Can you sponsor a part of our adoption?

 Inevitably expenses are one of the issues that comes up in an international adoption.  For us, it is the most daunting part of the whole journey. We are not rich by any stretch of the imagination.  But we are blessed and have so much to offer our children and another sweet little one.  We have no problems caring for the 5 children we have here at home.  One of our children has HIV and she is receiving top notch medical care.  There is absolutely no concern about being able to care for V or her medical needs once she is home.

However, we do not have $25,000 at our disposal to go to her to bring her home. We do not have a relative as a possible back up.  We can not borrow against our home thanks to the housing crash.

So, though we have no doubt in our ability to care for 6 children, there is absolutely no plan B to pay for the adoption.  We have to fundraise the money to get to our girl. 

 Last adoption we did a post about sponsoring a part of our adoption. It breaks the expenses down and makes it seem much more manageable.  It also shows us what we have left to come up with.  I loved moving things to the "Things we have covered" column. Also, I know seeing big things like the Facilitation fee is daunting.  So some people sponsored part of an item.  For instance, one plane ticket, 1/4 of the facilitation fee, or 1/2 of first trip living expenses.  Again each dollar is greatly appreciated.  Thank you so much for your help.  Item by item we will get our daughter home.  Thank you so much for helping her get here.

WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TOWARDS-

Immigration Fee



Fundraising
progress thermometers
to track the success of your fundraising ideas

THINGS WE STILL NEED

Final Trip Expenses-

Plane Tickets-$4000 (two adults both ways, one child ticket one way)

Transport/Food/Apartment-$1834

Placement Visit-$350

Readoption costs-$350

Hopeful expenses-

Eva Marina Plane Tickets (We don't want to leave her this soon)-- $2000

THINGS WE HAVE COVERED

Before Travel Expenses-

Doctor visits-$300

Apostille- $200

Mailing documents-$300

Fingerprints and background check-$125.00

Homestudy update-$1400

First Trip Expenses ALL COVERED-

Facilitation Fee-$9000

Food/Transport/Apartment-$1834

Plane Tickets-$2600

Final Trip Expenses-

Medical-$110 from the Carmicheals.  Thank you!!!

 Visa-$230-Frm Maria E. Thank you!!

1/2 second trip apartment/food/transport-$1834

 Passport-$350

Immigration Fee-$720

Thank you guys so much for your support!!

Here we go again

If you have followed our family's journey you will know that this is not where we expected to be right now.  My  husband and I went to Eastern Europe to adopt two little girls. In the midst of the process the country we were going to changed their laws.  Children under 5 could no longer be adopted internationally unless they have certain special needs.  Our little ones have HIV, but this is not considered a special need.

We waited and waited hoping the law would be changed to include HIV. However, eventually we had to go ahead and go over for one of our girls because our dossier was expiring and she was aging out of her orphanage soon.  So we went in January of 2012 still hoping that while we were in country the law would be changed.

It wasn't.

So we got to meet our other little one which was wonderful and excruciating.  She is precious and beautiful and sweet.  We couldn't spend much time with her but we did see her a good bit.  We watched her preform in a Christmas program.  Several times she held my hand.  On many occasions she brought me her coat and shoes and would say, "Mama, help?"  When we finally walked out of the orphanage with our daughter Eva Marina, "V" stood at the top of the stairs and watched us walk out.  Seeing her up there, and leaving her behind made an emotional day almost more than I could handle.

Our girls are not blood relatives, but they were in the same groupa and were good friends.  Eva Marina has asked about V several times.  She loves to look at her pictures.  It would be so amazing for both of them to get to grow up together.

We knew we would go back for V.  The hard part is starting over so soon after coming home.  And the cost of adopting 2 kids at once is not much more than 1, but now we start almost all over.  Some costs will be less, but we start fundraising all over again.  But now, we have a newly adopted daughter at home who doesn't do well with too much stimulation and can't be left for hours on end.

I raised several thousand dollars doing hair cuts last time. I would work for 8 hours a day doing cuts non stop.  Now I can not do that.  Planning events to raise funds has also proved difficult while in the adjustment with our newest little one.  I just can't find time for everything I need to do.

I am almost paralyzed with fear about the daunting financial aspect of doing this again.  But V is worth it.  I have Hope.  I am terrified but moving forward.

So, here we go again. I hope you will join us on our journey back to our other precious child!

Note-If you would like to read about our last adoption journey please check out Hope for Sharon and the full background story HERE.