We are often asked WHY? Why would we adopt THREE kids, moreless SIX kids? Why would we do this? Why devote our lives to this "cause" (if you can truly even call it that).
Here's why:
Because we believe that this life is not our own.
Because we believe that in the end, it won't matter what career ladders we climbed or financial investments we made or what gadgets we could afford. It will matter that six lives were saved.
Because we have seen hopelessness firsthand in Ethiopia and elsewhere, but believe in all hope that each child is a child of God.
Because we believe that the orphaned street child who plays street soccer on the rough pavement of the streets of Addis Ababa is no less valuable to the Creator than the polished child on a suburban soccer team here in America.
Because we see nothing more worthy of our focus, time, resources, and lives.
Because injustice is a wrong worth righting.
Because the poor child is still a child.
Because we know that, while adoption is not the solution in and of itself to the orphan crisis 143 million times over, we have seen with our own lives how it rescues the lives of those who can be adopted.
Because we believe that Jesus died for redemption, not just for eternity, but for our lives on this planet and we believe we can be vessels of that redemption for children's lives here.
Because we know that, if it were our own flesh and blood, we would want someone to love them and call them family, too.
Because, really, these kids are no different from your own. Not at all.
Because it's just not okay with us to say no to a child who needs a home when we have one.
Because it's just not okay with us to say no to a child who needs a family when we have one.
Because it's just not okay with us to say no to a child who needs room to thrive when we have room and can make room.
Because it's just not okay with us to do nothing.
Because it won't be okay with them if we do nothing.
Because it's just not going to be okay to do nothing.
"Rescue the perishing; don't hesitate to step in and help. If you say, "Hey, that's none of my business," [i.e. "that's not for me"] will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know— Someone not impressed with weak excuses." -Proverbs 24:12 (The Message)
"Once our eyes are opened we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
50 x $100!!!
Update: After a very generous donation for our adoption, we now only need five grand to get our paperwork to Ethiopia! That's only 50 people giving $100 each. Or, 100 people giving $50 each. Either way, we see the end in sight!
Thanks SO much to everyone who has joined in the journey so far...
Blessings,
the weimers
Thanks SO much to everyone who has joined in the journey so far...
Blessings,
the weimers
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Safe in D.C.!
Our dossier arrived safely in D.C. just minutes ago. On Monday it will be authenticated by the Secretary of State and the Ethiopian Embassy.
Pray that all goes smoothly and quickly.
From there, our dossier will travel to our agency in North Carolina, where it will wait until we have the remaining $8,000 needed.
Bring it, Lord! Our kids are waiting!
Pray that all goes smoothly and quickly.
From there, our dossier will travel to our agency in North Carolina, where it will wait until we have the remaining $8,000 needed.
Bring it, Lord! Our kids are waiting!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Dossier Approved!
Our dossier has been approved and will leave our hands in the next day or so to travel on its merry way to D.C., our agency in North Carolina, and then (when we find $8,200) on to ETHIOPIA!!!
Please pray for that final provision of the EIGHT GRAND!
And remember our raffle! (See post below!)
Please pray for that final provision of the EIGHT GRAND!
And remember our raffle! (See post below!)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
WeimeRaffle #3 Kick-Off!...XBOX 360 headed your way!
Here we are again! We are now officially kicking off WeimeRaffle #3!
[100% of the money donated for the WeimeRaffle will go directly into our adoption account to help make a dent in the remaining $8,400 needed for us to be able to submit our paperwork to bring home our next sibling group of three from Ethiopia. (Read our blog from the beginning of time if you are new here and want to know why in the world we are doing this. Or, just start from July of this year if you want the latest scoop.)]
Here are the official details of WeimeRaffle #3:
TICKETS:
You will receive 1 Ticket for every $25 you donate. There is no limit to how many tickets you can have in the drawing. For every 25 dollars you donate, we will write your name on an actual ticket to be used in the drawing.
PRIZE:
The prize for the WeimeRaffle is a brand new XBOX 360 Pro Holiday Bundle. Retail Value of this item: $300.
Here's the detailed scoop and what's included:
Product Description: matte white finish with a wrls controller and headset, 60 GB HDD, ethernet cable, HDMI port, Xbox Live membership - silver Product DescriptionBring gaming to life in your living room with the Xbox Video Game System, the essential center-piece to any home entertainment set up. Beneath the cool, tough exterior is a system capable of powering the very best single and multiplayer gaming experiences available today. Designed to push gaming to the absolute limit, the Xbox console delivers incredible graphics and cinematic sound that will drop you and your friends deep into the heart of the action. The immense range of top-class games and online gaming with Xbox Live mean there will never be another dull moment.
