i800 filed!

It's been a busy day on the adoption front. We received the hard copy of the LOA (letter of acceptance) and signed it indicating that YES we want to adopt Josie.

At the top of this document, is Josie's name and our names. When I saw that, I became emotional because it signified the merging of our stories. She doesn't know about us yet, but soon, she will belong to a family again. We happily signed this document and indicated that we accept this match!

At the same time, our agency sent off our i800 to begin the final leg of the paperwork process. There is a chance that we will be expedited through the last steps, but if not, we are still getting incredibly close to travel. Our agency's estimate is late August or early September.

We have many documents to fill and we will start our travel plans. In order to save money and also to bring Josie here to medical care, we will forego extra touring and unnecessary travel in country. We will also try to get the most condensed schedule in country to bring her home. Eric will travel with a friend who is a nurse and she can help with the daily medical needs that we know Josie has as well as any unexpected needs that may arise. We also have our international adoption doctor available to consult while in country and she will see us day after Josie arrives home.  While most families will get 2-3 weeks notice to travel, our agency is hoping to get us to China in 1 week. That means we must be ready at a moment's notice to go.

We are continuing to raise awareness and funds through the 5/5/5 Families program with Reece's Rainbow. It benefits 5 families in the adoption process and is a great ongoing program to be a part of. We also have our individual Reece's Rainbow grant that we will use for our travel. Our fundraising thermometer has gone up a little bit, but the need is still there. Please pray as we get ready for the final steps in this process.

5/5/5 Families

I have shared before how dear Reece's Rainbow is to us. They were instrumental in helping Eve home in 2013 and they are also part of Josie's journey into our family. The grant program is 10 years old and has assisted 1600 children into forever families.

A year ago we went to a Reece's Rainbow reunion and it allowed us to meet so many families and advocates in person. I absolutely love that they want to stay in touch after the children come home.

There is a special program within Reece's Rainbow called 5/5/5 for Families that focuses on 5 adoptive families and raises a special grant just for them, $5 at a time. I was glad to find out that we were chosen as a 5/5/5 family for the month of July along with 4 other adoptive families.

I would love to find 10 people who would like to join this program. $5 donation monthly along with other supporters lifts the burden off adoptive families and children come home! I don't know what could be an easier way to be part of adoptions.

If you join the program, could you let me know? I would like to send you a personal thank you note to let you know how much this means to us.

Josie has already changed us

In the process of adoption, it's so easy to think of what a difference a family will make to a child that doesn't have one. Love, safety, security, medical care, food and opportunity to live a full life. With each of our adoptions, I have seen the changes in our children when they know they belong, but this story is not about that. I wanted to share how Josie has already given us the most beautiful gift.

This is our daughter Eve. She was adopted nearly 3 years ago with the diagnosis of cerebral palsy. We knew we would encounter many unknowns as her medical diagnosis was not based on any testing, just an educated guess. Over the years, Eve began having more seizures, her body started moving involuntarily (dystonia), we found out she was deaf and we had a few crises that left her doctors baffled. We were referred to genetics to see if we could find a cause.

A few months after Eve's first genetic testing, we learned about Josie. We took a long time to discuss what saying yes to a child with cancer would mean to our family and how we would manage all her needs. We looked at the outcomes for her tumors and what life would look like for her. Welcoming Josie into our family would definitely be better for her than being alone in an orphanage. And while we prayed for clarity, we had discussions about all our children. The truth is, that we think we have control over our children's health, future and longevity of their lives. With Josie, the odds might be against her, but she really needed a family to increase those odds. It was so much easier to say yes to her, when we gave all our perceived control to God and knew that He knew the number of her days, all of our days.

Then, we received news about Eve's health. She was diagnosed with a devastating rare syndrome. It's progressive and most children do not survive into their teen years. It's awful, plain and simple. We have grieved this information but at the same time, Josie had given us a gift already. Just as we had given her life to God, Eve's life was no different. There was the peace that passes all understanding. The quiet whispers that comes from an all knowing God. He is with us, He knows this about Eve and we are to increase her odds by being her family. In working through these emotions with Josie, we were already a few steps ahead with Eve.

