Both Hands Workday: Look What We Did!

We had an awesome work day at Mrs. Tucker's  home! Look what we accomplished in 1 day!

Andrew and I want to express our gratitude to everyone who made this day a success! Whether you donated money, sent out sponsorship letters, picked up and delivered lunch to us, created the video, or worked hard at the widow's house, we want you to know we appreciate it! Somewhere in Bulgaria are two children who are closer to having a mommy and daddy because of you!

Not only have you been a blessing to Andrew and I as we raise funds for our adoption, but you have also been a huge blessing to Mrs. Tucker. She said, "I wasn't expecting you to do all this, just mow the yard! No one has ever done anything like this for me before!" I know our team of volunteers had a great day too! I heard someone say, "We should do this once a month!"

There is still time to help! We would love if you shared the video on Facebook or email. We want to make it go viral!

Also, it is not to late to donate! The majority of funds are typically raised after the work day! You can donate online at http://bothhandsfoundation.org/andrew-and-katie-rickenbach or mail check payable to:

Lifesong for Orphans
PO Box 40

Gridley, IL 61744
write in the memo line: preference Rickenbach #3783

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to make this day a huge success!

Letter-Writing Party!

We are gearing up for our Both Hands Foundation work day where we will be helping Mrs. Gobel Tucker with much needed yard work around her home! We have an awesome team of volunteers! They all met at our house last Thursday or Friday evening to prepare sponsorship letters! Thank you Dave and Jenny, Alanna, Tim and Arlette, Shane, Travis and Jody, Matt and Tara, Kirsten, and Ryan and Danielle!

A special thanks goes to Matt for helping keep all the children entertained!

We sent out over 200 letters! Stay tuned for more information from our workday on October 19th!

Answers to Prayer

One of our biggest challenges to adopting has been how to pay for the it. International adoption is costly. We have fees to our adoption agency, immigration fees, legal fees, document fees, and travel expenses for two trips to Bulgaria! The decision to adopt was a huge step of faith for us. We know the God who has called us to adopt would be faithful to provide for our adoption! And He has! We pray He will provide and He does! Recently we have had two big answers to prayer about our adoption finances!

First, we have been praying for a better job for me and God has answered our prayers! I had to part-time jobs, one working in a preschool and one babysitting. I just got a new job, closer to my house, with a small pay raise, were I can work full time! This is a huge answer to prayer!

Our second answer to prayer is that yesterday we got approved by LifeSong for Orphans to do a Both Hands fundraiser and for a $3,000 matching grant! We love Both Hands! We are super excited to be able to help a widow and raise funds for our adoption. If you haven't heard of Both Hands, I will try to explain. Think of a 5K for the Cure. People get sponsored to run a marathon and the money raised helps find a cure for a disease. But what if they got sponsored to fix up a widow's house instead? And all the money they raised went to fund an adoption? The video below explains it better than I can. So watch it!

Eeeeek! I can't beleive it! We are going to do a project like this! (Yes I squeal when I get super excited!) The next steps for us include, gathering a team to work on a widows house, finding a widow (we have one in mind), and setting a date for the project! Stay tuned for more news!

Interest Free Loans & the Adoption Tax Credit

I don't usually encourage families to go into debt for adoption. I think that God will provide the funds if He wants a family to adopt. However, one idea for financing adoption expenses caught my eye - interest fee adoption loans!

Interest free adoption loans could be repaid with the money received from adoption tax credit. Families can get interest free adoption loans from several organizations. After their adoption is finalized they can apply for the adoption tax credit (a little over $12,970 per child). Each year, when they receive their tax refund check, they can use that money to pay off a portion of the loan! (Most families won't receive the total amount in the first year. They can carry the remaining credit forward for up to five additional years.)

There may be other places to get interest free adoption loans but here are a few that I know about -

• The Abba Fund - Interest free loans to Christian families.


