12-12-12-12 for World Cancer Day

Our next big goal - the biggest goal yet! - is to raise $12,000!!!*
This will cover the Ukrainian fees.
For next 12 days (Jan 28-Feb 8), in honor of  🌍 World Cancer Day (Feb. 4), to help raise funds to bring home a new son, who is now a brain cancer patient, and his sweet sister through adoption we will send you a very cool gold and gray #becoming12 silicone bracelet for every $12 or more donated. 💖



Wouldn’t it be awesome if we actually did raise that much in 12 days!?!?! #highhopes 

💛 Gold represents childhood cancer 

🤍 Gray represents brain cancer

#becoming12 - that’s us (blog, intstagram, Facebook) 

Better picture coming soon! The bracelets have been ordered and are being created.**

To give via the Abba Fund click HERE be sure to comment “for the HE Brown Family”

Or via PayPal click HERE comment “adoption fund” and include your mailing address

Help us help them! 🇺🇦👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏼🇺🇸
$12,000
12 days
$12 at a time
#becoming12

Please share! 🥰

Math dork moment: 
If 1000 people each gave $12...
If 500 people each gave $24...
If 250 people each gave $48...
If 125 people each gave $96...
If 100 people each gave $120...
If 50 people each gave $240...
If 25 people each gave $480...
If 12 people each gave $1000... well that would totally blow my mind!


*funds raised will be used for any adoption expenses
** yes $12 is a lot for a silicone bracelet- but the point is not the bracelet. The point is to make 2 less orphans! 🥰

Goals (or What now?)

This particular post may be boring for many of you. Sorry. Just skip it. 
For other's it will be an answer to many questions. 
Many thanks to Google for the images.

Several sweet and interested folks have asked "Now what?" or "Isn't it paid for yet?" (sometimes it's us asking those questions) and some have sweetly suggested that we list each goal - we'll try to be more forthcoming. 

Currently, the USCIS* and FBI is $1115 and is met. And as of this writing they have been mailed off! WOOHOO! Now we wait on USCIS to respond. 

While we wait we aren't going to be sitting still (except for the parts we literally have to sit still for). We have lots to do!

Here's whats to come (followed by a glossary of weird words and an expected cost list):

1) Grant* writing. I've already researched many grants that we may qualify for and now that we have the homestudy* we can actively pursue those. If your looking for me, I'll be in the basement writing grants. 

2) Building the dossier*. Which includes new medical exams and test and other fun things, having it all apostilled*, and mailing it to Ukraine. 

3) Continue Fundraising for Agency Fees, Ukraine Fees, Expected In-country fees , and travel expenses. 

4) Continue to update you pretty people. 

5) Stay the course! And continue to scrimp and save while we pray. 

Glossary

Apostille (pronounced “ah-po-steel”) is a French word meaning certification. ... The Apostille is attached to your original document to verify it is legitimate and authentic so it will be accepted in one of the other countries who are members of the Hague Apostille Convention. In GA it's $3 per document.


dossier /ˈdôsēˌā,ˈdäsēˌā/ (pronounced "dos-see-A") noun; a collection of documents about a particular person, event, or subject.

grant noun; a sum of money given by a government or other organization for a particular purpose.

homestudy noun; an assessment of prospective adoptive parents to see if they are suitable for adopting a child.

USCIS noun; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Expenses to come 

(this is not exhaustive, and does NOT include things already covered):

https://www.adoptfamilyconnections.org/

These are also our next goals.
$3,250 Agency Fees, Family Connections (most of this has been paid, update to come)
*$12,000 Ukraine Fees (2 siblings) (this covers facilitators, translations, and legal fees) - this is our current fundraising goal - and the biggest one yet!
$1000-1500+ Dossier preparation (this would include updated and in-depth medical exams, fees for other documents we may need to create, getting EVERYTHING apostilled, and mailing the whole thing to Ukraine) 
$4680 In-Country Fees  (this includes an orphanage gift, birth certificates, passports, & US embassy fees like Visas and medical exams. We may also have the added expense of any required medical for Andrii while we are there)
$15,480-$27680 Estimated Travel Expenses depending on how many times we must travel to Ukraine,  and the cost of transportation, room and board at the time of travel) We are trusting that whatever is provided will be exactly the right amount. God is a great provider.

