I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you...: My Blessing through Raindrops

If you could touch the orphans of the world through us, what would you have us do?

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Ephesians 1:4-5 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
James 1:27 Regligion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.
John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Matthew 25:45 He will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.
Psalm 68:5-6 A Father to the Fathless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families...

Our Adoption Timeline

10/29/08 ~ Sent in Application
11/13/08 ~ Accepted by AWAA
11/20/08 ~ Sent in Ethiopia Overview Packet
11/26/08 ~ 1st Homestudy Appointment
11/29/08 ~ Sent in State of Colorado Background Check
12/01/08 ~ 2nd/3rd Homestudy Appointment
12/16/08 ~ 4th (Final) Homestudy Appointment
01/05/09 ~ Physical Exams
01/10/09 ~ Hague Training Completed
01/12/09 ~ FBI & CBI Fingerprint Approval
01/16/09 ~ CO & IA Background Check Approval
01/21/09 ~ Finalize Home Study
02/11/09 ~ Home Study Completed & Approved
02/16/09 ~ Begin Immigration Process
3/27/09 ~ Immigration Fingerprinting Appointment
05/06/09 ~ Received Immigration Approval (I-171H)
06/23/09 ~ Dossier Sent to AWAA
7/02/09 ~ DTE (Dossier To Ethiopia)
10/23/09 ~ Received On Deck Email
11/10/09 ~ See our baby boy for the 1st time
12/24/09 ~ Our Family Court Date ~ WE PASSED!
01/27/10 ~ Flight Leaves for Ethiopia
01/28/10 ~ Arrive in Ethiopia
02/01/10 ~ Isaac's Metcha Day
02/02/10 ~ Isaac's Gotcha Day
02/03/10 ~ Embassy Appointment
02/05/10 ~ Flight Leaves for America
02/06/10 ~ Arrive Home as a family of 3

Adoption Costs

1. Application Fee $250.00
2. 1st Installment of Program Fee $1,500.00
3. Hague Adoption Training $175.00
4. State of Colorado Background Check $30.00
5. State of Iowa Background Check $10.00
6. Adoption Alliance $160.00
7. Dept. of Homeland Security $830.00
8. Homestudy Family Assessment Fee $1,600.00
9. Physical Exams $60.00
10. State/Federal Fingerprints $99.00
11. Homestudy 2nd Fee $1,600.00
12. Mid-Payment $2,000.00
13. Translation/Authentication $800.00
14. Post-Placement Deposit $1,000.00
15. Courier Fee $150.00
16. 1st half of International Program Fee $3,750.00
17. Final Program Fee $1,500.00
18. 2nd half of International Program Fee $3,750.00
19. Post Placement Admin Fee $385.00
20. Adoption Homestudy Update $350.00
21. Homestudy Videos $60.00
22. Plane Tickets $4,300.00
23. In Country Stay $2,000.00
24. Vacinations $400.00