A Matching Grant & Puzzle Update

We were approved for a matching grant through Lifesong! They are matching $2500 of what's already been raised! Thank you Lifesong and thank YOU, for coming alongside of us and helping us bring this little peanut home from DR Congo. We are so grateful!

And since I have your attention - here's the puzzle. Only 70 pieces left to sponsor at $10 a piece. We write your name on the back of the piece and all donations are tax-deductible.

You can make checks payable to:

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40

Gridley, IL 61744

Make sure to write "Ganshert/3493" on the memo line.

Or you can click on the Paypal button to the right and it will take you directly where you need to go!

Once it's complete, we will frame this puppy in a double-sided glass frame and hang it in our little one's room - an amazing testimony to how many people joined us in this journey!

A Puzzle Update

123 pieces left to sponsor at $10 a piece. We're so close!

We've definitely hit a bit of a lull, so if you're been thinking about helping us bring out little one home from DR Congo by sponsoring a piece of our adoption puzzle, now's a great time!

Remember, all donations are tax-deductible.

You can pay via check or Paypal (button is on the right).

Make checks payable to:

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40

Gridley, IL 61744

Please remember to write "Ganshert/3493" in the memo line of all check.

If you donate, please email me (ganshertadoption@gmail.com) so I know how many pieces you are sponsoring and what names to write on the back.

Watching this puzzle come together has been such a tremendous blessing to our family! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Puzzle Update, New T-Shirts, Tastefully Simple, and Lia Sophia!

Because of people like YOU, our little peanut's puzzle has 289 pieces sponsored!

We are over half way to completion!

I love that every single one of those pieces has a name on the back.

Thank you, from the very bottom of my mama's heart, for being a part of our family's puzzle and for helping us bring our little one home from DR Congo.

If you'd like to sponsor a puzzle piece, it is $10.

You can donate via that paypal button to the right. Or you can write a check to Lifesong for Orphans and send it to:

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40

Gridley, IL  61744

Please make sure to write "Ganshert/3493" on the memo line.

Whichever way you donate, please email me at ganshertadoption(at)gmail(dot)com to let me know....

a) how many pieces you sponsored
b) the name(s) you want written on the back

All donations are tax-deductible.

Remember, Ryan and I are also selling t-shirts. 

There's this one....

And a friend also donated these as well....

Both are $10 each.

If you'd like to purchase one or two or three, email me and let me know!

And there's MORE!

Two friends contacted me to let me know that they'd love to help us raise the funds we need to reach our goal.

Tastefully Simple Fundraiser

One friend is Michelle Delp. She is a consultant for Tastefully Simple and is putting on a Tastefully Simple Adoption Fundraiser. Order any time of the day or night throughout the month of February and choose "Katie Ganshert" as your host prior to checkout. All proceeds will go toward the Ganshert adoption fund! Products will ship directly to you anywhere in the United States in 7-10 days.

Lia Sophia Fundraiser

Another friend is Tanya Bennett. She is a consultant for Lia Sophia and is putting on a Lia Sophia Adoption Fundraiser. Order any time of the day or night until March 20th and select "Ganshert" (first name) and "Adoption" (last name) as your host. All proceeds will go toward the Ganshert adoption fund. And get this! If you buy two pieces, you can get up to four more expensive pieces of jewelry at 50% off! 

Thank you for all your support - whether it be financial support or prayer support! We couldn't do this without you!

A Puzzle Update

We've officially hit 100 puzzle pieces, which means we have 400 more to go! I love writing the names on the back of each piece and seeing this puzzle come together! I can't wait to hang it in our littlest's room someday.

Would you consider becoming a part of our adoption puzzle and help us bring our little one home?

It's only $10 to sponsor a piece.

You let us know what name(s) you want written on the back by emailing us at ganshertadoption@gmail.com.

All donations are tax-deductible.

Just write the check out to:

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40 

Gridley, IL  61744

**Make sure to write "Ganshert/3493" on the memo line!

 

Don't forget, we also have t-shirts and if you like Tastefully Simple, then here's the perfect excuse to splurge! Just check out the post below for more details.

Puzzles Pieces, T-Shirts, and Tax-Deductible Donations, Oh My!

We've been incredibly blessed by everyone who has so generously come alongside us to make this adoption possible. We've learned more than ever that it truly is a joint effort. We're all pieces in a puzzle, each one contributing to a beautiful story.

Which is why we're so excited about this next fundraiser.

It's such a symbol of the unfolding picture that is adoption.

A Puzzle Piece Fundraiser

Allow me to explain how it works.

We have purchased a 500-piece puzzle.

