Homestudy Step: COMPLETE! Check!

Two more weeks have passed and we are excited to announce that we have finished our Home Study visits and all the paperwork has been turned into our social worker.

Our visits with the social worker were very encouraging.  Our social worker, Janis Simkins with LCFS of Missouri, spent our first session (last Tuesday) taking a tour of our home.  She checked for fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, exits from the home and medication/chemical storage areas.  Mrs. Simkins also interviewed each of our older children.  This was a new experience for our kids and really was a positive addition.  They had the opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings and opinions about our family and the steps we are taking to adopt another child.

J helping to entertain Little E
while we are being interviewed.

The second visit, Mrs. Simkins interviewed Brian and I as a couple and then interviewed us separately.  The
questions were very similar to the ones that we had already filled out on our paperwork, but we had the opportunity to elaborate and answer any follow-up questions that may remain.  I know that others find the home visits to be initially overwhelming, but it is a piece to the process that I enjoyed.

One odd wrinkle this time...compliments of the state of Missouri.  We actually had our fingerprints taken at a UPS store.  It felt a bit odd to be standing near their shipping counter and having our fingers scanned to be "uploaded" into the system.  However, I must say it was very, very efficient!

 All the paperwork is FINALLY done.

We have had our THREE visits with our social worker.

Now, it is time to move on to fundraising (as we wait for the rough draft of our home study to be completed).

This is the most unsettling piece of this entire adoption for Brian and me.  It would be SO much easier to just take a loan or win the lottery!  However, we are also aware that this is the exact place where God has called us to be so that we can learn more fully how to trust in Him.  

So, we push worry aside and move forward in faith.  God will provide the funds we need to bring home the child that He has chosen for our family.  We must simply pray that we have the wisdom to know when the time is right...and which fundraisers to have, which grants for which to apply and opportunities to save more money.

We are excited to announce our newest fundraiser:  

Tobi & Brian Silent Auction On-Line Fundraiser

July 7 - 19th, 2014

Click Here to Visit our Auction!!

www.32auction.com/brianandtobiadoption

We feel so very blessed to be partnering with Thrivent Financial to have this fundraiser be an Action Team sponsored event!  The $250 gift card, t-shirts, invitations, and thank you notes are a huge help, and we are excited to have the support!

As always, we need your support! Please prayerfully consider helping to make our Silent Auction Fundraiser a success in one of the following ways:

1. Prayer - Please pray that our event is successful.  We are confident that any opportunity to call forward prayer warriors to help us bless this event will be a HUGE blessing!
2. Auction Item Donations - We are in need of additional auction items.  If you would be willing to donate a gift card, auction basket, or other item, we would be so very grateful!  Please contact Tobi (tobiroesler@gmail.com) by July 5th with any items that you'd be willing to donate.
3. Spread the Word - Please help us spread the word about our auction via your social media networks (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram...MySpace?!?).  The more people bidding and sharing, the more we can share both the news about the blessing of adoption as well as increase the potential for funds raised!
4. Simple Cash Donations - There is a tab on the first page of our on-line auction that you can simply click to gift a cash donation to our family to help off-set the costs of adoption.  Every dollar you give will bring us one step closer to completing our adoption.

We are so excited by the response we have already received!  Two donations that we would like to highlight, today:

Some amazing artwork by Shelby Larson:

There are additional pieces available both in our auction as well as sold by the artist herself on her website.  Click here to see more artwork by Shelby.

Also, for you sports fans, we have an official, autographed Duane Brown jersey!!

 Thank you for continuing to support us as we journey forward on this adoption adventure.  We could not do it without the prayers, encouragement and generosity of our friend, family and community!