Two girls, soon to be sisters. We are so blessed.

If you would like to be part of Josie's journey, you find see our Reece's Rainbow account here

Our fundraising thermometer is on the sidebar, once we reach $10,700 we will receive $2,000 as a matching grant.

Sometimes fundraising looks a lot like work

It's funny, each of our adoptions have been funded differently, but God has provided. Always. Since this is our 3rd adoption, we didn't start with a hefty savings account but did have enough to get started. Quickly, our friends joined in and participated in our initial fundraisers. Our homestudy was funded.

After that, it's been harder to climb up the financial mountain for each fee. I took on some extra work and each of those checks have gone into our adoption account. We squeeze little things out of our budget and that goes in the account. We were turned down for our first grant....that hurt....but of course I know there are so many deserving families applying and waiting just like us. So I took on more work and worked on the next fee.

Thankfully, our church gave us a grant toward the next fee. AND they gave us a $2000 matching grant. The next $2000 we raise (when our thermometer hits $10,700) they will match that amount by $2000. This would cover our next fees and give us a bit breathing room to save up more.

Two ways you can donate:

Tax deductible donation to our Reece's Rainbow Account (starting point for the match was $48.50)
Non tax deductible YouCaring Account (starting point here was $958)

Our t-shirts are selling for 2 more days HERE and we can use the proceeds towards the matching grant also.

We are so thankful for your support. If you have any fundraising ideas, I would love to hear them. Please keep watching the thermometer and I will be so happy to announce it when we have met the matching grant!

the great bike giveaway

Afua is a girl on the move! She loves to be in her wheelchair or adaptive stroller. Better yet, she loves to crawl and is learning to walk.

So when I heard of The Great Bike Giveaway and a chance to win a Rifton tricycle for her, I had to enter.

Adaptive bikes are expensive. As in the $ thousands. Most have supportive seats with postural features and harnesses. The feet have special straps. A parent can push the bike or the child can propel.

I can just see Afua enjoy a bike like this while her sibling ride their bikes and scooters.

Would you take a moment and vote for Afua in the Great Bike Giveaway?

Adoption Grants part 4 (fundraising other than grants)

I have had fun compiling resources for adoption funding. The process can seem so overwhelming especially with finances. Hopefully sharing about grants  has helped and this post will talk about other ways you can raise funds for adoptions.

1. Both Hands
Caring for the orphan and the widow at the same time. An opportunity for a family to raise funds for their adoption and help a widow at the same time. Watch the video on the website, it tells the story better than I could with words.

2. Lifesong for Orphans
Offers matching grants for adoptive families as well as interest free loans

3. A Child Waits
Interest free loans for adoption costs. Also offers grants to families.

4.Fundraisers:
Your creativity is the only limit to fundraising for you adoption. Well, maybe following the law may create some boundaries, but generally my creativity stops within the limits of the law:)  I have friends who have made crafts, art, jewelry, knitted or made body products to raise funds. Some have held pancake breakfasts, 5k runs, car-washes, silent auctions, restaurant fundraisers, concert benefits, family carnivals to name a few. Ask your friends involved in direct marketing companies (Scentsy, Mary Kay, Usborne Books, Thirty One etc) if they would donate their commission toward your adoption. Many are willing to do that. There are also some existing fundraising companies that will help those of us who may not be as creative (like me...). I like the ones especially that offer women in developing nations the opportunity to earn a sustainable living or give portion of their profits to humanitarian efforts.

- Apparent Project
-147 million orphans
-Mudlove
-Ordinary Hero
-Just Love Coffee
-Adoption Bug

Please share your best fundraiser as a comment or send me an email at joyfuljourney4me@gmail.com I will gladly update this post as more ideas are shared.