 

You can sponsor one piece or multiple pieces.

One for yourself.

One for each member in your family.

One in memory of somebody special.

Perhaps your small group or book club wants to chip in a dollar or two and purchase a puzzle piece together. Or maybe each one of you wants to buy a puzzle piece on your own.

Whatever works for you!

For every piece sponsored, we will write your name (or whichever name you specify) on the back.

The cost of sponsoring a piece is $10.

The goal is to get all 500 pieces sponsored so the puzzle will be complete and we'll be $5000 closer to raising the money we need to complete our adoption.

Here's the thing. We won't get all 500 pieces sponsored unless the word gets out! So please help us by sharing this with friends and family. Share via email or Facebook or any other social media outlet.

When the puzzle is all put together, we will frame it in a double-sided glass frame and hang it in our little one's bedroom.

And someday....someday.....when our child's old enough to understand, we'll take that frame off the wall and we'll snuggle up in a chair and we'll turn that picture around and we'll point at all the names. I'll read each one out loud and with this precious child wrapped in my arms, I'll whisper, "Look how much you were loved. Look at how much you were wanted. Look at all these people who helped bring you home."

To be a part of our adoption puzzle, please email ganshertadoption@gmail.com to let me know how many pieces you would like to sponsor and the names for each. Then send your check to:

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40

Gridley, IL 61744

Or you can donate via the Lifesong PayPal button on the right hand side of this blog. Please note there is a 1.9-2.9% service fee that is taken out of the donation amount when you donate in this manner.

**Make sure to put our last name (Ganshert) and our family number (3493) on the memo line of the check. All of the money will go directly toward our adoption. Nothing is taken out for administrative purposes. And all donations are tax-deductible!**

Congo Adoption T-Shirts

The Thornton's are a couple I've connected with via Facebook. They are also in the process of adopting and they donated a whole box full of t-shirts to us to help us raise funds. I got all teary when I opened the box. God's provision is so amazing.

We're selling them for $10 a piece for adult sizes, $5 for kids, plus the cost of shipping (if applicable).

Here they are, modeled by the B-man.

Here are the sizes (they seem to run a tad big b/c I fit well into a small and I usually prefer a medium) and quantities available:

• 10 kids, size 4
• 3 kids, size 6
• 26 small
• 11 medium
• 19 large
• 19 XL
• 2 XXL    

If you'd like to purchase one, you can tell me in person or shoot me an email. Just make sure to tell me the size and quantity ASAP so I can reserve them for you!

Thank you for all of your support! Truly, we could not walk this journey alone!

**Please remember to write your checks out to Lifesong, put "Ganshert/3493" on the memo line, and mail them to Lifesong, or donate via the Paypal button. All donations are tax-deductible!**

Tastefully Simple

We also had a friend who is a consultant for Tastefully Simple offer to help:

It's a Tastefully Simple fundraiser for the Ganshert Family adoption fund! Order any time of the day or night throughout the month of February and choose "Katie Ganshert" as your host prior to checkout. Products will ship directly to you anywhere in the United States in 7-10 days.

Questions? Please email Michelle at sixthday@npacc.net

Success!

I'd say our silent auction and trivia night fundraiser event was a huge success!

Thank you so much to everyone who volunteered and participated. Because of you, we are $6,000 closer to bringing our little one home! A very special shout-out to good friends Melissa Gilroy, Erin DeVore, Janice Boekhoff, and Nichole Wagner. Without these ladies, this never would have happened.

Please enjoy some pictures from the night!

People starting to trickle in for the silent auction

Monkey Joe shows up in the midst of the fun kid games!

Ryan's parents were concession stand champs

A packed house for trivia

The second place team (we didn't get a picture of first place)

We're done! Couldn't have done any of this without the help of these ladies!

The proud parents!

Someday, I'll have my little Congolese cutie sitting on my lap and I'll show him or her these pictures and say, "All these people came for you! You were so loved, even before we knew you." Thank you for making this such a successful night, from the very bottom of our hearts!

Silent Auction

We've heard from some people that they would love to come to our fundraiser, but can't because of other engagements. Several have asked if there's any way they can still participate.

So we decided to bring the silent auction online!

Hence, this website.

Below, you'll see a picture of each basket that we have so far, the list of items in the basket, the value of the basket, and the minimum bid.

