The Anonymous Donor

In the words of Jesus...

"When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘play-actors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out." Matthew 6:2-4 (MSG)

It has been amazing to watch this happen and to see many of the families on our site be the benefactor of such amazing and humble people who just want to help and do it quietly and unobtrusively.  

Kim Mol was one of the recipients of an anonymous gift at the end of 2014.  Here is what she had to say about Village to Village Intl. 

"When I was first told about Village to Village International, by a fellow church member, I never imagined the impact it would have on me...not only financially, but spiritually as well. I was grateful for an opportunity to help offset some of my adoption expenses but never fathomed that my $10,000 goal would actually be met. I was just hopeful that enough money might be raised to cover the cost of airfare to Ethiopia. But God knew my needs were greater and He provided in the most amazing way! In addition to the generosity of family of friends, a significant donation was made to my account by an anonymous donor...on THREE separate occasions! Each act of generosity was an answer to prayer when it was needed most. This whole experience has had such an impact on my faith...confirmation that God is orchestrating every detail of this adoption. I am beyond grateful for each individual who has allowed God to work through them & am humbled to receive such an abundance of blessings!"

From Indiana to Thailand

The Waggoner family recently finalized the adoption of their little boy, Ty.  They did a great job documenting their journey and we would love to share it with you all.

I have a story... from Lifetime Photography on Vimeo.

This second video is a great video that will give you a little idea on what traveling for an adoption is like.  Check it out.

Thailand trailer from Aaron Waggoner on Vimeo.

Congratulations again, and thanks for sharing your journey with us.

Birthday With A Purpose

Corinne, the birthday girl, is a Village to Village board member

Nearly 26 years old and eager to find creative ways to help support Village to Village Intl. and its many critical causes, I thought why not use my birthday as a way to bring people together in support of this organization. In August, while running a 5K with Stacey Borst we began discussing the needs among foster children. Supporting families who participate in foster care is one way that Village to Village Intl. has started to reach its local community. As Stacey and I spurred each other on to keep running the race we also found ourselves talking about how children in foster care often do not have personal luggage. Coincidentally, my mom and I had been talking about this same need just a few days prior. Their lack of and need for luggage is extremely ironic and heartbreaking to me.

I had heard of a local sewing studio that had opened up near where I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After learning more about the store and what it can offer I thought this could be the perfect venue and resource for making bags for children who are in the foster care system. With my birthday right around the corner I began talking with my mom about this idea. She offered to underwrite the evening so that my friends and I could make these bags for children who often find their selves traveling from one place to the next, and who deeply need to feel a sense of belonging. My desire for doing this was to provide these children with something that they can call their own. It is a small contribution and won’t satisfy the desperation of their situations, but I pray these bags serve as a reminder that Christ loves each one of them and has called them to be His, amidst the ever changing world we live. 

The finished product.  Thank you ladies for your time and gifts.

Did You Know?

Sometimes numbers can be overwhelming, and sometimes they can be motivating.  I am sharing these numbers with the hopes of these numbers becoming faces, the faces becoming names, and the names becoming the children we are loving.

The following is taken from a study done by Barna Research Group:

Here is what is true of kids who age out of foster care by the time they turn 26 years old.  The top numbers are those who have aged out of foster care and the bottom numbers are those from the general population.

Those who have a high school education or less:
Those who age out: 60%
General population: 28%

Those who have a 4 year degree or more:
Those who age out: 4%
General population: 36%

Those who are employed:
Those who age out: 46%
General population: 80%

Those who cannot pay rent:
Those who age out: 28%
General population: 6%

Women who receive food stamps:
Those who age out: 68%
General population: 7%

Men who have been incarcerated:
Those who age out: 64%
General population: 9%

The cost of us not being involved is huge.  How can you be involved in your community? 

Back to School Giveaway

As we begin the month of August, the realization that summer is coming to an end begins to set in.  The end of summer can bring a mix of feelings depending on who you are, how old you are, and what phase of life you are in.  You might have feelings of joy, anxiety, excitement, or a mixture of all these. If you are like me (Matt) when I was younger and about to start school again it was a feeling of nausea as I did not like school.  But if you are like some of my children you are counting down the days to begin a new chapter. 

