Agents of (Pocket) Change

This is my friend Suzanne Kroeker....

     ...and her son Joel - who indirectly introduced us to each other.

And this is Seth, another son...

    ...who just turned three in China, rather than with his family in TN.

And this is Snoopy... 

      ...because ALL good adoptive mothers waiting impatiently for their sons to come home from China rely on Snoopy to help us celebrate the big and little things.

And this is where YOU come in...

About two years ago I met Suzanne through a few mutual friends, our Show Hope connections and Facebook.  She and her husband were preparing to travel to China to bring home their son (Joel) and were willing to try to deliver a gift to Jack (who was at the time living at the state run orphanage) for us while in Luoyang.  Well, the delivery was successful.  Suzanne was able to send us not only photos of Jack, but also video of him looking at the photo album we had sent, and she and I have been in contact ever since. 

But we'd never met.  Until last month...

Over the past holiday weekend I was blessed with the ability to travel to Tennessee to attend the Show Hope 10th Anniversary Celebration.  While there I was blessed even more by having the opportunity to volunteer at the Sunday evening concert, lending a hand wherever it was needed.  And that led me to one of my most highly anticipated finally-meet-you-in-person moments of the entire weekend.  I got to hug Suzanne!  In person!  Hooray!

So, there we were, late on Sunday night. After the concert.  While everyone else was on their way back to their cars.  Just chatting away... about life, and adoption, and kids, and how majestically fabulous our God is and how He never fails to meet us where we are.  And then she did it.  Right there.  In the lobby of the Lipscomb University's Allen Arena.  She slipped me a twenty dollar bill and told me that although her family was really reaching to meet their adoption funding needs the Lord had really placed it upon her heart to give me a little something to help my household.  And that was all it took.  Because God is AWESOME.

The gift was $20, which she actually seemed apologetic for (silly woman!), but what she didn’t realize was that it never became mine.  As soon as the bill changed hands the thought in my head was, “I need to give this back to them somehow”.  And the next thought was, “Tenfold”.

Later that night, as I lay in bed recounting the many events of a jam-packed reunion weekend my mind continued to return to the $20 bill that now rested snuggly in the inner pocket of my purse.  And a completely crazy conversation (well, I told you before I had voices in my head...) kept pushing the earlier two thoughts to the side.   

“Tenfold?  Tenfold?  Why stop there?  I want you to return that gift one-hundred fold.” 

"WHAT?!!  100 fold?  That's crazy.  That is $2000!!!  That’s CRAZY!!!" 

But no matter how loud my mind screamed the insanity of the idea, its panic-stricken reflex was continually countered by the same still, small voice simply stating, “Trust me.  I can do anything.   We'll return it 100 fold.  Or more...“

So, that was my plan. Did you catch that?  My plan.  Like I am somehow in charge of any of this stuff and have a clue what God is up to.  What's that verse again??? "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."  (Proverbs 16:9)  Oh yes, that one...

See, I had this great idea.  I was going to ask everyone I knew to collect their pocket change for two weeks and then we would put all the change together, send it all to Suzanne's family's adoption fund, and in His great provision God would work it out to be a total of $2000.  Thus changing $20 into $2000 in just 2 weeks.

Pretty cool, huh?  

Except that it was my plan.  Not His.

But that's okay, because His plan turned out to be WAY cooler.  I mean, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY COOLER!

Since returning from Tennessee I have tried several times to get myself organized and get my Agents of Change fundraiser up and running for the Kroeker family, but life kept getting in the way.  I didn't think much of it, as I was trying to put this all together right on top of the last two weeks of school, trying to get my kids ready for a two-week vacation, trying to organize a short vacation of my own, and basically just trying to get through the day like I always am... but this morning it hit me.  I wasn't supposed to get it going yet.  I wasn't supposed to get help in returning that twenty dollars.  God already had it taken care of.  The original tenfold, not 100-fold, but He already had a plan.  

So, this morning, to the complete glory of God - AND IN ABSOLUTELY NO WAY MY OWN DOING - I was able to return Suzanne's twenty dollars to her family along with two hundred more dollars that God placed in my hand just for them.  Not a dime came from my savings.  Not a dime came from my pocket.  Every single dollar I sent was provided by the Hand of God.  And that, my friends, goes so far beyond amazing I don't even have a word for it.  It is beyond description.

But I do know this.  He's not done.  This adoption thing is not over.  Seth is not home, and the Kroeker family still needs our help. And the point of all of this is to invite you to be part of the His next miracle.

The family has two pressing financial needs.  

$1,560 ASAP (this week!!) for Homestudy & US Immigration

PLUS 

$5,075 in the next few weeks to get that big ol' dossier to China!! 

I would like to invite you to be an Agent of Change for both, or in whatever way you can.

#1 - Help today.  Use the links below to visit Suzanne's blog and make a donation of ANY size - $1 is as good as $100... to help cover the $1560 they need this week.  Homestudies and Immigration paperwork take weeks to complete and process.  Every day these fees are needed is another day Seth waits to come home.

#2 - Join me as an Agent of Change by collecting your pocket change for the next two weeks.  Grab a Ziploc bag, an empty bottle, and old shoe – whatever you have and start dropping your change right in.

And get your friends involved.  Share this blog, spread the word on Facebook, send out an update on Twitter, pick up the phone and call someone, or just walk across the room.  But I challenge you to ask at least one other person to join you in collecting pocket change for just two weeks.

Then, at the end of the two weeks - we'll call is July 1st just to keep things simple - count what you've collected and donate that amount toward bringing Seth home as soon as possible.

For tax-deductible donations, you may write a check for the amount collected and send it to -

Fellowship Bible Church 
"I Choose You Fund"
1210 Franklin Rd.
Brentwood, TN 37207
Please write "Kroeker family" on memo line or note attached to check

OR 

You may send your money via PAYPAL (not tax-dedcutible). 

send to: kroekerfamily@hotmail.com

So that is it.  God already returned His money to Suzanne, but He has so much more for US to do.  Pocket change.  That is all I'm asking.  Save it up.  Count it up.  Pass it along.  And by the way, my goal is no longer $2000...  God has already showed me that I dream way too small.  So I'm simply going to wait and see what total comes in.  But I have a sneaky feeling that neither one of those financial needs are going to still be on the "needs" list.

Because I know Snoopy is just waiting to dance.

Suzanne's blog about the most urgent needs:
Tidal Waves and Birthdays

Suzanne's original blog introducing Seth:
Oh Yeah They Gone