If can read the chart we are on step 3. We actually got our letter for a fingerprint appointment to obtain that I800a approval today. We are probably about 4-5 weeks out from that approval. Once we receive the hard copy of the approval we will have a few loose ends and then our dossier will be sent to CHINA!!! It's beginning to look more and more like our estimated travel time will be early fall. It's not what we wanted but we trust everything will work out for the best. We are really at the mercy of governments right now. We are doing everything we can to stay on top of the paperwork.
We also found out this week that China is putting some stricter requirements in place in regards to visas. Because Jon is a minister he is heavily scrutinized. He will be only be granted a single entry 30 day visa. I will be granted a multi-entry 10 year visa. See what I mean. The developments that came out this week is dependent on where your visa is processed (Chicago, NY, San Fran). Your home jursidiction determines whether or not you will have to appear in person to be fingerprinted(again) for your visa. Our jurisdiction is Washington DC so there is a possibility that we would have to travel there to get his visa. So far, Chicago is the only city that is requiring it. Please pray this does not happen to us. It would add some extra expense and stress.
Now to the worst part. I really hate to talk about this part but then again many of you have asked about the financial side of it all and to be truthful we can't do this without your help. You have given and given so much already and I am reminded constantly of how much love you've show my family. Complete strangers have bought puzzle pieces. People who I will probably never meet on this side of heaven are helping to bring our girl home and it is such a humbling feeling. I want to be totally honest with you because we are doing our best to contribute as much as possible but to be fully funded will absolutely not be possible without your help.
We have planned to do 4 total fundraisers.
1. Puzzle fundraisers-as of today you have bought 326 of the 500 puzzle pieces. Wow! Those pieces are $10 each. Several people have had difficulty with the PayPal donation button so I will tell you in a minute about a new option.
2. T-shirt fundraiser-Most of you know how much I ADORE a good t-shirt. They make up about ninety percent of my daily wardrobe. We are currently working on a couple of different designs. We plan to have adult and children designs. These shirts will not be geared towards adoption phrases but they will apply to each of us. I am super excited about this one. Keep your eyes out over the next few weeks.
3. Quilt fundraiser-This one is extremely personal. Shortly after we told my family about our decision to adopt I approached my mom with an idea.
I asked my mom if she could make a quilt. The idea behind this fundraiser is very similar to the puzzle except it's geared more towards families. I asked my mom if we could monogram the name of each family who bought one of 50 squares we are offering. This quilt will be something Lila can touch and feel. She can run her fingers over the names and hear stories about the love that brought her home. It took my mom about 2 seconds to make her first quilt for her future granddaughter and I am so excited that I can tell Lila of the love Nena put into that quilt. Oh me, oh my. I might be crying just a little bit writing this. Each square is $50.
4. Both Hands Project-this is the biggest fundraiser we hope to do. The idea comes from James 1:27. The basic idea behind it is we identify a widow within our community who needs some manual labor projects done around her house. We then ask friends and family to help us and we seek sponsorships or give to our project. We are responsible for getting the necessary materials to complete the project. 100 percent of the money raised goes to our adoption fund. It's a win-win situation. We get to bless a widow and an orphan is brought home. This fundraiser is something we are doing in the months ahead.
Thanks for sticking with me. To make the donation process a little easier I have created a crowdfunding page. Please put in the comment section what you want to use your donation towards. For example, Jones Family $50 quilt square. It is not tax-deductible page. The Both Hands project will be if you are looking for that. Yet again, I can not say Thank you enough. You humble me and bless my family so much. I got new pictures of Lila a few weeks ago and I wish I could show them to you but we are getting closer to being able to share those. I will tell you it is very clear she being well cared for and that is so reassuring. I love each of you.
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