As many of our friends and family know (and some readers) our family has been in the process of adopting a little girl with minor correctable special needs from China since the summer of 2012. Our paper is in, approved, and we are biding our time waiting for a referral. Once a match has been made, we will travel to China 4-6 months later to bring home our new daughter. We are hopeful that this will occur sometime in 2014.

The latest news is that in the closing days of 2013, we were awarded a $3,000 matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans– an organization that helps families realize their dream of adoption. You may know that adoption, especially an international one, is costly. Our adoption will be in the neighborhood of $35,000- of which we have already paid $8,000 out of pocket. One of our goals for our adoption is that we would pay as much out of pocket as possible (for which we have been saving for). The matching grant is a bit of a change for us because our own money cannot be matched- the matching grant relies on friends, families, co-workers, church family, and strangers who feel compelled to be a blessing.

As much as we want to ask you to consider helping us reach our goal for our matching grant- I want to encourage you to, first and foremost, to keep us and the little girl waiting to join our family in your prayers. While we don’t yet know who this little girl is, or the circumstances of her life, we are praying that God prepares her and us to be a family together.

Secondly, I do want to invite you to prayerfully consider contributing towards our matching grant. Every gift, regardless the size, will be matched- up to $3000. If we meet our goal by February 28, 2014 we will be a minimum of $6000 closer to bringing our daughter home. There are two ways you can give (Tax-deductible, by the way):

1. You can give online at http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate. Select “Give to an Adoptive Family.” Complete the online form and fill in Account Number with #4189 and Family Name with “LaMotte Family”

2. You can send a check payable to “Lifesong for Orphans.” In the memo line, not “Acct #4189” and “LaMotte” to ensure that your gift is credited to the correct account. You can mail your donation to: Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744.

Thank you for being part of our adoption journey. In many ways, you are part of our extended family. Our family wouldn’t be complete without the experiences that we’ve shared! Please bookmark the blog so that you can stay up-to-date with the latest news about our adoption. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at srlamotte(at)gmail(dot)com.