• Lifesong Legacy Fund - The Lifesong Legacy Fund offers Interest Free Loans to help Christian families overcome the high cost of adoption. For donors, the Legacy Fund is a gift that keeps on giving. As the loans are repaid, new family needs are met…creating a self-perpetuating fund. Families enter into a covenant agreement to repay the loan through manageable monthly or annual payments.


• Hebrew Free Loan -  Interest free adoption loans up to $15,000 for Jewish families.

Drink Coffee - Help Orphans!

Just Love Coffee Roaster is doing a fundraiser to help us bring our children home!

Our next expense is $5,313 due June 7, 2013.  About half of this payment will be for our international adoption agency and about half will be sent to their partner agency in Bulgaria who will be translating our paperwork, filing it with the appropriate Bulgarian government agencies, and paying legal/government fees.

Support our Adoption! Use this link:  https://justlovecoffee.com/helpandrewandkatieadopt

Just Love Coffee Roasters is a certified Fair Trade Specialty coffee roaster with a heart for helping those in need. Part of every purchase of coffee from Just Love will not only help place orphans in permanent homes, through both domestic and international adoption, but help to prevent children in the developing world from becoming orphaned by providing clean water in the developing world to promote wellness. Learn more about this wonderful company by watching the video below!

Financial Update on Our Adoption

Hooray! Homestudy Expenses Paid For!

The expenses of adopting are one of the biggest obstacles that we have to overcome on our adoption journey.  We praise God that He is providing for every expense! So far, somehow, when the money was due, we could send in the check! It is a huge faith builder to see how God provides for our adoption expenses! In December, we were able to send in the last check to pay for our homestudy, which cost $1,750 ($250 for application fee and $1,500 homestudy fee)!

If God can provide for the sparrow, I know he will provide for two little children in Bulgaria who need to come home to their mommy and daddy in the USA!

 What Is Next?
 
We still have some more fundraising to do! We know God will provide!

Our next big expense is $5,313 due June 7, 2013.  About half of this payment will be for our international adoption agency and about half will be sent to their partner agency in Bulgaria who will be translating our paperwork, filing it with the appropriate Bulgarian government agencies, and paying legal/government fees.

How Do We Plan to Meet Our Next Financial Deadline?

1. Trusting God - We know God is calling us to adopt, so He will provide for our adoption expenses!
2. Applying for Grants - When our homestudy is completed, we will be applying for grants.
3. Working Hard - We try to live on less than we make so we can use some of our income to help pay for adoption expenses.
4. Fundraising - We plan on continuing our fundraisers with Amazon and Just Love Coffee. We also have some ideas for other fundraisers!
5. Tax Refund - We put last year's tax refund check towards our adoption expenses. We hope this year we will have a tax refund too! It is never a huge check, but every little bit helps!
6. Donations - Sometimes people express interest in giving directly towards our adoption expenses.

The Adoption Tax Credit: What It Is and How It Helps Orphans

"The permanent extension of the Adoption Tax Credit not only guarantees vital financial help for families that choose to adopt.  It also underscores the commitment of the American people to the idea that children need families."

- Jedd Medefind
Christian Alliance for Orphans

The Good News For Orphans and Adopting Families

Many people wonder why adoption can be so expensive since there are millions of children needing homes. I agree that it shouldn't cost so much to adopt and the US Congress agrees too. I don't know your opinion on the American Taxpayer Relief Act aka the“Fiscal Cliff” Bill. (I am sure there are as many opinions on the Fiscal Cliff Bill as there are readers of this blog post.) Whether you agree with the whole bill or only a few parts of it, there is good news in this bill for orphans in the US and around the world, as well as for families who adopt.  Families can continue to offset their expenses in adoption with the Adoption Tax Credit, which was set to expire at the end of 2012, that was made permanent in the the Fiscal Cliff Bill!

How the Adoption Tax Credit Works

• The Adoption Tax Credit was originally set at $10,000 in 2001 under President Bush. Going forward, the tax credit will be the $10,000 adjusted for inflation since 2001. For 2013, the maximum adoption credit and exclusion $12,970 per child.


