Fundraising Family - Meet the Peduzzis!

Today I want to introduce you to a very special family on a very special journey. Please say "Hello!" to the Peduzzis!

This precious couple is on their way to their son in Russia! As a matter of fact, they will be in Russia starting tomorrow through February 12th fulfilling all of the in country court requirements for completing their adoption and then flying back February 19th to bring their son home! So exciting that they are in the final stage of uniting their family! This gives us a unique opportunity to support them in these final days. They have a couple of final fundraisers going on right now to help tie up those last expenses, which only totals about $3000 right now. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing for them to return home to find all those expenses were fully covered due to the generosity of strangers?

They aren't allowed to share pics of sweet Hudson yet, but here's a glimpse of the bond that's already being built...

Make sure to take a minute to visit their blog, Numbering Our Days leave some encouraging words and see how you can be a part of welcoming precious Hudson home!

When I asked Melissa to share her story with us, she was very excited to do so and this is what she had to say....

Before Ryan and I were even engaged, I spent a summer working in the orphanages of Romania, and my heart was broken and burdened for each and every child there.  More than this, my heart was broken for all children who are never given the chance to experience the love of a mother and father in a stable home; for all children who are beyond any hunger we have ever felt and are not guaranteed another meal; for all children who long to hear about the love of Christ, but have no one to tell them.  God spoke to me here, and put His plan in my heart. In His timing, and in His way, I would be a mother to children such as these.  Through my experiences and stories, as well as his own journeys, God created a very similar heart in Ryan concerning adoption, and we both agreed that it was the time to begin the process in May 2010.  

From the moment we have thought about children, we have pursued adoption. We didn't stumble here happenstance or after another way to begin our family failed, but we are here because God has called us. This is our journey. We don't understand it all, or have it all together. We are sometimes excited and other times scared. But we know we are following God's plan for our life. This is the way He set out for us. So, we follow, knowing that He is the one directing our steps.  He has been teaching us a lot as we follow Him down this bumpy, curvy, exciting path. 

We were matched with our son, Hudson, in July of 2011.  Par for the course in our crazy lives as Student Ministers, we received the call about our son while we were at Summer Camp with a group of students.  It was a wild, crazy, overwhelming, unbelievable experience to see the face of our child for the first time while he was still thousands of miles away.  The plan was to travel to meet him in August, and have him home no later than Thanksgiving.   We felt like we were on top of the world. 

But, nothing is certain in adoption, and after one unfortunate circumstance after another, we were in danger of losing our son with no travel dates in site.  We fought hard to trust God and seek His face, knowing He was up to something good, even though it felt like our world was crumbling around us.  I learned to be joy-filled in Him, not in my circumstances, and more about faith and trust than I ever would have experienced otherwise. 

We finally traveled to meet Hudson in November, and we love this little boy more than I can express already.  We are still fighting to bring him home, trusting God in the details!  We have a court date set for February, and we will bring him home in March (if all goes according to plan! :))!  We have watched all throughout the journey as God has multiplied what we had (very little) with all that He is (EVERYTHING!) and each step has been provided for as we needed to take it.  As we are down to the wire, we are lacking about $3000 to be completely funded.  God has been so faithful!

If you would like to join us in the journey to bring Hudson home, we have several ways you can be a part!  AND, by helping him home, you will be entered in a GIVEAWAY to win a BRAND NEW digital camera, printer, and accessories!

1.  For each dollar donated through the ChipIn, your name will be entered once!  $5=5 times, and so on!

2.  When you make a Thirty-One Purchase through our fundraiser (Peduzzi Family Adoption Fundraiser under "My Events", your name will be entered FIFTEEN times!

3.  For each $50 Restaurant.com gift card purchased through our fundraiser, your name will be entered TEN times!

4.  Share, share, share!  For each day you share this page, your name will be entered an additional time!  You can enter this way once a day for the entire giveaway.  Simply post a comment on this post with the link of where you shared! 

The giveaway ends February 17 at midnight EST.  Giveaway details here.

 Thank you Ryan & Melissa for sharing your journey and your hearts with us!

Looking forward to seeing your family united and HOME!