This one’s a biggie, folks, and it’s all together in a fun package only for adoptive or preadoptive families to enter. Just something special for them, because I like little special somethings.
Let me tell you a bit about all these places…
—Mom through adoption from China, Lisa Murphy wrote With an Open Heart just last year to share the story of their son Daniel, a precious boy born in Nanchang, China who became their son and will remain a part of their family tree forever even though he now lives with Jesus. His life, even though it was short, is a legacy forever preserved in Lisa’s words.
—Adoptive mom and child/adolescent therapist by trade, Kristan Struck set out to give adoptive families a way to introduce conversations in age appropriate ways about birthparents and the loss that surrounds adoption. She wrote A Family for Eve about a little chick found in a farmyard who quickly gets paired up with Cleo the cat, a mama cat who has three kittens as well as a bunny and duck she mothers. Her book is most appropriate for both domestic (closed) or any international adoptions. Our Lydia thinks the animals are “so cute,” and I think this is a helpful read when someone close to us is pregnant. And, the author donates 10% of the proceeds from the book to a different cause each month. Love that.
—Sharla Kostelyk, mother of 9 and blogger, has published two books—Shield and That These Two Will Live. Shield: A Framework of Self-Care for Foster and Adoptive Families is only 60 pages, totally readable, and is full of good reminders and hints for families from someone who knows. Here’s my favorite quote from it:
This time will not last forever. Give yourself permission to get through it without doing everything perfectly. Allow yourself grace and give the same to your spouse.
Word. You can download it here from Amazon. In her second book, That These Two Will Live, she tells the story of faith and determination as Mark and Sharla overcame bureaucracy, media attention, and financial challenges to bring home their son and daughter from Ethiopia after their adoption agency went bankrupt, stranding 43 children in a transition home.
—Grafting is the most tangible illustration we have of what adoption is. Colleen Marquez has masterfully brought that illustration to life in A Gift For Little Tree through words and color for our little ones (and the rest of us who may pretend we’re reading it only for them). I’ve seen a preview of this book and personally can’t wait to see the final copy. It’s beautiful, and you know I’m super picky about our adoption books. Colleen has her project on Kickstarter only until May 26th. And, she’s just about at the goal she needs to print this book. If you give only $25, you will get a first edition, hardback, signed copy of the book as soon as it is published. Better head over there now, not sure that offer will still be good once the goal is met!
—Kelly Apisa started the Minus 1 Project to fundraise for their own adoption when they were bringing home their 5th child. After he came home, they continued their work to help other families fundraise for their adoptions offering lots of things like tshirts and gifts with an adoption theme.
—Jiayin Designs, which I’m personally a part of, brings handmade treasures from China all over the world, specializing in custom, handcut sterling silver charms of Chinese characters. Jiayin’s name charms are the most popular item followed by their handmade zodiac animals and Niu Niu dollies. Sales not only employ Chinese artisans but help support Chinese natives who work for the nonprofit IECS serving Chinese university students through English teaching and relationships.
—Portrait Artist Marla Michele Must of Enchanted Photography, is the proud mom of three and lives in Metro Detroit. As an adoptive mom to a princess from China and an advocate for children around the world, Marla has teamed up with orphan advocate and author Kay Bratt for a collaborative project illuminating real-life adoption stories through words and images. This compelling project will give a snapshot of tears, trauma, laughter and joys of the unforgettable gift of building a family.
All of these people are a part of Building the Nest this May for The Sparrow Fund either by sponsorship or by donating at least 10% of their total sales this month so that The Sparrow Fund can continue to support adoptive families. AND, they are sponsoring this big ole adoption giveaway to raise awareness about this fundraiser and get people shopping!
Here’s what’s included (a combined value of approximately $250):
- A signed copy of Lisa Murphy’s book With an Open Heart
- A signed copy of Kristan Struck’s children’s book A Family for Eve
- A e-book copy of Sharla Kostelyk’s Shield: A Framework of Self-Care for Foster and Adoptive Families
- A hard copy of Sharla Kostelyk’s That These Two Will Live
- A signed, first edition copy of Colleen Marquez’ A Gift for Little Tree
- A blue Got Love t-shirt from Minus 1 Project
- A $25 gift certificate to Jiayin Designs
- A photography minisession with Marla Michele Must in Birmingham, Michigan area (note: if you aren’t local to her and win, you may gift this package to another adoptive family!)
