More gift ideas

My friend, Kristi, just launched a new fundraiser for her family's adoption of their daughter, Janae who lives at the same orphanage Kenson was adopted from. I have fond memories of Janae cuddling up to me on one of our visits during lunchtime, gladly eating the anchovie bits (which I really didn't want since I'm not a fish fan) out of of my beans and rice. Their adoption has truly been a labor of love, emphasis on the labor part. They have been in process for over 3 years and 7 months. They committed to Janae when she was 11 months old; she is now almost 5. Their daughter is a true orphan, meaning she has deceased birth parents which, surprisingly, actually makes her more difficult to adopt because of US immigration laws. With no family member present to declare to the US government their desire for Janae to be adopted, the process becomes more complicated and time consuming. I have been inspired as I've watched their family lovingly pursue Janae even though their wait has been considerably longer than they ever imagined. From the outside looking in, I have never seen them waiver in their belief that Janae is a part of their family and will come home, despite the grueling wait.

Kristi is offering three Christian themed shirts which would make great gifts and would support their family's adoption.

In the random world, Kristi and her family actually used to be ministers at a church near my house. And they have actually visited my church. But we were unaware of each other and missed our opportunity to meet in person. She and her husband now minister in a different state but still have some ties to Nebraska so perhaps someday we'll meet.