• The credit is per child, the maximum you claim depends on the number of children you adopt. If you adopt two children, your maximum is $12,970 x 2 or $25,940. If you adopt four children, the maximum is $12,970 x 4 or $51,880. For purposes of the tax credit, there is no limitation on the number of children you can adopt. 


• The credit begins to phase out at incomes of $194,580, and is phased out completely at $234,580.


• The  Adoption Tax Credit was made permanent in 2013. It won’t need to be renewed every year, as it has in recent years. Congress will still be able to make changes to the tax credit in future legislation.


• The credit will be available for families who have completed adoptions both domestically and internationally.


• The credit is for documented, qualified adoption expenses such as agency or lawyer fees, travel expenses, court fees, etc. (Keep a file folder with documentation of everything you pay for your adoption!)


• For special needs adoptions from foster care, the credit will be a flat amount (the $10,000 adjusted for inflation) without regard to actual out of pocket expenses.  Domestic foster adoptions of children with special needs will be eligible for the full maximum credit even if very little was spent in the adoption process.  


• The credit will also exempt from taxes any adoption benefits provided by employers.  


• The credit is not “refundable”—meaning that it will not result in a payout from the government to those who have no tax liability. (It was refundable in some years.)


• The the remaining unused balance of the tax credit can be carried forward up to five additional years. (Good news for families like ours, since we don't exactly come close to $12,000 in federal income taxes in one year). Taxpayers have six years (original year + five additional years) to use the credit. Adoptive families who file taxes should include a Form 8839 to establish the adoption tax credit even if they do not believe they will receive a refund. Families may have tax liability in future years and establishing the credit would save them from having to go back and amend taxes once they were able to benefit. 

PS. This is not meant to be legal counsel or tax advice. Talk with your tax attorney or CPA ;-)

Source:
"Three Cheers: Adoption Tax Credit Made Permanent!" byJedd Medefind of Christian Alliance for Orphans

FAQs on the Adoption Tax Credit by Jedd Medefind of Christian Alliance for Orphans

Employee Adoption Benefits

What are Adoption Benefits?

Think retirement, health insurance, and paid vacation are the only benefits your employer offers? Maybe not. Many companies offer adoption benefits as part of there benefit packages. These companies provide their employees with paid and/or unpaid time off for adoption, financial assistance to adopt, and other benefits designed to promote adoption. The average adoption benefit includes $6,800 reimbursement for adoption expenses and four weeks of paid leave. But financial reimbursement can vary from $500 to $25,300, and one to 18 weeks of paid leave. Unpaid leave for adoption ranges from one week to three years.

Who Offers Adoption Benefits?

Who knew that Wendy's and Starbucks helped their employees pay for adoption expenses?! They do, (along with hundreds of other companies.) Every year, the Dave Thomas Foundation compiles a list of companies with the best adoption benefits for employees, including the best small, medium, and large employers. Here are the top 100 adoption-friendly workplaces in 2011 and in 2012. You company may still offer adoption benefits even if they are not on this list, as this list is only the top 100 companies.

Who is Eligible to Receive Benefits?

Nine out of 10 employers offer the adoption benefit immediately upon hire, or within the first year of
employment, and 65 percent offer the benefit to both full- and part-time employees. Most employers reimburse for specific adoption expenses, such as home studies, application fees, legal services, court proceedings, parental counseling, transportation, lodging and immigration. While financial adoption benefits generally apply equally to all employees who are eligible, employers sometimes graduate paid leave based on years of service and stipulate that if both parents are employees, they must share the leave.
 
My Employer Doesn't Offer Benefits

Your employer doesn't give adoption benefits? Use the Dave Thomas Foundation's Adoption-Friendly Workplace Toolkit. It will  help you propose an adoption benefits policy to your employer. Learn more about free Adoption-Friendly Workplace kits.

Tips for Saving Money on Adoption Expenses (And When to Pay More!)

Shop Around to Get the Most Bang for You Buck

The cost of adoption varies greatly by country and by adoption agency.  Make sure the agency you are considering is a licensed non-profit.  Check out some different countries that may have less cost. Remember adopting from Foster Care can be free or very inexpensive.  (Also, many families receive subsidies until the child turns 18.)

