Mad world of paperwork

I am working through the paperwork as fast as I possible can!  They give 6 months to complete our part of the paper work.  Its been almost 2 months and I have most of it done (or so they tell me... I'll believe them when I see the light at the end of the paper tunnel).

The "homestudy" section of the dossier is done.  We've completed the education workbook, we just have a few more online education classes.  They say all that's really left is the make 2 picture books: one for the government and the other for the mother, sign a few more papers for Taiwan, and then get state certified.

To submit the dossier, we will need $9500... so that's the biggest thing we're praying for and working on right now.... $$$!!

Thanks to anyone who is praying for us :)

We're in the Taiwan program!!!

So we submitted our application to the agency "All God's Children International" on Friday night to see if we would be accepted into their agency AND accepted into the Taiwan program. 

She called me today and said that they closed the Taiwan program in January (meaning they weren't taking anymore applications) because they don't like to exceed a certain amount of families in one program so they can ensure that the adoption process takes only as long as they promise it will take.  So they only were taking 20 families into the Taiwan program, and they had 20 families back in January. 

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She said that she asked the agency that they make an exception for my family and they ACCEPTED US!!!  So we are in the Taiwan program!!!!  We also have to be open to either a girl or a boy... (so it might not be Lily after all... haha) because the birth mothers choose what family they want to give their child to... so the mother that chooses us could have a boy.  We will see.. that is months and months away....


I'M EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Price Breakdown

Ready for your head to spin?  Here is the breakdown of the price to adopt:

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Application & Paperwork:
Application Fee = $300
Home Study Service Fee = $1750
Home Study Review Fee = $350
Adoptive Parent Education = $210
1st Agency Service Fee = $3,000
Program Fee = $1,500
USCIS Fees = $720
USCIS Related Fees = $85 (per adult)
Country Certification = $70 (if applicable)
State Certification = $140 (if applicable)
FBI Fingerprints for Dossier = $18 (per adult)

Dossier Submission:
1st International Service Fee = $6,000
2nd Agency Service Fee = $3000
Translation = $500

Acceptance of Referral:
2nd International Service Fee = $6000
Care of the Child In-Country = $3,500 (per child)
Child Medical Check-Up = $100

Travel:
Airfare to/from Taiwan = $1500-2000 (per person)
Travel Visa = $20 (per person)
Transportation ($400)
Food per person = $20-35 (per day)
Immigrant Visa = $404 (per child)
Lodging = $100 (per night)

Post-Adoption:
Post-Adoption Translation and Administration Fee = $1500
Post-Adoption Reports = $350 per report (3 required)
Re-Adoption Fee = $200-300

Total Average Expenses = $27,000
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It hurts just typing it, much less spending it.  But I believe that the impossible (in case you didn't catch it, $27,000 feels pretty much impossible to me) becomes possible with Christ. 

Please pray with us that the money will miraculously come in. 

It's a coming...

Yard Sale Success!

The yard sale on December 4th was a success!  We had so much stuff, I was majorly overwhelmed (but in a good way).  Thank you to everyone who donated and/or helped me on Saturday.  We raised a little over $1200!  Exciting!  We started researching agencies and will pick soon which we are going with.

It is $8,143 to totally complete the application process (home studies, education classes, agency fees, certifications, etc).  We have close to $4000 saved already (in just 2 months!!) so we are almost half-way to being able to do the start the first part of the process.

Thanks to everyone who has donated or helped in some way so far.  It means a lot!  You are helping a dream come true for David and I.  Even just those of you who have been encouraging me that this dream/goal is possible - it feels quite the opposite.  Your encouragement keeps me focused.   <3 - Aslinn

Yard Sale - Dec 4th!

Hey everyone,

The garage sale is this Saturday at Northwest @ 7am!  I, by the way, have no idea what I'm doing.  Never been yard-sale shopping before.  But I have friends and family helping, so I'm sure we'll do fine.  Thanks to everyone who has donated items to be sold.  I really appreciate it!!

Hopefully, we can survive a Pine Hills Yard Sale... oh boy....

SOOO much SOOO quickly!!!

Bringing Baby Lily Home has had an AMAZING weekend!!!!

First a HUGE thanks to all those at the Northwest Market who contributed to the raffle and bought tickets... WOAH!!! We had MANY donations.. and even a special LILY tu-tu with all proceeds going to our girl!!

Here were some of our amazing sponsors:

Cheryl Radloff www.insideoutskinclinic.com

Caitlyn Strombeck of Salon Zion  www.salonzion.com

Jim Sellers  www.backtoburly.com

Crystal Brunton www.etsy.com/shop/RowanTreeStudios

Janelle Gates www.janellegates.com

Erika Matuszeck and her Tutu's

Moggie Makubin, Freedom Martinez, Gia Giles, and SOOO many more.. if you have a website that i can link with your name please contact Christine Sellers and we will add you!!!

ALSO:

Our multi family garage sale at the church will be on December 4th

You can come sell your own stuff if you'd like with a small donation price, but mostly we will be collecting your items you do not want to keep and selling them for you with proceeds to Bringing Baby Lily Home!!!

More info soon

T shirts are being ordered this week!!!!! WOOHOOOO

Huge TEAM LILY Garage Sale

We have begun working on a Church wide garage sale for Lily... 

We have 2 options... 

1...charging a small fee for people to set up a table to sell things

2... Allowing people to drop items off and we will sell them and all profits go to BBBH... This will require our Team Lily to grow :) with amazing workers..

SOOOOOOOOOOO what are your thoughts??? Let's take our own poll

ALSO... Team Lily shirts will be ready after Thanksgiving!!!!!

Cheers!!!

Christine S