Four weeks of Watching God work miracles

I don't have much time right now to post, so I will be brief.  I hope and pray that very soon, I can come back and fill in all of the crazy amazing details of how intimately God has been involved and working behind the scenes to make this adoption happen and to completely come through financially.

We are amazed and in awe of what the Lord has done!

To God Be The Glory, Great Things HE has done!

So What is Left to Pay?

Basically here is what is left to pay:

Orphanage Donations for each child = approximately $12,000 total ($6,000 for each child)
In Country Fees = $3,000

For a grand total of approximately $15,000 still needed to be fully funded.

AND ....before you get your panties in a wad about the orphanage "donation" - please consider this:
This money is used to help reimburse the orphanage system for 4-5 years worth of care for our children ...and one of our children had open heart surgery for crying out loud!

This is seriously such a gross under-payment for anything and everything these two children have required in food, nurture, education and medical care over the last 4-5 years.

As I have said before, Chinese culture is a very complicated one.  Unless you have lived there, or experienced the orphan and adoption scene for yourself ...I encourage you to please be careful about rushing to any judgments.  Even those of us who have adopted from there, we still really have no idea what is is like for the families who actually live there and the kind of "choices" they are required to make each and every day ...most of which we in this country will never, ever have to come close to.

If you have any questions or concerns about any of our adoption expenses, experiences ...really anything at all, please feel free to comment or contact me.  I am happy to share.
Thank you all again for your prayers and support!

Rant over, night!

Adoption Funding Updates

Who's Got Their Praise On?

Thanks so several donations, an online auction and a few adoption grants which just came through, we have just hit the $30,000 raised mark!! We sort of jumped from $15,000 to $30,000 in just a few days time. ...which means that I didn't get to use my sweet thermometer graphics that I had ready to go for the $20,000 and $25,000 marks.  Oh, well ....I can just use them next time around! :)  

Only $15,000 to go!  To God be the Glory!  Great Things He has Done!
Thank you to everyone of you for your prayers and support!

Adoption Fees and Costs

This post is also for all those mobile device users who have missed all of the painstaking and oh so interesting break-down of all our adoption expenses.

Adoption Cost : Start at bottom of the list and work your way to the top.  And if you add it all up, it comes to approximately $45,000 to $47,000. (There is some variance in the that price due to travel cost fluctuation and some document processing fees.)

• 25. Additional Documentation Fees - $400 - PAID January 2016
• 24. Post Placement Reports Translation and Transmission Fees - $600
• 23. Children's plane tickets home - $2,000
• 22. In Country Travel Costs (lodging, food, translator, transportation, etc.) - $6,000
• 21. Plane Tickets (round trip) - $4,500
• 20. In Country Legal Expenses - $3,000 ($1,500 per child)
• 19. Child's U.S. entry Visa and processing fees - $700 ($350) per child
• 18. Child's File Update Fee - $160 ($80 each child) - PAID June 2016
• 17. Orphanage Donation for 2 children - $12,000 ($6,000 each)
• 16. International Processing Fee (part three) - $2,000 - PAID June 2016
• 15. International Processing Fee (part two) - $500 - PAID June 2016
• 14. Agency Fee (part two) - $500 - PAID June 2016
• 13. Dossier Documents Authentication Fees - $700 to $1,000 - PAID March 2016
• 12.CCCWA charge - $1,450 (Chinese Children's Welfare System) - PAID February 2016
• 11. Dossier Processing Fee - $500 - PAID February 2016
• 10. International Processing Fee (part one) - $2,000 - PAID February 2016
• 9. USCIS Filing and Finger Printing - $975 - PAID February 2016
• 8. Agency Fee (part one) - $2,000 - $1,200 was PAID with WACAP Promise Child Grant
• 7. Passport Renewal Fees - $450 - PAID November 2015
• 6. Post-Placement Reports Fees - $900 - PAID November 2015
• 5. Home Study Mileage Fee - $50 PAID November 2015
• 4. Home Study Fees - $1,500- PAID November 2015
• 3. Home Study Application Fee - $200 PAID 9-28-2015
• 2. Pre-Approval Application Fee - $500 PAID 9-15-2015
• 1. Application Fee - $350 PAID 8-21-2015
• Begin Here and Move up the list:

Adoption Timeline

Is has occurred to me that those of you who view this blog on a mobile device may be missing all of the spectacular information that I have been updating in the side bar.   Therefore, for your reading pleasure, I thought I would post our adoption timeline as a blog post too!  

I would be so very sad if I spent all of this time and effort on all of these tedious details for no one to appreciate them!  So here you go!  .

...And YES, it really has taken us a year for this process to unfold!  Through it all, however, GOD has been faithful and HIS fingerprints are all over this story.

