The Taylor Family Adoption: We have raised over $20,000!!! Praise God!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

We have raised over $20,000!!! Praise God!

It is official...as of this week we have raised a total of over $20,000 for our adoption fund to bring Melanie home from China!!!!! Praise Jehovah Jirah!

We have been fundrasing since October 1, 2011...14 months and over $20,000 raised. The majority of those funds have already been paid out during step 1 and 2 of our adoption process. We are currently in step 3. Step 3 are the funds to be paid to China, the orphanage, visas, and the last remaining expences.

We had a nice surprise this week from Amanda Love. We raised $20 more than anticipated from our Origami Owl and Scentsy Open House fundraiser. It brought our total to $466. Thank you Amanda Love!!! Thank you for EVERYONE that ordered. What a blessing!!!

This week I received two gift wrapping orders. Thank you Regina Gammon and Jennifer McKay!!! I will still be gift wrapping all the way up until Christmas Eve....

Thank you Tiffany Curtis! Tiffany is the principal that works with Jason. She was so kind to volunteer to send out a letter to many people in the Metro School System telling them our adoption story and challanging them to help her bring in $1,000 for our adoption fund. Tiffany came up with this idea on her own and presented it to Jason. The letters have been sent out and so far we have received $150. Thank you Tiffany and those that have donated!

There have been several cookbooks purchased over the past two weeks. It looks like we have around 20 left. They are GREAT for those last minute Christmas gifts!!!

Please pray for our "Help Us Adopt" grant application! We should hear back ANY day as to whether we were approved for this adoption grant. So far we have been rejected from all our grant applications due to the lack of funds in the foundation or organization we applied to. We have two outstanding...Help Us Adopt and Gift of Adoption. Help Us Adopt made their decision on Dec. 15th (today) and Gift of Adoption will not approve without a referral.

Please continue to pray for our little Melanie over in China. We do not know who she is yet...
Please continue to pray for our referral so that we can see who our little Melanie will be and start preparing for our travel to China.
Please continue to pray for the remaining adoption funds required. We still have around $10,000 to raise before we can go get our Melanie.

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How we got here...

Many people ask why we have decided to adopt...here is our story.

Jason's desire for adoption began in 2008 after we accidently walked in on an informational meeting from Bethany Christian Services being held at our church. He read through the material and knew he wanted to adopt. Jason and I started trying to grow our family. In 2009, Karla miscarried twins at 11 weeks. After her DNC, medically things were not the same. After multiple attemps to make Cohen a big brother, we could not get pregnant. Karla's medical issues became worse. Karla's desire for adoption began in 2009. Neither of us had a peace about when and from where to adopt. We contined to have "try" to have kids on our own. In Spring of 2011, we asked God for a big neon sign as to whether we were to adopt or attempt to have kids on our own. We knew that even though we were truly blessed with our precious Cohen, our family was not complete. God gave us a BIG neon sign. Karla's medical issues had gotten to the point of altering daily life activities and was recommended a medical procedure. That procedure punctured her uterus and led to her having a hysterectomy in the Summer of 2011. After the hysterectomy, it was diagnosed that she had a condition called adnomiosis. It was only cured with a hysterectomy and was the cause of all her medical issues since 2009. Well...God gave his answer. Karla is healed from all her medical issues and in the fourth week of recovery...started the adoption research process. With much discussion and prayer between domestic and international adoption, God has put the desire in our hearts to adopt from an Asian Country...Taiwan or China. So here we are...at the starting gates of this awesome adventure. Here we go...

Why we named her Melanie...

The name Melanie is very special to me (Karla)!! It belongs to the most godly person I have ever known here on earth. Let me tell you the story...

When I was eight years old, I met my best friend Melanie Lynn Stacy. She lived one street over from me and had the same house number. Both of our families attended College Heights Baptist Church. Once we met...we were inseperable! We rode bikes...we started a babysitters club with another neighborhood friend...cheered for the CHBC Eagles...jumped on the trampoline...lived at each others houses...and talked for hours. As we entered high school, I went to Gallatin High School and she went to Beech. But...we still remained the best of friends. We even went to Union University together...she was a year later than me! Our Junior years we both transfered to different universities...me to UT Knoxville and her to MTSU. But...we still stayed close!

Everyone loved Melanie! She was the perfect example of a woman seeking God's heart. Melanie lived to glorify God! She did not compromise her testimony for the temptations of the world. She loved everyone and showed Christ to them...as He did when He was on earth. Melanie showed God's truth...but with love. I can go on and on about how Melanie was an excellent example of Christlike character and how she was a true best friend. Unfortuanately, her life ended too soon.

Melanie was killed in an auto accident on Memorial Day 1997...she was 20 years old. I will never forget the moments of that day... I was in Knoxville planning a Memorial Day cookout with my friend Mandy (Fouts), who also knew Melanie from cheering at CHBC. My mom called to tell me there was an accident and Melanie was hurt. She asked me to come home and I knew in my heart that things were just not going to be the same.

I lost the most influential person in my life. Eventhough she was a year younger than me, Melanie taught me through her example on how to be a godly woman and seek Christ first. I miss her! It saddens me that Jason never met her....and Cohen will never have an "aunt" Melanie. There is a hole in my life without her...

When Jason and I discussed baby names at the beginning of our marriage, I told him about Melanie. I shared my desire that if we ever had a girl, I wanted to name her Melanie. It may not be a trendy name, but I did not care. I wanted my daughter to be named after the person who exhibited the true testimony of being Christlike. Who better to be named after... I know that she is not a famous name out of the Bible, however, she was an excellent example of Christ here on earth. Melanie showed it through her day-to-day testimony with us!

It is an honor to be able to name my daughter after her...Melanie Taylor!

How to win the American Girl Doll (Kanani)!

You could win this New American Girl Doll (Kanani) by making a donation to our Adoption fund. See the details below...

What you will win:

1-New in box-Kanani Doll w/flower, necklace, flower and book.
How to have a chance to win:

1. Make a donation to our adoption fund by using the "To Make a Donation" link below.

$15 donation = one chance (name in bucket)

$25 donation = two chances (name in bucket)

$30 donation = three chances (name in bucket)
*For every $5 donated, beyond $30, you will have one additional chance/opportunity to win.

2. All donations have to be submitted between Thursday, November 24, 2011 and Friday, December 9, 2011 at 12 noon (CST).

3. Deadline for submitted donations for a chance to win American Girl Doll (Kanani) will be Friday, December 9, 2011 at 12 noon (CST).

4. Please make sure to include name, mailing address, and email address when submitting your donation so that we may contact you.

The drawing will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2011.

The drawing will be done by a non-biased 3rd party.

Winner will be notified via email on Saturday, December 10, 2011 from email address: karlamtaylor@hotmail.com

1 - American Girl Doll (Kanani) - new in box - will be delivered to the winner's address that was submitted at time of donation during the week of December 11, 2011.

If you have any questions, please contact Karla Taylor at karlamtaylor@hotmail.com. Make sure to put American Girl Doll in the subject line.

Thank you for your donations to our adoption fund! Your donation will allow us to continue with our adoption process in bringing our Melanie home!

The Taylor Family Adoption

The Taylors

Saturday, December 15, 2012

We have raised over $20,000!!! Praise God!

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