Financial Update and Online Auction

This week has been yet another week full of up and down emotions - lots of frustration and followed by renewed optimism and new plans. Our meeting at the bank did not go as we had hoped. I still have outstanding student loans, and that combined with only owning our home for 18 months (not enough equity) did not work well in our favour. Long story short, we are not (at this point) able to get any finances from the bank. We spent a day feeling pretty discouraged and disheartened but then snapped into problem solving mode and a need to be creative. Thanks to Jon's parents, we think we have a solution. (Thank goodness for parents. Outside the obvious of giving us life, we wouldn't survive without ours. They come to our rescue over and over!). So, early next week the journey officially begins!

Which brings us to this - we have decided on our first big fundraiser! We are going to do an online "auction" (I am SO PUMPED because the items/services that people have already donated for it are amazing!!!). How it will work is like this:

- We will spend a few weeks contacting people and arranging donations.

- We will then make a Facebook "event" online and add all our people, far and wide! Our people can then add their people, and we can reach a big audience! We are getting donations from BC (mostly the island, but off the island as well!), southern Alberta, and even a few in Sask! 

- As the date (yet to be determined - but it will be in later July) gets closer, I will be promo-ing the items/services and giving a description of what is available and getting you all excited for the awesome deals you can get!

- When the auction goes live (it will probably last 3 days or so!), I will post an album of pictures of the donations, with a description of each item/service and the business or person donating, and the approx value.

- People can bid on each item directly under the picture with the amount 

- Once the auction closes, I will contact the "winner" and set up payment and arrange for them to receive their item

- If you bid on a product or item that is not local, shipping will be explained. It will either be included (person donating the item will pay for shipping also), or it will not be included, and the buyer will have to arrange shipping.

- If you bid on a service (we have a few amazing gift cards!!!) to a local place, obviously it is only good in that store in a specific city. With getting donations from all over, that way all our people from all over can be involved and bid on different items! So if you live close by, or far away, you can be involved and get in on the sweet deals!

- We will very soon be setting up a specific adoption account with YouCaring, so the person who wins the bid can pay directly through there (or to us directly if it's someone we know and feels comfortable with that!).

We are REALLY excited about this one! If you have something you would like to donate, contact me!! The more the better! 

We hand in our application next week, we are just finalizing it, so our first instalment of money will be due then. Pray for us and our paperwork to get done quickly so we can move onto the Home Study!! We love you all and are so thankful for you. The outpouring of support we have received is overwhelming in the best way possible.