Getting Down To The Wire

Just a little recap of where we're at in the process.

We have a referral. We're in the process of updating our home study. We recently submitted our contract. Once the home study is updated, we'll submit our immigration paperwork. We're expecting our dossier checklist soon! Once the dossier (huge stack of paperwork that gets shipped off to Uganda) is on it's way, we expect to travel 6-9 months from that time.

So this is me.

Stacks of papers to fill out. Forms to photocopy. Questions to email. Phone calls to make. Dollars to raise.

Diapers to change. Lessons to teach. Homeschooling. Dishes. Laundry. Etc...

But it's all worth it. Each day, I grow more excited to meet my new daughter. Each day I am thankful for my kids at home.

And thankful for the warm sun when I take the kids outside to play.

And grateful that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, who knows and sees with compassion, all of our struggles.

I do worry. I try not to, but I am anxious for my girl, who seems so, so far away. I hope and pray that she is staying healthy. That she is full at the end of the day. That someone is showing her the care and love that she needs.

And I have what if moments. And they are scary.

In going over the more formal documents that we received last week, I realized that one application (immigration stuff) that has to be mailed ASAP includes a $720 fee. To be honest, I knew that this came somewhere in the process, but I wasn't sure when. The reason we need to get it in ASAP is because is takes 60-90 days to be fully processed. And we can't move forward with the final faze of adoption paperwork (dossier) till it's complete.

~~~~Please pray with us that we are able to raise the $1865 we will need, in about 3 weeks. That means we need to raise $621 per week till then.~~~~~

If we can get 27 more puzzle pieces sold, we will have reached out goal for the week!!!

Please pray with us that 27 hearts are touched.

More Little Steps

This week we finished our 10 hours of required training. I like to joke a little that I guess the last 3 years of adoptive parenting haven't counted:) While finishing up our training, which was a webinar, I folded little girl clothes. Mostly 4-5t. I've experienced baby showers...getting cute clothes to put your new baby in, and folding them neatly in preparation for the new little person that will fill them. It was sort of a similar experience, though these were Lu's hand-me-downs. It was fun to look at all the sweet little girl things A will wear. It's a way of feeling connected with her, the only way I can, for now.

Today we update our homestudy, which is just another of many steps in the paper chase. We're going to spend the cleaning and organizing, and it is just great timing because then on Sunday we host for Easter! Our new social worker comes here and we all chat (there will be a nice long movie time for the kids.) Then she updates the "story of our family" or homestudy, and gives us a list of documents to gather.

This updating process will involve a $1500 fee. Again, it's another big bill that we can cover, thanks in part, to timely donations.

Please continue to pray that more funds come in. We have fundraisers coming soon, but we will have big bills due before then. And by the time we submit our dossier (some time this summer) we will need to have $15,000 to cover all the rest of the international fees (this does not include travel.)

I know a lot of times we complain that adoption is too expensive, the costs are too high. But really, when you break it all down, a good part of the money is going to help care for our girl and to provide aid for the orphanage. Some goes to the government, and some to the agency, but not all. And our agency is very transparent about where all there money goes, so I truly believe that every penny is needed and justifiable. If you would like to help, please feel free to donate any amount by clicking the donate button to your right. Thank you.

Other ways to help:

Coin Buckets!!!

The Puzzle Project

The Latest

Well, we've seen the beginnings of better weather and the snow is gone. Praise the Lord! Another praise, our passport applications are in!!!

I was a bit nervous to do this, as it is so important (and expensive!) Thankful that everything went smoothly and it's done!

In facing the reality of the finances, dealing with other things that come up in life, and figuring out this whole passport situation with kids and forms, and printers not printing, and me making mistakes and having to re-do forms, then sitting down to do our training at 9 p.m. after a long day, I've been stressed! Finn has a sedated procedure coming on Tuesday, my house is in shambles, and the snow melting was wonderful, but revealed a ton of work we need to do cleaning up. I am concerned that from the outside looking in, we're crazy to attempt this huge, huge thing called international adoption.