TIME FRAME:
The WeimeRaffle begins on Tuesday, 12/16/08 and will end at exactly 5 PM CST on Tuesday, 1/6/09. Therefore, you have THREE WHOLE WEEKS to buy as many tickets as you would like.
HOW TO WIN:
Donate! We will hold a drawing of all of the Tickets and the winner will receive the prize. Simple as that. The winner will be drawn on the evening of Tuesday 1/6/09. We will post video online as proof.
PS- If you live outside of our immediate vicinity, we will ship the XBOX 360 to you. For free. No worries. From sea to shining sea, you can participate and we will not discriminate!
HOW TO BUY TICKETS:
Click on the DONATE button on the Help the Weimer Adoption thingie (on the upper left). (You might have to click twice.) You can pay via paypal or credit/debit card. Or, if you prefer, you can mail a check to us. (Contact us at heidiandkirk@blessingsfromethiopia.com to get our address.) OR, if you see one of us in real life, you can hand us cashola in person.
Stay tuned...When WeimeRaffle #3 ends, we just might begin WeimeRaffle #4!
Fine print: This is a win-win for all parties. If your ticket is drawn, well, you just got yourself a brand new XBOX 360 for $25. Present for the husband? Gift for your kid? Something for yourself? It doesn't really matter, because no matter what the occasion, you just got a deal, my friend! If your ticket is NOT drawn, well, your $25 just helped to bring three kids home to a forever family. Either way, you win. :)
Fine fine print: Immediate family members of Heidi and Kirk are not eligible to participate in the drawing. You can, however, still donate. :)
[100% of the money donated for the WeimeRaffle will go directly into our adoption account to help make a dent in the remaining $8,400 needed for us to be able to submit our paperwork to bring home our next sibling group of three from Ethiopia. (Read our blog from the beginning of time if you are new here and want to know why in the world we are doing this. Or, just start from July of this year if you want the latest scoop.)]
Here are the official details of WeimeRaffle #3:
TICKETS:
You will receive 1 Ticket for every $25 you donate. There is no limit to how many tickets you can have in the drawing. For every 25 dollars you donate, we will write your name on an actual ticket to be used in the drawing.
PRIZE:
The prize for the WeimeRaffle is a brand new XBOX 360 Pro Holiday Bundle. Retail Value of this item: $300.
Here's the detailed scoop and what's included:
Xbox 360 console
LEGO Indiana Jones Game
Kung Fu Panda Game
60GB detachable hard drive
Wireless controller
Xbox Live
headset
Standard AV cable
Ethernet cable
Detachable faceplate
Xbox Live Silver membership
Product Description: matte white finish with a wrls controller and headset, 60 GB HDD, ethernet cable, HDMI port, Xbox Live membership - silver Product DescriptionBring gaming to life in your living room with the Xbox Video Game System, the essential center-piece to any home entertainment set up. Beneath the cool, tough exterior is a system capable of powering the very best single and multiplayer gaming experiences available today. Designed to push gaming to the absolute limit, the Xbox console delivers incredible graphics and cinematic sound that will drop you and your friends deep into the heart of the action. The immense range of top-class games and online gaming with Xbox Live mean there will never be another dull moment.
TIME FRAME:
The WeimeRaffle begins on Tuesday, 12/16/08 and will end at exactly 5 PM CST on Tuesday, 1/6/09. Therefore, you have THREE WHOLE WEEKS to buy as many tickets as you would like.
HOW TO WIN:
Donate! We will hold a drawing of all of the Tickets and the winner will receive the prize. Simple as that. The winner will be drawn on the evening of Tuesday 1/6/09. We will post video online as proof.
PS- If you live outside of our immediate vicinity, we will ship the XBOX 360 to you. For free. No worries. From sea to shining sea, you can participate and we will not discriminate!
HOW TO BUY TICKETS:
Click on the DONATE button on the Help the Weimer Adoption thingie (on the upper left). (You might have to click twice.) You can pay via paypal or credit/debit card. Or, if you prefer, you can mail a check to us. (Contact us at heidiandkirk@blessingsfromethiopia.com to get our address.) OR, if you see one of us in real life, you can hand us cashola in person.
Stay tuned...When WeimeRaffle #3 ends, we just might begin WeimeRaffle #4!Fine print: This is a win-win for all parties. If your ticket is drawn, well, you just got yourself a brand new XBOX 360 for $25. Present for the husband? Gift for your kid? Something for yourself? It doesn't really matter, because no matter what the occasion, you just got a deal, my friend! If your ticket is NOT drawn, well, your $25 just helped to bring three kids home to a forever family. Either way, you win. :)
Fine fine print: Immediate family members of Heidi and Kirk are not eligible to participate in the drawing. You can, however, still donate. :)
WeimeRaffle #2 Wii Winner!
