The Cause...

Our adoption journey began a year ago November, when our doctor informed us that we were unable to have biological children. At first we were devastated about our situation, but little did we know that we were about to experience the most amazing “pregnancy” imaginable.

We spent the next few months exploring domestic and international adoption. After much prayer and research, we decided that adopting a baby from Russia was how we would grow our family. There were so many children living in Russian orphanages that the decision felt right. Chris had been laid off from work in July, and we knew that realistically we could not even begin to tackle the adoption fees until he found work again. In March, he began working at ProfitPoint, and we submitted our first of many pages of paperwork the next day.

While Elysia has enjoyed not dealing with morning sickness through this “pregnancy,” the financial strain of adoption has been stressful. We have worked to combat the financial issues through four yard sales and a bake sale in addition to tightening the belt and saving as much each month as possible. God has truly been with us during this journey. Our friends and family cleaned out their attics and donated items to our yard sales. They baked for our bake sale on Labor Day in Centennial Park and are currently helping us sell homemade cakes and pies for the holidays.

Because of this generosity and our saving efforts, we were nearing the amount we needed in order to adopt our child. Unfortunately, we have recently learned that the amount required to complete the adoption process has increased significantly over what we were originally quoted. This has created a gap between what we’ve been able to raise and what we need to make the trip overseas to pick up our child.

We know that there is a child in Russia who needs us and is waiting for us. Your support of this golf event will help to ensure that our dream of one day becoming parents is a reality. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

–– Chris & Elysia Sandlin