Did you get this letter?

If you haven't gotten this letter yet from us, it's probably in the mail.

Hello Family and Friends!

As many of you already know, Margo and I are in the process of adopting a baby boy from Ethiopia. The process has moved swiftly and we believe that is all thanks to God’s hand in our lives. We have completed a mountain of paperwork and are now waiting for our referral. The referral is technically pictures and health history of a baby boy that will become our son. About 4-6 weeks after we receive our referral Margo and I will travel to Ethiopia to pick up our son and bring him home.

We are very ready for our baby and have even picked out a name. After much discussion we have landed on Deacon Elliott Faulkner. Of course, the minute we see him in person he may not be a Deacon and the naming process will start all over. We have prepared for his arrival by attending parenting training classes, reading books about multi-cultural families, met other families in the area that are adopting from Ethiopia (there are more than you’d think) and finally began working on the nursery.

The most amazing thing in this whole journey has been the feeling that this is exactly God’s plan for our family. Like I said earlier, the process has moved swiftly and the paperwork has been flying through the system (part of this is due to Margo’s attention to detail and directions). The biggest blessing and reassurance of this faith exercise has been God meeting every one of our financial needs. At first we were worried about the financial side of international adoption because it isn’t cheap. Yet at every step of this process God has provided. We have had fees waived, a 50% discount on fees because I’m a minister, and generous donations.

God has provided already for all of the agency fees and Ethiopia country fees for our adoption of Deacon. But we still need a little help. Many people have asked when they can donate to our adoption and this letter is for those people. For everyone else, consider this a family newsletter that should have been sent out at Christmas with the rest of the world’s family newsletters. We have included a list of ways that you can help and support us. Also, we have a blog you can check out and we try to update it whenever there is news on the adoption front. The address is http://babyfaulkner.blogspot.com.

Thank you to everyone who has already given and prayed for us during this exciting time in our lives.


How Can I Help Baby Faulkner?

• Pray:
Pray for our baby. Pray for his health, safety and comfort during this difficult time in his little life. Pray for his caregivers, that they will have wisdom and patience.
Pray for Ethiopia. Pray for this country and the beautiful people that may be suffering there. Pray that God will provide for their needs both spiritual and physical.
Pray for us. Pray that we continue to follow after God’s heart in our lives. Pray that our trip to Ethiopia is as hassle-free as possible. Pray for safety on our trip and energy for us as we make the long flight with our new baby.

• Give:
Money. We still need $8,000.00 dollars just for travel to and from Ethiopia and all the expenses in-country (driver, gas, food, and lodging). If you want to give to us financially please send all checks or cash to:
Clayton Faulkner
Grace Baptist Church
PO Box 150780
Fort Worth, TX 76108
(Please note these gifts are not tax-deductible.)
Baby Items. As you can guess, we have nothing baby-related and we would love to put your old baby items to good use. We need it all: crib, stroller, car seats, clothes, bottles, high-chair, etc. Any baby gear taking up space that you’d like to pass on, please leave a comment on this post.

• Go:
Check out Gladney’s website for ways to get involved in helping the orphans of our world. Adopt a child, go on a mission trip, send humanitarian aid items, and pray for those in the field serving the littlest humans of God’s creation.