What Can YOU Do??? (Part 1 of many)

When it comes to deciding to adopt a child it can be a HUGE step of faith, courage, sacrifice, change, and adjustment for some but for some of us it just seems like the natural thing to do.  I have said this before but I knew I wanted to adopt since I was young and Jason being adopted and coming from a family of other adopted siblings, it is the normal thing to do for him as well.  I find myself struggling to understand why so many other people don't adopt or look into especially when they are a family that is blessed with knowing the love of a child and blessed financially to have the resources they need to thrive in life.  I have to remind myself that I don't know everyone's story and maybe they have their own reasons and who am I to judge?  Maybe they donate their money to organizations that are close to their heart or financially think there is no way they could do it.  Maybe they are scared about adopting and no one has helped them find answers they need.  I hope we can all help educate everyone that comes across our path to the need that exists of adoption as well as to educate on other needs out there to be met and take a much smaller commitment both financially and time-wise.

I want to start with a few ways that anyone and everyone can help out and if something touches your heart, please take a second and act on it.  Think about what can you sacrifice for just 1 day, 1 week or 1 month and think how that small sacrifice could mean LIFE for another person.  I challenge you to do this and see how it not only can change the life of someone else but it will definitely change yours!

1.  UNDER $10:  Give up driving through your favorite fast food restaurant for lunch for 1 day and instead pack a lunch and go to to donate $6.00 that will feed 1 child for 1 month  http://intothestreetsofethiopia.blogspot.com/2010/05/e-very-six-seconds-child-dies-because.html

2. UNDER $15:   Give up Starbucks or whatever your daily dose of caffeine/fancy drink may be for 1 week and instead drink water (...and be thankful it's clean) and head to this website, scroll down to "Gifts Under $15" and click on Life Saving Mosquito Nets
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/gift_catalog/p-143-gift-48-prevent-malaria.aspx

3.  JUST $25:  Give up going out to dinner with your family and eat-in for a night...instead donate water for LIFE for 1 person at   https://donate.water.org/sslpage.aspx

4.  ONLY $30:  Pass up that cute tee at the Gap that you might buy just because and instead check out http://intothestreetsofethiopia.blogspot.com/2010/07/we-have-shirts.html and buy a shirt for yourself or someone you know and feed a child for 3 months!

5.  Under $40 a month (Tax Deductible)  Maybe adoption is too big of  step for you and your family but there are ways you can help a child attain the necessary things for life without adopting.  To make a commitment of a monthly fee is hard for some to do but I assure you if you are able to sit down and look at what you spend each month, see if you think you could cut out $40 of something and instead help a child in need.  Our church supports this organization and the pastor Craig Groeschel and his wife have sponsored a child from  for each of their own children and they have 6!  Need any ideas for saving an extra $40 each month??? Just ask, we have plenty!    http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm
 

 These are just a few ideas for you right now.  I will be posting more as I find them or think of them.  Please feel free to tell me about ones you may know about so I can post them and if you have any questions please feel free to ask me.  It's amazing what you can do with just a simple sacrifice, we have participated in all of the above ideas and plan to start sponsoring a child once the adoption is complete.  We hope some have touched your heart to do so as well!
With Love,
The O'Neals