Home Study #2...or is it #3?

Greetings!
I'm here to report that what we thought was home study #2 was actually #3!  (This could be good and bad all at the same time...time is ticking and there's much to be done!)  Apparently the home tour was one of the official visits.  So, we killed two birds with one stone that day.

But let's back track for just a second and fill you in with a few details on what's been happening...
We had a home study visit last Monday.  Basically we just went over our autobiographies with our caseworker.  For about an hour and some change we discussed everything about our families, marriage, parenting, our future children and anything in between.  It's been a good exercise...but I am glad to move on from that part.
As much as I have felt like I have been pacing myself and getting things done, there is still so many things to get done...medical clearances, online Hague training, more little exercises to get us thinking about adoption and how we feel about having a child of a different race in our home, reading a book...the list could go on....BUT I try to stay hopeful and patient that this will all be very beneficial to us and our future family.  So those are some ideas of what we will be trucking through in these next weeks.

On a lighter note, Asher got his first hair cut.  If you haven't seen the video on facebook, you should watch it. :) http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10101424530466370

Update on the unofficial fundraising:  At this point, we have raised about $1117!!  Thank you to everyone who has played a part in this!  (And thanks for buying bread in the process.  Sounds like everyone is enjoying that!)  Praise the Lord for his goodness in providing!

Before I sign off, I wanted to share this one last thought:
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and bread every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--
when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

THEN your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;
THEN your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
THEN you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say:
Here am I.

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
THEN your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame."
Isaiah 58:6-11

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after the orphans
and widows in their distress
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
James 1:27

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father who is in heaven."  Matthew 5:16

May the Lord receive the glory that is due.

Brief Update

So we are still chipping away at our autobiographies for our home study.   I have learned that I am not very good at putting my life into words, but alas, it has been a good exercise to get me thinking about my past, present and future life.
Next week we will be having our second home study visit.  We will be discussing these autobiographies with our case worker...so they have to be done!  Looking forward to getting one step closer to having our kid(s) :)

Amongst all this writing, we've also been doing a lot of reading and training.  I'm wondering if my eye prescription is going to change after all this time on the computer!!  The reading and training has been very informative (I'll give more details on that later...).

Raising support and awareness through baking bread has been really great!  So far we've raised about $300 dollars...and that is just from selling about 11 loaves of bread!!  Praise the Lord!  We are thankful for all the prayers too.  They are much felt and appreciated.