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.