Almost There....Financially...

I've been waiting for about a week for an email from the adoption agency. I thought that I was getting really close to being "fully funded." (These are magic words in the Reece's Rainbow community.) Today, I finally got the email that confirmed what I thought--I am getting close! There is no real set-in-stone number because no one really knows for sure how long I'll be in country and how much flights will cost, etc. But, I am pleased to announce that I am only about $5,000 short! (This is a conservative estimate but I'm pretty good at traveling cheaply.)

While that might sound like a huge number to you, it's not to me at this point. I started out owing about $30,000. I have paid about a third of that from my savings and summer school pay. The other half has come from my very generous supporters! I am more grateful to all of you than I will ever be able to express.

*I currently have several fundraisers going on. I'm hoping that these will be successful. I'm also hoping to hold one more auction in September.

*I have applied for about 20 different grants. I am working right now to set up an interview for one of them. If I hear from one or two grants, I will be all set.

So, with some successful fundraisers and some grants, I could be ready to go get my little girl as soon as I get a date! What a weight of my shoulders! God is good!

Boo!

So, I've mentioned this on facebook but I feel like I need an actual adoption update so here it is:

August travel is looking pretty impossible. I'm bummed because I was led to believe that it would be about 6 weeks from the time I submitted my dossier until I traveled. Now, all of a sudden, it's 3 months from submission to travel. There about 10 steps that I didn't know about. I'm not sure what happened but it's a little weird that Angie got the same news at the same time. USCIS has slowed down. (Welcome to summer!) Sara's country has also slowed down. This and the extra steps now have me praying that I'll be traveling in October.

Both Angie and I believe that God is still in this process. While I'm bummed that I won't be with my little girl for her birthday, I know God has a purpose in the delay.

I think one of the reasons for the delay is financial. I applied for about 8 grants. I have received "nos" from two of them. Another emailed to say my application was slated to be reviewed on June 30th and another will be reviewed on August 30th. I am hoping and praying that this delay allows at least one of the grants to come through so I won't have to take a loan.

From a work stand-point, it will be better if I'm around to get the school year started off on the right foot. At this point, I'm planning to be off for October and November. I had wanted to travel in August so I wouldn't have to take time off without pay. I have a meeting with the HR department tomorrow to figure out my leave. I have 5 weeks of sick time saved up. I'm hoping to take 4 weeks in addition to that. We'll see how the meeting goes tomorrow!

I'm still waiting for USCIS approval and my psych eval report. One of the "new" steps in the process is a whole packet of information about my little girl! I can't wait for that step. I NEED an updated picture!

So, while I wait, I'm holding an auction and knitting scarves like crazy (and even dog sitting)! There isn't anything I can do to speed up the US government or the Latin American government but I can knit and sell scarves!

Much Needed Update---and Much Needed Major Movement

Progress Update:
Things are flying right along!!!! My dossier is almost done.

*I had my psych eval today. I have no idea how long it will take to get written but the doctor was really nice and seemed to understand the urgency.

*My FBI clearance was waiting for me in the mail when I got home last night. I have to send it to a courier to have it appostilled in Washington, DC. I will do that tomorrow. It should take a little over a week for the turn-around.

*My doctor called this afternoon to tell me that my letter was ready. I called this morning to check and ta-da! It's done! I will pick it up tomorrow morning.

*I got my USCIS fingerprints done on June 7th. I should, hopefully, have clearance from them in the next week or two.

All that to say---my dossier could be on it's way to Sara's country by the end of the month!!!

This is HUGE!

It means that I will soon be traveling to get my little girl. There are no words to express how excited I am.

As I was walking through the Houston airport yesterday, I just kept thinking about how the next I'm going through customs there, I will have something to declare---a little girl!

You can check out the rest of the process here.



Financial Update:
I'm waiting to here back from my adoption agency about my travel accommodations and plans in order to better plan a budget.

*As of right now, about $10,000 of the costs have been paid.

* I have almost $4,000 in my FSP with Reece's Rainbow.

*I have another "grant" promised of $1,500.

*I will be teaching summer school which will give me another $5,000 to put towards upcoming costs.

*This leaves me about $9,500 short of the approximately $30,000 I need for the entire process.

*I have applied for about 8 grants and have only heard back from one. (I wasn't chosen for that one.) Please pray that I will hear favorably from one or two of the grants soon.

*I am planning an online auction for the month of July. Please let me know if you missed out last time and would like to donate something!

You can see my current fundraisers here.

A Good Day!

I've been pretty frustrated for the last two weeks or so. It seemed like the home study would NEVER be done. Every day that went by with no movement, I got more concerned that I wouldn't be able to travel this summer when I actually have vacation time. Every time someone asked what the latest news was, I wanted to scream because there wasn't any.

Then....Today happened....

*My home study is in Springfield right now. If they don't need any additional information, it will be approved tomorrow and could be sent to Immigration and Homeland Security by the end of the week!! (This is HUGE!)

*I have received several donations to the puzzle piece fund raiser. My friend Becky is holding a 31 Party for Sara. I got another donation to my FSP. God is providing!!

*I found two more possible grants today. I'm mailing off 2 applications tomorrow. The rest will go out when I have the official home study in my hands.

I'm ENCOURAGED. Greatly! I feel like things are finally moving. It will be nice to fall asleep tonight and not be counting weeks until August 1st or the amount of money I still need to pay.

Once again, God has shown me that it's all in his hands and in his timing.

Please pray....because I'm panicking (and changing the date of the Give Away).

I've run into my first real hurdle in the adoption process.

I got a call today from my adoption agency. The director of the adoption agency has given his official ok. I have my physical tomorrow and training on the 23rd and 24th. After those two steps, my home study will be done. It will then go to the state to get approved. After that, it will be official and I can send my paperwork (called the Dossier) to Immigration and the country for approval. Sounds great and it's moving quickly, right? Here's the catch.....

Before I can submit the dossier to the adoption agency, I need to pay the $7,500 country fee. I have some money in my Reece's Rainbow account and some left in my savings but I'm still about $4,000 short. Unfortunately, I can't apply for any no-interest loans or grants until the home study is finished. So, if I wait until the home study is official and then apply for loans or grants, it could be several months before I can send the Dossier. This will keep Sara in an orphanage longer and delay my travel plans into the new school year.

I know that it will all work out in God's timing but I'm a planner and I don't like all this not-knowing stuff.

In light of all this, I'm moving the Give-Away up a few weeks. I'm going to start it on Sunday. Please let me know if you'd like to donate something. I will post all the rules and regulations later.

Thanks for all your support!

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.