Enter this giveaway and go check out all the partners’ sites. (If you leave a comment naming just one thing you have ordered/purchased from one of them, you get an extra 10 entries for any of the giveaways going on right now…and there are quite a few!)
We are waiting for our little boy to come home from South Korea. He turns one in a week. We have three natural born children so this is our first adoption. Adoption is not for the faint of heart but it is so beautiful. I long for the day I can actually see my son’s face in person and feel him in my arms.
My husband and I are adoptive parents to a 2 year old girl from Rwanda. We are also foster parents to 2 boys right now, 1 is being reunified next month, and the other we plan to adopt.
I love this!
By the way, Kelly, I haven’t stayed in the loop with all The Sparrow Fund blogging lately, but I just filled out the form to help if it’s not too late. I know I said it would be too much in the midst of our adoption fundraising, but I’ve reconsidered! :)
We just turned in our homestudy history on Wednesday! I am so anxious and excited and filled with questions and wonder what life will be like when we add one more to our family.
What a great giveaway. I’m a mama of 4, two adopted. Thanks for a chance at some great goodies. :)
Can’t wait to check all of them out!!! Entering the waiting phase for our second adoption and could use some books to pass the time ;)
love it!
We are 2 months away from bringing home our second daughter from China. She is from the same SWI as DD #1 and we are so excited to have two Anhui girls.
I ordered the Feng Shui bracelet from Jiayin designs for my daughter. She loves the charms.
What a fantastic giveaway! I would love to boost my adoption literature collection to share with other prospective adoptive families! :)
My husband and I are in process of adopting from China. Almost ready to send off Dossier. We advocate for orphans and volunteer for a ministry called In His Hands Orphan Outreach.
My husband and I just adopted our sweet little boy in March from Colombia.
We adopted a baby boy from Florida in December. He joined our two biological kiddos, who love him…and we are ready to start the process for another adoption. Thanks for the opportunity!
we are currently waiting for one or two boys from ethiopia….we have been DTE for 17 months now!
We have a 6 year old from China, and are headed back for a little brother and a little sister next month!
We are adoptive parents of a “heart baby” from china. She had her first open heart surgery last Nov and will have her second one in just a few months. We just ordered a tshirt from the Minus 1 project! Love it!
I’m an adoptive mama to a three-year-old darling girl and we’re starting domestic infant adoption #2!
We have been on the waitlist since October 2010 to adopt from Ethiopia! We are hoping to see her sweet face soon!!
We are the proud parents to 3 son from South Korea and are awaiting our 4th blessing.
We are AP’s of two children!
What an amazing giveaway, Kelly!! For those of us who have adopted or about to adopt, this is such a blessing!
This looks great!
Thank you for all you do!
I have ordered from Jiayin Designs multiple times- including 3 necklace and earring sets (one I reluctantly gave to my sister as a gift) and 2 simple necklaces with nesting dolls that i am saving to give my daughter for our next family day. i have also ordered matching mom/daughter tshirts from minus one- also for July 4- the 7th anniversary of our family day!
Always good to know of more adoption resources. Thanks.
Great resources I hadn’t heard of before! Thanks for sharing.
How cool!
We are waiting to adopt domestically and have been waiting almost a year, we are in the process of fundraising. Thanks for offering such a great giveaway!
I love this! So exciting. I hope I win. We have adopted one boy domestically and are fostering to adopt a little girl right now.
We just completed our second adoption. LOVE giveaways like this – curious, if I win, are Stephanie or her sister Susan close enough to the Michigan photographer to benefit from the package? :)
We have been home for one month with our DD from China, and everyday is a new adventure with her and her 3 brothers! Thank you for this opportunity for adoptive families like ours!
What a wonderful gift to adoptive families!! We have 4 bio kids and three adopted blessings – the latest Gotcha Day was 6 months ago TODAY! I purchased Lisa’s book just before our son’s open heart surgery in February, but haven’t read it yet. At the time it hit too close to home and now life has been very busy – but I am hoping summer gives me a few extra minutes.
