Click. Shop. Help Us Adopt. Amazon.

Thank you for thinking of us when you shop Amazon.com! A portion of every purchase made through our link below and at the bottom of the page will benefit our adoption fund! We would love to thank each one of you personally, but we are not able to see who purchased the items we receive credit for. However, we would like to say thank you at this time. Also, our names will not show up anywhere on the Amazon webpage, however as long as you use this link our account will be credited. Thank you again

Successful Garage Sale and Paperwork completed

We had a very successful garage sale the past two weekends. We raised $725 dollars in four days. Thanks to everyone donating your time and goodies. We could have not done it without you. We also turned in our paperwork to Catholic Charities. I was told that it would be possibly be two weeks before it will be looked at. Up next is our Home Study. https://www.facebook.com/OnderdonkAdoption https://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/baby-onderdonk-adoption/29483 http://www.gofundme.com/2cidgk

New facebook page

Hey! We have a new facebook page that has all the jewelry we have for sale. We've also added some beautiful bracelets thanks to my sister! Come check it out. If you are interested just inbox me and we can work out the details. :) Have a wonderful day!!

https://www.facebook.com/OnderdonkAdoption

http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=12094&url=babyonderdonkadoption

http://www.gofundme.com/2cidgk

South Bend Catholic Charities

Last Wednesday, February 6th, we went and signed the application to adopt!! We got some of the many forms of paperwork to sign and copy. Since then we have made some of the copies we are able to get our hands on (Drivers license, birth certificates, etc) and I have filled out some of the questionnaires. I just have to start working on my 3-5 page essay telling my history. Jessie, as far as I know has yet to start. I can't fault him because it's not easy to answer those kinds of questions about yourself. We should hopefully be getting the rest of the list of things to do within the next week or so and as soon as we get them filled out and turned in we will start our home study. I'll try to keep everyone as updated as possible. We'll also be having more fun activities to raise money for our adoption. Currently in the works is a "classic" movie night!! :-) As well as some garage sales coming up in the spring/summer. Thank you again for all your support and prayers! We are blessed to have so many people care about our exciting adventure. Love to all!!

https://www.facebook.com/OnderdonkAdoption

http://www.gofundme.com/2cidgk

http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/babyonderdonkadoption/29483

Adoption Benefit

We are having an all you can eat spaghetti dinner and silent auction to help raise money for our adoption costs. There will be a live band, karaoke, a 50/50 chance game, a coloring contest for kids and much fun to be had. This is an event for everyone of all ages and we highly encourage you to bring your families and friends. You can purchase tickets ahead of time through either myself or Jessie. They are $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-10 (children under 2 get in free) or you can pay at the door on the day of the benefit for a dollar more. Doors will be opening at 4:30 pm and dinner starts at 5:00 pm. The silent auction will be going throughout the night and the winners will be announced at 8:30 (you don't have to be present to win). Please email either myself or Jessie at onderdonk1514@comcast.net and we will work out details with you to get you tickets. Any questions please don't hesitate to ask!! We hope to see you out there, we're pretty much gonna have a big fun party! :)

Saturday February 2, 2013 5:00pm - 10:00pm at the Goshen VFW 1201 W Pike Goshen, IN (across from Hopper's and Maple City Bowl)

https://www.facebook.com/OnderdonkAdoption

http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/babyonderdonkadoption/29483

http://www.gofundme.com/2cidgk

We're in a Hurry, but God's Not

We're in a Hurry, but God's Not

by Joyce Meyer - posted November 16, 2012

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven.
—Ecclesiastes 3:1

“Let nature take its course.” This is a phrase we often hear another way of saying, "Settle down and let things happen according to the prescribed timetable." With each of our four children, I was pregnant ten months. After the birth of the fourth one, my doctor finally said, "You are the only woman I know who stays pregnant as long as an elephant." Needless to say, it was a difficult experience. Who knows? Maybe God was trying to teach me, even back then, how to wait properly.

We never learn patience without something to be patient about. Patience is something that has to be worked in us — it doesn't just appear. The fruit of patience is in our spirits, because as children of God, the Holy Spirit is resident within us.

But for patience to be expressed through our souls (our mind, will, and emotions), a work must be done in us. Once the prescribed time of waiting for the birth of each of my children had passed, I tried everything imaginable to bring on labor. I walked, took castor oil, worked harder than usual, hoping it would help "speed things up." With one of them, I even went into the hospital so the doctor would induce labor. It didn't work; I was sent home. The doctor basically said, "Go home and let nature take its course."