Not only should you shop around for adoption agencies, but also shop for different service providers for all the required documents for your adoption. For example, we were told that the required blood work to fill out our medical form would cost over $1,000 each.  I shopped around and found EconoLABS. We were able to have our blood work done for less than $200 each! 

Save money on having you papers, forms, and documents notarized by having them notarized at you local bank for free. We wait until we have a stack of papers that needs to be mailed.  Then we go to our bank and have them all notarized at once. 

Also, instead of ordering triple copies of birth certificates and our marriage license from vitalcheck.com we opted for the slower, cheaper method of ordering our documents directly through our state's department of vital statistics.

When to Pay More

Avoid anything that gives you a red-flag feeling! We looked into two different service providers for our homestudy.  One provider was very reputable and recommended to us by a friend and by a professional in the adoption field This homestudy provider had already worked with our international placing agency.  They were reasonably priced. The second homestudy provider could have saved us $1,000.  But option two refused to provide a list of references for us to contact, was hard to get a hold of by phone, had negative reviews online, and had never written a homestudy for a Bulgarian adoption.  My gut instinct was that this agency would be trouble! We opted for the more expensive, but still reasonably priced homestudy provider.  In this instance, saving money was not worth trying to work with a less than reputable agency for something as important as our homestudy.

Grants for Adoption

According to recent studies, more than 50% of Americans consider adoption, but say that the financial burden prevents them from actually adopting a child.

For National Adoption Month, I have been blogging about ways to help off set adoption expenses in hopes that someone who thought they could not afford to adoption would find hope that they can adopt with the help of God and others.  This topic would be incomplete without a blog post about adoption grants.

Adoption grants are a big help to families who can afford the day to day expenses of adding a child to their family such as food, clothing, doctor visits, etc. but do not have the funds to pay the expenses of an adoption.  Grants do not need to be repaid, which is a huge advantage over a low interest or interest free loan. Grant foundations and organization each have different requirements.  Every organization that I have seen requires an approved homestudy.  Most organizations send money directly to adoption agencies or lawyers rather than to the adoptive families.  Some agencies require a small application fee, usually under $50.

 

Grant Agencies

• National Adoption Foundation - This grant program is open to all legal adoptions including public or private agency adoptions, international, special needs or adoptions facilitated by an attorney. There is no income requirement. There is a simple one page application and the only requirement to apply is a home study, or one in progress. The NAF’s board meets four times a year, during the last week of each quarter, to award grants ranging from $500 to $2,000.
• Sea of Faces Foundation - Sea of Faces gives grants to married Christian couples who are legal residents of the US, have a referral for a child from a developing country, have a completed homestudy and an approved I-171H or I-797C. Sea of Faces allows families to apply up to six months after a child is home. Some additional factors considered are urgency of need, church involvement, overall financial stewardship, adoption impact on your financial future, and your adoption story. Applicants must also sign a Statement of Faith, which can be previewed here.
• Show Hope - Grants are given to Christian families adopting through a non-profit agency for domestic and international adoption.
• The OATH Ministry - Orphans Awaiting Their Homes Ministry gives grants to families who are currently in the adoption process and have an approved homestudy by a licensed social worker.  Grants are based on the need of the families and available the OATH's available resources.
• Affording Adoption Foundation - Grants are given three times a year to families working with Accredited Adoption Agencies or licensed attorneys in the United States who have been matched with a child.
• Gift of Adoption Fund - Grants are awarded for domestic or international adoptions regardless of religion, race, age, number of children already in the home, or marital status. Any U.S. citizen who has an approved and current home study from a licensed and accredited adoption agency is eligible to apply for a grant from The Gift of Adoption Fund. Grants range from $1,000 to $7,500 with the average grant award at $3,500. Gift of Adoption does not fully fund adoptions but provides the last bit of help needed to bring a child home.
• Help US Adopt - Grants are given twice a year to US citizens living inside the United States. Both couples or individuals who exhibit financial need and significant obstacles and hardship may receive grants. Helpusadopt.org accepts applications regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, or marital status. Grants are up to $15,000 towards domestic, international, foster, or special needs adoption expenses.
• A Child Awaits Foundation - Grants are given of up to $5,000 for international adoptions only to qualified U.S. citizens regardless of marital status, race, religion or national origin. Selection of the recipients will be based on a combination of age/medical condition of the child, cost of the adoption, the families' financial situation and availability of funds at A Child Waits Foundation. Adoptions must be in process through a 501 (c) (3) agency licensed to place children.
• Hope for Fallen Leaves - Single women and legally married couples may apply, including families adopting internationally, from U.S. foster care, or domestic special needs; families with 0 – 10 children, biological or adopted; families living abroad with at least one parent being a U.S. citizen. Families must have a completed homestudy and be adopting with a non-profit agency. Funding priority will be given, but not limited to, families with the greatest financial need; families trying to keep siblings together; and families adopting special needs children.
• The Sparrow Fund - Gives grants to help cover the expenses of a medical reviews.
•  Brittany's Hope -Offers grants for waiting child/special needs international adoptions to families working with any of the eight agencies with whom they partner.
• Adoption Agencies – There are several adoption agencies that have adoption grant funds available to qualified families. Examples include: Dillon International, Holt International, WACAP, Adoption ARK and many more. Most of the time, these funds are set up to assist adoptions of special needs or hard to place children.

