Over the last year as a family we have been praying for God to make His name great in our home and He is proving himself faithful to do just that! For years now He has been sowing in us a passion for adoption that began after nearly 4 years of infertility & then was fueled by having the opportunity to serve in orphan ministry in various contexts around the world. This journey has repeatedly challenged us in our obedience to answer the call & reminded us that God alone is writing the story of our lives.
Last week, we received a call from our adoption social worker that we will never forget. She had a file she strongly felt led to share with us even though it was much earlier than we expected. We then received and after much prayer accepted a referral for an 11 month old adorable little boy with a cleft lip and cleft palate who has quickly captured our hearts. By God’s grace we have absolute trust in His timing of this referral and so we are very excited to introduce you to our newest son, James Boaz Dowis, "Bo".
Following our referral, we learned that most of our paperwork has already been approved in China at a really fast rate. This means that a process that usually takes 4 or 5 months should now be completed by the end of December and our agency expects that we will then likely have the approval to travel and bring Bo home by the end of February. Completing all the remaining necessary steps in order to adopt Bo and bring him home this quickly will be a challenge, however we are trusting in God by His amazing power to bring our family together.
The estimated total cost for Bo’s adoption is $35,000. By God’s grace we’ve been able to pay the initial $15,000 over the last year, but now that we are matched with Bo, we will have to pay the remaining $20,000 before we can travel to China. We realize this is a huge task, but our God is much bigger. So we boldly ask for your help in the following ways in order that we can bring Bo home.
1. Pray. Please pray God would tenderly care for Bo in China until we are able to bring him home; that God would prepare Abigail, Kayleigh and Graham for the transition, and that God will give us wisdom, discernment, and insight as we help Bo adjust physically and emotionally.
2. Give. Our church family at The Church at Brook Hills (through Lifesong* for Orphans) will match up to $3,000 via an Adoption Grant for use towards our remaining $20,000 of adoption expenses. Will you please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us meet this matching grant as well as cover the remaining adoption expenses to bring Bo home? Due to timing of when funds are due, we have set a goal to raise 100% of remaining expected expenses by February 1, 2015, however funds will be accepted until our adoption is finalized.
Options for Donating to our LifeSong Account (all Lifesong* donations are tax-deductible and go directly to our adoption expenses):
· Online: Give by clicking here: Dowis-Paypal LifeSong for Orphans Link or Go to lifesongfororphans.org/
· Mail: Please make checks payable to “Lifesong for Orphans. In the memo, note “4726-Dowis”to assure it goes to the correct account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744.
· Other: Donations such as Frequent Flier miles, yard sale/craigslist proceeds, etc.
To hear more about our adoption story and for updates on our journey please visit our blog at dowisdwellingplace.
Blessings and Merry Christmas,
Josh, Jennifer, Abigail, Kayleigh & Graham
*Lifesong has been blessed with a partner that underwrites all U.S. administrative and fund-raising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to our adoption.
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 donor’s 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.
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