IT’S NOT ALWAYS A LAST RESORT

Find this and more statistics on adoption at ABBA Fund.

"They are not the unnecessary ones in the world. God sent them here for a purpose." 

-Pastor Lee Jong-rak

As one very astute blogger once put it: “Adoption is a calling, not a consolation prize.” As accepted as adoption finally is in our society, the concept is still very immature in many people’s minds in terms of why it is chosen. Even among Christian circles, I’ve heard the rhetoric of “Well, there’s always adoption.” And most people who say it, don’t mean it in a “Hey, adoption’s a great option for you to grow your family,” kind of way. They usually mean it in a, “Well, you tried everything. Why not just pick from some poor unfortunate souls, dust them off, and call them your own?” way.

Perhaps not as harshly put. But imagine the implications for those on the receiving end of that advice if they happen to be struggling with infertility.

Anyway, since fertility isn’t necessarily our issue, it’s not where I’ll be going with this.

There’s another way this last resort mindset is taking shape…

“But you can still have kids, why are you adopting?”

I can’t tell you how much that question hurts my heart. It implies is that orphaned children aren’t worth adding to your family unless you can’t have “children of your own.”

Children of your own…

A phrase rife with red flags. I believe it is universally understood that the phrase “having children of your own” refers to the children that share your genetic makeup. That doesn’t make the phrase right. People who are called to adopt aren’t always initially looking to have children with their DNA.

It’s a false premise that adoption can’t possibly be higher up on the list of ways to grow one’s family…or even be the FIRST CHOICE. There are a few flaws to this way of thinking. The first one is that just anyone should consider adoption if they want a child badly enough. That’s not the way real life works. People have their own reasons for why or why not to adopt. Another flaw is that adoption is far more than a choice to have children. It is a ministry calling just as much as leadership to a church is. And it is a ministry just as much as raising your children (however they came to you) is. The Lord should be doing the prompting upon the hearts of those directly involved. Adoption is listening to the Lord’s will for an individual’s life. It is doing heavy researching as well. It is getting educated on the subject. It is spending hours upon hours of poring through pros and cons. It is hearing and asking about personal testimonies from those affected both negatively and positively by adoption. It is prayer and possibly fasting. It is resolute. And it is NOT for everyone.

It IS, however, for those who have been called to it. For those who have a heart for children. For those who want to see the lost saved. For those who sees Christ in these kids. And for those who know these kids were made for greatness if only they were given the opportunity to show it. It’s for those who want to make an impact for the Kingdom. For the ones who realize this world needs these children to grow up in the Lord; especially if anything radical is going to happen to improve it.

Each individual orphaned child is living life. A life given by God for His purpose. If we all just adopted only when WE needed a child, we’d get nowhere fast with the orphan problem this world faces. THEY need it. And this world needs to see Christ in us. Did you know there are over 150 million orphans in the world today? Only a quarter of a million ever get adopted! Those numbers may seem impossible to fix, but it starts with one and with you. One less is all it takes to drop that statistic. If we thought less about proprieties and material things, and more about caring for the “least” of us, I’ve no doubt that this world would see a vast improvement through the blessing of these children. 

Not everyone is called to adopt. But EVERYONE is called to do SOMETHING. So be sure of the intentions behind your words. Because adoption shouldn’t have to be a decision made ONLY when people have lost hope. Sometimes, people just want to bring hope to others.

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SHORT UPDATE:

It's been far too long since I've updated you all on our adoption fundraising efforts. Please forgive me as life happens and things get away from me, lol. I'm pleased to say our August 1st yard sale was a huge success and brought in over $800!!! A HUGE thank you to those who donated items, money, time, and your efforts to our small but impactful event!!! Every dollar counts!

You'll also find that I've updated the Fund O' Meter to reflect current totals. We've reached our next thousand! We're 30% of the way to our initial $10,000 goal! We're so excited for what the Lord has to come!!!

If you feel led by the Lord to donate to our cause, feel free to use the PayPal Donate button on the top right of this blog (no PayPal account necessary), or visit our fundraising page at YouCaring.com/MercierAdoption. And THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!!!

