One Week Until Both Hands

We're a week away from our Both Hands fundraiser work day. Today we rallied the kids for a practice work day on our own house. We spread five yards of mulch, played in the rain, and went out for ice cream!

If you're not familiar with our Both Hands project, you can read more about our fundraiser here. If you've already given, Thank You! (We don't find out who gives)

We are continuing to seek donations for food and materials for the work day but have been excited at some of the responses so far. If you'd like to come work with us next Saturday, send us an email. clanfletcher (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Update!

         We received our adoption approval from the Chinese government today. :) This means we're looking at "3-4 months" until travel to China. So, our "Fall" is looking like August or September. We've decided to have I accompany us when we travel to China, and are grateful that the timing in God's hands - since fall also means the start of middle school for I.

How Much?

            So we've gotten the question of how much the adoption process will cost. The very short answer is that when it's all said and done, our expenses to adopt Ca will be about $30,000. S's was a little more.

            Why is it so expensive? You may ask. (Nearly everyone does!) My understanding leads me to the opinion that adoption is expensive because it takes a lot of work. There are a lot of people that help us who need to earn a living. A small section of the list:

·  intake coordinator at US agency (answers LOTS of our questions)

·  adoption supervisor at US agency (follows international guidelines, approves application)

·  child match coordinator (posts waiting child's photo/info online, answers questions)

·  social worker at NY agency (comes to our home, writes 'homestudy')

·  doctors and nurses (perform blood tests and medical exams)

·  translator at US agency (translates our documents)

·  US agency staff in China (takes our paperwork to the government office)

·  Chinese staff in government offices (reviews and approves our application paperwork)

·  Chinese orphanage administrative staff (handle Ca's paperwork)

·  Chinese orphanage direct care staff (provide daily care for our daughter and her friends)

·  and many more...

            There are also training courses (really helpful!) and travel costs we need to pay for. There are many people who work hard to ensure that kids are going to safe families, and that the families are prepared to care for them. This is honorable work, and I wouldn't want children's safety entrusted to a lick and a promise, even if it was more affordable.

            We've pulled together $12,000 already between some gifts we've received, some savings of our own, and B's adoption benefit through work. So we've set an $18,000 goal for our Both Hands fundraiser. You can learn more about it here. And by contributing, you can directly offset the costs to introduce a precious girl to what it means to have a family who will love her forever.

Do You Wanna See A Photo?

      I imagine that many of you have already seen a photo of our littlest girl. Some you perhaps haven't, or maybe some of you would like to see another one. We haven't posted any photos on this page out of respect for the Chinese government's policy to protect the privacy of the children in their care. Once we've adopted Ca, we can post all the photos we'd like. In the meantime, we are allowed to send them via email, so if you'd like one, please email us. We'd love to show you our beautiful daughter. clanfletcher (at) yahoo (dot) com.