$7,000 - plane tickets ($4,500 is the estimated cost for Me and Scott and Wallace tickets) - The other $2,500 is for our three children's plane tickets.
$500 - Train (13 hour train ride - $100 per "compartment" that seats 2 so we need 2 cars up (Rachel, Scott, Wallace, Facilitator) there and back.
$500 - Car travel (taxi, facilitation drivers, or car rental, etc..) (Again, this is an estimate that is just for Parents, facilitator, adopted child)
$9,000 - facilitation fee, that includes an orphanage donation - I think it's $500.
$3,500 - living expenses for 5 weeks in Eastern Europe (hotel, apartment, food, water, and we could possibly be there longer so this is just an estimate. This estimate is based on TWO adults ONLY but we are hoping it will be less)
$150 - medical exam fee for Wallace (required for visa)
$404 - Visa for Wallace
$1500 - Update here! Jill who's family just recenly adopted "Turner" (rr name) from the same orphanage just let me know that I was mis-informed on this. The passport they just bought for their child was $1000 US dollars and 350 of the country's currency which works out to aprox. $43.73 so it should be more like $1043.73 instead of $1500 - thankful for that! That's such great news!!! We previously figured $650. I will change our total amount needed from $23,554 to $23,098
$1,000 - emergency fund (because things can and do go wrong sometimes delays or extra costs come up).
Total: $23,098
As of this post with fund-raising from Reece's Rainbow, friends, and kind donations from people we've never met with our chip-in and fund-raisers we have a total of aproximately $2,975. We need $20,579 in three weeks. Lord, please help us!
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ReplyDeleteAn anonymous person left a very sad comment to our family :( I'd love to write an entire letter to address their concerns but I just don't honestly have time to sit down and type a long elegant and loving letter to this person, whomever they are. If anyone has a NICE question or concern regarding our family, our adoption, anything - please feel free to ask NICELY or e-mail us - "CONTACT" button at the top. We are happy to answer legitimate questions and concerns but being MEAN here on our page when what we really need at this time is love and support is just not nice.
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ReplyDeleteRachel, I saw the first post, but not the second. While it wasn't said very nicely, I DO agree in some part that you should make it known and clear that part of your fundraising is to allow your 3 children to travel with you and stay for the 5 weeks.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many families fundraising right now who are just struggling to be able to have just the parents travel. You are asking a lot for people to donate so you can take your kids.
It would save you thousands to leave them home - and after court a parent can come home and they wouldn't be without you for such a long time. Hundreds of families leave their little ones behind - including nursing infants.
I guess just be honest on your blog where the money is actually going.
Sarah
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ReplyDeleteGod gave us three little children and put on our heart to keep them close and help our WHOLE family transition. We are asking a LOT of Wallace to leave everything he's ever known at only 2 years old and join a new family and we hope God will bless him so that he will flourish just as our other children do. But we cannot suddenly discount the needs of the children already in our home. This is drilled into us through counseling, adoption classes, etc... We MUST take into account EACH individual's need in our family AND our family as a whole... then we must PRAY, ask God for wisdom and ACT as we feel God leads and with the brain He's given us. We are "attachment" parenting people. I nurse 'til our kids self-wean, wear our children (this will really benefit Wallace), etc... I hope this clarify some things but I honestly don't think any answer will help this anonymous person change their views of us. I cannot spend one more minute on this, however. I must leave it in God's hands. He knows our intents and our hearts and sees all our actions.
ReplyDeleteSarah - thank you so much for addressing me nicely. I really needed that! As you can see I typed a "letter" which I knew would and did turn into a novel regarding why we are bringing our children. And I edited our post to show the breakdown of our estimated costs. I understand that many families are trying hard to raise funds to bring their child(ren) home. We are one of the many. Some programs cost more, some cost less. Some people are single and some are required to bring their spouse (to legally adopt). We are not required to bring the children legally but as I posted earlier - to us it is part of the package - of our family adopting this child. One of Reece's Rainbow's goals is to remove barriers to loving and willing families to adopt these precious children. Usually that is finances. In our case it was a barrier not only financially but we felt we could not possibly leave our children that long. Before we committed we were assured that we are allowed to bring the children, if we felt they needed to come. Please don't forget about the families who, right now, also have small children and would GLADLY adopt an orphan but the barrier holds them back of leaving behind their children. Maybe it's timing or the extra cost of bringing their children that keeps them from committing. That is what kept us back for months. But then we just decided to take a step of faith to go get Wallace, as a family, and that God would provide that way somehow, since that is what we felt He was putting on our hearts.
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ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your adoption!
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand not wanting to leave the little ones behind for so long--especially a little nursing toddler. I hope you are able to raise all your funds soon and bring Wallace home!
Blessings to your (growing) family!
(p.s.--you can switch your comments to "moderate" to keep mean-spirited people from posting nasty comments.)
I would not leave my babies home. What an experience this is going to be for them. What bonding they are going to have, why should only the parents have the luxury of bonding with your new son. This is a family moment. I support you in bringing your whole family. Whether it is what people expect you to do or not.
ReplyDeleteHugs Mama!
ps - I deleted my "novel" - it's just too long and I think my other comments summed up things well enough :)
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