Matching Grant Agencies

• LifeSong for Orphans - LifeSong offers dollar-for-dollar matching grants ranging from $1,000-$4,000 to bring a child into a Christian, traditional two-parent home. LifeSong also offers interest-free adoption loans.
• We Care for Orphans Adoption Fund - A partner of LifeSong for Orphans that also give matching grants and interest free loans.
• Katelyn's Fund Orphan Ministry - Katelyn's Fund gives grants to help orphans to be adopted into two-parent, Christian homes. Grants are given to families showing financial hardship with adoption expenses. Applications must be submitted at least 90 days before travel and applicants must have an interview with the board before travel occurs or within 45 days of placement for domestic adoptions.
• God's Grace Adoption Ministry - GGAM uses matching grants to help Christian, two-parent families meet adoption expenses.

PS. - Resources 4 Adoption keeps an updated list of grant foundations and their qualifications that you can download for a fee of $9.95.

Both Hands: One for the Orphan, One for the Widow

Paying for an adoption isn't easy. For National Adoption Month, I wanted to share some fundraising ideas for families who are adopting. My absolute favorite fundraising idea for adoption is Both Hands Foundation.

Some reasons I love Both Hands Foundation:

1. I love the opportuity for the body of Christ to be the hands and feet of Jesus for a day!  This fulfills James 1:27 by helping both a widow and an orphan in a practical, hands on way.

2. The both hands project is a one day event! (Although there is preparation.) Short, sweet, and hard to beat!

3.  This fundraiser can be so successful! Some families have actually raised enough funds through this fundraiser to cover all of their adoption expense. The average family raises $10,000.00!

4. 100% of the money raised goes toward the expenses of the family's adoption.  Both Hands does not take any money for overhead.

5. Organization is dear to my heart.  I love things to be done in an orderly fashion.  A project like fixing a widows house in a day takes some planning.  I love how Both Hands has everything in place to make this fundraiser run smoothly.

6. Since Both Hands is a licensed nonprofit, all donations/gifts are tax deductible.

7. I love that this fundraiser is not just for adopting families. A church can do a Both Hands fundraiser to raise money for an orphanage or a church adoption fund!

Sound to good to be true? It is not. This video explains how both hands works, and the compelling story of how founder J. T. Olson began the ministry.

For more information and to apply, click here.

Would you like to see a sample of what one family did in one day to help a widow and raise money for there adoption? See the video below.

PS. Through out November I will be posting more fundraising ideas!