Here's how you can participate:

1. If you see a basket or an item you would like to have, all you have to do is email me (Katie) at ganshertadoption@gmail.com with your name, the name of the basket/item, and the most you'd be willing to pay for it.
2. On the day of the event (Saturday, June 23rd), we will assign you a number and start you at the minimum bid. As other people bid, we will continue to outbid them until we get to your maximum bid. 
3. If we reach your maximum bid and somebody else outbids you, you won't win the basket.
4. If nobody outbids you, you will win the basket. You could very well win the basket for less than your maximum bid. It all depends on how many people bid for that particular basket.
5. We will contact you as soon as possible to let you know if you won. We'll get the money from you upon delivery of the basket. If you live out of town and win a basket, we will mail it out as soon as we receive your payment.

Online bidding will close at 5 pm on Friday, June 22nd. We will have volunteers who will bid on your behalf on Saturday, June 23rd at the Bettendorf Community Center (for the in-person silent auction/trivia night). Anyone and everyone is invited!

All books are signed by the author.

Out of Towners are more than welcome to bid on baskets/items marked with an asterisk as long as they are willing to pay for postage. Books can be sent via media mail, which is pretty cheap. 

All proceeds will go directly toward our adoption. 

*A Taste of Alaska

Dani Pettrey's best-selling romantic suspense novel, Submerged

Caribou Coffee

Ghirardelli Chocolate

Insulated Submerged Coffee Mug

A Submerged Tote Bag

Best of the Best Alaska Recipe Book

The Proposal

Value: $75

Minimum Bid: $25

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*Art by Alice

Cross Painting
12 inches x 20 inches

Value: $135

Minimum Bid: $40

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*Art by Nichole Wagner 1

21 inches x 16 inches

Value: $50

Minimum Bid: $20

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*Art by Nichole Wagner 2

21 inches x 16 inches

Value: $50

Minimum Bid: $20

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Baby Blessings

2 Children's Books by Julie Cantrell

~God is with me Through the Night

~God is with me Through the Day

$25 Sam's Club Gift Card for diapers, formula, etc.

Premiere Necklace for the New Mommy

Giraffe Photography membership & $50 gift card

A homemade baby blanket (your choice of colors) similar to the one pictured above

The Mommy Diaries by Tally Flint

Baby Changes Everything by Beth Vogt

Christian Mama's Guide to Having a Baby by Erin MacPherson

Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

First Year of Motherhood (366 Spirit-Lifting Devotionals)

Value: $280

Minimum Bid: $85

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*Beautiful Bows from Jen Akers

We have 2 of these baskets, which include...

A bow organizer

A variety of pretty bows!

Value: $34 each

Minimum Bid: $10 each

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Blades Spa Kit

One free haircut and style

Anti-aging Lotion

Matrix Color Care Lotion Spray

OPI Nail Polish Pack

Hair Styling Comb

Matrix Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner

Value: $75

Minimum Bid: $25

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*Chik-Fil-A

4 Chik-Fil-A Meal Certificates

2 Kid Meal Certificates 

2 Chik-Fil-A Bookmarks

2 Cow Antenna Toppers

2 Chik-Fil-A Cups

A Chik-Fil-A Stuffed Cow

A Chik-Fil-A Baseball

Value: $40

Minimum Bid: $15

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*Contemporary Fiction Book Bundle

Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK by Betsy St. Amant

Paper Angels by Billy Coffey

Beneath a Southern Sky by Deborah Raney

The Edge of Grace by Christa Allan

Out of Her Hands by Megan DiMaria

Awakening by JoAnn Durgin

To See the Sun by Peggy Blann Phifer

Value: $100

Minimum Bid: $40

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Date Night

1 car wash to Aquawash (clean the car before the date)

$50 gift card to City Limits Restaurant

2 Mug Club Cards for Granite City (enjoy some beer)

2 Movie Tickets to Rave Motion Cinemas

2 Hot Fudge Sundaes to Lagomarcinos

An Artswork Necklace to give to your honey

Value: $110

Minimum Bid: $40

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*Dazzling Designs 1

A handcrafted necklace and bracelet set

(The picture doesn't do this justice!)

Value: $43

Minimum Bid: $20

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*Dazzling Designs 2

A handcrafted necklace and bracelet set

(the picture doesn't do this justice!)

