He knows we're coming!!! And other updates!!!

A few days ago, my sweet friend Morgan, who I traveled with on the advocacy trip in April got to meet our son!!

She and Madison's advocacy team met our little guy, took pictures of him for us, and informed us that he is so little and as sweet as he can be!!  Oh, we can't wait to see him with our own eyes!!!  They told him we are coming for him and it's true, we are!!

In fact, things are progressing really, really quickly!  Last week we received our second approval letter from China (LOA), then USCIS approved our I-800 which approves the kids to immigrate to the US.  This week the National Visa Center issued our approvals for both kids and we completed all remaining paperwork on the US side.  Our package will be dropped off at the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China on Monday and we are hopeful it will be ready for pick up on Tuesday.  It will get overnighted to Beijing and delivered to CCCWA on Wednesday.  Then we will be waiting for our Travel Approval from the Chinese government!!  This TA is the last thing we need to be able to schedule our consulate appointment and gotcha days!!

We are so excited!!!  It's almost time!! 

If you are currently praying for us, we ask you to pray for the following:

China's system that they process adoptions in has been down since Wednesday for a hardware issue.  Please pray that this system is back online when they open again on Monday and that it stays working!  Without that system working, we cannot receive our Travel Approval and many other families become delayed as well!!

For clarity in the flights we need to reserve.  As you might guess, getting so close to Christmas, we are anxious to book flights as they will continue to rise higher and higher.  We have been praying about which flights to take and at what point to book the flights.  This isn't an ideal situation to book flights ahead of receiving our approved dates for the adoption, but as flights continue to rise, we may have to, so please pray for wisdom and discernment regarding our travel plans.

Additionally, we ask you to pray for financial provision.  We received an amazing grant from Rollstone Foundation this week and we also received a matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans.  We really need God to move to get the grant matched quickly.  We are also still short by a good amount and have a number of grant applications out that we still haven't heard anything on.  We pray we will receive good news on a few of these too to close the remaining gap.  With potentially less than 2 weeks til travel, we are expectant.  We know that God was faithful last adoption and we know that he will be again! 

Lastly, please pray for our children.  Pray for the hearts of Kate, Chengbin, & Laila as we bring two new children into our family.  Pray for the hearts of our sweet new kiddos as they undergo tremendous change in the coming weeks.  Pray for openness in their hearts and spirits to us.  That they would have a sense of peace in spite of all the chaos and upheaval happening in their young lives.  Please also pray for wisdom, discernment, and peace for Matt & I as we make this family transition and work hard to earn the trust and acceptance of these two sweet babies while continuing to be there for our already home kids.

Thank you all so much for your support, your cheers, your prayers, your good thoughts... we appreciate each and every one of you more than you know.  Only a couple more weeks til we go get these babies!!!  Woohoo!!

A Funding Update! God Funds what he Favors!!

A few days ago, I posted this blog post, but for some reason, it showed up in my August blog posts... so I'm putting it on here for anyone who missed it because it is truly AMAZING how God has provided to bring this little girl home.  God has done amazing things in so many ways for our sweet girl and we want to make sure you all have the opportunity to witness all of it. :)

"How much does it cost?"

That's the question I got from an interested mother while sitting at Panda Express having lunch with my only-home-for-two-months son.  Her daughter had been battling infertility and had recently been considering adoption.  While I LOVED talking about adoption, advocating for kids, and increasing awareness of the millions of orphans in need of homes- THIS is the question I had already learned that I hate answering...

I responded, "Ummm around $30,000 when you add in everything including travel." Then that look came, the overwhelming look most of us would have when we know we don't have the amount you'd pay for a good car lying around in a bank account with no purpose for it... So I added, "I've seen friends fundraise almost that whole amount, though, you'd be amazed what God can do to help bring home one of his little ones."

Honestly though, I wasn't sure even I believed it was really possible for the average person to fundraise an adoption.  How could you ask friends and family for $30,000??? It seemed crazy and I really was far too proud to consider something like that.  We used up all our savings to bring home Chengbin and buy a house, so sitting at that Panda Express with a burden for the orphans of the world, I felt like a hypocrite even suggesting that fundraising was the answer.  After all, I already felt God calling us back and I didn't think I could do it.

Fast forward to November 3rd when I saw Laila's face and read her file...

That day in Panda Express God started softening my heart and my pride.  How could we not consider going to get her?  She would indeed not make it to her 5th Birthday in that province without a family and proper medical care.  Maybe not even to her 4th Birthday.

Still, our bank accounts did not have $30,000 readily available for an adoption.  My hubby was VERY quick to remind me of that.  He was also VERY OPPOSED to adopting if it meant asking people to help us.

Then I read this...
http://babyabell.blogspot.com/2014/02/affording-adoption-fundraisers.html

Amy wrote so beautifully about God's calling to all of us to care for the orphans.  I used her words so many times to discuss this possibility with Matt.  It truly changed my perspective on fundraising an adoption personally, and over time it did the same to him.

Especially since 3 months later Laila was still waiting.  Waiting for us to say yes and commit to whatever fundraising and grant applications would be necessary to bring her home.

So- How much does it cost?  I'm here to humbly spill the beans and lay it out there for ya.

--------------------

Yep, there's no way around it.  Adopting Laila is expensive.  As we prepare to leave next week, our final total adoption costs are over $32,000.

At the beginning of our adoption, we paid $5,900 out of our own savings in agency fees, homestudy fees, USCIS fees, document authentications, visas, etc.  We also had our Adoption tax credit coming from last year's adoption & anticipated using it to pay additional money towards the adoption.  Now that we live in Alabama, we don't make nearly what we did up in NYC, so the extra cash flow just isn't there like it was before.  We knew that fundraising would be the ONLY way to bring her home.