Current Ongoing Fundraisers 

Click on colored words for links.
Abba Fund - tax deductible gift, Abba Fund pays directly to service provider. Please specify "for the HE Brown family" in the comments online, or in a note with your check. 
Bonfire T-shirts
PayPal - paid directly to us. Please specify "adoption" 
Family Connections, Inc. - this is our agency. Any money received over their fees will go toward Ukraine fees or travel expenses.
Kathy's Kreations on Facebook (just made up that name) - the "Morgan cousins" supplied us with lovely things they crafted to help us raise funds - Hair scrunchies, headbands, lanyards, & dog bandannas

More to come!

Look what God is doing... Prayer and Confirmation

Wednesdays seem to be becoming a day of new news. 
Wednesday is also the day the younger children and I go to Community Bible Study (CBS).
This year we are spending 30 weeks studying the book of Genesis.
We have Core Group time to discuss the weeks lesson. In my core group this year there is an adoptive mom and a mom whose teen son had a brain tumor. This teen was once and athlete and honor student, now he will probably always live with her. 
I didn't know when we rejoined CBS this year that I would meet these women.

I received word about Andrii's illness on an early Wednesday morning. I cried. I called Gene. We prayed. Then I tried to go about the day as normal, getting children reading for CBS. I told two friends when I got there. I was a little weepy. 
During core group one of the discussion questions got that teen son's mama talking about him and her struggle. She cried. I was blubbering. I HAD to tell those precious ladies the news. No more questions got answered that day. We prayed. For those boys. For us mamas. For comfort. For clarity. 

That same teen son's mama answered a question this week about what she's learned so far from Genesis, "God made ashes of some of these peoples lives, but he brought something beautiful from it."
She sure is beautiful. 

This week I wore my LOVE shirt and went with news about the completed homestudy. 
We had studied about Abraham's faithful unnamed servant who was tasked with going to get a wife for Isaac, and the beautiful way Isaac meet Rebekah (the original plot line for all Hallmark movies). (Genesis 24) What a good time of discussion we had! 

After core group we all go hear a prepared lecture. And it was just what I needed (even the music). 
The credit for this next part goes to Nancy B., Assistant Teaching Director. 

When we ask God for guidance for a specific decision or action we can expect 3 proofs to what we believe is His answer (and I can totally attest to this!)
1. Confirming Circumstances (support, time, finances... evidence)
2. The guidance we feel we are receiving are within God's revealed will from His word. (you'll see a verse or verses in you regular reading - if you regularly read - that confirm this). 
3. A deep peace concerning the decision (for real, confidence and peace - even if the thing to do  still seems scary)

In our lesson, the servant, Isaac, Rebekah and her family all saw God fulfilling His plan in the details of their lives and also in His bigger story. When we faithfully answer God's call, He uses us to fulfill His Master Plan. 

The unnamed servant was called to act, he was successful in his undertaking - and he gave all the glory to God.
We feel tasked to adopt... and know that God is in the details.
These ladies and I faithfully show up to CBS... and look what God is doing!

Sometimes the trip is LONG (the servant traveled about 3 weeks by camel, we have spent a long time already trying to  get to Ukraine), but that just gives us more time to pray. 

PS - Today is Friday, Jan.17 - We mailed the forms to USCIS today! 

Next: USCIS

GOOD NEWS!!!!

After MONTHS and MONTHS of waiting the HOMESTUDY is FINALLY DONE!!!!

APPROVED. SIGNED. NOTARIZED.

It's being FedEx'd to us tonight.

The agency is supposed to sent us an approval letter, then we can send a bundle of forms (that I've already filled out in expectation) and evidence to USCIS (immigration/Dept of Homeland Security). Ideally we can overnight it on Friday, but Monday by the latest.
It will take them about 10 days to official receive it - then we can ask for it to be expedited.

While we wait we can work on lots of other fun (not fun) things. Like a pile of papers to send to Ukraine and all the running around and redoing that will be. And applying for grants.

We will be BUSY!

And that is good. Because I need to feel like we are doing something to get us closer to bringing them home.

I'll leave you with this encouragement I got this morning - not my normal worship song. 
God is the Way maker, Miracle worker, Promise keeper, Light in the darkness....
He is making a way, He can work a Miracle, He always keeps His promise, and He is leading the way in His time. It's His plan. We just get to be part of helping to carry it out. 

Ukrainian Medical Fundraiser

Andrii LOVES soccer

Andrii had his second chemo treatment on Wednesday and is doing well and in pretty good spirits. Anastasia seems to be doing well but really missing her brother. 

We just got a link from friends in Ukraine (how great is it to say we have dear friends in Ukraine!) who have set up a Ukrainian fundraiser specifically to help with Andrii's current and accruing medical needs. This is a great option for just giving directly to meet the medical need right now. 