Well, no matter what you might be feeling we thought that giving away a $50 gift card to Amazon would be a great way to ensure that you are feeling happy, just like that Pharrell Williams song says.

This giveaway will be running the entire month of August and here is how it is going to work.

For those of you who are not recurring donors, all you have to do is sing up to give $10/month.  100% of your donation will go to help adopting families and the projects that are on our site.  You can sign up here.

Many of you are already one of our recurring donors and we are so grateful for that.  We would like to give you a chance to win the $50 gift card to Amazon as well.  For every person you recruit to be a new $10 donor, you will receive one entry.  For example; if you recruit two new people to sign up to give $10 a month you will receive 2 entries and each of your friends will receive 1.  Just keep track and send an email (matt@villagetovillageintl.com) of those you have recruited by August 31.

Carnival for Compassion

A few months ago I (Matt) was contacted by Marie Boggess.  She asked me if it would be okay if the proceeds from a carnival that they were planning at their church went to help Village to Village.  Here is what Marie had to say about this experience.

My name is Marie Boggess and I am the part-time youth director at Immanuel Baptist Church in Minot, ND. One event the youth group plans every year is called the Carnival for Compassion, which is an idea the students had to try and make a difference in other people's lives. This year was the second year we have done this carnival which includes fun games for kids, face-painting, food, and a silent auction. Our church is amazing in that the members donate almost everything to make the night a success: decorations, hotdogs, prizes, games, volunteers, etc. Each year we decide where we want 100% of our proceeds to go, and this year, we decided to choose one of the special projects through Village to Village International. Our goal this year was to make $2,000 to send to the families at the Heart of Korah. On May 21st, we had our carnival, and it was such a fun night! We had more games, more silent auction items, and more people who were willing to donate to a great cause than we did the first year! We ended up making $2,400 and we were all so excited to see what a few kids and adults could do for Jesus with the talents that God has given us and a little hard work! It is amazing what can happen when we take a simple idea and take action together; hundreds of people can be impacted!

Village to Village Intl. would like to thank Marie, her family, and Immanuel Baptist Church in Minot, ND for making this all possible.  Thanks for helping us care for vulnerable children.

Family Spotlight: The Curtis Family

What is your name and where are you from?  Joe and Kristina Curtis and we live in Bettendorf, IA

What is your favorite place you have visited?  We both love San Antonio!   

What is your favorite movie?  Joe - We Were Soldiers, Kristina - I'm not a big movie person but I do like the classic Disney movies

What is your favorite thing to do on a date?  Nothing to crazy for us...just dinner and a walk afterwards is perfect for us! 

What is your favorite sports team, if you have one?  Joe - Iowa State Cyclones and the Cubs, Kristina - Iowa Hawkeyes and the Cubs   

What is your favorite food? We both love Colombian food.  Joe is from Colombia so we make it a point to include his culture in our lives. 

What is your favorite book?  Joe - Chosen Soldier, Kristina - I have way to many to list...I love to read!

How did you meet your spouse?  We met in art class during our first day of college.  We definitely bonded over our dislike of the class! 

Who is someone you would like to meet someday and why?  Joe - Bear Grylls...I want to follow along on one of his survival trips, Kristina - Irene Garcia...she is a foster/adoptive mom who wrote a book I am reading currently 

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Joe - I wanted to be a soldier, Kristina - I wanted to be a doctor

If someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what would you tell them? Joe - Don't quit and don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't do something!
Kristina - Don't ever put limits on what you think God wants of you...it is very likely He has something completely different and way more perfect than you could ever imagine!

Have you ever tried sushi?  Did you like it? Yes! It is one of our favorite date night dinners!   

What are two of your favorite websites? Joe - Google and ESPN,
Kristina - My NICU support group and Pinterest

Do you have any updates on your adoption process? We have all of our paperwork done and are just waiting on a referral so we are officially a waiting family!


They are so close to meeting their $10,000 goal.  You can help them by giving here.