Adopting When You Can't Afford It

 

November is National Adoption Month.  Many people consider adopting, but think they can't afford it. Don't let money be the only obstacle that is keeping you from adopting.  If God wants your family to adopt, He will provide the finances for your adoption! If everyone waited until they could afford it, 90% of people who have adopted would probably never have adopted! Most people don't have thousands of dollars in the bank to pay for an adoption, but somehow they adopt anyway.

We are one of those couples without thousands of dollars in our bank account. My husband is in grad school and can only work about 30 hours a week.  I lost my job last spring and now work two part time jobs. We probably "can't afford it." But we are adopting anyway. We are trusting God to provide the finances.  (This whole adoption process is strengthening my faith! It is so amazing to watch how God is providing for our adoption!) I said all that to say this "If we can adopt, so can you!"

If you are considering adoption, but don't think you can afford it.  Give adoption another thought. Read Rebekah's blog post on how they adopted and God provided. Read Nancy's blog post on the sacrifices they made in order to adopt.

Stay tuned! Through out the month of November I will be giving a shout to out different fundraising and grant organizations that could help your family adopt!

How Much Does It Cost To Adopt?

November is National Adoption Month.  Have you considered adoption? Ever wonder the cost of adopting? Expenses range from free to quite costly.  (When you look at the charts below, don't let the expenses discourage you. Tomorrow I will post on how to adopt even when you can't afford the cost.) For today, lets examine what the cost to adopt is. Adoptive Families Magazine surveyed over 1,500 families that adopted a child in 2010 or 2011 about cost before any employee benefits, tax credits or grants. Here is what the survey found:

• Domestic adoptions, on average, cost less than international adoptions.


• U.S. foster adoption is the least expensive adoption route, by a significant margin.


• 80 percent of respondents who adopted from foster care receive an ongoing monthly subsidy. On average, these families reported receiving $630 per month.


• For most adopters, the average total expenses were about $30,000.


• 39 percent of domestic adopters had at least one "false start," in which adoptive parents worked with one or more birthmothers before a match that succeeded. The majority (77%) of "false starts" cost less than $5,000.

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Average Domestic Adoption Cost

	Domestic Newborn - Agency	Domestic Newborn- Independent	U.S. Foster
Homestudy Fee	$1,820	$1,538	$285
Document Preparation & Authentication	$768	$680	$0
Adoption Agency Application & Program Fees	$14,441	$4,608	$0
Legal Fees	$3,536	$10,331	$686
Advertising/ Networking	$2,172	$3,437	$0
Birth Family Counseling	$1,233	$543	$0
Birthmother Expenses	$3,834	$4,274	$0
Foster Care	$230	$38	$0
Travel Expenses	$1,870	$2,285	$521
All Other Expenses	$4,108	$2,488	$761
TOTAL	$34,012	$30,222	$2,253

Average International Adoption Cost

	China	Ethiopia	Russia	South Korea	Ukraine
Homestudy Fee	$2,052	$2,107	$1,923	$2,178	$1,886
Document Preparation & Authentication	$2,214	$1,769	$3,258	$1,472	$1,272
Adoption Agency Application & Program Fees	$7,652	$11,988	$22,173	$16,675	$6,143
In-Country Adoption Expenses	$5,581	$1,979	$6,709	$9,007	$13,946
Child's Passport, Visa, Medical Exam, and Other Fees	$716	$837	$1,431	$888	$1,021
Post-Adoption Expenses	$1,576	$1,150	$1,684	$1,775	$767
Major Travel Expenses	$7,181	$7,852	$14,748	$5,577	$9,614
In-Country Travel Expenses	$2,704	$1,080	$6,709	$583	$2,386
All Other Expenses	$2,125	$5,363	$7,569	$8,533	$5,000
TOTAL	$31,801	$34,125	$66,204	$46,688	$42,035

