Pressing On

Most of you know about our massive beading crusade I think. We (well actually our genius son Barrett) began making bracelets in May of 2007 to raise money towards our adoption. It started as Barrett's quest to raise enough money for his own plane ticket to Russia to "pick up" his new brother. Fifteen months and MANY blessings later, his then small craft project has become a major effort involving the time and energy of over 70 people to bring our little man home. (You can read all about the beginning of this project and some of the blessings along the way in earlier posts on this blog if you are interested).

Well, I decided to post about this effort again because I am trying to focus on "pressing on". We decided as a family that we would continue to make and sell bracelets as long as people would buy them. We are convinced that this has been an on-going answer to our prayers for the Lord to miraculously provide the finances for our adoption. We have been blown away by the support in our community and communities all over the U.S. I have had a few people ask lately if we were still making bracelets...and the answer is YES! Our family has continued to make them over the summer (many were crafted as we sat with trays on our laps during the Olympic coverage--perfect timing!), and we are also excited for the return of a wonderful weekly tradition where MANY bracelets are made.

We are tremendously blessed to work on a college campus and some of the students there have been the major work force behind this effort in recent months. We hold "bracelet night" at our house once a week where our home is filled with eager and able bodies who make bracelets, eat yummy treats, and share in this journey we are on. It has become a highlight for our family each and every week.

After a summer pause on the "bracelet night" crusade, students are returning to campus and are asking about our weekly gathering! I was not sure if the momentum would still be strong, but it is of course stronger than ever because they get to hear all about our visit with "little man" and are eager to meet him.

If you find yourself wanting a fun piece of jewelry with a great story, please know that you can still order them!! And there is a new hot product on the block too...the black and white "Made for An Angel" bracelet. There is ordering info on the side of our main blog site; please feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or to place an order. (The photo here is actually of a kids' black and white--the adult would have more rows of beads, but you get the idea.)

We are excited about pressing (and beading!) on in this challenging (but VERY worth it) journey.