YouCaring.com/MercierAdoption

Aaaand You're Doing....What, Exactly? (aka: An Uncomfortable Post)

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. -Proverbs 24:3-4

It's been a crazy couple of months, and we're so honored to have had you part of them! We wanted to take the time to thank everyone who's played a part in getting us as far as we've gotten, through your support (financial, emotional, spiritual, EVERY WAY!)

As a SAHM, I'm in my head most of the day. And I'm sure just like the majority of stay-at-home-moms, you've meticulously calculated how to divide your time between things that need to get done and the child(ren) you need to care for. And then once you've found a good process, you're out of time to do those things, the house has all but exploded in your face, you haven't eaten, and it's time to feed the little mouths. By tomorrow, your brilliant plan of organization is long gone...lost in the clutter of your mind. That's the story of my life, anyway, lol.

So with that little glimpse into my brain, I felt it necessary to let you in on how we're doing our part on this crazy, but God-appointed, journey of adoption. I'm going to start off by saying we budget. And it stinks. And it's time-consuming. And it's stressful. Buuuut, that's what we're doing. Daddy works hard to bring home the bacon, Mommy divvies that bacon up to make sure bills get paid, and the rest gets added to the adoption savings. Budget cutting is no fun. Especially when you like Chick-fil-a and Starbucks, I'm just gonna put that out there. However, seeing the savings at the end of each month that get sent to our adoption account is well worth dying to my eat-out/take-out/fast-food/expensive-latte/amazon-window-shopping cravings. #FirstWorldProblems, anyone? Seriously.

We're also planning on ridding our home of unnecessary clutter. Which means...garage sale soon! Yay! (Said no one who ever put one on.) But still, our contribution is only small potatoes compared to the total cost of adoption while we also continue to handle paying off the miscarriage and ensuing medical bills because our insurance company sucks at insurance-ing. (Yes, this run-on sentence was necessary.) It's all absurd, but that's life, I guess...or the expense of it, rather.

When we decided to pursue adoption, we decided to do this without going into debt. Because debt sucks. Debt on top of debt sucks even more. So we're very determined in our efforts. However long it takes to raise/save up the money, is how long it will take to begin and then continue the adoption process. I won't lie, it's hard for me. I mean, who doesn't want to begin something as soon as they resolve to do it? No one says, "I know it's going to take years to lose 100 lbs, but I'm so determined to do it, I'm gonna save up my money for a year first before I actually buy healthier food and exercise the way I need to. You know, just to make sure I've got the money to pay for my new organic, gluten-free, non-homogenized, raw, paleo diet." No one.

It's an unconventional approach, I suppose. Thousands of families are fortunate enough to either have the money (or the means by which to get it), or unfortunately go into debt to adopt. Typically, those who don't have the means, can apply for adoption grants way down the road into the adoption process to help pay off those debts. And that's the sticker for us...we don't get that option if we jump into this with both feet and blind-folded.

While the majority of prospective international adoptive families wait months--even years--to be matched with a child, those of us planning to adopt from South Korea now have the (albeit, bittersweet) opposite problem.

"HOW IN THE WORLD IS THAT A PROBLEM?!?!?!" 

I'll tell you... It's actually a 4-fold issue.

     1. Quick referrals can be a sign of more streamlined international processes. However, that is not the case with South Korea. New laws have restricted the number of international adoptions per year as well as narrowed the eligibility of some children. As overseas adoptions dwindle by DRAMATIC numbers, and domestic adoption numbers remain stagnant and not very promising, a "backup" of orphans is happening. More orphans in wait for a family and regulated adoptions numbers per year, create a waiting list of sorts for parents who anxiously anticipate the call for their family court date (years later) to pick up the child they were so quickly matched with.