Our Adoption Timeline:

(...and because I would really like to add to your confusion ...the beginning starts at the bottom.  You need to go to the bottom and read from the bottom to the top.)

• Article 5 Pick up scheduled for September 8 - Article 5 is the last phase before our papers are submitted to CCCWA for Travel Approval (TA). - We should get travel clearance within a week of this pick up date. We should travel in about two weeks after that which is approximately the end of September 2016
• August 23, 2016 - DS-260 confirmation page, copy of the NVC (National Visa Center) letter, agency version of the Letter Seeking Confirmation and all other required supporting documents were submitted to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China today!!
• August 22, 2016 - Submitted DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application for each child
• August 17, 2016 - Received I 800 Approval (I 800 is the USCIS form to "Classify an orphan as an immediate relative")
• August 2, 2016 - Received form I 797 from the USCIS - They are processing our I 800 now
• July 15, 2016 - I 800 sent (USCIS petition to classify an orphan as an immediate relative)
• July 13, 2016 - Letter Seeking Confirmation
• July 8, 2016 - Officially MATCHED with our children
• July 5, 2016 - Dossier out of translation and In REVIEW
• June 13, 2016 - Dossier is Logged Into the CCCWA (LID - Logged In Date).
• June 3, 2016 - Dossier is on its way to China!
• May 31, 2016 - Dossier is done at Chinese Embassy and on its way to our agency, WACAP, in Washington state.
• May 24, 2016 - Dossier is at the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC for processing.
• May 17, 2016 - Dossier is at Washington DC Sec. of State for processing.
• May 13, 2016 - Sent all dossier documents to the courier in Washington DC.
• May 10, 2016 - Got last certification back from Kansas Sec of State.
• May 5, 2016 - Got self-employment letter from local bank and sent to Kansas Sec of State for certification.
• May 1, 2016 - Decide to go another route for Cherri's self-employment verification letter since the State of Illinois took three weeks to decide they would not certify the document.
• April 30, 2016 - Received letter back from Illinois Sec of State saying they will not certify document because notary did not write her county on the form.
• April 18, 2016 - Send home study to Missouri Sec of State for authentication
• April 15, 2016 - Receive documents back from Kansas Sec of State (Oops, one document has to go to Missouri instead!)
• April 6 & 7, 2016 - Submit documents to Kansas, Maryland and Illinois Secretary of State offices for authentication of notary signatures
• March 29, 2016 - Received I 800 A Approval Letter
• March 14, 2016 - Finger Printing Appointment at the KC USCIS office
• February 22, 2016 - Received Finger Printing Appointment Letter
• February 12, 2016 - WACAP submits I 800 A application to USCIS
• February 5, 2016 - I 800 A application submitted to WACAP for review
• January 20, 2016 - Home study officially approved
• January 2016 - Documentation issue resolved
• December 2015 - Home study complete but a hang up with some documentation
• October 2015 - Begin working on Home Study, including KBI background checks and fingerprinting
• September 24, 2015 - Pre Approval to proceed with Min Na's adoption
• September 18, 2015 - Pre Approval to proceed with Wen Bo's adoption
• September 2015 - Begin working on a parenting plan for two children
• Later August 2015 - Find a girl age 4 (Min Na)
• August 2015 - Find a boy age 3 (Wen Bo)
• July 2015 - Begin feeling like the Lord is saying yes to prayers
• 2013-2015 Praying about adopting again from China

Why Does Adoption Cost So Much?

This is the most common question we get. 

There is a short answer and a long answer. 

The short answer is that everything about the adoption process is intended to help reduce child abuse and trafficking.  Since these travesties are on the rise worldwide, more and more rules, regulations and systems have been put in place to help reduce the risk.  All of these things require the involvement of professionals on both sides of the ocean. 

For the long answer, let me use an illustration from real life.

Recently, my seventy year old mother had the battery pack in her pacemaker replaced.  This is was the same pacemaker she’s had for the last eight years.  It has worked like a charm and we are grateful to have it.  Without it, she would certainly die because she is completely pacer dependent, which means her heart will not beat on its own.  Not just a slow heart beat, but latterly nothing, nada, zilch!

When she got the bill, she called me to go over the itemization list for the bill.  The total for a simple outpatient, slightly more than local anesthesia procedure which only took 20 minutes, was over $21,000.  Not too bad, when you consider her life depends on it.  I was with her that day and personally witnessed top-notch expert professional care. 

Everything involved in the process was accounted for from that day.  From the gal who checked us in to the nurse who took us back to the prep room, to the nurse who started the IV, to the Cardiologist who performed the procedure, to the pacemaker experts, radiology, etc. it was all there in black and white.  We and her insurance company of course had not problem paying the bill because it was all legit, professional AND EXPERT care.