I’m an adoptive Mommy of 1, and we’ve been in the process to adopt for 2.5 yrs now. I’d love to win! :)
We were called to adopt 2 from China! We are prayerfully going to be going sometime in August (hopefully sooner ;))
We are adopting a little boy from China. We hope to travel in July.
My husband and I have 2 adopted children, 2 biological children and are currently fostering to adopt 2 children….grand total of 6! We have faced many challenges and will face more in the near future as we move along the adoption process again but we wouldn’t change it for the world. These books all sound so good! Thank you for doing such an awesome give away!!
Waiting on our baby daughter from Haiti. Hopefully going to visit her in July.
I have been a foster parent for 7 years and adopted through foster care. What a fun giveaway!
my husband adopted my son who doesnt know his real father and we foster plus we donate to the churches in our area thing that they are in need of thanks
We have 2 China blessings. Our youngest, age 9, just came home this past August. Her sister is 11 and has been home for 7 years.
We are home study ready and waiting for approval from the USCIS for an international adoption from Madagascar.
Our lives have been changed since bringing home our two kiddos from Albania! Love, love, love our friends in the adoption community! Love the package of goodies in this giveaway!
We have two beautiful daughters from China:) Tatum came home in 2008 at 18 months with a cleft lip and palate. She is our sunshine. Brooklynn came home in 2011. In two years, she has endured open heart surgery, cleft palate surgery, gotten a hearing aid, and is preparing for two more surgeries. Through it all, she smiles and giggles and brings happiness wherever she goes!
I am the adoptive mom of three! From Russia, foster care and most recently China!
We adopted 3 siblings from Colombia in 2007 . . . would love to share some of these goodies with my cousin in the process of adopting through foster care and our close friends adopting from China!
LOVE this blog! I learn so much from you Kelly!
We are so privileged to be the mama and baba to a precious daughter from China, as well as have two older children and grandchildren the age of our little princess. I am also a domestic adoptee and we have others adopted in our extended family as well. God is so good to draw our hearts and lives together. We are so grateful.
Working on our 5th adoption!! Our home is lively and lovely!!
Adopted our daughter in 2004.
We have been working on bringing home 2 more little princesses from China. Sadly, one of our angels earned her wings last Friday, May 17th, and is being loved in heaven. We also have a Princess we adopted last May from China!
We have adopted two children and are currently waiting on a sibling group of three.
What a great giveaway! Thank to all who are participating! Someone is going to be one lucky winner for sure.
We have one adopted daughter from China who is four. She joins her older siblings who are 14, 12 & 10 (bio). Someday we hope to add one more to the mix so she has another adopted sibling. 8-)
Oh you so KNOW I have my finger’s crossed! I’ve wanted one of the pendants for a LONG while now!
nancy
We have to precious blessings from South Korea. Adoption is the most difficult and wonderful thing.
This looks like an awesome giveaway! We have two biological boys and two boys we fostered to adopt!
LOVE Minus 1 project!! Proudly sported my “Got Love? Adopt” shirt in China last month as we were getting our 3 yr old son!
Just got home today from adopting our second daughter from China!!
Mother of 3 adopted children from foster care and currently fostering 2. Great items in the giveaway!
2 bio, 2 adopted….what an awesome giveaway full of thoughtful goodies!
We brought home Madelyn from Fujian, China last year and are preparing to go adopt her best friend from foster are this summer.
Awww, what a nice gesture!
We have two beautiful daughters from China…one has a lot of issues we have been dealing with, and her older sister who has had to handle a lot less mommy/daddy time due to unforseen problems with her sister.
Love your stuff!
We adopted last year and are in the process for #2! We bought the great book A family for Eve!! Great items!!!
Since I have two daughters adopted from China, I’m always on the lookout for good books on adoption. I look forward to checking these books out, even if I don’t win them!
Thanks so much for the chance to win some awesome stuff! We are adopting a girl from China and hope to be traveling in about a month or so!!
We adopted 2 children from South Korea…one in 2009, and one in 2011. Our DD (home in 2011) has had a very difficult transition and has recently been diagnosed with RAD. Everyday is a struggle…..but we are still here…hanging on.