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Cost Distribution

	Less than $1k	$1k to $5k	$5k to $10k	$10k to $20k	$20k to $30k	$30k to $40k	$40k to $50k	More than $50k
U.S. Agency	0%	1%	6%	25%	37%	23%	7%	1%
U.S. Independent	1%	7%	14%	24%	22%	17%	13%	2%
U.S. Foster	70%	23%	4%	3%	0%	0%	0%	0%
China	0%	0%	0%	4%	58%	32%	6%	0%
Ethiopia	0%	1%	0%	10%	50%	30%	8%	1%
Russia	0%	0%	0%	0%	3%	17%	45%	35%
South Korea	0%	0%	0%	9%	36%	42%	11%	2%
Ukraine	0%	0%	0%	0%	32%	36%	32%	0%

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Information and Charts from: Adoptive Family Magazine's Survey

Story of God's Provision: Harper's Adoption

When I watch this, I cry, every time.  Thank you Father for your amazing provision!  

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Guest Post: Can We Afford It? by Rebekah

UPDATE: Rebekah and Will brought home their baby boy Ethiopia in May of 2012.  This blog post was originally posted in June 2010.  Here is a picture of their beautiful family on Gotcha Day!

 

Can We Afford It?

Since beginning the adoption process back on April 1, there have been several times that Will and I have looked at each other and been like, "how are we going to pay for this?!". There have been times that I have angrily questioned God's provision, saying "God, I want to trust you to provide, but you're not doing it!"... and then there are times that I am completely, utterly BLOWN AWAY by the gifts and encouragement of people we know well, or that we barely know that are sacrificing for our baby.

For a big dose of self-disclosure, let me show you the path that Will and I have been on since our sweet wedding day on February 28, 2009 (yes, a mere year and four months ago).

We were married and then I joined Will up in NC, as he is a grad student at Southeastern Baptist Seminary. Thanks to the GENEROUS support of our parents, we had no debt from college and no car payments. The day we went to join our bank accounts I had $50 to contribute ("oops, thought it was more than that, honey".) He was a mailman that made $100 a week, and I had no job for almost THREE MONTHS! We were broke, living off gift cards and our savings account.

Finally, I got a part-time job making $7/hr..... and lost it 3 months later. Will took a job painting apartments all summer, and I got a new full-time job (my current job) in August. We tried to live off of just my income, practice frugality, and save everything that Will made as a painter.... and what do you know, a few months later, to our complete surprise, we had enough money to start an adoption. Who knew?.... not us!

Will is still in grad school, he works 2 part-time jobs and I have my full-time job (plus a little bit of money made from selling craft stuff). We are not living the high life, but we have not once lacked the resources to eat or have shelter. God has provided us with discipline to save, the magical start-up money from our savings this last year (that has already gone to pay for the first half of our adoption fees), and the community that is so supportive.

Now, can I look ahead at the $10,000 or so that we have left to pay, and tell you exactly where/how it will appear? No. But do I have faith that God WILL provide? Heck yes. He always has. He loves this baby even more than we do, and there are many days that we weep for him/her and ache to hold our baby and show it the love of a parent.

So, if you are considering adoption, go for it! Do what you can to save, live a financially disciplined life, and seek God's will for your family. Pray for wisdom and discernment on what you can cut back within your budget. Give generously to your church and to the needs around you, and trust that God will provide for you just the same.

God's calling is clear: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

" When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Matthew 25:31-46

Originally Posted by Rebekah on Monday, June 21, 2010 (http://yestoadoption.blogspot.com/2010/06/can-we-afford-it.html)

Comments from Rebekah's Blog

JonesEthiopiaJune 21, 2010 8:53 PM

I found that with both adoptions, the money was just there when we needed it. I'm not saying we didn't save and sacrifice for our adoptions. But I'm saying that I knew that adoption was what we were supposed to be doing and that it would all work out fine in the end because of that.

livJune 21, 2010 2:19 PM

Praise the Lord! I just posted something like this a couple days ago. Your story is similar to ours. We managed to save over $10,000 before we applied to adopt. I don't work and my husband is working part time as a pastor and part time at the USPS. Though both of them end up being more than part time, ha. But we are very much relying on God's faithful provision for us because we have no idea where the rest is going to come from!