Adoption Grants part 3

This is the 3rd post in adoption grant series. You can find part 1 here and part 2 in the 2 previous posts.

You may have seen the box to the right of my blog, with a generous amount of money displayed there. That is our grant that has been growing for Afua even before she was ours. It's absolutely amazing and awe inspiring to think that people were praying for her family to find her, donating to a grant to help with her adoptions costs and waiting to see who her family was. And now that they know us, they have continued to encourage us and support us along the way. This wonderful organization is called Reece's Rainbow

Reece's Rainbow is a wonderful adoption ministry that advocates for orphaned children around the world who have special needs. Over the years, they have helped 900+ children home by providing grants to lower the cost of that child's adoption. The grant stays with the child, not the family, and that makes Reece's Rainbow so unique.

Some special needs that the children have are minor, others are life threatening. Some children will need extensive medical treatments and therapies, others will not. All they need regardless of the special needs is love of a family.

I would encourage everyone to explore the possibility of adopting a child with special needs. They are overlooked and have very little hope in their current situation.

Among the children waiting for a family is:

Ebby

Rowen

Ty

Harry and Will (get it???)

“Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names.  They are easier to ignore before you see their faces.  It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms.  But once you do, everything changes.” David Platt

Adoption Grants Part 2

This post is a continuation of the adoption grant series, you can read part 1 here

For this post, I wanted to compile a list of reputable grant organizations that I either 1. received a grant from 2. know someone personally who received a grant or 3. could otherwise be verified as reputable. I hope you will comment if you know other grant organizations that are reputable.

So here is my list so far:

1. Show Hope
Criteria: Married, Christian couples who are home study ready.
Deadlines: quarterly deadlines with an online portion and supported documents sent separately

2. Gift of Adoption
Criteria: home study ready families, no religious criteria, agency or independent adoption
Deadline: monthly reviews

3. Affording Adoption:
Criteria: they are currently fundraising for future grants, but keep checking their website


4.Salvation International
Criteria: home study ready families
Deadline: quarterly grant deadlines, see website

5. A Child Waits
Criteria: home study ready families, prefer toward the end of adoption to give travel fund grants
Deadlines: ongoing

6. Help Us Adopt
Criteria: home study ready families, prefers families with no children currently
Deadline: twice yearly (April and October)

7. Lifesong for Orphans
Criteria: homestudy, pastoral reference letter. Offers matching grants and interest free loans
Deadline: n/a

8. One Less Ministries
Criteria, home study, statement of faith, pastoral questionnaire
Deadline: n/a

9. Jeremiah 29:11 Project
-watch the website for application periods, at this time they are reviewing and fundraising current applicants

10. Beautiful Feet Global Outreach
Criteria: home study ready families, statement of faith required
Deadline: ongoing

11.  Lydia Fund
Criteria: Married, Christian couples with home study.
Deadline: will review 90 days after application received

12. CARE
Criteria: home study ready families, faith based grant
Deadline: rolling based on funds

13. His Kids Too
 Criteria: Christian, homestudy ready couples
Deadline: n/a

14. Sea of Faces
I read that they are in fundraising phase right now, but keep checking the website for updates. Usually a quarterly grant program.

15. Families Outreach
Criteria: homestudy ready families, requires a pastoral letter
Deadline: will review in 4-6 weeks

16. JSC Foundation
Criteria: homestudy ready families, faith based grant
Deadline: 5 deadlines throughout the year

17. Heart of the Bride
Criteria: Christian, married couples with homestudy and agency
Deadline: ongoing

18. Love Has Come
Criteria: Christian family, home study complete, using a licensed 501(c)3 agency. Priority given, but not limited to, Montana families.
Deadline: Quarterly




Please stay tuned for part 3 in the Adoption Grants series. It's my favorite grant program of all time and a HUGE part of Afua's adoption story.And part 4 will include other ways to raise funds for your adoption, including tax-deductible adoption accounts, matching grants and fundraisers.