Value: $43

Minimum Bid: $20

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Decorative Chest

18 inches tall

Table top is 32 inches x 20 inches

Value: $150

Minimum Bid: $50

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Family Party Animals

Passes to Monkey Joe's

A Year-Long Membership to the Niabi Zoo (for a family of four)

Dinner for Four at Noodles and Company

$25 Gift Certificate to Create Frozen Yogurt

$25 Gift Certificate to Deanno's Inflatables

Value: $175

Minimum Bid: $60

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Family Road Trip

A Car Wash to Aquawash (wash the car before you hit the road)

4 Passes to the Grand Harbor Water Park in Dubuque

Family Fun Pack to Red Hawk Golf Course

Gift Certificate for 2 6-inch Subs at Subway

Just Too Busy by Joanne Kraft

Value: $140

Minimum Bid: $60

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Family Staycation

4 Tickets to the Circus at the I-Wireless Center

$60 Gift Card to Applebees

4 Movie Tickets to Nova Cinemas

$5 Gift Certificate to Popcorn Charleys

2 Very Cute Stuffed Animals

Value: $170

Minimum Bid: $60

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Handcrafted Furniture by Kirk Wenger

A beautiful handcrafted cabinet and towel wrack (mounts on wall)

40 inches x 18 inches

3 hand towels

Value: $150

Minimum Bid: $50

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*Handmade Stockings

2 Stockings

Approximately 21 x 10 inches long

Winning bidder chooses 2 of the designs pictured above

Value: $80

Minimum Bid: $20

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*Historical Fiction Bundle

Mother Earth and Father Sky by Sue Harrison

The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund

The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund

Fairer than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott

Sweeter than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott

Maggie's Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley

Value: $95

Minimum Bid: $30

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*Home Decor

2 Flower Canvas Paintings
~20 inches x 20 inches each

A Candle Holder
~19 inches tall

A Yankee Candle

Value: $80

Minimum Bid: $20 (due to light wear on corners of canvases)

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In Shape

Two 2-Month Core-Package Memberships to Cross Fit Invincible  

Value: $400

Minimum Bid: $120

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*Kindle Touch

Value: $99

Minimum Bid: $30

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Lovin' LeClaire

$25 Gift Card to Blue Iguana Restaurant

3 Blue Iguana Koozies

$10 to Big Dave and Holly's

A Big Dave and Holly's T-Shirt

A Private Tour of the Mississippi River Distilling Company

Value: $135

Minimum Bid: $40

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*Olympian Fountain Pen

This unique Olympian Fountain pen was handcrafted from burnished Walnut wood. 

It uses standard refillable ink cartridges available at Staples.

To learn about the story behind the pen, check out this website

Value: $100

Minimum Bid: $25 

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*Pampered Chef

Spice Rack

An Assortment of Spices

A Grill Mitt

A Grill Spatula

Grill It Quick

Recipe Books

Value: $80

Minimum Bid: $25

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Pancakes and Pictures

$30 Gift Certificate to Jimmy's Pancake House

4 Passes to the Family Museum

$25 Gift Certificate to Create Frozen Yogurt

1 Hour Photo Session with Carrie Fanderclai (CD included)

Value: $300

Minimum Bid: $100

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Pet and Person Salon Day

1 Hair Cut from Jenna Morehouse with Shear Elements Salon

Up to $40 dog grooming services at Di Bella Cani

4-Piece Manicure Set

Texturizing Taffy (Kenra)

Shine Spray (Kenra)

Straightener and Shiner (S-Factor)

Shampoo (Bed Head)

Styling Brush

Shine Spray (Schwartzkopf)

Dry Shampoo (Rockaholic)

Spray Gel (Rockaholic) 

Value: $200

Minimum Bid: $50

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Photo Session

1 Hour Photo Session with Carrie Fanderclai (CD included)

Value: $225

Minimum Bid: $70

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*Prints by Kinsey Christin

Two 16 x 20 Original Prints

$25 Gift Certificate to Sue's Framing (Out of Towners won't be able to use this)

Value: $125

Minimum Bid: $40

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Quad City Arts Night Out

A Car Wash to Aquawash (clean up the car before picking up your lady)

2 Passes to the Figge Art Museum

2 Tickets to the Quad City Symphony

$25 Gift Certificate to The Corner Deli

Value: $105

Minimum Bid: $35

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*Romance Book Bundle 1

Christmas Mail Order Brides by multiple authors

Idaho Brides by Erica Vetsch

Highland Crossing by Pamela Griffin

A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas by Erica Vetsch

Yesterday's Tomorrow by Cathy West

Value: $55

Minimum Bid: $20

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*Romance Book Bundle 2

Along Came Love by Carrie Turansky

Lakeside Reunion by Lisa Jordan

A Man to Trust by Carrie Turansky

Chameleon by Jillian Kent

Out of Control by Mary Connealy

In Too Deep by Mary Connealy

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert

Value: $70

Minimum Bid: $20

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*Scrapbook Lover

A Large Assortment of Scrapbooking Goodies

Tote Bag

Value: $25

Minimum Bid: $10

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Second Honeymoon

A Car Wash to Aquawash (to spiff up the car for your honey)

