Dear Family, Friends, & Followers,
Something wonderful is about to happen in our home! We have nearly completed an adoption of a little girl from Russia! In the week that we met her, our hearts have been yearning to bring her to our loving home. She is smart, friendly, independent, funny, full of personality and so much more. However, she will require some special care once she comes home as "D" has a growth delay and Pectus Carinatum, which is an overgrowth of cartilage causing the sternum to protrude forward. We can’t wait to learn more about her when she comes home to us. We hope she will be home forever with us by this summer.
You might wonder what made us decide to do this and all we can say is that it was God who put this desire into our hearts. We are excited about the opportunity to offer a child a family to love. We know God chose a special child just for us and we are eager to be completely faithful to what He is calling us to do. We are excited to see how He completes our adoption process.
We started our journey 3 years ago in Kyrgyzstan, our paperwork on their desk and awaiting our referral, only to have an unusual “bump” in the road. So we started the process over again in Kazakhstan, once again we had all our paperwork on their desk and awaiting our referral, only to have yet another “bump” which led us decide to change countries again. Finally, God led us to Russia… is it a coincidence that "D" was born in May, 3 years ago; the exact same time we made the decision to adopt? We think not.
Adoption is a wonderful way to build or add to a family, but it is not an inexpensive venture. Our adoption expenses include document preparation and translation, program fees, orphanage donations, fingerprint fees, travel and lodging expenses, passport and visa fees and misc. costs in the U.S. and Russia. These fees may cost us in excess of $40,000. We have faith that God will provide for her, but we need some help along the way.
Unfortunately, the previous two countries have put a strain on our adoption budget, as the money we saved and spent was not refundable or transferrable. We have tried grants, but with the economy the agencies are not able to provide for everyone who applies, and we did not qualify. We are praying to God to help provide for us, and know we have a great support system with our families and friends.
Please consider being a part of guiding our daughter to her “Forever Family”. If you choose, our blog offers several ways that you can contribute to bringing "D" home. If a fundraiser isn’t your cup of tea, feel free to contribute any way you feel comfortable. Any money raised will be used toward adoption expenses or caring for "D". Should you choose to donate, we will keep you updated on our progress and send you specific information about our new daughter as it arrives.
Please post comments or email us with any questions you may have regarding our situation. We would be happy to talk about this wonderful adventure with you.
God has provided us with the strength, the love, and the willpower that in the end will lead us to this child. The process is long and not without obstacles, and though we have already hit some road blocks along our journey, we will not finish until we bring our daughter home safe and sound.
When our child arrives home to us, we will post with our happy news. Thank you for prayerfully considering our situation in your giving this year.
Warmly,
Michael, Melissa & Hayden
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