Anastasia is the beauty in the red coat

When you open the site it comes up in Russian - in the top right corner you can choose (uk) Ukrainian or (en) English but his page disappears so... Below is a better English translation with US dollar conversions. And below a few pictures with translations/instruction. 




Here's the link: http://ukrhelp.org/project/andrey-ustimenko?fbclid=IwAR3-SCYiHuLjLwQqisSmRjcK5FLrsgCT-ZHln-7O3nc0db2mqHwL7eualtY

This is what it looks like on a phone
pretty similar in web-view
It is secure, like a GoFundMe
but for the medical needs of children

This is translated from the funding page:

Andrii Ustimenko
Place of residence: Kiev
Diagnosis: germinogenic brain tumor hormone-producing.  Diabetes insipidus.  

Andrii is 15 years old.  He is a mature and independent guy.  He himself is in the hospital, he takes medications himself, he takes care of hygiene and makes snacks for himself.
Two months ago, the guy began to drink a lot, 10-15 liters (2.6-4 gallons) a day.  In parallel, he began to lose his sight.  It got to the point that even in a popular social network, he sees only pictures and can hardly read words.
The workers of the Children's Center, where Andrii is lives, began to carry him doctors, looking for the cause of such a sharp deterioration.  In the hospital, the boy underwent the necessary examinations and discovered a brain tumor.  So he ended up in the Kiev City Clinical Department of Pediatric Oncology

Now the first Chemotherapy has been completed.  She was "slaughter."  Her boy moved her well and there was hope that immediately after the droppers were turned off, Andrii would be able to go to the children's center for several days.  But the chemotherapy drugs holoxan, cisplatin, endoxan did not leave a chance: the tests "fell" immediately after the end of the block.  The trip home is canceled!

But no one is going to hang your nose! Andrii is full of optimism and courtesy!  He is determined only to win and fulfills all the recommendations of doctors!
At the moment, the plan is as follows: 3 chemotherapy blocks (as of this blog post 2 have been passed), MRI, radiation therapy.  In parallel, there will also be a consultation with Professor Zheludkova and neurosurgeons regarding the possibility of removing this tumor.

In general, still work and work, be treated and treated.  And, naturally, it becomes a matter of finance.
Fortunately, at the moment, the necessary chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, antifungal drugs are in the department.  But there are also those expenses for medicines, accompaniment, examinations, etc., which are not covered by the state.  Usually, such expenses are borne by the parents.

Andrii was not lucky.  A few years ago, he, along with his sister (13), turned out to be a burden for mom and dad.  They were deprived of parental rights and the children were in the center of social rehabilitation (Children's Center) "Our Kids".  Of the relatives, the boy has only a grandmother, who for objective reasons cannot arrange custody of her grandchildren.  But she is very worried about her grandson.  Every day after work, she comes to visit Andrii, tries to bring him something tasty, to sit with him.  Despite suffering a stroke and feeling unwell, grandmother Natasha works as a postman.  To make her grandchildren happy and buy something, she saves on her own food.

She cannot bear the costs of treating the boy, however much she wants to.  Moreover, she cannot even be with him around the clock, firstly, she will lose her job (the only source of income), and secondly, because of poor eyesight, she cannot perform the actions that are needed.

Therefore, Andrii first need is a nurse during chemotherapy, who will be around the clock with the boy.  We managed to find two nurses working in the OKHMATDET (oncology center) for this who agreed to this kind of side job.  The cost of such services is 7000 UAH ($300 USD) per treatment (1000 UAH/$42 per day).  So far, Andrii is between the chemo treatments himself; the nurses of the department look after him alternately.  But, it is quite possible that next time we will still need people who can be with Andrii during his entire stay in the hospital.

Secondly, these are concomitant medications, consumables and examinations.  It seems to be nonsense.  But this is far from the case.  For example, yesterday we ordered the boy “for the little things” simple medicines for indigestion and calcium, and this “poured out” everything at 800 UAH/$34!  And what can we say about MRI, if you have to do it in a paid clinic?

As needs arise, we will write in more detail about them, but for now we understand that all these “little things” will need at least 71,000 UAH/$3000.

"There are no other children."  We hear this phrase very often.  In this case, Andrii is our common child and we simply must do everything possible so that the boy gets out.  In addition to good people, he simply has no one to help!!! (end translation)

The spot to give - you can change UHA to USD
It seems the easiest way to give from here is with a credit card.
I've translated in RED 

This is Olga, the page coordinator. 

