Blog features for Tavin, and new total!

So first of all, take a peek at the little thermometer over there on the right! Yes you read right we have UNDER $1000 to go!! What the heck?!? Amazing and incredible, and a thousand other words I can't think of right now! I had to add it like 10 times because it kept coming our different because my mind wasn't working right from excitement. Wow, THANK YOU!!

Our friend Brian stayed overnight with Steve and a couple other friends Friday night to smoke all  300 lbs of meat for the fundraiser. He is a poet, and has a blog called waystationone. He wrote a poem on his blog about the fundraiser and Tavin that I read today and of course it made me cry.

  I have had quite a few comments from his readers, one of which asked if she could write a post about Tavin on her blog My Five Men, which you can read here. Betsy's post also made me cry. (I'm telling you, it's like a daily occurrence around here. I tell myself it's good for the soul.) Just as meaningful as the posts themselves were the 50+ comments on one blog, and 80+ on the other, ALL of which were encouraging. (Yes they kept the tears flowing).

Here's Brian's poem "Dear Tavin":

"i haven't slept in 36 hours
& the world swims like a cup of water spilled
on a still wet canvas

earlier,
i couldn't get warm after
dozing off a moment on the concrete
& it sucked

all the heat from my body.
the ice left in the coolers after the all the drinks were gone
didn't melt building a small berg in the parking lot.

i talked to several hundred people
in two hours as they waited in line, one was a West Virginia fan
& regional director of WalMart.

we ran out of barbecue when the 300th lb. was bought,
leaving 20 or so people without.

some paid anyway

& after all, it's quiet now,
all the trash in a pile: posters, cans, plates, plastic bags,
empty bottles of sauce. chairs wait patient to be taken
to the closet.

your future dad & i sit on thin carpet stairs in the back.
we don't talk about your twisted legs,
that you've been confined to a crib since birth because of them,
labeled an outcast cripple unworthy of society
or a gentle touch, destined to die
in a mental hospital for physical deformity

unless adopted, but

these don't cause the tears in his eyes,
they are a joy
                   they are a joy
because soon
you will learn the meaning of 'home'
is not alone,
                
                     hold on.

for Poets United

Friday night into Saturday I helped a good friend prepare for a fundraiser in order to raise money for the adoption of a child. We cooked 300 pounds of meat---and sold out in less than 2 hours. It was crazy, in a good way and they raised quite a bit more toward their goal. You can read more about Tavin here.

I rewrote this one numerous times...maybe i am just too tired or too close to it. I dunno."

WSET also did a followup story on how the fundraiser went which you can check out here. We weren't expecting that, so extra cool to see.

Ok that's all for now. I might need to find a tissue again. 

~Chrystal

BBQ fundraiser turnout!

The day dawned with the most beautiful sunrise. Steve was awake all night tending to the meat with some faithful friends who stayed up for the night with him. We had no idea what to expect. We had many conversations leading up to placing the order for the meat that went like this "how much meat should we smoke, do you think?" " well, I'm not sure, we don't know how many people will come...and will they order in bulk? Or sandwiches? And how many ribs should we get in relation to the pork and brisket? And should we get more brisket or pork or the same of both?" We had decided on an amount to order, but then this week after the news article, we debated again..."how much meat should we smoke, do you think?" " well, I'm not sure, we don't know how many people will come...and will they order in bulk? Or sandwiches? And how many ribs should we get in relation to the pork and brisket? And should we get more brisket or pork or the same of both?" Yes it was the same conversation all over again. We decided last minute to get a second smoker, double the # of ribs, and increase the brisket to the same amount as the pork, for a total of 300lbs of meat, with two packed smokers.

A very close friend and mentor wisely encouraged us that it could only be a success, no matter the outcome. Either we would sell out and raise a lot of money, or we wouldn't but we would still have an incredible story to tell Tavin one day. He encouraged us that all we could do was to be faithful with what we COULD do and trust the results to the Lord, whatever they would be.

Somewhere in the midst of setting up I sort of lost my mind thinking I had locked my keys in the car (we really should get a spare!!) and frantically looking for it, until I finally found them...where I left them, in my purse in the exact spot I put it. Also a moment of panic realizing we had both failed to get cash from the bank for change (!!!) and a friend ran to get it with not much time to spare. Phew! 

By 11:15 we had a line to the door.

 

  It didn't stop until we ran out of meat less than two hours later! And the incredible thing was that we ran out of all three within about 3 orders of each other. Only God could have orchestrated so perfectly. If we had another 200lbs I think we could have sold it.

We met so many amazing people...many who just saw the sign outside and came in, many who had followed our facebook page but we hadn't met, friends, friends of friends, and people who saw the flyer. Everyone was incredibly sweet and encouraging. Truly an incredible day that we will never forget. I've said it before, and I'll say it again.. this community is incredible. People continued to trickle in even after we took the signs down, and many still gave a donation and took time to encourage us. Such a blessing.

Our friends and support system are more than we could have ever asked for, and we are so grateful. I'm sort of at a loss to express how we felt when the day was done. Elated, humbled, exhausted, emotional, full of joy. We started out unable to wrap our minds around how we would possibly raise the money needed for an adoption in several years time, much less in 4-6 months. Time and again God has whispered that we simply must be faithful in obedience, and trust Him with the outcome. And again He showed himself faithful. We are less than 4 months in right now.

So everyone has been asking how much we raised. Ready? Ok. drumroll please......after expenses we raised $3450!! We were blown away! THANK YOU! This puts us with only about $2000 left to raise till we are FULLY FUNDED!

Wow. Thank you thank you, thank you to all our friends who volunteered their Saturday to help out, everyone who came to show support and love, who took the time to tell us they were excited for us, praying for us, who shared their adoption stories, for the smiles, hugs, handshakes, and additional donations. It was overwhelming in the best possible way. 

Please pray with us now for fast submission for travel dates, for no paperwork issues on our end, or for Tavin's paperwork in country to be in order. Please pray for his health and safety. 

Thank you so very much.

~Chrystal