The cost of International Adoption

When I tell people we are adopting I often am asked, "Isn't int. adoption expensive?" The short answer is, yes. The long answer, for those who are interested, is that we have a very detailed list of where each and every dollar is going. We pay our wonderful adoption agency for many, many, specific services they provide. They are non-profit, but do have expenses that must be covered. We pay our home study agency (also non-profit) for their services. We pay the US govt. for immigration services (they generously return this money with our 2011 tax return). We pay the Chinese Govt. a small fee (under $1,000) for the work they do on their end. We pay about 20% to the orphanage for the care they have provided our daughter from the last 2+ years. Airline tickets, both international and in China, hotels, and food are a large chunk of the costs. Then lots of extraneous expenses I won't go into. So while it is expensive, it isn't as if we are buying a baby, we are paying for necessary services - and we will end up with another child in the end. The costs are MORE than worth it! We've felt all along that if God wants us to adopt, he will open every door and help us to overcome every obstacle along the way. So far we've been amazed by how He has provided, it seems that he has multiplied all our efforts. This summer and fall we budgeted, saved, sold things, etc. We received much help from friends and family who have gifted us with time, effort, toys, clothes, baby equipment, finances and much prayer. We will be forever grateful for the love shown to us, and to Grace. Then, on Monday we learned we had received a $3,000 adoption grant from Sho Hope (Steven Curtis Chapman's adoption foundation.) That completely blew us away. We think we've figured out that we have paid for everything but our plane tickets to and from China and Grace's homecoming ticket. My sister Ellen has gifted us with some beautiful China-inspired jewelry to offer to friends and family to help with travel expenses. If you are interested you can check out the jewelry at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81785&id=1053959850&l=ab65505027

You can email me (phsjwade@hotmail.com) if you are interested in a piece, and pay in person, through the mail or through paypal (wade522@yahoo.com). I can mail the jewelry to those of you who live far away.

Thanks for all of you who have helped us out in any way!

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.James 1:27