Spaghetti Lunch #2

Last week, our family held our second spaghetti lunch fundraiser for adoption.  We had our first spaghetti lunch in August, and you can read about the details here.  Just like last time, I forgot my camera and have no photos whatsoever to share about this awesome event-- boo!  

At this point, we have raised just over  $800 dollars from this event!!  

Woohoo!  I say "at this point" because I have had a few belated donations or payments come in and have been able to add to that total in recent days. 

SO many sweet people from our church and community helped out with this event by donating supplies, cash, time, and gas as they helped deliver the lunches for us.  Many members of our church offered to get an order together at their place of business, and we even had a local pizzeria (whose owners just happen to go to our church) donate a large portion of our sauce, noodles, and salad!  With all of this help, we only spent about $15 out-of-pocket for supplies for this event.  That's a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

Of course, like any fundraiser sometimes the details come together at the very last minute, which is fine but not so good for my nerves.  I worry and my husband encourages.  Things look hopeful, then look bad, then go back to looking hopeful again.  I stress and God provides.  I think that the event is going to be a big flop, and God comes through with a classic photo-finish.  

All in all, I am amazed at the success God gave us, and I just can't thank everyone enough.  Please know if you helped with the event in any way, you are very appreciated.  In the 12 o'clock rush, there were so people just dropping in to buy plates, it felt more like a restaurant than a church kitchen.  Dollars were being handed to me and helpers were rushing orders to and fro, and I honestly don't even have a record of all the plates we actually ended up selling and who we ended up selling to.  Thus, there's no way I send all of you a formal thank you card, but please know that if you helped, prayed for us, ordered a plate, helped deliver, or donated supplies, you played a role in something much larger than a spaghetti lunch fundraiser.  

See, this wasn't just pasta and sauce for us.  Every single plate and every single dollar represented a step closer to redeeming a child from a life of no hope, no family, no love, no Jesus.  It's so easy to get caught up in the mundane details of adoption, like filling out paper work, meeting with social workers, and doing fundraisers, that we forget the point of it all.  At the end of this journey is a child.  There is a sweet child who deserves to be loved, fed, hugged, played with, and introduced to Jesus.  God has given us this mission we are on, and we will continue plugging along until it is finished.  We do greatly appreciate the support we received from this event.  

What's up next?  Well, sitting on my table at home is a certain envelope with ALL of our home study paper work enclosed and a check for $2200.  That's being sent to our home study agency this week. Then, we can begin meeting with our social worker and getting this home study finalized.  I'm so ready!

-Shelly