a humble request - by stephen

Through the years, I’ve had many friends tell me “man, I’m excited by what you & Dawn are doing with adoption!  I don’t know that adoption is right for me, but I’d love to support you guys.” Well, it’s with those friends in mind that we humbly enter the sensitive discussion on financial support.  First things first:  we have been blessed financially as a family, and we know there are many other families in the adoption process with a much bigger need.  We would love for you to support them, and there are some cool sites where you can learn a bit about each family’s story.  Adopt Together is one site that we’re using, along with lots of other families, to provide a secure, tax-deductible platform for adoption fundraising.  

The simple reality is that international adoption is pretty expensive.  Our adoption will cost around $40,000, which is not uncommon (and that doesn't include taking the kids).  We’re trying to raise 25% of that, and we’re fortunate to have already received a grant for $4k of our $10k goal.  If you’d like to contribute through the link below, it would be a big blessing!

Some of you are saying “wait - $40k? Why so much?  Where does it go?”  There are good, thorough articles that answer this well, like this one here.  For adoptions from China, the cost includes legal fees, adoption agency fees, home study reports, documentation, an “orphanage donation,” travel, and the list goes on.  I can send you our spreadsheet if you’d like, but you probably have better things to do. 

As you’ve probably read, we are also big fans of the foster home where Charlie has been for the past 5-ish years called Bethel.  And since we’re talking about support, they’re another great avenue for folks who want to invest in these children and their caregivers.  You can sponsor a specific child to help provide for their everyday needs in an environment that’s equipped to work with visually impaired kids.  You can learn more about Bethel here.

We are super grateful for any support, and we’d be excited and humbled if our story encourages you to support adoption!