Why fundraise?

Lot's of people have asked why?
Why adopt if you can't afford it?
Will you be able to care for your kids since you are asking others for money?
Don't you hate asking others for money?

Here is a blog that actually helps explain this a little bit http://www.myoverthinking.com/2012/06/overthinking-fundraising.html

Kelly is the author and she says:

"If you can’t afford to adopt, you shouldn’t be doing it. You shouldn’t use a child to play on people’s sympathies to give you money. If you wouldn’t fundraise to buy a house or your car, you shouldn’t do it for an adoption either."

But, see, a child isn’t a house or a car. And, not having $20,000-$45,000 in a savings account doesn’t disqualify you as a good parent—thankfully. And, actually, I’d venture to say that most families raising funds for their adoptions are not standing on street corners with cans and a picture of a malnourished child wearing a tent sign saying, “Help bring my baby home.”

Our family has the means to care for all of our children. We aren't rich, not even close, our daughter is going to college and she will be paying for it on her own.

We stepped into this adoption by listening to God, and trusting that He would answer with the funds we did not have. We knew that if He didn't provide then we wouldn't be able to do this. And He has... He's provided every single cent.

Through friends who offered to help with a grant, to RollStone foundation who offered us a grant because our boys are older and have been waiting for so very long, to tax refunds, to sales of craft items made and sold on Etsy.com, to our most recent venture which was a yard sale in 105 degree weather. He's provided everything we needed.

We have saved and scrimped... and then life happened and Don had to have surgery and when you own your own business you don't have much in the way of personal leave pay. :)

So much of what we saved and scrimped was used to pay bills while he was out of work for 6 weeks.

So..... we had to humble ourselves and ask for help.

Asking for money for almost anyone else is easy, helping raise funds for charities that are close to our hearts is a piece of cake... but it different when you have to ask for yourself. It makes you vulnerable, leaves you open to remarks like the one above.

But this isn't about us.

It's abour our boys. The ones that waited in an orphanage for more then 3 yrs before we found them.

The ones that I met in June 2011 and promised I would be back to get....soon.

The ones that send us letters and tell us they miss us so much and can't wait to see us.

The ones that are now legally ours, yet 8000 miles away, going to bed alone every night without our hugs and kisses.

That's why we have the Gaines Family Un-Shower

We thank you on behalf of our boys ....Some day we will be able to share with them the love and support that has come from the most amazing friends, family and even strangers that have helped make it possible for 2 less orphans to be in a family...