     2. I recently spoke with the program director for our agency and she confirmed what I'd been hearing and reading for a few weeks: After finishing completing the home study (which takes a few weeks to a few months), families are being matched with children immediately. It sounds phenomenal. But that means just weeks after you've paid a large lump of money for a home study and other fees, you now have another, MUCH LARGER, lump sum to pay. You see, when prospective parents approve a match, they must pay both the agency's fee and South Korea's agency fee, due immediately. Which leads me to my next point:

     3. Most families, although they have a difficult and long wait to be matched with a child, will find that they have plenty of time to raise or save up the money and/or apply for grants.We don't have that luxury, as most grants require approved home studies and take weeks to accept a family as a grant recipient.

     4. And lastly, this reason is more personal, than general: It just delays our timeline for adopting. Granted the time frame we have for a South Korean adoption is anywhere between... if ever SK closes its doors to international adoption, and when we turn 40; whichever comes first. But there is a lot to be saved up before we can move forward. And the adoption process, once it's finally started, will take a few years on top of that before it's over. I'd prefer to still have the energy for a toddler, lol.

However long it takes, we will wait on the Lord because we know He's in control of it all. But it is still difficult news for us. We want to be in line with what we believe the Lord is telling us. And for us, it's to wait, save/raise more funds, work hard at it, be creative, don't be pests begging for money, and hold on while we climb uphill. More like, upmountain. Of course this means our initial target has now been made quite a bit higher; from 10% to about 25% of our total adoption goal, as our Fund o' Meter and our fundraising page now accurately show. It takes the wind out of our sails a bit. It's gonna take more time. But perhaps God's got some maturing, molding and sculpting for us to do while we wait on Him. We know He's got this.

Thanks for reading my vent. Money-talk is never easy, but when others are a part of contributing, they have a right to know.

If you're interested in a very rough break down of this entire process' costs, see below.

Love and Blessings,

-Melinda

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     = What currently raised funds have covered.

Application costs: $350 COVERED

Home Study and Travel for HS: $2,000 OVER HALF COVERED

Training: $100-200

US Agency: $11,500

Korean Agency: $20,000

Gov't Paperwork: $1,000

Overseas Travel: $6,000-8,000

Post Placement Studies: $2,500

Outdated Updates (if things take too long and paperwork expires): $1,000+

______________________________________________________________

Total: > $45,000

On Love And Loss...A REALLY Late Mother's Day Post (with an adoption update)

I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. -Psalm 34:4-5

Art depicting the grief of miscarriage.

Image credit: Lina Scarfi

It's been an interesting few months being in this phase of life. I tend to be significantly more analytical than emotional for a woman. So to be both logically rational about what has happened to our family, and randomly struck with grief at the strangest and most unexpected times, happens to be new territory on this uncompleted map of my life.

I realize that I wasn't ready to be a mother to a second new born life so soon. And I'm okay with that. But when the multitude of currently pregnant acquaintances (and family alike) with ever growing bellies come into view, I experience pain beyond what I know to be my normal experience with sadness. To put it practically, it's the pain of what I once had, but will never see to completion. Add emotional and hormonal attachment and the pain magnifies.

Now, as someone with minor (though my husband would say otherwise) obsessive compulsive tendencies, you can imagine that lack of completion drives me a little nuts. I do see and understand what I wasn't ready for. But I see and feel other things as well. I see in others what I cannot have. I see in others what I still want, but will never be. I see what I am missing out on. Like the fact that I now get genuinely hurt when I'm not invited to baby showers. But I really don't want to (and mostly likely wouldn't) go to them.

So what else am I'm missing out on? Glad you asked. Because for some reason, it hit me even harder on Mother's day. And I'm finally able to verbalize it. 

I actually miss having a growing belly. The feeling of a tiny one kicking me in excitement inside that belly. That tiny one becoming larger and messing with my breathing or my urinary continence or both. That feeling when you find out the gender of the little one. Getting to plan out the immediate future for my little one. Giving in to cravings for the sake of cravings under the guise of "eating for two." Yes, I do actually miss waddling, haha. And gaining beautiful weight measured in, not lbs, but bgs (beautygrams, lol). I miss the very real pregnancy glow that comes from women who are proud of their pregnancies. I miss finding no fault in my obviously child-bearing body. I miss being able to plan future sibling dates and activities (I know I still can, but I mean specifically with this child.) I miss being able to imagine my husband's face as he holds his much awaited second newborn child, without it causing me pain in my heart. Can you tell I loved pregnancy? Those precious experiences were suddenly taken from me. But, by the grace of God, I've found my peace with it.

