Ali and Jason Burns Burns family blog Follow the Burns' adoption story at their blog, www.burnsfamilyadoption. wordpress.com

Puffy Muffin ministry turns into official organization to help adoptions

 By CAROL STUART
For Brentwood Home Page
Brentwood's Jason and Ali Burns, whose family-owned Puffy Muffin restaurant has helped five families raise about $50,000 in funds for adoptions, left Sunday on a trip to Peru to meet and bring home their new son.

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The Burns family, members of Fellowship Bible Baptist Church, recently held their second Sunday brunch at the restaurant to help alleviate costs of the international adoption of Isaiah Arturo.  In addition to fees, Jason and Ali will be away from home and their children -- and their jobs -- for about 5-8 weeks during the process.

"We are really excited, anxious but calm at the same time," said Ali, vice president of marketing at Puffy Muffin, owned by her mother Lynda Stone.

"It is a big deal -- really huge. But God directed us on this path and so we just trust and anticipate every wonderful event that He will orchestrate."

The Burns, who have two biological children Matt and Hannah, began the adoption process a little over two years ago after a family mission trip. And in March, the couple was told it might be two more years before receiving their referral.

However, in late April the family learned they would be welcoming the 4-year-old boy who was abandoned in Arequipa, Peru, just over two years ago.

"He is a healthy, rambunctious, four-year-old boy," said Jason Burns, chief operating officer at Puffy Muffin.

The couple was scheduled to fly into Lima, Peru, on Sunday night and then to Arequipa around noon Monday and then meet Isaiah Arturo at his orphanage.

The Burns, who this year started a fundraising organization to help other adoptive families (www.1seedplanted.org), held a brunch last month to help raise most of the money needed to finalize the adoption. However, they still might need about $8,000 more.

"We are very thankful to everyone that has invested in this adoption," Ali said shortly before leaving for Peru.