My advice to you from the Word of God and from my experience in life is, "Don't be in such a big hurry." You may be "pregnant" with dreams for your life, but you may also be trying to have your "baby" out of season. We can make huge messes in our lives, and sometimes get upset with God because things didn't work out the way we thought the Lord said they would. Things will happen as God said if we wait on His timing. We are the ones in a hurry. God is not in a hurry!

Stay busy delighting yourself in the Lord, and let Him give you what He wants you to have. If God has placed the desire in you, you can be assured that He will bring it to birth in the right season. Wait on God for direction and instruction on how to proceed, do what He tells you or shows you, but don't go beyond that.

I enjoyed reading this article by Joyce Meyer. Its a nice reminder that we are on God's time for our Adoption. God would like us to enjoy the journey. He wants us to enjoy  his company as we enjoy his. 

https://www.facebook.com/OnderdonkAdoption

 http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/babyonderdonkadoption/29483

http://www.gofundme.com/2cidgk

These are all excellent books by Joyce Meyer:. 

The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Inspirations

Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind

Never Give Up!: Relentless Determination to Overcome Life's Challenges

Conflict Free Living: How to build healthy relationships for life

Our first seminar

On Wednesday Jessie and I went to Indy for our first adoption seminar. It was amazing! So much information to go over and pray about. We were both very impressed with their honesty and "no holds bar" attitude. We are both still very concerned about the cost, but have definitely agreed that Adoption Support Center is a possibility for us to find the right birth mom.

I'll try to give you the costs as we have them in front of us. I'll also try to explain as best I can what each item entails. Like I said, it was a lot of information and I don't think we've fully absorbed it all yet.

Information Seminar (which we went to Wed) - $35
Registration Fee -$325 (the seminar fee gets applied to this, bringing it to $290)
Home Study - $1500 + federal mileage (since they are coming from Indy it will be approx 400-500 miles round trip at approx .40 per mile totaling $160-$200)
  *Includes: office interview, adoption class, pre-adoption home visit (to make sure the home environment is fit for a child)
  *Ready the Nest- A class for first time parents, which is mandatory $115
Activation Fee - $1550 Fee is paid at class w/ submission of registration forms and Biography Folder (complete with required photos and Dear Birth Mother draft letter)
 *Includes: supplies, creation and distribution of bio to birth moms and final copy of bio to couple.
Marketing & Advertising Fee - $6,120 (since Jessie will be 40 next month, otherwise it would have been $4,080) The fee is to be paid at the time of the class.
Birth Mom Coordination Fee - $2,400 Fee paid upon receipt of home study draft and signature page
ASC Agency Placement Fee - $9,000 Paid 2 weeks prior to birth mom's due date (agency holds check until petition is filed or baby goes home with us whichever comes first.

All of these fees are non-refundable and some of them (from my understanding) expire. Which is why we want to get as much money in the "baby onderdonk savings acct" as possible before we start anything. We don't want to get half way through and run out of funds and have to start all over. That would not only be heartbreaking, but it would bust our pocketbook. The above prices are for the Domestic Plan for Caucasian & Hispanic Placements. At this time we are not looking to go International, as it is a whole lot more expensive and most countries require at least 2-2 week visits to the country.

We are looking at another plan that is "cheaper" that we are hoping could be the road God wants us to go down, or at least keep in mind. Again it is Domestic, but for African American & African American biracial Placements. We were told this is less expensive because they don't have to do the advertising like they do in the other plan. The prices are the same until you get to the Marketing & Advertising Fee. It is only $1,020 vs $6,120. Another huge difference is the Birth Mom Coordination Fee which is $600 vs $2,400. The ASC Agency Placement Fee is the same in both plans.

The grand total for Plan 1 is $21,175. The grand total for Plan 3 is $14,275. (Plan 2 is International in case you were wondering!)

So there ya go! That is the meat and potatoes of what we learned Wednesday. I'm not sure if Jessie wants to me to add anything to this, but I'm sure he'll have me type up something if he does. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. It truly means a lot to the both of us. All these figures mean is that we have to work hard to raise the money to bring our baby home. He/She is out there waiting for us. Anything you can do to help us bring him/her home would be a blessing! Much love to you!! xoxo

Alana & Jessie

https://www.facebook.com/OnderdonkAdoption

http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/babyonderdonkadoption/29483

http://www.gofundme.com/2cidgk