Along The Road: Setting Them Free: A Picture

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Setting Them Free: A Picture

I've been holding off on posting these pictures (primarily because I have been having trouble accessing my own photos,) but today, I want to share at least this one.

I received a few different photos from this family of their balloon release for the Set Them Free event last month. This one is my favorite.
I love seeing their arms raised high in the air.
Freedom.

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Following God's Call Seldom Comes Free

Who can put a price on the life of a child? She is priceless, but these are the costs to get her into our family.

Anticipated adoption cost total: $40000 (estimated)

Actual expense breakdown:

Homestudy application #1: $250 (cancelled with agency) PAID

Homestudy #2: $4250 (all fees due upfront) PAID

RR Love Offering & Application: $275 PAID

Adoption agency application: $350 PAID

Agency Fee 1 of 3 (due upfront): $1500 PAID

Adoption 101 Class (6 hours required by state): $130 PAID

State/FBI Fingerprints: $120 PAID

FBI Reprints (due to "missing" prints): $102 PAID

Agency Fee 2 of 3: $2000 PAID

USCIS application: $890 PAID

Extra Copies of official documents (certificates, etc.): est. $500 (IN PROCESS- PAID UP TO DATE NEEDS)

TRAVEL TIME!!

All grant monies are now accessible to our family to help with costs from here on out.

TRIP #1

Plane tickets (Trip #1) for two: $1665 PAID

Visas (Trip #1) for two: $775 PAID

TRIP 1 EXPENSES (PAID WHILE TRAVELING):
Agency/Facilitator Fees: $9000
Lodging Costs: $650
Transportation: $1100
Food: $300
Medicals: $500
TOTAL COSTS FOR TRIP #1:$13,990

UPON RETURN:
Updated paperwork (including updating documents, expired fingerprints, courier costs, etc.) $350

TRIP 2 EXPENSES: paid during trip

Flights/Transportation: $1900 r/t flights

Our visas: $975

Adoption Fees (Due to Agency): $4000

Lodging: $650 + Club Carlson (Radisson) points for two nights- Thank you Walters' family for your generous point donation!

In-country flight and train transport: $850

Food: $200

TOTAL FOR TRIP #2: $8575

FINAL TRIP EXPENSES (Paid before or during travels)

Flights for two adults: $2050

Elisha's flight home: $900

Medicals, Embassy, paperwork expenses: $750

Train/Transportation expenses: $1200

Lodging: $1300

Food: $400 (estimated)

Donations & Gifts: $500 Thank you to those who donated to our book fundraiser. We were able to donate more than 20 books to the children of the orphanage.

Misc. Expenses: $100 (estimated)

TOTAL FINAL TRIP EXPENSES: $7200

TOTAL OF ELISHA'S ADOPTION $42900

VALUE OF ELISHA'S ADOPTION: Priceless

OUR ADOPTION TIMELINE

November 29th, 2010- Sarah saw "Taylah" on RR and knew she was staring at her daughter.

February 2011- Contacted RR to officially commit to Taylah (aka Elisha.)

March 2011- Paid Homestudy Agency #1 (5th); Accepted by MOE in her region; Accepted by adoption agency; initial fingerprinting and DCFS licensing underway.

April 2011- Dropped Homestudy Agency #1

May 2011- Paid for with Homestudy Agency #2 to start process (10th.)

June 2011- FINALLY, Homestudy in progress! Expedited process with a great agency led to a finished product in a short amount of time.

July 2011- Homestudy mailed to state (5th); Received state approval (27th.)

August 2011- Submitted I600a application (14th); Received biometrics appt letter (24th); walk-in fingerprints done (25th); began gathering court documents (25th)

September 2011- Recieved USCIS approval; so close to traveling!! but then... a delay... our region decides to require additional information from a previous family.

October 2011- Still waiting for news...

November 2011- BLESSED to receive a grant for the remainder of our adoption needs! Received our travel date! (7th); MET ELISHA!! (29th)

December 2011- Needed court documents updated before submission; court documents submitted.

January 2012- Trip #2; court on January 27th, 2012. The judge rules in our favor and Elizaveta (RR "Taylah") becomes Elisha White!

February 24th- Return for our final trip.

February 29th- Elisha says goodbye to the place she has lived for four full years. She is with her Mommy and Daddy forever!

MARCH 3rd 2012- Elisha is a U.S. citizen and home forever!!

Along The Road

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Thursday, August 4, 2011

Setting Them Free: A Picture

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