $15 each and come in adult sizes Small-3X. Colors vary upon size. Contact megananne1020@hotmail.com if you are interested in purchasing a t-shirt! ALL proceeds go towards our adoption.
Now that I am reading over all of this...it is such a great reminder that God continues to provide. When we first decided to pursue international adoption, we were discouraged about the cost. We spoke with several families who had gone through it and they all told us that the same thing - "We have no idea how we financed our whole adoption, the money just came." It is so exciting to actually be living that out right now! Ryan and I are about to send our dossier documents off to America World accompanied by about $9,000 in fees and not one penny did we have to scrounge up out of our savings. Every bit of that is from all of the fundraisers and donations that people have helped us with this year. If God calls you to do something, He will provide and allow you to do it. It is evident that this adoption is His will for our lives and it is so fun to watch! :)
Before I go, I do have to share this amazing "God" moment that happened a couple weeks ago.
I received a phone call from a stranger who had read our blog and was moved by our story. She told me that she shared our story with her compnay that she works for and they also believed in what we were doing. This comapny decided to tithe 10% of their earnings that month and give us a check for our adoption. Yes - you read that right.....a large local company donated money to us even though they had never met us! I mean, I can't make this stuff up people. God is working and it is amazing! We are so grateful that He chose us to be on this journey of watching His miracles unfold.
If God has laid adoption on your heart, please don't brush it off. We need all the people we can get to help spread awareness and to help spread the gospel through adoption. Whether it is donating money, praying, volunteering, hosting a fundraiser or pursuing adoption yourself, all Christians have a role to play in caring for orphans.
Thank you to those who continually support us and encourage us each day.
We Love You!
Ryan & Megan
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
BIG YARD SALE FUNDRAISER- THIS SATURDAY!
The week is finally here....
We are all ready for our BIG Yard Sale Fundraiser and have TONS of great things for sale. Please stop by on Saturday from 8am-2pm on Bancroft Rd. in Greensboro. Not only will we have great deals on items, there will be doughnuts, coffee, hot dogs, drinks, t-shirts, and raffle tickets for sale! All proceeds go towards our Ethiopian Adoption Fund! Help us spread the word by by sharing this flyer with friends & family. We hope to see you there!
We are all ready for our BIG Yard Sale Fundraiser and have TONS of great things for sale. Please stop by on Saturday from 8am-2pm on Bancroft Rd. in Greensboro. Not only will we have great deals on items, there will be doughnuts, coffee, hot dogs, drinks, t-shirts, and raffle tickets for sale! All proceeds go towards our Ethiopian Adoption Fund! Help us spread the word by by sharing this flyer with friends & family. We hope to see you there!
Friday, September 5, 2014
2 Weeks 'Til Our BIG YARD SALE Fundraiser!!!
Hi Everyone,
We are TWO weeks away from our BIG Yard Sale Fundraiser on Saturday, September 20 and we need your help!
We have a building FULL of stuff and we would like everyone's help in promoting this by telling friends & family about the sale!
Volunteers are needed if you are interested in helping!
We need help with the following:
Thank You All for your support and prayers!
Ryan and Megan Smith
We are TWO weeks away from our BIG Yard Sale Fundraiser on Saturday, September 20 and we need your help!
We have a building FULL of stuff and we would like everyone's help in promoting this by telling friends & family about the sale!
Volunteers are needed if you are interested in helping!
We need help with the following:
- TABLES: We are going to need LOTS of folding tables for the sale. If you have a table that we could borrow, and could drop it by our house on Friday, September 19, that would be so helpful. *If you can't drop off, let us know and we will come pick up tables.
- SETUP VOLUNTEERS: We will need many volunteers on Friday, September 19 in the afternoon and evening to help unpack boxes, set up tables, and get things ready for the sale.
- SALE VOLUNTEERS: Volunteers are also needed on Saturday, September 20 from 7am-3pm to help during the actual yard sale. We will need strong guys to carry tables out into the yard, people at different spots helping shoppers, money takers, food servers, and floaters.
- RAFFLES: We will selling raffle tickets for some great prizes donated by wonderful independent sales people. We could use a few more prizes as well as someone to run this table!
- COFFEE & DOUGHNUTS: This was a big hit at our first sale for those early birds. We need a couple people to provide coffee and doughnuts and work the table!
- PRAYER: We need everyone to start praying for this fundraiser. Pray that God will provide volunteers and shoppers and that there will be NO rain!
