How to Help

This is Danielle posting.

461 days ago this blog was born and I introduced myself to you.

I clearly remember how I felt as I published this first post.

Nervous.  Anxious.  Hopeful.  Very hopeful.

Today, 461 days later, I’m back again.

And as I write, I have the same feelings I had over a year ago, but there are new ones as well.

Devastation.  Fear.  Extreme sorrow.  Confusion.

And yet I still feel the same as I did 461 days ago.

Nervous.  Anxious.  Hopeful.  Very hopeful.

The truth is I never thought I would write this post.  In fact, I didn’t expect to write another post on this blog ever again. 

While I was the original author of this blog, it has become Matt & Molly’s place.  Their place to tell their story.  Their place to share their precious daughters with us.  Their place to receive encouragement, prayer, and support.  Their place to bear witness to their faith in a God who is bigger than the Supreme Court and its justices and who loves Waverley even more than they do.

And I thought it would be their place to share their family of four with us… forever.

But the story that started on this blog 461 days ago, and in the lives of Matt & Molly 864 days ago, has come to what seems like an abrupt halt.

And so I am back.

As I shared on my own personal blog several days ago, I am in shock.  How justice can be so blind is something I cannot begin to wrap my mind around. 

And like so many of you, my heart cries out for justice!

Over the weekend, I confessed to my mom that I was having a very hard time seeing God in this situation.  A very hard time.

I still am.

BUT…

He is there.  I know in my head that He is.  Even when my heart doesn’t feel it.  He is there.

And on Monday, I started to see Him appear.

He appeared in the many, many emails, phone calls and Facebook messages I received from you… those of you who have learned to love Waverley and her family from both near and far.  So many of you have been deeply and emotionally influenced by their story and would do anything to spare them this horror.

Like me, your hearts are crying out for justice!

In the midst of this terrible situation, people are banding together and want to do something.  Anything to help.

While there is very little that we can do to effect any kind of change in the outcome of this devastating decision, there are some things that we can do to help.

And that is why I am back.

To ask for your help.  Again.

Please trust me when I tell you how humbled and grateful Matt & Molly are for your desire to continue to help them, to be a part of their lives.

There are currently several ways that you can help:

First and foremost, you can pray!  Sadly, Matt, Molly and their girls need your prayers now more than they have ever needed them before.  It is the prayers of many and the grace of a loving God that will sustain them in the days, weeks, and months to come.

There are a multitude of specific needs that you can pray for.  Matt mentioned several of them in his previous post.   Please be sure to pray for all of these things daily.

There is something else that I have personally chosen to pray for as well.  While I am a tad bit nervous to share it, I will do so in case any of you feel inclined to join me in this specific prayer.

Here’s the thing.  From a legal perspective, this case is over.  There is nothing else that can be done.  Waverley will be raised by her birthfather and her birth grandmother.

Unless for some reason, by some miracle, their hearts are converted.

That, my friends, is something I have chosen to pray for.  I am praying that the Lord would stir within their hearts during this transition allowing them to see with new eyes how well adjusted and happy Waverley is.  I am praying that, miraculously, their hearts would change.

Our loving Father is the only one who knows how this transition will occur.  And we must trust that He is in control.  But we can still pray for miracles.  And I believe that a miracle is worth praying for!

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Second, you can offer words of encouragement!  Matt & Molly find great comfort in your words of encouragement and support.  They have repeatedly told us how much the emails, Facebook messages, and comments on this blog have touched them and sustained them.  Losing Waverley is only going to get more difficult as time passes and they will need the support of their friends, family, and community to help them survive each day.  So, please come here often and leave your words of encouragement to them.

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Next, you can prepare a meal or send a meal gift card!  As you can imagine, Matt & Molly have much to process, plan for, and endure in the immediate future.  Amidst all of this, their parental responsibilities to both girls remain.  Cooking meals is one of those obligations and   fortunately, this is an area in which we can help them.  If you would like to help in this area, but live outside of the Kansas City area, a gift card to a restaurant would be equally appreciated.  Some restaurants near their home include Granite City, Olive Garden, Panera, Noodles & Co, and Pei Wei.

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And finally, you can help alleviate their financial worry!  I so vividly remember speaking with Molly 460 some days ago about their financial worry.  This blog has fostered an amazing amount of financial support during these past 461 days.  Bills have been paid.  Burdens have been eased.  Needs have been met.  All because of the pure generosity of both friends and strangers.  It has been nothing short of inspiring.  And Matt & Molly are eternally grateful for it.

Sadly, the financial burden has continued to accumulate as this process has continued.  Matt & Molly have put every resource they have into fighting for their daughter, and it has left them with a very large amount of legal debt.  Every month, they will be reminded of this pain when they open a legal bill and have to make another payment towards what seems like an insurmountable sum.

While money may not change the outcome of the situation or take away the pain, it can alleviate a secondary source of worry.  Together, we can help to take away this financial burden, or at least lessen it substantially.

Tentative plans are being discussed for several fundraisers and other avenues of support, so please continue to come to this blog for opportunities to be involved in upcoming events.

In the meantime, if you feel inclined to help in this area, you may make a donation directly through this blog into the PayPal account.  If you would prefer to send a check directly to the Nagels, please see the information at the bottom of this post.

While I don't have a specific amount that needs to be raised, I'd love to see this community of supporters band together to do something really big.

If 500 people gave $20, $10,000 would be raised.  Now that would be big!

Of course, any amount you feel able to give will be enormously helpful and sincerely appreciated.

I have no idea what the future holds for Matt & Molly in terms of their family size.  But if they ever have a desire to adopt again, I would hate for them not to be able to do so because of the financial burden this journey has left.  Together, I believe we can pave the way for a brighter future for our friends.  For that, I am very hopeful.

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461 days ago we all began sharing this family's journey of faith, hope, and unending love.  The next 30 days will be the most difficult and most transformational.  Thank you for being a part of the journey.  While it might seem that it is over, I believe that it is not.  The journey continues to unfold.

I believe that there will be hearts converted, faiths renewed, and maybe even laws changed because of this journey.  God is working in this journey, even when I cannot see it.

So while the journey is not over, it is at its most difficult phase.  Thank you for walking beside them, behind them, and in front of them... now more than ever!

With gratitude,
Danielle (with the tremendous help and contributions of Bri and Kelly)

Note:
If you want to directly support the Nagel's through the mail (for cards, gift cards, financial donations, etc.), please contact Bri McClernon at brianairwin@gmail.com or Kelly Warren at kellycwarren@gmail.com.  These amazing friends of the Nagel's are the ladies working behind the scenes to do everything they can to help their friend.  They will assist you in getting your donation directly to the Nagel's.

Please continue to share this story with your networks of prayer supporters.  While security is not as much of a concern as it was in the past, we ask you to use caution in linking this site to public blogs. However, we encourage you to continue to share the blog address with your personal networks of friends.  

Lastly, please know that I "hijacked" the blog to post this.  It was a direct response to the many inquiries for ways to help that myself, Kelly, and Bri have received this week.