Now...

On a lighter note, I can look forward to a different future. And it's not wrong to be able to enjoy hoping for that future. Because I know the Lord has put a brand new path in front of me. It's not without it's own unique difficulties, I've got to say... The costs and the wait to begin this adoption can be overwhelming. But as usual, the Lord remains true. We're closing in on half of our goal! Not only that, but planning other fundraising ideas have been driving me, and are helping to keep me preoccupied. We now have a YouCaring crowdfunding account that receives donations in a more direct way that Donate button at the top right of this blog does! The donation meter is automatically updated and funds are immediately transferred to our adoption account. You'll find brief updates on our journey and easier options for sharing our funding site.

We would love for you to take part in our adoption journey by most importantly, praying for and with us. There's a long road ahead, but we know we'll make it. Adoption is expensive, but we believe a price tag cannot be placed on the life of a child. They are worth so much more than any fees, courts of law, or government can expect a family to pay. Would you consider donating to our cause to ensure there is one less orphan in the world?

We know how it feels to want to donate to something, and just not have the funds to help out financially. If that is the case for you, would you help propel our fundraising reach instead by sharing our YouCaring profile publicly with EVERYONE YOU KNOW? The wider we're able to cast a net, the better our chances at expediting the beginning of our South Korea adoption.

The link to our fundraising profile is: YouCaring.com/MercierAdoption

Thank you for the prayers, love, encouragement, and generosity!

~Melinda

"Not everyone is called to adopt. But we're all called to care for orphans."

Pre-Adoption Fundraising Update!

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. -Romans 11:29 (ESV)

Wow, wow, wow! Big news today guys! WE JUST BROKE OUR FIRST $1,000 FOR OUR ADOPTION FUNDRAISING!!!! To your right, you'll find our Adoption Fund o' Meter has been updated to include all of our most recent donations, payment for services/products I make (listed below), and our super-tight budget savings. So often these days I get overwhelmed by the big picture. I can feel like I'm not doing enough to raise the funds for the grand total of $40,000. It's in my mind every waking hour. I even find myself dreaming about fundraising--searching for anything I may be overlooking or missing completely. But no matter how many times I get in a rut of doubt over whether or not we'll even get to just our preliminary goal of $4,000, God continually and consistently shows me His unfailing love, understanding, mercy, and provision. And I'm humbled over and over again by the venues and vessels He chooses to show it. From my parents to complete strangers, God knows how to make His will happen. And wow, do I love the reminder that Jared and I are indeed pursuing God's will by adopting.

Speaking of reminders... 

Here is one below! It's the breakdown of what we are currently trying to raise funds for. So far, we are a quarter of the way there!!! That is so exciting! We need just under $3,000 to begin the adoption process---AHHHH! Would you consider helping us on our journey?

WHAT DOES THIS $4,000 COVER?

• Our $50 pre-application Fee. - PAID!
• The $300 Adoptive Family Profile Fee (the official application) - PAID!
• The $1,600 Home Study Fee upon approval of our Profile (Home Study includes months of interviews, home checks, safety checks, paperwork, etc, and is expected to be paid upon approval of our Profile.)
• The $150 International Parent Education Workshop (Where adoptive families will take a minimum of 10hrs of training and education required before bringing home their child.)
• The $2,400 Post Placement Fee (This fee covers additional Home Studies required by both our agency and South Korea for months AFTER our child has been brought home, and is expected to be paid along with our Home Study Fee.)

As you can see, the total for these fees exceeds $4,000. But we're setting this goal to get us started. We firmly believe the Lord wants us to adopt from South Korea, and wants us to do it without going into debt. Trusting in both His call to adopt and His providence over our journey, we know He will bring our child home!

