Ways You Can Help

Updated 12/7/2012:

The fundraising portion of this journey has come to an end.  I am still knitting to raise some extra money and always willing to take on little jobs to earn a little extra.

1. Prayer. This process is far more emotionally and financially draining they I could ever imagine. Please pray that I will handle tricky situations with grace and that I will wait patiently for God's timing. Also, please pray for Sara. I don't think she has any idea that her entire world is about to change.

2. I am available for babysitting, tutoring, anything to earn a little extra money. I'm contributing as much as I can and am more than willing to work to bring my child home! As of this week, dog sitting has been added to that list.

3. Current fundraisers:

*Scarves for Sara. I am selling Sashay scarves on facebook and my blog.

*Skirts for Sara. I am making and selling Starbella skirts/tutus.

*Tax-deductible donations can be made at Reece's Rainbow. This money will be released to the adoption agency when I have a travel date. It will help cover travel and in-country expenses. These donations are also tax-deductible.

Full Financial Disclosure

I have gotten some well-meaning and good-intentioned questions about the financial ins and outs of international adoption. In the interest of full disclosure, I want to list out some of the costs and explain how this all works. I want people to understand what they are donating to and what I am contributing personally.


Costs and Fees:
1. On Reece's Rainbow, the entire cost of adoptions in this area of Latin America is listed as $21,000-$24,5000.

2. I did a lot of research before committing to a home study agency. The one that I found was by far the cheapest--$2,500. This has been paid out of my previous savings.

3. Immigration Fees - $795

4. Adoption Agency Fees - $16,350 - This includes Program Fee, Paper Work Fees, Foreign Service Fees, lots of legal work.

5. Country Fees - $4,800 - This includes Attorney Fees, Translation Fees, Document Fees.

6. Travel Fees are separate from this. This includes my round-trip ticket, Sara's one-way ticket, lodging and meals for both of us for 4-6 weeks. Estimates are around $7,000.


My Plan:
1. I have some savings that I am using for the upfront costs and will apply as much as I can towards the travel costs.

2. I am applying for every grant I can find. I can't complete these applications until my home study is complete and approved. This should happen around April 1.

3. I am planning a few fundraisers. I will promote these on my facebook, blog, and within the Reeces Rainbow community.

4. When I get a travel date, I will take out a loan for whatever funds I still need.


What you can do to help:
1. Pray! This is, by far, the most important contribution.

2. I am available for babysitting, tutoring, odd jobs, whatever I can do to earn a little extra money.

3. The coffee fundraiser will continue until August 1. These funds come directly to me to help cover the travel costs. You can purchase coffee here.

4. I am hosting a Give Away in the month of April. If you have any items you would like to donate, send me an email or leave a comment here. Check back April 1st for the first Give Away item.

5. Consider making a tax-deductible donation to Sara's Reeces Rainbow Fund. This money goes directly to pay the Immigration Fees, Adoption Agency Fees and Country Fees. You can do that here.

6. Please feel free to repost this blog, these links, Sara's RR page, anything that will get her story out there.


I have been truly amazed and blessed by all the support I've received from my friends and family, as well as strangers in the Reece's Rainbow community. I appreciate all the well wishes, contributions, advice, gifts, and love that Sara and I have received. I am brought to tears almost daily by this process and the response of the amazing people in my life.

And, just in case you are wondering, I am going on vacation to Mexico in June. Anna and I purchased this trip as a groupon back in October--long before I started this process. I wish now that I had that money back but the entire trip has already been paid for. So, I will go and thoroughly enjoy my last trip as a single, childless woman.

Time flies....when you're doing paperwork.

I talked to my adoption agency yesterday. They said that I was their "guinea pig" for this orphanage in Latin America. The director of the orphanage is willing to move this adoption through as quickly as possible. Originally, the adoption agency thought 6 months wasn't really a realistic expectation. They were thinking closer to 8. The orphanage director says it will be done in 4 months! That's crazy! That means I could be traveling in late June/early July to pick up Sara. It's amazing to me how fast this entire process is going. When I first started researching international adoption, I found that most take about 18 months. So, I was thinking I would have a child NEXT summer, not early THIS summer. I'm very excited and really hope to have Sara back in the states for her 4th birthday in August.