But in considering this, I took a step back, and what I see is a sweet little girl, who I happened to find, who is not 100% healthy, who has no mama. And she needs me. And it's so beyond worth it. For her precious soul, it's an honor to do this. It's hard, yes. It's illogical, yes. But if we use our hearts and our eternity-seeing eyes, it makes all the sense in the world.

And if you ask my kids, they have a sister in Uganda. Or "Nuganda" as Harry terms it. She's their sister, the boys either identify her by her name, or by saying "sitter" (sister.) In my kids hearts, there are no questions about it. A is prayed for every night by daddy and boys, mama and LuLu, and she's going to be enjoying the longed for bunkbeds that LuLu now has a perfect right to expect.

Adoption is expensive, and yes, some aspects of it do seem ridiculously difficult. It's not the perfect solution, but for this 3 year old girl, it's the only solution possible.

And it is inconvenient to fundraise, and I know, it's not always convenient to give. And it won't make us richer, or less stressed, or anything like that. And it certainly won't really help you at all, to give to the adoption of this little girl. But imagine you were her. Living with next to nothing, not even family, and imagine how you would feel if a bunch of people in the USA pulled together to bring you somewhere safe, warm, loving and welcoming. Imagine that.

It makes me want to give everything for her, of course, because she is, or will be mine, but I know it moves your heart as well as mine. It's life-changing, to help kids like A. This is real, it may not be at our doorstep, but it doesn't make her need any less real. And ultimately, we're all part of the same race, the same family. Just because distance and a few bits of DNA separate us does not mean we aren't obligated, in some way, to help the motherless and fatherless of our world. This is my desperate, deepest desire.

Looking ahead, some prayer requests and things to be mindful of for us:

~Homestudy meeting coming up next Friday
~Finn's sedated ABR
~Reaching our first fundraising goal of $1600 ($1058 left to raise) which will allow us to pay the next 2 big fees, and reaching our ultimate goal of $23,000 total.
~Praise that our passport fees ($600) and our first professional services fee to our agency ($2700) is fully covered. God is good, and we see Him working through you!!!

Fundraiser #2!!!!

In conjunction with The Puzzle Project, which will be ongoing till we bring Alma home, we are introducing "Help Change a Life" coin buckets...

We have $1281 to go before we reach our first fundraising goal of $1600!!!



You could leave this on your kitchen counter, dresser, in your office at work, at a local business that you frequent, in your car etc...

Please let me know if you want one! When it's full let us know and we'll be happy to pick it up! All donations will go directly to bringing A home from Uganda.

First Official Fundraiser To Bring Alma Home From Uganda!!!!

The Puzzle Project!!


There are 1,000 pieces, and our goal is $23,000. Suggested donation amount is $23 or more. For each donation, we will put a name (yours) on the back of a puzzle piece (or however many pieces you choose to "buy") and when complete, it will mean that we can bring A home. The puzzle will be framed so that the front and back will be on display! You can either click "donate" or mail a check/give cash. Email me at Chicamia84@msn.com for address.


Our first goal, in the next month, would be to raise about $1600. That's what we're short for the first batch of BIG fees.

Please know we hate asking for money. The only time we ever have is to bring our kids home (this is our 3rd adoption.) We're pouring all our savings and pinching every penny, but it's not going to be enough. Alma has sickle cell anemia and has been in an orphanage most of her life. So please, please give what you can!

If you don't have any money (or just want to do more), and want to help consider these options...

~Share our blog! It has very, very few views, and I'm working on finding out ways to improve that BUT...you can share it on your facebook page, and that would be a HUGE help!!!

~Ask for a coin donation bucket, we're making them (photos to come) and you could ask your boss to put one in the office, keep one in your home, car, wherever loose change might be!

~Pass out our adoption cards. I always have some with me, or I will happily mail some out!

~PRAY! We appreciate this the most, as all things belong to Him anyway:)