That is in contrast to her first pacemaker experience from eight years earlier.  She nearly died at the hands of “professionals” who were not experts.  Did you know there is a difference between experts and professionals?  Professionals may have the education and a degree, but experts are EXPERTS ….they not only have the education and degree, but they have the experience, knowledge and track record to prove it. 

Well it is kind of like that in the adoption world.  One can choose to run down the road of non-professional and unethical adoption practices or choose the legal ethical way which involves professionals.  If one would like an added layer of insurance, then you find the professionals who are also experts.  Each level of professionalism and expertise comes with added costs.  You may have noticed like I have that professionals and experts generally like to be paid because it is what they do for a living after all, right?

We can use another illustration from the medical world.  When someone has a baby, they expect to pay for all of the medical testing included blood test and ultrasounds, the doctors and nurses who take care of mother and baby up to and including delivery and thereafter. This whole process can easily top $30,000 and no one bats an eye.  Why?  Because the life of the mother and baby are worth it!  Most people are not willing to take a risk for substandard and sketchy healthcare.    

Why then are people so shocked that adoption cost range from $30,000 and up?  People somehow have the misconception that the adoption is a lucrative business endeavor.  What a joke!  There will always be bad press pointing out the one in a million cases where things have gone bad.  The in vast majority of cases, things do not go down this way. 

As I stated before, human trafficking, child abuse and the sex slave trade throughout the world are at an all time high.  Children’s lives are at risk and literally at stake!  Everywhere we look (if we are willing to look) we can see clear evidence of this.  Somehow people just don’t seem to think that an orphan’s life is worth thousands of dollars.  I cannot tell you how many times people have said to me, “They have so many of them you’d think they’d be happy to give them away.”  What?!? Are you kidding me!  Did those words just come out of your mouth?!?

Most adoptive families and adoption agencies are more than happy to share what all of the cost are and where they originate from.  Our family has always been very transparent with our adoption cost and how they were paid.

And just as side note, did you know that Asia has the largest number of orphans compared to every continent in the world?  Also, did you know that in many Asian countries, specifically China, children age of the orphanage system at age 14?  Yes, you read that right, age 14!  What do you think happens to all of those children when they are shown the door?  They are no longer able to receive an education.  How do you think they can support themselves and learn to be productive members of society?  Who do you think is ready and willing to offer them “employment”, housing and food?  Well, as a general rule it is the human traffickers and child sex slave traders.  I mean, why not, right?  It could not be a more perfect set up for them …young, innocent, vulnerable, desperate, hungry, homeless, helpless, hopeless. 

This just makes me so sick!  I literally get an upset stomach when I talk or think about it. 

So what is a child’s life worth?  Is it worth $30,000 plus?  Is it worth sacrificing and traveling to the other side of the globe to rescue that child?  You bet it is!

And here’s the another thing  …People say to me all the time, “Why would you do it?  It cost so much.  It is stressful. It is time-consuming.  It is so hard.  Isn’t there an easier or cheaper way?”  My response …. “Just because it is hard, expensive and time consuming does not mean it’s wrong.  Just because it is cheap, easy and free does not mean it’s right.  Most things in life that are worth it, are worth fighting for.”  Besides, God never said about me: “She cost too much. She’s too time-consuming.  She’s too difficult.  She’s just too stressful.”  NO HE DID NOT! And neither should we.  HE gave it all to save us! 

Can you see the light?  Can you see why this is so important?

Adoption is our ministry.  Yes, it is our lives, but it is our daily ministry.  Yes, it is right here in our home, but it is a ministry.  We are doing important kingdom work here.  This is our mission field.  Will you partner with us to bring these treasures home?

LSC - Letter Seeking Confirmation

We received, signed and returned our Letter Seeking Confirmation on July 13, 2016.
Our I-800 application was sent out on July 15, 2016. It looks now like we will travel around mid September.  Yikes! 

So What is a Letter Seeking Confirmation anyway?  This is the letter issued by the Chinese government official asking the adoptive parents to confirm whether or not they wish to proceed with the adoption or not.  

The saddest part about the document is where is states the identity of the child as "Foundling" ...meaning they belong to no one ...they were just found somewhere.  

This just makes me sick to think about it.  

NOW we need to now kick our fundraising efforts into high gear!

We do have a tax deductible giving page set up through Lifesong for Orphans.  You can make a difference with any size donation. 
We need YOU now more than ever!

Follow this link for instant access to make your tax deductible donation.  DONATE HERE

100% of money donated with this method goes towards our adoption fees.   

We have conducted several fundraisers and completely tapped out any financial resources we had.  