There is a downside to the speed, though. I had hoped to teach summer school this year to earn some extra money to help cover the crazy expenses associated with the adoption. My boss has said I can work until I'm ready to leave but it probably won't be the whole summer session. So, I now have less time to raise money and more money to raise. I know that God will provide, one way or another. BUT, I'm a planner and a numbers person. I want to be able to see it all on paper now. After all these years, you'd think I'd know by now that God doesn't always work that way.

I have a few ways you can help!

1. Pray. God is going to provide this money. The most important thing any of us can do is pray.

2. I have set up an on-line coffee sale as a fundraiser. I'm not a coffee drinker but so many of my friends and families are. I got a large percentage of each sale. This money comes directly to me and can help off-set travel expenses and things like the home study. That link is here:

Coffee Sale!

3. You can make a donation to Reece's Rainbow in Sara's name. This money will be given directly to the adoption agency to cover those expenses. 100% of the money donated there goes to bring Sara home. You can do that here:

Adoption Costs

4. You can share either or both of these links on your blog, facebook, or email list.

Thank you to all of you for your overwhelming support and excitement. I can't wait to introduce Sara to each of you.

Sarita

I would like to introduce you to Sara, my daughter. She is 3 years old and living in Latin America. I'm hoping she will be coming home this summer to meet all her friends and family.

I'm not usually one to ask for help but many of you have asked how you can help. So, here it is. I'm quickly learning this is a long and tedious process that I won't make it through without all of your help and support. (I've been completely overwhelmed by how excited and supportive everyone has been so far!)

1. Prayer. I need lots and lots of prayer and so does Sara. I hate having her so far away and I just want all this paperwork to be done. Pray that the process will go smoothly and that she will be healthy, happy, and safe while she waits for her new family. Also, pray for the finances involved in adoption. I'm pursuing all the avenues I can find--fund raising, donations, grants. Pray that God will continue to provide.

2. International Adoption is incredibly expensive. There are some major costs and lots of "little" costs. If you would like to contribute to the major costs, you can make a tax-deductible gift to Reece's Rainbow using this link.

3. I also want to let all of you know that I'm available for babysitting, tutoring, anything to earn some extra money. I'm responsible for a lot of small expenses like fingerprinting, birth certificates, my travel, etc. These things add up. Please continue to follow along with the story on here. I will continue to update as things progress. Also, you can read my profile on Reece's Rainbow.

Please feel free to pass along that link or the one to the blog. I will take all the prayer and encouragement I can get!

Let the paper trail begin....

I'm spending tonight on paperwork. I have two applications in front of me. One is for the social service agency in Illinois that will be completing my home study. The other is for the adoption agency in California that will be facilitating the adoption. I'm determined to complete every form and piece of paper soon as I get it. I don't want anything to delay this process. I know there will be enough things that I can't control. This, I can.

I'm very overwhelmed by the response of all the great people in my life. I've had offers of a "Toddler Shower," financial support, prayer support, gifts, visits while I'm in the other country, free babysitting, help decorating her room--so many things from so many people. I love that everyone around me is as excited about my daughter as I am. I knew that people would love her once she got here but I'm honored that people are so excited about someone they haven't even seen a picture of. I've gotten a little more information about my daughter. I can't wait until some of this paperwork is done so I can "officially commit" to her and start sharing information and a picture with all of you.

Please continue to keep my daughter and I in your prayers. Pray that the paperwork will fly through the system quickly and smoothly. Pray for her health and safety as she is so far away.

It's all getting very real...

Things have definitely moved into high gear. I have been working with Reece's Rainbow and the adoption agency for the last week or so. I honestly believe I've found my daughter. Because nothing is completely official yet, I am not really at liberty to post too much information about her. I will definitely post a picture and some info as soon as I can. I know that you will all fall in love with her as quickly as I have.

The next step for me is to begin my home study as soon as possible. I will be researching options and agencies tonight and calling lots of places tomorrow. Once that is started, I can officially commit to my daughter and start working on details and paperwork.

I'm very excited about this next step in my life. I originally decided I wouldn't talk to too many people about it until things were more definite but I just can't wait. So many things are coming together really quickly. I want to keep everyone who is interested updated on my progress. I also want a place where I can look back some day and see it all come together.

I've had lots of offers to help and babysit. The biggest thing I need right now is prayer. Pray that things will work out smoothly and quickly, as they have so far.

Check back often for more information as I can post it.