- MOST IMPORTANTLY.....COME SHOP ON SEPTEMBER 20!
Thank You All for your support and prayers!
Ryan and Megan Smith
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
QUILT RAFFLE FUNDRAISER!
Hi Everyone!
Here is a great, fun, and easy opportunity for you to help with our adoption fundraising!
Carol McKinney who is a professional quilter and a special friend to us, has graciously made a beautiful hand-made quilt for us to raffle off in hopes to raise some money for our adoption.
The quilt is a twin size and is covered with bright colors and circus animal patterns! This would be great for any boy or girl!
For your chance to win this amazing prize, you can purchase a raffle ticket for just $1 or 6 tickets for $5. The drawing will be held at our yard sale fundraiser on Saturday, September 20. *You do not have to be present to win.
How to purchase a ticket:
See Megan Smith or Carol McKinney.
OR
Purchase a ticket(s) using our online giving site HERE.
Please share with your friends and family!
THANK YOU!
Ryan and Megan Smith
Here is a great, fun, and easy opportunity for you to help with our adoption fundraising!
Carol McKinney who is a professional quilter and a special friend to us, has graciously made a beautiful hand-made quilt for us to raffle off in hopes to raise some money for our adoption.
The quilt is a twin size and is covered with bright colors and circus animal patterns! This would be great for any boy or girl!
For your chance to win this amazing prize, you can purchase a raffle ticket for just $1 or 6 tickets for $5. The drawing will be held at our yard sale fundraiser on Saturday, September 20. *You do not have to be present to win.
How to purchase a ticket:
See Megan Smith or Carol McKinney.
OR
Purchase a ticket(s) using our online giving site HERE.
- Click the "Give Now" button.
- Designate the amount (there is a $2 minimum with this site)
- Enter your name, email, and in the "Message" box, please specify that you are giving towards the quilt raffle. (We will be alerted and will fill out a raffle ticket(s) for you)
- Continue filling out card information.
Please share with your friends and family!
THANK YOU!
Ryan and Megan Smith
Monday, August 18, 2014
Our Building Runneth Over...
Hi Everyone!
Hope you all have had a wondeful summer! Ours has been super busy which is why it seems like forever since our last blog post.
First, we want to say a big "THANK YOU" to everyone who donated their used items to go towards our Yard Sale Fundraisers. It has been amazing to see all of this stuff come in!
When we began collecting items for the yard sale, we had no idea how many donations we would get. Since April, over 70 people have donated their used furniture, clothes, home goods, toys, books, etc. You name it, it was donated! This has been such a blessing to us!
We do have to report that we are now completely full and have to end our Yard Sale Collection. Our 2-car garage building is now busting at the seams and we just don't have anymore space to store items.
*Thank you to those who were planning on donating, but please pass along your items to others in need.
But don't worry, we have TWICE as much stuff as we had at our first sale! It will be HUGE!
For those of you who are interested, there are still other ways that you can help.
- TABLES: We are going to need LOTS of folding tables for the sale. If you have a table that we could borrow, and could drop it by our house on Friday, September 19, that would be so helpful.
- SETUP VOLUNTEERS: We will need many volunteers on Friday, September 19 in the afternoon and evening to help unpack boxes, set up tables, and get things ready for the sale.
- SALE VOLUNTEERS: Volunteers are also needed on Saturday, September 20 from 7am-3pm to help during the actual yard sale. We will need strong guys to carry tables out into the yard, people at different spots helping shoppers, money takers, food servers, and floaters.
- BAKE SALE: Our plan is to sell baked goods at the yard sale. Any bakers that would like to whip up some yummy treats?? We will also need someone to run this table!
- RAFFLES: We will selling raffle tickets for some great prizes donated by wonderful independent sales people. We could use a few more prizes as well as someone to run this table!
- COFFEE & DOUGHNUTS: This was a big hit at our first sale for those early birds. We need a couple people to provide coffee and doughnuts and work the table!
- PRAYER: We need everyone to start praying for this fundraiser. Pray that God will provide volunteers and shoppers and that there will be NO rain!
- MOST IMPORTANTLY.....COME SHOP ON SEPTEMBER 20!
"Christians have a clear command to care for orphans, and there are many ways to get involved—praying, giving, mobilizing your church or adopting."