God will provide, we are completely confident of this.  

Did you know that HE cares not about money?  He cares about our hearts.  "Where your treasure is, so also is your heart."

He is inviting you to participate in something bigger than you can dream or imagine.  

He could drop $30,000 out of the sky if He wanted to.  But instead he wants to work through HIS people to accomplish HIS purposes.  He knows that you need to receive a blessing from giving and be a vital part of our children's adoption story.

Please consider giving.  Any donation amount, large or small, will make a positive impact.

Thank you!  Thank you a thousand times and more, from the bottom of our hearts!  

Funding Update

We took a break from fundraising for a few months because we sensed that our network was possibly becoming "fundraising fatigued".  We also took the months of May and June to work on applying for several adoption grants.

Below is an outline of where adoption funds have come from so far. God has miraculously provided $14,000 in funds so far.  We still have about $30,500 to to.

It took us 10 months to raise $14,000.  We will need need to raise the remaining $30,500 in the next 2-3 months!  God is faithful and has always provided what we have needed when we have needed it. He can and will do it!  

We will soon be asking you to join with us for a crazy amazing project which you will want to be a part of!  Thank you again for all of your prayers and support!

Adoption Grants we have received so far:
Show Hope = $3,000
Promise Child Grant (WACAP) = $2,000
Woods Chapel Adoption Fund = $1,000
Jim Carr Memorial Adoption Fund = $1,000

Fundraisers and Donations:

September, October and November 2015 – Jewelry sales = $300

November 2015 – Church Fundraiser meal = $2,500

January 2016 – Clothing and Shoe Drive = $1,600

February 2016 – Donations = $1,400

March 2016 – Freezer Please Fundraisers = $1,000

April 2016 – Clothing Drive = $200

Personal Funds: 
Well over $5,000

Translation, Review and Matched!!

Our dossier was Logged In (LID) on June 13, 2016. After it was logged in, it was moved to the translation phase.  Once it is translated, it is put into the "Review" process.  We received word on Tuesday, July 5, 2016 that it had moved to "Review".  

We received word yesterday (7-8-2016) that we are now officially "Matched" with our children. The process that was supposed to take 2-3 months took 5 weeks or 36 days. 

We are a little blow away by how quickly this took place and now we have to kick our fundraising efforts into overdrive. 

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement about our next major fundraiser. It will be awesome and you will want to be a part of it!

We are LID!

What is the world is LID anyway?!?
Well in the adoption world that means "Logged In Date".  This is the date your adoption dossier (which is our entire life on paper) is logged into the country's child welfare system for adoption.  In our case this is the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption or CCCWA.

This is a huge step and major praise the Lord!  This means that our dossier is now in translation.  It could take up to two months to translate the entire dossier.  Why does it take so long to translate it?  Well, our complete dossier is at least 75 pages in length.  They do indeed translate every word on every page.  (I asked!)

In other news, we have applied for about twelve different adoption grants so far.  Most of which are still pending and in the review process.  

Please continue to pray that all our adoption funding needs are met.  We are still about $35,000 away from being fully funded.  

We will need to be fully funded before we can travel.  At this time it looks like we can anticipate travel sometime in October.  

Stay tuned for pictures and name announcements coming soon!

Thank you again and AGAIN for all of your prayers and support!  We are beyond grateful for all of you!  We could not do this without you!

May 2016 Updates

Here are a few of the things that happened in May:

• We completed another clothing drive in April which earned $200.
• We completed our dossier (FINALLY!) after what seemed like FOREVER!
• We applied for more adoption grants.
• We received notification that we received $3,000 grant from Show Hope. This is the organization founded by Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman.  (Interesting side note:  We were one of the the very first recipients of their adoption grants in 2002 for our very first adoption.  It was not even a formal foundation yet.  We were even invited to go and meet SCC, spend the day with him and give our testimony on a nationwide KLOVE broadcast!  This was in September of 2003, so I doubt any of you remember that! But we sure do!  What an honor and privilege to express our gratitude in person. God is such a good Father and delights in spoiling us from time to time.)
• We also received notice that we received $1,000 from Wood Chapel Foundation which is located in Lees Summit, Missouri and is only for adoptive families within 150 mile radius of Lees Summit.
• God has now provided over $12,000 towards our goal of $47,000!

Please continue to pray that we are fully funded before we travel.  We anticipate to travel sometime in October.

We are still $35,000 away from our goal, but GOD IS FAITHFUL!  He has always taken care of us and always will!

Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

Fundraising Updates from March and April 2016

Ever wonder why is this blog titled "Hebrews 10:23 Adoption" blog?