$50 Gift Card to Thunder Bay Grill

$25 Gift Certificate to Lavender Crest (enjoy some wine)

2 Tickets to Rave Motion Cinemas

$80 Gift Certificate to McGivern Jewelers

Value: $180

Minimum Bid: $60

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*Soul Care

Your Strong Suit Bible Study Kit (includes DVD) by Donna Pyle

A Friend in the Storm by Cheryl Ricker

Our Witch Doctor's Are Too Weak by Davey and Marie Jank

Playing by Heart by Deborah Raney

Winning Him Without Words by Dineen Miller

A Bible

Value: $170

Minimum Bid: $50

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Spoil Your Daughter

Four Piano Lessons to McCaulley Piano Studio

1 Month of Dance Lessons at Above the Barre

$20 to Panera Bread

$25 to Create Frozen Yogurt

$15 to Kernel Cody's Popcorn in LeClaire

A Change Purse

A Giraffe Journal

Value: $175

Minimum Bid: $50

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Spoil Your Husband

2 Simon Car Washes

4 Tickets to the River Bandits

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks (of course!)

$20 Gift Certificate to Qdoba

Granite City Mug Club

2 Rounds of Golf at Palmer Hills

$10 Gift Card to Wallaces

Man on the Run by Zeke Pipher

Value: $140

Minimum Bid: $45

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Spoil Your Son

A Skateboard

Two one-month Martial Arts Lessons (Tarpeins Martial Arts Center)

A Box of Sports Cards

2 Pizzas to Papa Murpheys

Value: $230

Minimum Bid: $70

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Spoil Your Wife

Handbag

Sentsy Warmer

3 Sentsy Bars

Caring Hands 1 Hour Massage

Lia Sophia Necklace

Boutique Facial

A Six-Inch Sub from Subway

A Car Wash to Aquawash

Into the Free by Julie Cantrell

A Tailor Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Searching for Spice by Megan DiMaria 

Value: $265

Minimum Bid: $80

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Spoil Yourself

A Nail Pedicure Set

Hair Product Set

A 30-Minute Massage

A Hair Cut and Color at Agape Salon in the Quad Cities

Value: $175

Minimum Bid: $50

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Sports Mania

4 Personal Training Sessions at QC Barbell

1 Month of Martial Arts Lessons (Tarpeins Martial Arts Center)

1 Month of Lessons to the Dancer's Place

$10 Gift Certificate to EZ Livin'

4 Green Fees to Hidden Hills Golf Course

$25 Gift Certificate to Create Frozen Yogurt

Value: $290

Minimum Bid: $100

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*Starbucks

$10 Gift Card to Starbucks

Coffee

Travel Mug

Value: $40

Minimum Bid: $15

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Summer Fun

15 Passes to Splash Landing

Flip-Flops

Beach Towel

Goggles

Sand Pail

Value: $100

Minimum Bid: $40

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*Waterbrook Multnomah Fiction

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Forever Faithful 3-in-1 by Karen Kingsbury

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall

The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner

Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman

When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley

The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer

The Charlatan's Boy by Jonathan Rogers

The Widow of Saunders Creek by Tracey Bateman

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert

Value: $160
Minimum Bid: $50

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*Waterbrook Multnomah NonFiction

New York Times Best-Seller, Fearless by Eric Blehm

New York Times Best-Seller, Radical by David Platt

Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

Love and War by John and Stasi Eldridge

Lazarus Awakening by Joanna Weaver

90 Days of God's Goodness by Randy Alcorn

When the Hurt Runs Deep by Kay Arthur

Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma

Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory

Value: $120

Minimum Bid: $40

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*Wife of Noble Character

The Husband Project by Kathi Lipp

The Marriage Project by Kathi Lipp

The Me Project by Kathi Lipp

The What's For Dinner Solution by Kathi Lipp

Winning Him Without Words by Dineen Miller

Just Too Busy: Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabatical by Joanne Kraft

My Husband is a Hottie T-Shirt

$25 Gift Certificate to Bug's Beads

Value: $110

Minimum Bid: $40

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*Wooden Signs by David Litterst

15 inches x 8.5 inches (at the widest part)

Value: $30

Minimum Bid: $10

24 inches x 4 inches

Value: $40

Minimum Bid: $12

18 inches x 6 inches

Value: $30

Minimum Bid: $10

15 inches x 6 inches

Value: $25

Minimum Bid: $9

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Interested in one of these items or baskets? 

Please email Katie (ganshertadoption@gmail.com) before June 22nd with your maximum bid. 

Thanks so much for all your support and prayers!

To read about our adoption story, click here.