SO HOW CAN YOU HELP?

There are a number of ways you can help us out as we raise the needed funds for adoption:

• PRAY for us! We covet those prayers, guys! Any and all prayers for our sanity, hearts, provisions, faith, and that baby boy or girl far, far away, will always be the most precious and needed thing for our family on this journey.
• VOLUNTEER your time/services! You can offer to help us out with one of our upcoming fundraisers! Just let us know you're interested and we'll be happy to add you to our volunteer list when we've got something going on. We've got something for everyone!
• BUY from my online shops! All proceeds go directly to our adoption fund and get added to that there meter-thingy! You can shop my Zibbet store here or visit my Etsy shop here.
• HIRE my voice over or voice lesson services! Drop me a line and we'll discuss! View my voice over profile here.
• WATCH for some amazing fundraising opportunities to contribute to!
• DONATE directly to our cause! Everything gets transferred/deposited straight into our adoption savings account and your contribution will be added to our meter! How do you donate? You can write out a check to us in person or send it by mail, or you can click on that fancy "DONATE" button just under our Fund o' Meter on the right side of this page. You don't even need a PayPal account to use it! (Just know that, although it is of no extra cost to you, any PayPal donations are subject to donation/transaction fees for us. They will take 2.2% and an additional $0.30 from a donation. For example: that's approximately $2.50 on one $100 donation. We would receive $97.50.)
• PRAY some more!!!

And as always, thank you to those who have already contributed to help permanently and radically change the life of a baby in need of a family. Our gratefulness is indescribable!!!

-Melinda

Easter Special and Adoption Update!

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 

-1 Corinthians 15:12-14 (ESV)

Happy Resurrection Day! Jesus is risen indeed, and our faith is most certainly NOT in vain. What Jesus did on the Cross and then three days later can easily become such a common topic of discussion that it becomes just that, common. Those who attend church regularly can find themselves glazing over the significance and profundity of what actually happened, me included. But I’m here to remind you that there is POWER in the Cross! Our very faith depends on that power! And one of the ways I find myself getting overwhelmed by that notion is through this Easter song originally performed by Avalon. So, please enjoy our cover as you take the time to reflect on this magnificent holiday that grants us salvation—an eternity with our precious Lord!

ADOPTION UPDATE:

Our total fundraising efforts for the month of March brought us to $802.13! We are completely overwhelmed by the Lord’s provision and can’t wait to see how else He plans to blow our minds! We’re almost a quarter of the way to beginning our application process! Thank you to our contributors!!!

If you would like to help us bring home a baby in desperate need of a family from South Korea, please prayerfully consider donating by clicking on the “Donate” button on the right side of this blog just under the thermometer widget. (No PayPal account necessary!)

God is so GOOD! <3>

Why South Korea?

For my father and mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. -Psalm 27:10

“With abortion, you are aborting the future.” -Korean Gov't PSA

(Mug design from my Etsy shop, quoting Psalm 27:10 in Korean.)

I thought it appropriate to write a blog about why we feel led to adopt from South Korea, quite literally the furthest piece of land from FL.

We have an abortion problem. 

The world has an abortion problem. But we also have an orphan problem. What does that tell me? Well, unlike the person who chooses to believe the common (and ignorant) assumption, I refuse to believe that the orphan problem is causing the abortion problem. It goes much deeper than that. Most women aren't aborting their babies because they don't want them to end up in an institution or "shipped off" to another country. 

Most women are aborting for one of three reasons:

1. Because they do not know God. The God that told us ALL children are a blessing, an inheritance from Him. 

2. Because those around them do not know God. These people use brute force or some sort of coercion to abort the baby.

3. Because they do not trust God.

Sobering, isn't it? But that's what it boils down to. So what does this have to do with orphans, or South Korea for that matter? The country has an incredibly high abortion rate, estimated to be in the upper 40th percentile. That means almost half of pregnancies in South Korea end in abortion. That is one scary statistic. Having had an interest in Korea's pop culture, I decided to learn more about the country. When I came across that statistic, I wanted to know why it was so high.