Fundraising Update

I haven't taken the time to mention some great news. Last month, right before our trip, I received a wonderful phone call. We received a generous grant! It was the best news possible as I knew we would have a payment due to our agency very soon. It also eased the burden on fundraising as we finished the auction in October and had no big fundraisers planned due to our trip.

As of today, we still need to send $2500 to our agency for fees. We also continue to send a monthly foster care fee which is used for Afuas needs at her orphanage. I am amazed that we are so close to being fully funded! Of course we will have 2 more trips to West Africa (including Afuas one way ticket!!!) but those needs are not as urgent as the agency fees.

If you are considering making tax deductible donations before the end of the year, would you keep us in mind? We can accept donations of all amounts through Reeces Rainbow, a non-profit organization that advocates for orphans with special needs. You can leave your name so we can thank you, or anonymously, if that is your preferenc. The button on the right side column on this blog will take you there. We receive 100% of all donations.  Once our account states $4000 we are fully funded on agency fees.

I am so grateful for all the encouraging words, all prayers, all donations to take on our trip and all financial gifts. We have everything we need to provide for Afua once she joins our family, but getting her here on such short time frame is a challenge. It's humbling to ask for help or participation on fundraisers, but so many have done so gladly and went above and beyond in generosity. All for our girl who is so loved already.

Why raise funds for an adoption?

I know this question will come up as we begin to raise the funds to get to our girl. And in all fairness, it's an ok question to ask. Here are my thought on adoption and raising funds:

1. People raise funds for all kinds of reasons: summer camps, charity projects, medical costs, school activities etc. I gladly buy the wrapping paper, the magazines, the chocolate (especially the chocolate!) and the candles to support our family and neighbors as they work towards a goal. Sometimes it is to afford something special, sometimes it is to meet a crucial need. Our family has the funds to take care of another child, even with the medical attention she will need once here. What we don't have is the thousands required to bring her here, because many skilled professionals (adoption professionals, attorneys, immigration etc) deserve to get paid for their services. So we find creative ways to make that happen. She needs to be home sooner rather than later, so we humbly ask for support of those who would wish to join us on our journey. And we can't wait to share with her about all the people who wanted her home just as much as we did.

2. There are many ways to help orphaned children, it doesn't have to involve adoption. During our last adoption, we discovered that people wanted to join our journey, walk with us as we added two children into our family. There are several ways to do that and not all involve money. But for those who want to give, there is a link at the top of this blog. And it's tax deductible. Easy, peasy.

3. We will work just as hard to fund this adoption as we did with Kofi and Joy. We will apply for every grant we qualify for, we will work overtime, we will do without luxuries and we will do so gladly. Raising funds is humbling work, but so worth it. We were blessed with two children who are thriving in our family. Once little "A" joins our family, we know it's all been worth it...again.

4. Because we raise funds, we will be transparent with people throughout this adoption. It's only fair. Have questions? Email me at joyfuljourney4me@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Adoption Process

Our last adoption began with a 2 month long process of completing our home study. I remember running (literally) gathering documents and arranging appointments. This time, our home study is done. It needs a small(ish) update and we are good to go. It feels weird not to have the same experience already. It's like we skipped a step in the process of getting to our girl.

Another thing that is so different about this adoption is the worry I have about our little one. She is in an institution that I don't know much about. Kofi and Joy were in a small foster home that was like a family. As people visited, they would take pictures of our little ones and would take care packages over for us. That is not the case now. There are no visitors allowed (as in other families) and reports will be few for now. I just have to trust that she will be ok until she is out of there.

We are planning our first trip to meet our daughter soon. Who goes and how soon is still being decided. But I would say next month is a possibility.

To help with adoption costs, we will be having a silent auction online. To date, over 60 items have been donated and new donations seem to come every day. If you would want to do some early holiday shopping while supporting our adoption, here is a link:

Joyful Journey Auction