April 2016

Freezer Pleaser Fundraiser Results:

First of all, a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the Fund Raiser. Whether you sold tickets, bought them, made a casserole or prayed for our endeavors, this would not have been possible without you!

The results are as listed below:

Grand Prize Winners of the Freezer and 30 meals - The Cole Family

Walmart Giftcard Winner for most tickets sold: Lois Sims

Total funds raised: $2500 - 
minus ticket printing costs and shipping of $250=$2250 

Youth received $80 

Honduras Mission Team received $1085 

Walrod Adoption Funding received $1085                            

Again, thank you all for your participation and continued prayers!

----------------------

March 2016

We received and unexpected donation of $1,000.  This covered the costs of our I 800 A application and USCIS fingerprinting.  Praise the Lord!

TOTAL FUNDING RAISED SO FAR is just over $7,000.

Why is this blog titled what it is????

This is why ....HE IS FAITHFUL!  ALWAYS AND FOREVER FAITHFUL!!!

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who

promised is faithful."

Hebrews 10:23

Remaining Timeline Estimates and explainations

               Dossier phase:  

This is the phase we are in right now. Here are the remaining steps in this process.

1.     I 800A approval letter - Approval received on March 28, 2016  (This is our clearance notice that we passed the FBI background checks and we are cleared to proceed)

2.     Send notarized documents to Kansas Secretary of State’s Office for certification and authentication of all the notary signatures.

3.     Send one document to Maryland for certification and authentication.  It has to go to the county of origination first and then on to the Maryland Secretary of State. 

4.     Send another document to the Illinois Secretary of State for certification and authentication.
5.  Send completed dossier to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago.
6.  Send completed dossier to WACAP (our adoption agency)
7.  Dossier reviewed by WACAP China staff specialist
8.  WACAP submits dossier to the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption or CCCWA.

CCCWA Phase:

1.  Wait to hear back that our dossier has been logged into the CCCWA system.  This is called the Logged In Date or LID.  
2.  Once it is logged in, the ENTIRE dossier is translated.  This is will be AT LEAST 50 pages of documentation.  Maybe more if they translate all of the Secretary of State's certification pages.  
3.  After it is translated, then it will go into review.  This is where they will look through all of our pre-approval information and make sure we are officially matched with our children.  

4.     We will receive notice of acceptance/Letter of Acceptance or LOA.

                 Prep for Travel phase:

I have to find my notes on this phase before I write more about it. 

That’s enough to keep you busy reading for awhile. More later ….

As always, Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your prayers and support!

March 2016 Updates

I am sorry for the delay in the March update.  We were busy trying to get our taxes ready to file and working on adoption paperwork. 

Everything about this process seems to move about the speed of cold molasses while we wait.  One the other hand, time is moving along so quickly that it is hard to keep on top of our adoption funding progress and goals.

Here is an update on what has taken place the last few weeks.

On Monday, March 14, 2016, Paul, Jamison and I traveled to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service which is located near the KCI airport. This is otherwise known as “the fingerprinting appointment” or the technical term is biometrics appointment.  It was scheduled by the USCIS several weeks ago as part of our I 800A application.  Our fingerprints will be entered into their database and ran through the FBI database.  The goal of this is (once again) to make sure we have a clean background and no criminal history and prevent child trafficking.  The purpose of the I 800A application to determine our suitability to adopt a child.

While we’ve been waiting for our I 800A to be processed, we’ve been working on our dossier documents.  This seems like it takes forever to get all of this done.  Here is a list of all the documents we have to have for our dossier.  Most of these have to be notarized, and not only notarized but the notary commission cannot expire for 12-18 months.  We also have to be sure the date on the document is the same as the notary signature date.  The officials reviewing our documents are apparently very attentive to this particular detail.

Thankfully, since we are not divorced, single or dead it makes ours a tiny bit easier to complete.

The following documents are required for the dossier and must be notarized, verified and authenticated:

_____1. Birth Certificate(s)

_____2. Marriage Certificate

_____3. Financial Statement

_____4. Medical Form(s)

_____5. Police Clearance Report(s)

_____6. Letter of Employment(s)

_____7. I-800A, Approval Notice

_____8. Adoption Application Letter

_____9. Home study Report

_____10. Affidavit of Single Status (*Single applicants only. Forms are enclosed)

The following documents are required for your dossier and DO NOT need to be verified and authenticated:

_____11. Notarized Reference Letters (3)

_____12. Copies of Signed Passports

_____13. Passport Photos (Two (2) per applicant)

_____14. Six (6) Family Photos

_____15. Statement from Guardian (*Single applicants only)

_____16. Medical letter from a doctor (if required)

_____17. Psychological Evaluation (if required)

_____18. Divorce Decree (*Single applicants only, if required):

_____19. Death Certificate (*Single applicants only, if required):

Once we get our I 800A approval letter, we will take it to be notarized and then our dossier will go to the Kansas Secretary of State’s office for authentication.  This means they will verify all of the notaries and make sure they are all legit.