If you enter an amount (I entered $25)
and change UHA to USD and clink the
Green DONATE button (see the second picture)
you get to this screen.
24 Pay seems to be the Euro version of PayPal,
you have to sign up for that.
The "Another method" doesn't give very good
options either. Seems the best way to give is by
credit card. 

We hope to find other ways to give directly to medical cost both in Ukraine and when we come home that are a little easier for us far-flung, Russian-impaired folks. So keep watching! 

Love ya!

So now what?

Since the "big facebook fundraiser" in December I've had several people ask if we can just go get the kids now, why aren't we over there already, what are we waiting for? So I thought we should clarify a few things (plus a few pictures at the bottom of what we were doing 1 year ago today).

First, a $5000 fundraiser is HUGE and so very helpful, and we are so grateful to all who gave to meet that goal so quickly! The total expected cost of the adoption is about $47,000. With what we've raised (and paid out so far) we still have a long way to go.  
So... look for upcoming fundraisers - we've got ideas and willing to hear any others and always happy for helpers! Or give here or here or directly to our agency here - be sure to specify on each that it is for the HE Brown family adoption.

Second, we have the added expense of in-country medical bills. Part of that $5000 is for that. And we aren't counting our eggs till they are in the basket. Facebook takes about a month-ish to pay out. And we aren't sure how it will be split. 

Third, there's LOTS of red tape. And all the tape has fees attached.

So here are the next steps. That red tape. Our prayer is for favor with government officials and speed. (This next part is pretty boring... and clear as mud. Sorry. You can totally stop reading now and do something fun.)

Homestudy Agency Approval
Now that the homestudy is finished our adoption agency, working with our homestudy provider and a facilitator in Ukraine, attempt to make it as near perfect as they can. Wording matters.  This normally takes 4 weeks - but they know the situation and are working to make it happen somewhat faster (however the Christmas holidays slow things down). 

USCIS
Next we get the homestudy and some other official things and send it all to US immigration (INS/USCIS) to get approval to make two Ukrainians American citizens. We, all adults in the home, will have to get FBI fingerprinting done at an FBI office. USCIS approval is averaging about an 8 week wait. We hope that our case will miraculously move FAST - but we've got the down-low on moving this along too. 

Dossier
Then we compile a dossier (a pile of all the things plus some). This will require us to update things like our medical evaluations and a few other things. This is then gone over with a fine tooth comb, we have it all apostilled (which is fancier and more official than having them notarized) then send the whole shebang to Ukraine.

SDA
Ukraine facilitators have the dossier translated and submitted to those who decide to accept or deny us or ask for more information (though I can't imagine what we haven't divulged already). "They" decide if they want to let us have their young citizens and invite us to come to an appointment (SDA) to "pick out" some children. At this point we travel. (Ukraine is really a "blind adoption state" which means there's a slim chance we won't get them because you can't pick them til this appointment - though normally you get who you want. That's also why I must be careful to say publicly "hope to adopt them" rather than "will adopt them"). This timing will depend much on Ukraine holidays and the whim of whoever receives our dossier. But facilitators are in country to help the process along.

Court and Custody
Then they (Ukraine) set a court date (often at minimum 2 week after SDA), then after court and the release of the decree you wait 30 days to take custody. However, because of the situation we can ask for waivers so that we may possibly take custody immediately.

Coming Home
Once in our custody we assume all legal and medical in country and have to take the kids to medical and VISA appointments with the US embassy to get to bring them home. It may take several days or several weeks before we can come home. 

Fees 
And each step has fees. Lots of fees. And those fees and travel expenses are the cost of the adoption.
I've said before and I'm sure I'll keep saying it because I continue to be amazed, though the financial expense is overwhelming to our finite minds God is providing for each step. We currently have just enough for the USCIS and FBI set aside and see the funds for the parts slowing gathering. 
We felt very strongly at the beginning of this process to not use loans but try our best to fund raise and see what God would do through His people (and a few who don't claim Him but love what we are doing and feel lead to give). HE gets all the glory! 

Come and see what God has done:

he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.

Psalm 66:5

We love talking about our children, those here and those to come... please feel free to comment any questions you might have, we'll try our best to answer them. Plus it gives us something to do while we wait. 

Love ya!

P.S.
This day last year was a fun adventure to Babyland General Hospital, Home of the Cabbage Patch Kids - which was really hard to translate. But the magic of seeing mother cabbage "give birth" explained everything. (we were missing Elijah).