I read about the ostracizing that many single and unwed mothers in Korea go through. A very conservative society as a whole, it is not uncommon for a pregnant unwed mother to be shunned from her family and friends. Furthermore, prospective employers may require access to one's medical records. In many cases, should it be found out that a prospective (or even CURRENT) employee is a single unwed mother, say goodbye to that job. What is a woman to do? Some feel hopeless. Many contemplate suicide at one point or another. A majority opt for an illegal abortion. Some will secretly abandon their babies on the doorstep of a neighbor's home, a local church, or even in street alley ways. Click HERE to read about Pastor Lee and his baby Drop Box as a hopefully temporary solution to the abandonment problem in Seoul. A few other pregnant moms will brave going to a pregnancy center to create an adoption plan. Overall, it can appear nearly impossible for an unwed mother to keep her child due to the lack of support and continual social stigma. For more information and stats, here's a very interesting article (heartbreaking too) with some pretty scary numbers in it.

Abandoned babies that survive and babies with an adoption plan are, you guessed it, placed for adoption. Unfortunately, a 2012 law requiring the registration of all births means that abandoned babies are undocumented and therefore no longer adoptable internationally. Even sadder, the number of abandoned babies continues to rise. International adoptions have been reduced dramatically to encourage domestic adoptions. But domestic adoptions haven't risen nearly enough to keep up with the number of babies and young children needing forever-families.You can find more information about that HERE.

Adoption is not a widely accepted idea in South Korea. Bloodlines are very important, and boys both carry the family name and continue the bloodline. Because of this deeply ingrained traditional value, placing boys with families domestically has proven extremely difficult. There are more boys in need of adoptive families than girls in South Korea.

I've always thought about adopting when I thought about my future family. Jared and I also discussed adoption whenever we talked about how many children we wanted. But it wasn't ever something we actively pursued until recently. When I found out I was pregnant with my second baby, I had a strong desire to research adoption. It was a pressing on my heart that could only come from the Lord. And so my "binge-researching" (as Jared would describe it) began. I tend to get a little crazy when I'm interested in a particular topic. I try to learn EVERYTHING I can. My brain becomes a sponge, I spend way too long on my laptop, and I have 58 tabs consistently open in my browser. (If you know my obsessive compulsion about closing windows and tabs when not in use, you'll know that I'm not exaggerating this crazy need to learn-it-all when it gets that bad.)

I researched domestic and international adoptions. I researched foster care and stats. I researched every country not on hold or closed to the US. I researched every country with a long history of international adoption with the US. And then I researched the Hague and waiting periods. Oh was that depressing. I researched the countries with the youngest possible adoptions. I researched the effects of institutions vs foster care for orphans in other countries. I researched the levels of corruption and risk of human trafficking violations found in each country in regard to adoption. And lastly, I researched the need and the reasons behind the need.

Every time I looked something up, the Lord brought me back to South Korea. I prayed for Jared to understand my heart, and for the Lord to put that desire in him as well. And now we are both on the same page and seeing God's hand in it all. In Scripture, His heart for the fatherless is evident. We also realize our own adoption into His family by the work Christ did on the cross. We want to extend that grace and love, and make it as far-reaching as we can. What better way to make a difference in the world than to raise up our children to know the Lord, love the Lord, and share the Lord's love to the ends of the earth? With our help, our children can help end the abortion and orphan problem.


It's been incredibly mind-blowing to see God work. He put the seed of interest in Asian culture in me when I was very very young. He put the desire to adopt in Jared and me. He planted the seed of interest in Korea. And now He's planting seeds in the hearts of those who are willing to help and pray.

If He's planted that seed in you to pray for us, would you do so throughout our adoption process? It's barely begun, and it will be a long, emotionally and spiritually draining, but fulfilling road.

