Project Update

Wow. What a difference a day makes.

Today Sherwin-Williams donated 9 gallons of paint (more than we need), a local waste management company committed to donate a dumpster, and we calculated a total of 702 sponsorship letters sent.

Another praise (unrelated to this project specifically but it relates to the adoption) is we were notified this evening that our family was awarded a $2,000 grant from Bridge of Hope Ministries! (time to start doing some updates on the donation thermometer). DONE! ;)

How can you pray now?
-Home Depot has promised to meet regarding how they will help tomorrow (Wednesday) major needs now are still some decking supplies (rails, spindles and necessary hardware).
-We need some cleaning supplies and paint rollers, trays, brushes, etc.
-Good weather for project day

Thanks, and please help us spread the news! Sure we're trying to raise the money to bring our little girl home but most importantly let's show the world what true "Faith with works" means... Share the link- bothhands.org/walterhouse

Blessings!

The 12 days of a Both Hands project

So it's not a song, nor will it be done like the traditional 12 days of Christmas but here's 12 things you can pray for between now and the project day (not listed in any specific priority):
1. Material donations
2. Sponsorships
3. Food donations
4. Team safety
5. Wisdom
6. Prior preparation (hazardous tree removal)
7. A construction size dumpster (for old material and clutter disposal)
8. Good weather
9. Corporate Recognition and sponsorship
10. That we'll show others what true Christianity is about
11. That Christ will be glorified
12. That through this, Nora and her family will be blessed & strengthened and that Eden Grace will be as close as the last set of paperwork.

Both Hands

Most of you have heard about this AWESOME project we're doing in just a few weeks. Fulfilling the command given in James 1:27- "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained."

We're AMAZED at how God has blessed already and how He continues to provide. If you haven't checked it out yet, PLEASE take just a few minutes to do so! Just click HERE. (Honestly, if you don't, this post won't make much sense).

Here's where we stand:

• A local businessman and dear friend donated $500 towards stamps and getting the sponsorship letters sent!
  
• Our team sent somewhere between 500-600 sponsorship letters (we don't have the final number as some letters are still going out).
• Many of the needed supplies for Nora's (the Widow) have already been donated. Please pray for the remaining items that we need (mainly lumber, hardware and painting supplies
• Covenant Transport has donated a 15 passenger van and they're paying a driver since we'll have to park a few miles away from Nora's!
  
• Restaurants are already committing to donate food for the project work day!
• Some dear friends have agreed to donate a Washer/Dryer set that is much needed!
• Ooltewah Nursery has graciously agreed to donate plants to "spruce up" the exterior!
  

Here's some ways you can help us pray specifically for the project:

• Good weather
• Remaining supplies (as mentioned previously- lumber, hardware, painting supplies)
• Safety
• Sponsorships

Michelle and I truly believe (as do our boys- "faith like a child" right??) that this project will be the means by which we raise the final $20,000 needed to bring Eden home. Please pray with us! GOD CAN and WILL!

Humbled by YOUR help & prayers,

Jonathan, Michelle, Jaiden, Levi (and a precious little girl who will thank you one day!)

Both Hands Project

Both Hands- One for the Widow, the other for an Orphan.

What is it?

In a sentence- raise sponsorships to serve a Widow for a day VIA cleaning up and fixing her house, and 100% of the sponsorships go directly toward rescuing an Orphan, in this case our precious Eden Grace.

Check out this link for more information. Send us a note if you'd like to know more and be added to the facebook event to be kept up to date.

Happy (belated) Birthday America!

We trust your fourth was as enjoyable as ours was. Although we didn't get to spend it quite as we'd hoped, we were still FREE to do as we wished and for that we are grateful. The words 'thank you' just don't seem to cut it as it relates to our service members and all they've done down through the years for our country. Until you've spent time in another country, you don't truly understand how blessed we are.

Adoption update-
We're headed to downtown Atlanta today at 10 AM for an appointment with USCIS for biometrics (fingerprinting). We trust it will go smoothly and the hardest thing will be Atl traffic- can I get an "oh, me?!"

We're hoping and praying we'll be able to complete our Psych eval by this time next week, the Psychologist has been out on vacation for the last few weeks. This, coupled with our emergency trip to PA for Michelle's ill grandmother(and her subsequent passing), delayed the eval by a few weeks.

Now for something we're really excited about- A Both Hands Project. We've been approved to raise the final $14,000-16,000 that we need through a project in which a team of people (yes, you're included on the team- we need you) will descend on a widow's house on Saturday, Aug 11 to help repair, clean, weed, landscape, paint, pressure wash, organize and so on. The neat part is this- each team member sends a sponsorship letter to their friends and family (letter, envelope & stamps provided). ALL 100% of funds that come in go towards an orphan- in this case our adoption. HOW COOL IS THAT?!?! We're fulfilling both parts of the command found in James 1:27- "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction..." A Both hands project- pray with us about this, won't you?

We'll be sharing more information here as we have opportunity.

Please keep us in prayer.

Blessings,
The Walterhouses

Car wash update...

God is good. Grand total for the car wash (drumroll please...) $1,060!!! Now pray the psych eval can happen without a hitch this week! Many thanks to all who donated, brought their cars, washed and dried cars, made and held signs, loaned canopies and for those that prayed!

When God tells you to do something (in our case- adopt) do it- He'll honor and bless your obedience and faith.

Psychological Car Wash

Like the title? Read on...

God has been so good to our family! We are now only a few weeks away from final approval from USCIS- the last part of US approval for our adoption. Meanwhile we have 2 steps to complete and then we can send off the International Dossier paperwork (providing the necessary funds are readily available.)

1. Psychological Evaluation for Jonathan & Michelle (let the funny comments begin) This will only cost us $800, much less than the $2000 and $3000 we were originally quoted- Praise the Lord! This is being done for us by a lady in NYC who is an adoptive parent herself. She understands the financial burden and desires to help as much as possible, in addition to the cheaper rate, she granted another discount for our special needs adoption.
2. Federal fingerprinting- this should take place in early July. (This was paid for already when we submitted the USCIS paperwork).

In an attempt to raise the $800 needed for the evaluation, we're hosting a car wash fundraiser tomorrow, June 16th here in Chattanooga. Because our Psychologist is going out of town for two weeks the end of the month, we need to have the money to her ASAP so we can complete the Eval quickly.

Please pray BOLDLY with us that God will provide this amount by Sunday so we can complete the Eval this week. If we can average $10 a car and get 80 cars in the 5 hour event, this can happen easily!

We've also been approved to receive funds through tax-deductible donations! You can go to Lifesong for Orphans donation page to find out how. Please include the following either on the "Purpose" field when donating online or on the memo line if using check VIA mail: "Walterhouse #2944 Adoption"

If you can come help, help; if you can bring a dirty car, bring a dirty car; if you can give, give; and no matter what you do, pray.

From the bottom of our hearts- THANK YOU! Our prayer is that one day in 2012 our beautiful princess will be in our arms and she'll sign to you: THANK YOU for giving me a forever family!