TH E DOL ANS

SEPTEMBER 2013

EXCITING NEWS!
WE ARE ADOPTING
Dear Family and Friends, Some of you know we have felt called by God to adopt a fatherless child into our family. We are currently working with Mercy Ministries to adopt a newborn baby boy named Isaiah.

Mercy Ministries free-of-charge, voluntary, faithbased residential program serves young women from all socio-economic backgrounds, ages 13-28, who face a combination of life-controlling issues such as eating disorders, self-harm, drug and alcohol addictions, depression and unplanned pregnancy. Mercys goal is to help these young women find freedom from their issues and empower them to serve in their communities as productive citizens. www.mercyministries.org

1. Please pray God would prepare our hearts to be paired with our future child and pray for the birth mother who has chosen us. 2. Our church family at Grace Chapel has partnered with Lifesong for Orphans and committed an Adoption Matching Grant of $3000 to help pay our adoption expenses. Will you please consider making a taxdeductible donation to help us meet this matching grant and cover the remaining adoption expenses to bring Isaiah home? Our goal date is November 5th, 2013. Please make checks payable to Lifesong for Orphans. In the memo, note #3926 and Dolanto assure it goes to the correct account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744. Lifesong has been blessed with a partner that underwrites all U.S. administrative and fundraising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to the adoption. Another option is to give online. Go to www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate. Select Give to an Adoptive Family. Complete the online form and fill in Family Account Number and Family Name Fields.
In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit organization.This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donors suggested use. Individual donations of $250 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $250 will gladly be sent upon request. Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization.

What has prompted us to adopt? Primarily, weve always felt so clearly directed by God to adopt that we want to obey Him. We also desire to give an orphan child a family that he probably wouldnt otherwise have.

There are over 147 million orphans worldwide and 120,000 children currently in the U.S. foster care system.
The biggest challenge is not opening our hearts and home to a child, but it is finding the finances to make this happen. The estimated total costs are ongoing and can cost upwards of $25,000. Currently we are trying to meet a match grant of $3,000 that we were awarded by Lifesong for Orpahns. By Gods faithfulness weve been able to cover the costs of the home study, background checks and adoption applications. Your friendship is appreciated, and we would like you to pray and consider helping us in one or two ways with our adoption.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and investing in the Kingdom through prayer and finances. Well give you an update with a picture and details as we receive them. Matt and Deanna