Adoption and football are hallmarks of the country’s current state of decay. Sometimes the two sports merge as with Both Ends Burning, and Webster. Mostly, though fans manage to put a sock in it and try not to bore us to much with their lifestyle choices. They don’t expect us to purchase season tickets for their favorite team nor do they expect us to fund their adoptions.
No so with Seattle Seahawks obsessives Chris and Alexis Lundberg. (They were actually married on the 50 yard line of the Seahawk’s stadium)
After Chris took a mission trip to “Africa” a few years ago (is Africa one big country now?) the couple who has two biological sons, was “called ” to adopt an ” African orphan”, but sadly are unable to spring the $32,000 price tag that Chris has unilaterally set as the cost..
Distraught, but not defeated, Alexis and Chris have turned to fellow Seahawks: fans to throw some cash their way. God, in fact, told them to. He awakened Chris from a sound 4:30 AM sleep to tell him his faith was too small. “And right away,” Chris says, “I had this vision, we need to sell these Seahawks tickets for $32,000.” (Details of the dream are on the My Northwest/KIRO website at the bottom of this page)
So, the Lundbergs who live in Arizona, and planned to fly to next Monday night’s Seahawks-Saints game, are eBaying their $55 seats (Section 317 Row K, seats 10 and 11) for a $32,000- markup. Admittedly, a ridiculous price, but it for the chillun. or as Chris likes so say, “the miracle of our family”.
The Lundbergs say the $32, 000 is all or nothing. “It’s a fixed price,” explained Alexis. “There is no bidding, it’s $32,000.
Chris is sure God will send some sympathetic Seahawk fan to the rescue. Asked if they will attend the game if the tickets don’t sell, he says:” I’m truly confident, like 100%. In my mind it’s not a 99.9%, I’m 100% confident they’re going to sell. I’m running with that. I literally haven’t even thought about if we can go to the game or not. I’m confident that they’re going to sell and it’s gonna happen.”
I can’t wait to see what really happens when God’s surrogate doesn’t divvy up.
Nothing New
The Lundbergs aren’t the first couple to try this stunt.
In 2006 I wrote about another couple, Ken and Christie Sigler here in Columbus via Canton, Ohio (my hometown) who tried to sell their tickets for the national championship game at OSU on eBay. eBay kicked them off saying it didn’t permit “charitable auctions,” due so state and federal tax regulations.It does, though, since paps sell old records, clothes, and appliances on eBay all the time to finance their dream baby.
The Siglers were about $18,000 short of $30.000 for their Guatemalan adoption handled by the now disgraced and defunct Christian World Adoption. Later they set up a cyber begging site where anyone who needs money for anything could set up an account and collect funds. It got a lot of publicity, but I can’t find a webpage for it, so it probably flopped.
I believe the Siglers eventually got their baby. At least they didn’t claim in public that God talked to them in a dream and demanded they give up their seats for the Big Game.They just dd it on their own.
Maybe. the Siglers just did it wrong. Chris Lundberg called eBay and talked to a live person on the phone. to set up the sale. ” My husband actually had to talk to eBay because any fixed price over $5,000, you have to have special permission to price it that way. So he spoke with a representative from eBay and told them our story and they said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s put them on there. Good luck.'”
No mention of tax laws.
Something Fishy
From the news reports, it’s hard to say how far along the Lundbergs are in the adoption process–if at all. There is no referral. It sounds like the Lundbergs have done nothing but “research” international adoption,and literally dream up a cost. Earlier a domestic adoption plan (possibly private) ended when the mother miscarried, and another almost made it out the gate except their “adoption grant fell through.” The night they lost the grant, Chris had his prophetic dream.
The Lundbergs claim they are adopting a girl, but there seems to be no specific girl waiting for them to pick up.. There is no there in their adoption plan. They just “know “that “their daughter” is out there waiting for them some place in “Africa” For all we know know she not even be born yet–or even conceived. I suspect the someplace, though is Malawi, According to Chris’s Mission Community Church webpage, he has made two trips there.
The Lundberg boys on eBay–bring our sister home.
The most disturbing thing about this stunt, even more than self-absorption and publicity hounding, is the pimping of their two biological sons to raise money to get their “sister” in Africa out of hock. And the lies. When you use your kids as props, you’e in trouble.
“Every night they pray, please bring our sister to us soon, help bring her home really, really, really soon,” said Alexis.
What happens if there is never a baby sister?
And what happens to the senior Lundbergs if they disappoint God? This is about sacrifice, not raising money. .
Reaction
.Reaction in the Seattle media has been more than negative. MyNorthwet/KIRO : pathetic, egotistical, self-absorbed., fishy, nutball, and D-Bag a are some of the words used to describe the Lundbergs.. One commenter posed that she knows the couple and they just purchased and rehabed a house–they don’t have any money?
“Foster Parent” really zings them :
- Really? Kids are not accessories. She just wants a girl so she can raiser her to be shallow like she is. If you really want a bigger family and can’t, become a foster parent. They are needed. She is perfectly capable of having more kids. She is just afraid she will have another boy!
- This still makes me mad…
“We just felt called to adopt,” said Alexis.
Translation: “We just felt called to adopt, A GIRL”
I would give money to terrorist or a puppy mill before I would give to this family
So far the Lundbergs have received only one bid on eBay, and that’s been rejected.
Since I’ve mixed the two news reports, I”m putting media links below.
- Couple turns to Seahawks fans to help grow their family, King5 News, November 28, 2013 (includes video)
- Would you pay $32,000 for 2, $55 Seahawks VS Saints Tickets? My Northwest/KIRO Radio, Seattle, November 26, 2013
Join me on Twitter: @DBastardette
Happy National Adoption Awareness Month!
I’m glad someone wrote about this and people are publicly responding. This couple has no shame.
Also, as you probably know, Christian World Adoptions, formerly in Charleston, SC, and created by former executive of Joint Council on International Children Services (JCICS), Tommilee Harding, folded after investigations and scandals on its international adoptions. CWA’s lawyer, Curtis Bostic, tried, but failed in his South Carolina senate bid this spring.
And really nice how eBay is allowing an exception for this charitable “calling”.
Should have guessed, the Lundberg’s live in the craziest part of Arizona – Maricopa County. Have you heard of Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County? He’s one crazy, insane, sick bully of the sandbox. Federal investigations against Arpaio for violating innumerable civil rights. Joe HAS got to go, and never soon enough.
The Lundberg’s probably voted for Arpaio, thinking he’s a saint. I don’t know how so many crazies get into this world.
Correction: they aren’t doing international adoption, they’re still doing domestic, he just had the dream after going to Africa.
So he goes to Africa and feels “called” to adopt, but not one of those fashionable “African orphans”. No no no. Wifey probably nixed that idea. She wants a girl to match her two fair haired boys.
Salle closed. No takers. EPIC!
Sale open again. They upped the offer.
Where is it? I can’t find it.