Puzzle Update!!!

We just wanted to thank those who have given so far!  We cannot do this without you and you each mean so much to us!  We want to also thank the groups who have given.  Our Students and Youth Volunteers at Marion Baptist who came together and adopted puzzle pieces and also Life in Christ Church who adopted a puzzle piece!  Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

****UPDATE**** September 15 -  Thank you to those who have given already!  We wanted to update on the numbers that have been spoken for as of today (September 15).  Those numbers are: 1-27, 29-31, 39, 45, 50-52, 57, 59, 62, 80, 88, 100, 106, 127, 173, 198, 200, 204, 222, 230 and 297-300.  All others are still available!  Thanks again!

We are finally finished with most of the paperwork!!!  We just got word today that we are officially active!!!  This is the time we have been waiting for!  We now wait for the situation God's designed for us to come along!  Thank you all for your prayer and support through this process.  Keep it up!

Now here comes the really hard part.  We have prayed about this for quite some time.  For those of you familiar with adoption or who have adopted, you understand the financial hurdle (details below).  This has been the one constant that has concerned us most from the beginning. However, we know God will take care of this hurdle.  For many, it is the one thing that keeps them from adopting at all.  The costs add up so quickly.

We really prayed hard about how to financially make it possible. We have saved ourselves, but there’s no way for us to be able to save enough. We have applied for grants and will hopefully receive some of those, but it isn’t guaranteed. At times, our pride has made us feel like we need to do this all on our own and prevented us from asking for help.  Over the last several months, people began asking how they could help us and we just kept telling everyone to pray. We didn’t realize that God wanted to use others to bless us. People wanted to pray, but they also wanted to do more.  

We were too ashamed to ask for help financially, until one person said to us, “You know, you need to realize that it’s a blessing for people to be able to help you some financially in this journey, and by not allowing them to help, you’re not allowing them to experience that blessing.”

That completely changed our perspective.  We then realized that so many people wanted to help out.  Some who have been praying for years along with us to have children, some who may not be in a place themselves to adopt, and some who simply wanted to reach out a helping hand.

So, with humble hearts, we ask for help.  There is no easy or elegant way to say that we cannot do this alone.  We need you.

So, how can you help?  Adopt a Puzzle Piece!  We have puzzle pieces numbered 1-300.  Each number represents that corresponding dollar amount (ex., #1 is $1, #157 is $157, etc.).  We are asking everyone to adopt a numbered puzzle piece and give that amount.  You can adopt a combination of numbers or even adopt a number as a group or family.  Each person will receive a puzzle piece (or pieces if you adopt more than one) as a keepsake and prayer token to help remember to be in prayer for our soon-to-be growing family!  We will keep this page updated on the available numbers as we go along. (If you have already given through the church, we thank you!!!  If you would like that gift to be applied to a puzzle piece(s), please let us know and we would be happy to do that!)

We will also have a matching puzzle piece that will have your name (family or individual name) on it.  When complete, the puzzle will be hung in a double-sided frame with the picture on one side and the names of all those who gave sacrificially and prayerfully for this child to be in our arms.

How do you give?  There are a couple options.  We have set up a PayPal account for those who would like to give electronically (Donate below).  You can also give directly with a check via mail, which is the preferred method (email us at bringinghomedbaby@gmail.com for our home address).  All amounts are appreciated.  This would not be possible without you!  Thank you in advance for blessing us through your outstretched hand!

 

So why does it cost so much?  Well, that is a good question.  Our situation could be as much as $40,000 plus $5,000 for consulting and home study fees, totaling $45,000.  Here is a breakdown of average costs for a domestic adoption (these are estimates, not exact):

Adoption Consultants/Referral Firm -  $3,500

Home Study - $1,500

Agency Fees - $15,000

Court/Legal Fees - $2,000 - $4,000

Documentation - $500

Birth mother expenses - $5,000

Hospital/Health expenses - $10,000 - $15,000

Travel/Hotel expenses - $3,000 - $5,000

Post Placement fees - $500

Miscellaneous - $500 - $5,000

It is hard to be exact because every situation is so different.  Of course, we pray it will be as inexpensive as possible, but that is out of our control.  If you have any questions or would like more details or clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact us at bringinghomedbaby@gmail.com.