Affording Adoption (Katie Writing Now)

If you are considering adoption, but don't think you can afford it.  Give adoption another thought.  Here are somethings to look consider:

• Check out these websites/blogs all about affording adoption: Adopting Without Debt; Resources4Adoption
• Remember cost of adoption varies greatly by country and by adoption agency.  Make sure the agency you are considering is a licensed non-profit.  Check out some different countries that may have less cost.
• Apply for Grants.
• Grant organizations for all types of adoption: Affording Adoption Foundation; Gift of Adoption Fund; National Adoption Foundation; Sea of Faces Foundation; The Sparrow Fund; Show Hope; The OATH Ministry; Help US Adopt; A Child Awaits Foundation
• Matching grants for adoption: LifeSong for Orphans; We Care for Orphans Adoption Fund; Katelyn's Fund Orphan Ministry; God's Grace Adoption Ministry
• Grants for special needs adoption: Brittany's Hope;
•  There are all kinds of creative fundraisers out there, but my favorite is Both Hands Foundation. The average amount raised by a family who does a both hands project is $10,000.  In the past year alone Both Hands has raised over a million dollars for adopting families.
• Many employers offer adoption benefits and will reimburse some of your adoption expenses. Check out this list of the Top 100 Adoption Friendly Work Places. Who knew places like Wendy's and Starbucks would help pay for your adoption?! The company you work for doesn't have adoption benefits? Find out how to ask you employer for adoption benefits here.
• Advocate for the adoption tax credit. It is expiring this year, but current bills in congress could make the adoption tax credit permanent and refundable. (See this website for more information: http://adoptiontaxcredit.org/)

Guest Post: Just One Makes a Difference by Nancy Barlow

Just one makes a difference

(Photo courtesy of Life for relief and development)

This child drew a picture on the floor of his Momma for comfort. Look at the one arm up to hold him.

BREAKS MY HEART!

The truth is I am the same as you.

Except, maybe I don't go to church as often as you. 

Except, I am not a good Christian (but I do try) and some days I am not as nice as I should be.

Except, I have some major selfish moments where I take a bath for 30 minutes to unwind.

Except, we don't make great money compared to the rest of the USA, but we do compared to the world.

The difference people see is when I was asked to adopt, I said yes. Not because we are special or different, just because I knew that the love I had even if I am not a perfect parent, is better than not having a mommy and daddy.

I said yes so at least one child would truly know the love of a Mommy and Daddy. I said yes even if it means we don’t get to go on that Disney cruise we really wanted to go on. I said yes, even if it means my husband’s 8 year old car has to last another 2. I said yes even if it means my car has to last 5 more years. I said yes, even if it means the plan I had for our future won’t work now. I said yes because of Allison.

Each horrible story I heard all I had to do was look at my daughter and I knew I had to say yes. If I died, would you say yes to helping Allison?  Then why do you say no to all the other children. They aren't as cute as Allison? They aren't as funny? Why would you accept my child as yours, but turn your back on a million other children.

If I hear one more time, we can't save them all I will scream! God never said one person must save them all. He commands that EACH of us do our part. If you can't adopt, volunteer with inner city children. Be a big brother or a big sister. Skip one meal a week and donate to a family that is adopting. Make a meal for a family coming home from adoption, offer to watch their other children just for two hours so Mom and Dad can have a moment alone. (A baby sitter is a luxury we can't pay for right now) Donate something to help the family raise money. Get some stuff together and donate it to a young mother.

You can help!

JUST ONE MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

Nancy Barlow (http://www.tinypieceofheaven.blogspot.com)

It is me, Katie, again.
Since "going public" with our decision to adopt we have gotten many different reactions.  From wondering if we can have biological kids to congratulations and much excitement. Some people also express their desire to adopt and explain the hurdles of why they aren't.  Others express that they think it is so wonderful that we are adopting.  

I want to say what Nancy Barlow says: "The truth is I am the same as you.....when I was asked to adopt, I said yes. Not because we are special or different, just because I knew that the love I had even if I am not a perfect parent, is better than not having a mommy and daddy."