After our dossier is done at the Secretary of State’s office, it will come back to us where we turn around and send it to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago via a courier service.  We have to use a courier service because the Consulate does not accept mailed in documents.  They have to be hand delivered.  So we have to pay a courier service to deliver it for us and then return to pick it up a few days later ….that is unless we want to make a leisurely drive to Chicago and back.  So I guess a courier service will be cheaper and work better than us trying to do it ourselves at this point.

Dossier Process - What is a dossier anyway?

At this point in our adoption process we are working on our dossier.  

(Pronounced: dô′sē-ā .  You can hear a pronunciation here on this webpage:  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dossier )

A dossier is the set of documents which contain detailed information about our family.  The dossier is what will be sent to China to be translated into Chinese and then closely reviewed by the Chinese adoption officials.

As you may imagine, attention to details is of the utmost importance.  Not only do these documents represent our family, but the officials reviewing them can be real stickers on when documents are dated, signed and notarized.

Here is a short list of details we need to watch for:

• Without proper wording, some states will not complete the notary verification.

• We have to be sure the date on the document and the date of notarization match.  Many Chinese Consulates will reject documents if the date on the document is different than the date it is notarized.

• The Chinese Consulates will not accept any document with white out on it.

• We have to be sure the notary’s commission does not expire for at least 12-18 months from now.

There are four main steps to the dossier process before it can be sent to China.
Step One:

Gather, sign and notarize all the documents on the checklist below.

DOCUMENT CHECKLIST:

The following documents are required for your dossier and must be notarized, verified and authenticated:
_____1. Birth Certificate(s)
_____2. Marriage Certificate
_____3. Financial Statement (Form is enclosed)
_____4. Medical Form(s) (Form is enclosed)
_____5. Police Clearance Report(s) (Form is enclosed)
_____6. Letter of Employment(s)
_____7. I-800A, Approval Notice
_____8. Adoption Application Letter
_____9. Homestudy Report
_____10. Affidavit of Single Status (*Single applicants only. Forms are enclosed)

The following documents are required for your dossier and DO NOT need to be verified and authenticated:
_____11. Notarized Reference Letters (3)
_____12. Copies of Signed Passports
_____13. Passport Photos (Two (2) per applicant)
_____14. Six (6) Family Photos
_____15. Statement from Guardian (*Single applicants only)
_____16. Medical letter from a doctor (if required)
_____17. Psychological Evaluation (if required)
_____18. Divorce Decree (*Single applicants only, if required):
_____19. Death Certificate (*Single applicants only, if required):

What happens to the dossier once it is done?

Step Two:
Once our dossier is done, it will be sent to the Kansas Secretary of State's office where they will authenticate (verify and certify each one to make sure they are legit) each notary's signature.  

Step Three:
Once we get everything back from the KS Sec of State office, we will send it on to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago.  We will have to hire a courier service to walk it into the consulate office one day and then go back and pick it up a few days later.  We have to hire a courier service because the Chinese Consulate does not accept these documents sent through the mail.  

Step Four:
Once all the documents are completed, then we will send them to our agency who will then send them to China where they will be translated and reviewed. 

There are a few mile stone acronyms which are commonly used during this time:

Once they receive our dossier and it is logged into their system, it is a milestone called DTC - Dossier to China.

Once the dossier is translated and logged into their system is is called LID - Logged In Date

As you can imagine, all of this takes time.  We still anticipate that we will travel sometime very late summer, but most likely fall 2016.

Thank you for all of your thoughts, prayers and support of our family during this adoption process.

Process updates and Thank You!

First we want to say “Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!”  We have never felt so loved and cared for as we do by this body of believers! You are an amazing church family and we could not do this without you!

Clothing drive update:

We received a total of 10,890 pounds of clothing and shoes which is awesome!  You guys really helped us rock that fundraiser.  The recycling company pays .15 a pound, so the net proceeds from that fundraiser will be $1,633.50.  This may not seem like a lot, but it is still way better than we’ve done with fundraiser garage sales in the past and it was a much better return on our investment of time and man power. Thank you to everyone who hauled clothes from all over, let us borrow garage space and trailers and supported us in any way.

Fundraising update:   

We just hit the $5,000 raised mark.   Praise the Lord!  We still have a long way to go, but God is faithful.  He has shown this to us over and over again.  Here is a very simplified breakdown of where the fundraising dollars have come from so far:

Walrod jewelry sales for 4 months = $300

EBC Fundraiser soup and chili feed = $2,140

Donations = $990

Clothing Drive Fundraiser = $1,633

Grant Total of $5,063 towards our goal of $45,000

Where are we in the process now?

