Last week we finished our home study and are just waiting on the final written document! The next step is to send our home study and papers to immigration and get finger printed so that we can get approval from the US to bring our children home. After that we send our paperwork over to Ethiopia to get approval to adopt our children (We have put on our paperwork to adopt two siblings under the age of 4 – eventually making 5 CLACK kids). While we wait for our home study paperwork we are currently on “the great paper chase”. Which means, I am busy gathering all sorts of documents required by the Ethiopian Government.

This past week we received a notice from our agency that the director of our agency was going to be visiting Ethiopia during the first week of February and that they are trying to fill as many suitcases as they can with formula. Buying formula here is easy. So many options and so many prices.. Buying formula in Ethiopia is difficult. It’s hard to find, the containers are smaller, and the price is higher. Many of the orphanages in Ethiopia do not have the resources to purchase the formula needed to provide nutrition for the infants and children there. Truth is that our children might be one of them. He/She could be at the orphanage right now… this minute… in need of a bottle and there might not be enough to go around. We may not know the names and faces of our children yet but they are already in our hearts and our hearts break at the thought of them suffering. It breaks our hearts to think of rooms full of babies and children lying in cribs with hungry bellies.

That being said, our family is going to try to fill as many suitcases as we can. We want to offer you an opportunity to help us. A large can of Formula costs around 12.99 at Meijer (Meijer Brand). One Large can of INFANT or TODDLER formula will provide about 28 – 6 oz bottles to orphaned children. That’s 28 meals to 28 children. That means for what it costs you to buy 2.5 Starbucks lattes or a pizza you could instead provide 28 babies with the nutrients needed to survive.

 Truth: Six million children die of hunger every year.

SIX MILLION!!!!

We (my husband and I) are going to be collecting cans of formula from now until February 1, 2012. Any type of formula, any size of can, and any brand as long as it is powdered formula will work. The orphanage is running especially low on Toddler formula. If you would like to donate and help us fill some suitcases you can drop cans off to our home, give them to us when you see us next, or mail them (if you mail them, check that they will arrive by February 1st so we can get them on the plane to Ethiopia later that week):

OR

If you live in the Grand Rapids area we can/will come pick them up from you as well if you want. Just kick us an email at info@staceyclackphotography.com or call 616-490-0628 and we will swing by. Thanks in advanced for your willingness to help me feed the orphans.

Blessings,

Stacey

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:34-40