Breakthrough!

It happened exactly how I imagined it would.

Wife came in after getting the mail.

She said, "de-I, guess what came in the mail?"

I could tell from the look on her face it was what we had been waiting for since we initiated it a year ago July.

"Our 501.c.3 designation?"

"Yes!" she said with a smile as big as a full sunshine day.

This is no small deal. If you are running a charitable venture, it can make or break you. If you have it, you have a seal of legitimacy. You can access all kinds of grants and foundations. Without it...well you can't.

We had been put through the wringer to get it. Got some bureaucrat who had it in for us for some reason. We had three interrogatories (lists of questions sent to us) when two is the norm. And each of them got more and more inane and detailed. Upon receiving the third in mid-May I was dispairing. But thank the Lord for daughter #2 who as a bureaucrat herself and one who has fought the system, again and again, had great advice. She told me the key to fighting the bureaucrat was overwhelming them with information when they ask silly questions. So in response to their 10 questions in the third request, I sent back 50 pages of written response.

So thanks big time #2!

It was interesting that after the initial elation what I felt was exhaustion. I think the worry about this has been weighing on me more than I thought. Well, it is done and over. It's game on. Now #3 who has taken over Theodora's development work has the tool she needs most to go after many folks who have expressed interest.