Our home study was finally officially approved on January 20, 2016 after about a month of delays.  We just submitted our application to the US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) to get their approval for this adoption.  This application is called the I 800A and once it reviewed, they will send us an appointment time to appear in person at the Kansas City office to be fingerprinted.  These finger prints will be screen by the FBI and is part of the intense background checks which are required for the adoption.  This documentation is part of what needs to be completed for our dossier to be sent to China. 

What is a dossier?

In a nutshell, the dossier is our life story and more.  It contains our home study, letters of reference, medical info, income verification and all of the USCIS clearances.  So our next big step is to get all of the USCIS documentation and clearances, then submit our dossier to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago.  This probably will not take place until March 2016.

We still have at least 6-8 more months to go!  Thank you for your continued prayers.  

Fundraising Update

I finally had time to sit down and calculate all of the totals from fundraisers and donations.  We just hit the $5,000 mark!  Praise the Lord!

Here is a very simplified break down of where it came from:

Walrod jewelry sales over the course of 4 months = $400
EBC November Fundraiser Meal = $2,100
Donations = $990
Clothing drive fundraiser = $1,600

Grand Total = $5,090 raised to date!! 
towards the end goal of $45,000

Thank you all so very much!!  

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long will this process take?  International adoption is usually a very long, complicated and expensive process.  Our best guess (based on what we know right now) is that we hope to travel to China to adopt the children in late summer or fall of 2016.

How many children are you adopting? Two  (we have three biological children and we have adopted internationally three times)

How old are the children?

We pre-approved to adopt a boy age 3 and girl age 4.

Are the children related?

They are not biologically related that we know of.  However, they are originally from the same city. 

Why does adoption cost so much?  The short answer is that everything about the adoption process is intended to help reduce child abuse and trafficking.  Since these travesties are on the rise worldwide, more and more rules, regulations and systems have been put in place to help reduce the risk.  All of these things require the involvement of professionals on both sides of the ocean.  We have a complete list of all our expenses and it is available for anyone who is interested.  We aim to be completely transparent about the fundraisers and expenses.

What are their special needs?

This is generally private information but we can share some details to help you understand their needs a little better.  The girl has some issues with her eyes and language development.  We actually have more questions about her needs at this time.  We will not know the extent of her needs until she is home and examined by a team of specialist. 

The little boy actually has a brain malformation.  His condition is most commonly misdiagnosed as Asperger’s syndrome.  We also will not know a whole lot more until he is home.  

January Clothing and Shoe Drive Fundraiser

In January, I was able to find a semi-local recycling company to work with us for a clothing and shoe drive fundraiser.  We had so many people, friends, family, community members and folks we did not know get really excited about this fundraiser. With everyone's help, we rocked the socks off of this fundraiser!

So many of you have been excited to hear how we did.  The recycling company had to make three trips because we had so much stuff!  Drum roll .... the total weight was 10,890 pounds.  

The pay out per pound is better than we've ever done with other garage sale fundraisers.  It was work, but not nearly as exhausting and time consuming as the garage sales.

Besides, I don't think we can do anymore garage sale fundraisers ...at least not just our family.  My two main "pack mules" for the last adoption in 2008 are no longer available.  One retired from that job (Paul) and the other one (Landon) joined the military. He decided the military was easier than working for his mother! :)

We honestly have been so overwhelmed at how excited and vested so many people have become in not only this fundraiser, but our adoption process as a whole.

Thank you ALL from the bottom of our hearts.  We could never have done this without you.  I cannot mention all of your names here, but you know who you are.  Please know that we love and appreciate each and every one of you!

AND YES, We plan to have another clothing and shoe drive in April so start saving your stuff and tell all your friends.

Home Study Approval!

January 20, 2016 is when our home study was finally approved.  Praise the Lord!  He is GOOD and HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Now what is next?

Well along with running a family, a business, fundraisers, church involvement etc. etc. it is now time to start working on our Dossier.  This is the set of documents that will represent us in China.

The biggie for this set of documents is to fill out the I 800A, which is what we file with the USCIS, (US Citizen and Immigration Service). This will cost $975 which is for the application fee and three sets of finger printing.  Anyone 18 or older residing in the home must be finger printed.  Since our 19 year still lives at home and attends KU, he has to be finger printed with Paul and me.

These finger prints are then put through and cross checked with the FBI database.  This helps the officials make sure adoptive parents have a clean criminal record.

There is always a big question mark as to how long this part of the process could take.