Wii are proud to announce the winner of WeimeRaffle #2 for the brand new Nintendo Wii!
Watch the video below to see if Wii picked your name!
Watch the video below to see if Wii picked your name!
Congratulations!!!
Stay tuned for WeimeRaffle #3 for an XBOX 360!!!
Monday, December 15, 2008
10 more by noon Tuesday!
We our hoping with all hope to sell at LEAST 10 raffle tickets by noon CST on Tuesday to end WeimeRaffle #2 with a bang!
That will bring us to $1000 for this raffle, which is always our goal.
Any more takers?
Winner will be drawn tomorow and announced late tomorrow night. (Kirk has rehearsal until very late, so the videotaped drawing won't take place until he comes home! Yes, it's fun being a single mom to 6 kids. Whew!)
That will bring us to $1000 for this raffle, which is always our goal.
Any more takers?
Winner will be drawn tomorow and announced late tomorrow night. (Kirk has rehearsal until very late, so the videotaped drawing won't take place until he comes home! Yes, it's fun being a single mom to 6 kids. Whew!)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Quick Update for Blog World:
Less than 48 hours left to donate $25 and win a Nintendo Wii. Raffle ends at noon CST Tuesday.
Up next: WeimeRaffle #3 for a brand new XBox 360!
$100 x 100 update: It's now only $100 x 95! Woo hoo!
Only ninety-five one hundred dollar bills left to complete our adoption fees...
Up next: WeimeRaffle #3 for a brand new XBox 360!
$100 x 100 update: It's now only $100 x 95! Woo hoo!
Only ninety-five one hundred dollar bills left to complete our adoption fees...
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Only $100 x 100 to go...
Well, we have officially completed our dossier ("paperwork" for those outside of adoption lingo). We have sent our preliminary copies to our agency (CWA), who must approve it before we can send it on to D.C. for final authentication. Once that is complete (hopefully within a week or so), our dossier will be ready to be sent to Ethiopia so that we can begin the court process there.
BUT, there is still one final piece of the equation missing. We still lack about $10,000+ before we can send in our dossier. That is where the $100 x 100 comes in to play. Basically, that just means that all that is between us and our kids is 100 one hundred dollar bills.
We are still believing in full faith that God is providing (as He has been). We have no doubt.
We are simply asking now for you to pray with us and for us as we await this final provision for our court process.
Many have told us that they would consider adopting except for the huge expense ($30,000+). Others often ask us how that figure did not deter us in the first place. I explain it like this... Instead of thinking of the figure as some scary, looming amount that must land out of the sky, I think of it as 30 units. Each unit is, of course, one thousand dollars, but $1,000 is not really that hard to raise. A good yard sale, an iPod raffle, a few generous donations, etc. and you're there. You get the picture.
So, over the past few weeks, we have gone from needing 19 1/2 "units" to now only needing 10. Much easier to handle psychologically when you think of it that way.
Join us as we pray for and work for and think for and wait for the remaining TEN UNITS. That's only 100 one hundred dollar bills. It can be done... Just wait.
[For those who have asked, yes, you may absolutely still donate directly---with a tax-deductible financial gift---to CWA on our behalf. See THIS post for info on how to do that.]
BUT, there is still one final piece of the equation missing. We still lack about $10,000+ before we can send in our dossier. That is where the $100 x 100 comes in to play. Basically, that just means that all that is between us and our kids is 100 one hundred dollar bills.
We are still believing in full faith that God is providing (as He has been). We have no doubt.
We are simply asking now for you to pray with us and for us as we await this final provision for our court process.
Many have told us that they would consider adopting except for the huge expense ($30,000+). Others often ask us how that figure did not deter us in the first place. I explain it like this... Instead of thinking of the figure as some scary, looming amount that must land out of the sky, I think of it as 30 units. Each unit is, of course, one thousand dollars, but $1,000 is not really that hard to raise. A good yard sale, an iPod raffle, a few generous donations, etc. and you're there. You get the picture.
So, over the past few weeks, we have gone from needing 19 1/2 "units" to now only needing 10. Much easier to handle psychologically when you think of it that way.
Join us as we pray for and work for and think for and wait for the remaining TEN UNITS. That's only 100 one hundred dollar bills. It can be done... Just wait.
[For those who have asked, yes, you may absolutely still donate directly---with a tax-deductible financial gift---to CWA on our behalf. See THIS post for info on how to do that.]
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