My phone call to the USCIS was successful. I actually had an immigration officer answer the call. I told her how we needed an appointment for my son so we could all go in together and to try and speed things up. She told me as soon as we hung up she would go down to the floor and find my file and manually enter his name in the system. She kept her word and within 20 minutes she called to give us his appointment time. Tomorrow we all make the almost 3 hour trip to the office in Grand Rapids and hope to get fingerprinted. We do not have Cody's actual letter but hopefully since he is already in the system they will get that for us while we are there... pray. I am also hoping this officer will now be in charge of our file as 1. I have a name to now call and ask for and 2. She was just so darn helpful!
Our car CAN be fixed to be drivable!! The cost is $700.00 :( It could have been worse but it would have been ideal not even happening at all. We have been putting aside as much as we could from each paycheck for our adoption and now we fix a car. They say what does not kill you only makes you stronger and I am not dead and my resolve to complete this adoption before the closure is stronger so they must be right about that saying.
I am in need of some ideas to help sweeten my art fundraiser and giftaway. We have not gotten the response we had hoped for. I understand that with the prices of gas and the recession that times are hard for everyone. I really do not have any other option but to fundraise to raise the money for our adoption. We are feeling the pinch as well. I appreciate those that have helped us get this far and I do not want to minimize those contributions. I am just looking for ideas from everyone to help me figure out a successful formula to raise funds. I see family after family raise large amounts in short periods of time and others who struggle. As I have said- I know times are tough and people are struggling but please remember this is for Joshua. This is for a little boy that in a short time on earth has never had it easy. Has never had the love of parents to comfort him in tough times and who if not adopted will struggle for the rest of his life just to exist. And unfortunately his life will probably end much earlier as again most children once transferred will DIE within the first year of that transfer. The average lifespan is 9 months. If you look around in your life and even though money is tight, look at all the blessings you have been given. Blessings we take for granted daily that Joshua has no hopes for experiencing unless he is taken out of the orphanage and given a new path. Please help us make that path easier for him. Please take a look around- under cushions- in your car for even a small amount of change to help him. That jar of pennies that looks insignificant- Joshua will never touch a penny on his current path. Those pennies will help bring him home. I could tell you that we need to raise the funds like in 4 weeks and I have to get serious about raising the funds.. but that is not true! I have been serious from the first start of my blog in January but now the need is ever approaching fast. I am reaching out to all of you.. for your resources. Whether it be financial help, prayers, or sharing my blog. I do not realistically expect everyone to be able to donate but you all can share. Please share.. that will not cost you a dime
What happens if you don't raise the money? Are you able to fund the adoption another way? I know that it a difficult thing to think about but at this point it seems that it would be something to discuss especially since he has been off of the Reese's Rainbow webstie and isn't a waiting child anymore. If you can't raise the money, does that mean he had to live their longer until someone else can go through the adoption process all over again????
ReplyDeleteWe are looking at other options- we have sent in numerous grant applications and hopefully we will hear from those soon. Those take approximately 45-60 days and could not be filled out until our homestudy was in hand. We got that first part of April so grants were applied for. Unfortunately our time line is not really forgiving for that wait as we have to submit by June. No worries there has been numerous discussions. As far as if we for some reason could not follow through then yes he would have to wait again but that is not on the table for us :)That has never been a discussion of ours.
ReplyDeletePraying for you as you follow God's path!
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