Fundraising...The Home Stretch

Many of you have been asking where we are at with our fundraising. Great question! To be completely honest I'm tired. And maybe..just maybe you are tired of all the requests too. But, being pregnant is exhausting so its not like I haven't been here before. Right now I kinda have that, "I'm never doing this again feeling." But, as a mama who has three babies I carried I know I will forget all of it and just be thankful when I hold David for the first time. It's the "I'm so ready." feeling every third trimester prego lady who is about to pop can identify with. My symptoms just happen to be fundraising fatigue instead of heartburn.

So, in order to encourage myself (and you too) let's take a look at how far we've come. Shall we?

So far we have paid about $11,600 in bills. 

That has covered:
-Application Fees for both our agencies.
-Agency Fees for Children's Hope Int. (our home study agency)
-Our home study (a legal document we now own)
-Our Post Placement Visits (6 are required by our country, done later/paid now)
-Hague Training through Adoption Learning Partners (Online training required for Hague Adoptions)
-Agency Fees for A New Arrival (our placing agency)
- The I800a & Fingerprinting (government stuff)
-Dossier Authentication & Fees (more government stuff)
-Postage (so our paperwork can go from Missouri to Montana to Illinois/Iowa/Missouri back to Montana to Washington D.C. & back to Montana)
-Translation

We have about $8,500 in our adoption account.

We have raised this money by:
-Selling cupcakes from Sweet 2 the Soul (almost $2,000 raised so far!)
-Selling nativity blocks (the project that will never end we are still trying to get sets done...)
-Having yard sales (we've sold a lot of our friends and family's junk)
-Online Etsy Sale (our family donated $100% of the sales from their etsy shop for one whole week!)
-Valentine wreath sales (made and sold by a dear friend)
-Bookmark sales, tooth fairy money, and random change (our kids are constantly giving us any money they can get their hands on for David)

If you are adding that all up we have paid for/raised about $20,000! 

I am feeling much better. Typing that number is like therapy for my weary soul. We are getting closer.

Our best guess at the estimated cost of our adoption for the whole enchilada is about $33,000. (But, since we chose the path less traveled please don't miss the word ESTIMATE.) There are lots of variables. We were able to "bundle" our documents saving us over $1,000. However, we didn't get to send our documents for free with my friend who traveled to Guinea. So, you just never know.

You might be wondering what we have left to pay for. This is not an exhaustive list, but its the heavy hitters.
-Country Fees
-Attorney in country
-Donation to the Orphanage  (required)
-Visas
-Airfare
-Lodging/Food While Traveling
-Transportation in country

So, there you have it. We have about $13,000ish left to raise. 

Now, of course you want to know by what date? Great question. Try asking God because he is the only one with any real clue! But, let's say about 3 months. We are hoping come May (maybe!) to be travel ready. (I'm really hoping I don't look back at that sentence and laugh.)

So, here is what we have planned.

February:
Valentine's Cupcake Fundraiser
(Find more information HERE)

March:
T-shirt Sales
Be looking for a post very soon revealing our design and ordering information.

April:
Trivia Night w/ possible Silent Auction
Friday, April 5, 2013- Save the date for this one.
It's gonna be a whole lot of fun! More information coming soon.

So, if you are saying....I'm on board what can I do?
-PRAY!
-Order cupcakes.
-Order a t-shirt.
-Volunteer to help with the trivia night. We need babysitters, score keepers, concession workers, etc.
-Donate something for the silent auction.
-When these events are going on share them within your social networks. (Facebook/Twitter)

We have also been working on applying for grants. We are hoping to apply for the following three grants. So far, we've completed the one from Show Hope. They are time consuming!
Show Hope $3,500
Lifesong for Orphans Matching Grants $1,000-$4,000
JSC Foundation No Set Amounts

We are also hoping to apply to be a Give1Save1 family of the week. Which requires making a video about our adoption. We'll keep you posted on this one. You should totally check out their website. Its an easy tangible way to be giving on a regular basis to the cause of adoption. ($1 a week)

And finally we continue to be blessed by the generosity of God's people. Many of you have simply wrote a check. And that is amazing! Its such a blessing. Every one makes me cry. Every. Single. One. Because its one less cupcake I have to ice and one more book I have time to read my sweet children.

We recently received this note in the mail and God used it to touch me deeply. I want to "grow up" to be just like this couple. So generous.

"Jeremy and Jennifer, Earlier this fall we stopped Direct TV, wanted to do more with $50 a month. We plan to sponsor a child. We would like to "sponsor" David until he can come to your home! We will be sending you $50 a month until the adoption is finalized. Love, ?"

I have removed the couple's name because I know they are doing it for God's glory and not their own.

God is good, even  especially in the home stretch.