*Adoption Process Update
We just received our approved Home Study in the mail today. It now has to be sent to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to be approved. This is the last step before our paperwork can be submitted. Please pray for a quick process with the USCIS. :)
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Our 1st Fundraiser!
So, here is the story of our 1st Yard Sale Experience!
Who knew yard sales were SO much work?!? With this being our first yard sale EVER, we definitely underestimated the hours of preparation that would be needed.
Our first step was collecting items to sell. We began in April advertising that we needed yard sale items and it wasn't a day later that we began receiving calls about donations! Ask and you shall receive, right?
We ended up with thousands of donated items from friends, family, coworkers, and even people we didn't know.
{God was working}
Side Note: We had planned originally for our 1st yard sale to be in September, but when our building began filling up so quickly, we knew we had to move our yard sale date up to June! Here is a picture of the "mountain of donations" that we accumulated in just 1 month!
Once donations started rolling in, we began sorting, pricing, and boxing everything to get it organized and off the floor! This was the fun part, getting to see everyone's "junk" that would soon be someone else's "treasure"! We had some really cute things donated and I was even able to go ahead and sell some of the larger furniture items on Facebook so they wouldn't be taking up space in the building.
Side Note: There are too many little experiences to share on how we saw God working, but we sure did see Him...a lot!
Here is my BFF, Courtney, helping me sort and price items! |
The week of the sale arrived and we were busy making signs, putting out flyers, posting ads online, gathering tables, and lining up volunteers. More stuff kept rolling in that week, so we were quickly pricing everything. It was fun to get to spend time with family & friends who came over to help get things ready! {Thanks to Courtney, Mom, Mimi, Papa, Mommio, Stef, Jessica, Caitlin, Chad, & Jayme for all your hard work that week}
Working on our signs for the road! |
Friday, the day before the sale, we started setting up tables, unpacking boxes, and filling the tables with stuff. We had several people who let us borrow their folding tables which was a BIG help! {Thanks Jay, Matt, Gregg, Kenn, Mom, Dad, Jill, Phil, Louise, Chuck, Judy, and Jayme!}
I had some awesome ladies who took on the job of organizing all of the clothes by age, size, and gender. This was a huge advantage on the sale day because it made it so much easier for people to find what they were looking for! {Thank you Ashley, Maddie, Stef, Nancy, Jennifer, & Jill for doing this tedious task}
By the end of Friday night, we had most everything out except for the big items. We covered everything with plastic and tried to get some rest for our early morning the next day!
The morning of the sale came quick and we were scheduled to start at 8am. We moved all the tables out by 7:00am and shoppers were already showing up. It was a good thing that we had already put most of things out onto tables. We dragged the big stuff out and by 8am we were amazed that we already had a yard full of people!
Our friends and family came early to help and were there assisting people, moving big items, and collecting money! It was awesome to see everyone come together to help for this special cause! {Thank you Mom, Dad, Mimi, Papa, Nancy, Keivin, Stef, Jeff, Jess, Jayme, Chad, Shane, Summer, Christian, Joash, Seth, Taylor, Courtney, Tiffany, Chuck, Judy, Jill, Jennifer, Sarah, Ashley, Maddie, Ryan, Matt, & Brad}
Here are a few pictures from the day!
Our yard getting filled with stuff! |
The checkout table |
All of the categorized clothing |
My wonderful friend Jess who helped set up! |
Chad, Shane, & Jayme bringing out more stuff! |
Steffie leading the pack & getting things organized! |
Lots of goodies! |
Our yummy doughnut stand ran by Christian & Joash! |
Gloria, Nancy, and I taking money |
Pretty aunt Jill! |
The future grandmas! |
Tiffany & Taylor pricing items! |
Maddie organizing kids toys! |
Baby clothes were the HOT item! |
The men hanging out! |
The Best Friends Ever! |
Chuck & Judy were a big help! |
Our first Yard Sale Fundraiser was AWESOME! |
Thank you to anyone reading, that came out to the sale and shopped and to those who helped in any way, we are so appreciative!
Side Note: Can you believe we did not have a single rain drop on Friday while we were setting up or on Saturday during the sale! :)
We saw God present in so many ways during this first fundraiser and we just can't wait to tell our children one day about all of the "miracles" we experienced and about all of the people that came together to help get them here!
Please continue to pray for us as we go through this process and as we continue to do fundraising events!
Ryan & Megan
Here is the flyer for our next yard sale- SAVE THE DATE!
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