Learning To Ride

Let me start by saying that we don't have any new news right now about the immigration or grant applications.  I did speak to someone last week from one of the grant/loan agencies to verify some information.  Based on what I was told during that phone call, we should hear something from them in the next week or two. This particular group gives interest free loans that are based on the adoption tax credit: they loan you (interest free) a certain amount of money, and you can pay it back after the adoption when you receive the tax credit.  It would not cover all of the cost but would help tremendously.  Like all the grant/loan companies, they usually have more applicants than money.  Please pray with us about this possibility.

As you may have guessed by the photo, Mark is learning to ride the unicycle.  He has had a desire to learn to ride one for several years, so he decided also use it as a tool to raise money for our adoption expenses.  This fundraiser is not planned until the spring  (late March or early April is the thought right now): his plan is to get sponsors (like a bike or walk-a-thon participant would) and ride the unicycle for a specific number of miles.   There are many details to work out, and we do not have all the plans made as of yet, but we thought you might enjoy an occasional update as he learns to ride and prepares for it.

Mark had never been on a unicycle until he purchased this one.  The above photo was taken a few days after he began learning to ride when he still needed to hang on to stay on.  He has made some great improvements since then and can now ride a good distance.  In this you tube video, he is riding on unpaved ground which is quite a bit more difficult than riding on the road but is good practice for him.  Enjoy!