They could send us a notice with an appointment time in a week or two or six plus weeks.  Obviously the longer they take to process the application, the longer we have to wait.

Once we get this clearance and the documentation to prove it, this info will go along with our dossier to the Sec of State office in Topeka for authentication.

After that is done, then the dossier will go to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago.

The Chinese Consulate in Chicago conveniently does not accept mailed in applications, so we will have to hire a courier service to physically walk it into their office one day and then return to pick it up a few days later.  I guess if we did not want to hire a courier, we could just take a leisurely drive up to Chicago and back for a few days.  

OH, and we can start applying for adoption grants now that our home study is done.  YES! and OH NO! when will I have time!

So much more to the process, but that is all for now.
Thank you again for following our journey and mostly, thank you for your prayers!

Documentation Frustration and Extra Costs but......

There is a whole lot more to tell about this issue, but I really don't have a ton of time to go into all the details.  However, if you remember from one of my previous post, we ran into some documentation delays. We were able to resolve the issue but it costs us an extra $400 we were not planning for.

One day after the $400 cleared our account, we received an anonymous gift for $400.  God is ALWAYS FAITHFUL providing just what we need when we really need it.

He is usually never early ...at least not in our lives anyway.  BUT HE is never late ...He is in control.  Even when we feel desperate and out of control ...HE IS IN CONTROL.

Thank you Lord Jesus!

January 2016 Puzzle Fundraiser Update

I feel ashamed that we are not caught up with the puzzle pieces this like we should be.  We have been so busy working on a Clothing and Shoe Drive Fundraiser that we have not had time to actually put any more pieces of the puzzle together. We have received some more donations and I will try to post an over all total of donations as soon as I can.  I plan to share updates on the clothing and shoe fundraiser results as well as some new and exciting new fundraisers we are working on.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers!

January 7, 2016 Update

Walrod Family Adoption Update

January 7, 2016

Thank you all again for all of your prayers and support!  We have been eternally blessed by you!

Here is an update on our adoption process and some answers to some frequently asked questions.

Process update:

We thought that our home study would have been completed by the middle of December.  However, we ran into a bit of a paperwork snag.  We needed some documentation that we thought was already taken care of, but alas it was not. Since it was so close to Christmas by the time we found out, the people who need to help with the documentation were out of the office until after the New Year.  This essentially put us a month behind which is a huge disappointment and difficult to handle going into Christmas. 

We have resolved to trust in God’s timing even when are hearts ache with the thought of another holiday missed with our little ones.  We’ve shed a few tears over not even being able to send them anything for Christmas.  We won’t lie …this is REALLY HARD! 

However, God is driving the bus!  We may have to change a few flat tires here and there, but HE is still driving the bus! 

Funding update:

We had some additional donations come in since our last update.  Total raised to date is just over $2,900!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow.  We still have a very long way to go, but we try to focus on all that HE has provided, not one what is yet to come.  HE IS FAITHFUL!  Always and forever FAITHFUL!  Please pray that we meet our next funding goal which is still $2,100 away. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long will this process take?  International adoption is usually a very long, complicated and expensive process.  Our best guess (based on what we know right now) is that we hope to travel to China to adopt the children in late summer or fall of 2016.

How many children are you adopting? Two  (we have three biological children and we have adopted internationally three times)

How old are the children?

We pre-approved to adopt a boy age 3 and girl age 4.

Are the children related?

They are not biologically related that we know of.  However, they are originally from the same city. 

Why does adoption cost so much?  The short answer is that everything about the adoption process is intended to help reduce child abuse and trafficking.  Since these travesties are on the rise worldwide, more and more rules, regulations and systems have been put in place to help reduce the risk.  All of these things require the involvement of professionals on both sides of the ocean.  We have a complete list of all our expenses and it is available for anyone who is interested.  We aim to be completely transparent about the fundraisers and expenses.

What are their special needs?

This is generally private information but we can share some details to help you understand their needs a little better.  The girl has some issues with her eyes and language development.  We actually have more questions about her needs at this time.  We will not know the extent of her needs until she is home and examined by a team of specialist. 

The little boy actually has a brain malformation.  His condition is most commonly misdiagnosed as Asperger’s syndrome.  We also will not know a whole lot more until he is home. 

It just came to a point for us when reviewing waiting child profiles that we prayed, “Just show us which one is our child.” And then it really doesn’t matter what the papers say, what the doctors say or the diagnosis …this is our child and we will do whatever we need to do.  We will just do the thing, trust God to meet all our needs and carry us through whatever trials lay ahead.  It is a very humbling and scary experience.

We desperately covet your prayers.  Thank you ….a thousand times again! Thank you just seems so inadequate!