If He's planted that seed to help in you, would you consider donating to our cause, or buying something from my Etsy shop to help raise the funds for our adoption? You can find the gold "Donate" button and the "I Sell On Etsy" badge on the right hand side of this blog (under the thermometer). They are links that will send you to the appropriate websites.

We love you guys, and thank you for your hearts!

-Mel&J

Our Adoption Fund o' Meter!

"Whoever receives one such child in My Name, receives Me." - Matthew 18:5

Last night, we announced that we're planning to adopt from South Korea! 

And now that it's officially out there, we would like to introduce to you our very own Adoption Fund o' Meter over there to your right! 

(Ok, it's just a thermometer widget, but you get the gist!)

We would love for you to be a part of this awesome adoption journey from its inception. And a few ways you can do that will be listed below toward the end of this post if you feel so led. But first things first.

We need to raise about $4,000 in order to begin the adoption process for South Korea. We've done everything we can to tighten our budget and save up whatever is leftover on a monthly basis. But it's still an incredibly large amount of money to us. And yet, like a dear friend of mine reminded me last week:

IT'S NOTHING TO GOD!

He works through a multitude of unexpected ways and we're trusting Him for His provision. As you can see, the Lord has already blessed us through some spectacular people in our lives! We are so very grateful, so very thankful to our first contributors. You've already made an impact in our child's life! That blows me away!

So I wanted to make sure we're giving full disclosure in regard to this fund. I will break down the preliminary expenses for you to see why we're looking to raise that much money, and then, as we've been praying, we hope you will consider contributing to help us bring home a child in desperate need of a family.

WHAT DOES THIS $4,000 COVER?

• Our $50 pre-application Fee. - PAID!
• The $300 Adoptive Family Profile Fee (the official application) - PAID!
• The $1,600 Home Study Fee upon approval of our Profile (Home Study includes months of interviews, home checks, safety checks, paperwork, etc, and is expected to be paid upon approval of our Profile.)
• The $150 International Parent Education Workshop (Where adoptive families will take a minimum of 10hrs of training and education required before bringing home their child.)
• The $2,400 Post Placement Fee (This fee covers additional Home Studies required by both our agency and South Korea for months AFTER our child has been brought home, and is expected to be paid along with our Home Study Fee.)

As you can see, the total for these fees exceeds $4,000. But we're setting this goal to get us started. We firmly believe the Lord wants us to adopt from South Korea, and wants us to do it without going into debt. Trusting in both His call to adopt and His providence over our journey, we know He will bring our child home!

SO HOW CAN YOU HELP?

There are a number of ways you can help us out as we raise the needed funds for adoption:

• PRAY for us! We covet those prayers, guys! Any and all prayers for our sanity, hearts, provisions, faith, and that baby boy or girl far, far away, will always be the most precious and needed thing for our family on this journey.
• VOLUNTEER your time/services! You can offer to help us out with one of our upcoming fundraisers! Just let us know you're interested and we'll be happy to add you to our volunteer list when we've got something going on. We've got something for everyone!
• BUY from my online shops! All proceeds go directly to our adoption fund and get added to that there meter-thingy! You can shop my Zibbet store here or visit my Etsy shop here.
• HIRE my voice over or voice lesson services! Drop me a line and we'll discuss! View my voice over profile here.
• WATCH for some amazing fundraising opportunities to contribute to!
• DONATE directly to our cause! Everything gets transferred/deposited straight into our adoption savings account and your contribution will be added to our meter! How do you donate? You can write out a check to us in person, or you can click on that fancy "DONATE" button just under our Fund o' Meter on the right side of this page. You don't even need a PayPal account to use it! (Just be forewarned that, although it is of no extra cost to you, any PayPal donations are subject to donation/transaction fees for us. They will take 2.2% and an additional $0.30 from a donation. For example: that's approximately $2.50 on one $100 donation. We would receive $97.50.)
• PRAY some more!!!

I'll also be adding that Donate button, and Etsy widget to the right side of my blog as permanent quick links just for you! We appreciate your prayers, donations, time, and even considerations. We love you!

-Mel

And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received the food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

- Acts 2:45-47 (ESV)