Our amazing friends & family provided $4,700 more on our Adopt Together account.

T-Shirt Fundraisers via Booster/Custom Ink payments on paypal have raised $1188 more.

Raffled off prizes netted an additional $948 towards our adoption.

To date we have received $2401 in our Lifesong matching grant account.  Lifesong wrote a check to our agency yesterday for $4,802.

We also recently received a $4000 grant from A Child Waits foundation to help cover our travel costs.

Total Adoption Funding so far: $21,588

 

And of that- $15,688 was provided via fundraising & grants!!!

Remaining Adoption Costs: $10,683

 

Our flights are booked. Hotel reservations made.  And we are STILL waiting on our Adoption Tax Credit to be paid to us.  This week we even involved our Congressman in our IRS issue, in hopes we will get it in time.  Even with this we are still short around $3,000.

 

God truly has helped us in tremendous ways to get Laila home and we know that he will provide the rest.  We don't know how he will provide it, we just know that 'The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.' 1 Thessalonians 5:24

 

We know so many have done so much to save Laila's life and we will forever be grateful.

 

If you feel led to donate to bring an orphan home to her forever family & the medical care that will save her life- the link is at the top of the blog.  More than anything- we need your prayers!!! Prayers for our health while in China, prayers for Laila's health, prayers for our awesome kiddos who will be staying behind so they can continue their schoolwork, and prayers for their brave Grandpa who has offered to take care of them in our absence!

 

SEPT 14TH UPDATE:

We have been told that it is highly unlikely we will receive our tax return with the adoption tax credit before we even get back from China. 

 

Still, God continues to provide!!  We have received $1,100 in donations from friends this weekend.  Plus, on Thursday we received approval for a $4,000 grant through Lifesong!! :)

 

That brings our total adoption funding stands at $26,688!!

 

Remaining Adoption Costs: $5,583

 

We are so amazed how God continues to work through his people to bring Laila home.  To all who have donated, THANK YOU so much!!

 

We're 3 days away from leaving and I know God will provide for the rest.  We thank him for all he's done and all he will do.  We are SO blessed to be able to bring this sweet baby girl home in a few more days!!

Updated the day before we leave- we just received a grant for $5000 and a check for $1500 and leave tomorrow!!!!! 

We are FULLY FUNDED!!!

 

Thank you all so much!!

Fannie & Matt Wilks

We're going to China SOON!!!!

 

It's REALLY HERE!!  We received that hard copy LOA on Friday and today sent it back to the agency so that they can send it back to China!!

 

So what's next?  That's what I'm ready to answer!!

The China process has many steps- but we are on the last few. 

 

1. Receive LOA from China- CHECK!!

2. Receive I-800 approval from USCIS- CHECK!!

3. Receive Visa approval from NVC- Any Day Now!!

4. Request issuance of Article 5 from US Consulate in China- Next week?

5. Issuance of Invitation to Travel from China- *hopefully* a few days after Art 5

 

We are hoping to travel to China in the 2nd or 3rd week of Sept!!!

How exciting is that???  Our little girl will soon be HOME!!!

 

And we are hoping you will all join us in one FINAL fundraiser to help meet the matching grant that Lifesong was so sweet to bless us with.  Our current Lifesong balance is $694.  We need to get to $2500 for them to write a check for $5000 to be sent to our agency.  Right now our final agency fees are $5508 so that would almost completely cover what's left!  Puzzle pieces are being sold to help raise the last bit we need to get that matching grant at $10 each.  Donation information & info about the Starfish puzzle is on the post just before this. :)

 

 

We HATE to keep asking for you guys to buy this raffle ticket & this shirt & blah, blah, blah but the truth is that it isn't for us and we need a little bit more help.  The amazing news is that her orphanage donation is now FULLY funded!!! Thank you all for that!!!

 

So, if you'd like to help in our final push to get fees paid, we'd be grateful!!

 

And if you can't help or don't feel led to, we would also gratefully accept prayers!  Prayers for Laila's health, for God's provision, and for safe travel...

 

Thanks so much!

 

Blessings,

Fannie, Matt, Kate, Chengbin, & Laila SOON!!

39 Days

Because our sweet girl is being assisted by Love Without Boundaries, some dear friends who donated to pay for her transfusions receive updates and sent them to me!

I was very excited to get these updated pictures on Sunday! :)

How precious is this girl??

And for 39 days we have been waiting for the next step of our adoption to come through.  We are waiting on our Letting Seeking Confirmation from China (usually referred to as LOA).

And to say we are ready to go get her already would be an absolute understatement!!!

 

She looks like the transfusions are helping and this particular pic has made me smile for a week straight!! 

 

COME ON LOA!!!  WE WANT TO GO GET OUR GIRL!!!

 

And in fundraising news- we have already hit the $500 mark on our Lifesong account.  We have $2000 more to raise to get the full $2500 matching grant. :)

 

God is faithful!!  I had NO idea how he was going to move mountains for this sweet one like he has.

 

Say a prayer for LOA and for continued health for our girl while she waits.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Fannie, Matt, Kate, Chengbin, & Laila

Great News from Lifesong!

We were contacted on Monday by Lifesong.  They are an amazing non-profit that provides orphan care, outreach, & partners with adoptive parents to help bring home children through domestic and international adoption.  We had applied to them for all forms of assistance- an adoption matching grant, a Both Hands project, and an adoption loan In case it is needed at the end of our adoption.

We were given amazing news!!  Lifesong has approved us for a $2,500 matching grant!! :)

That means every dollar that is donated on our behalf to our Lifesong account will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Lifesong up to $2,500.  So if we can raise this- Lifesong will be able to send a check for $5,000 toward the cost of our adoption to our agency!  We are SO blessed to get this assistance!! 
 

The link to make a tax deductible donation to our family that will be matched dollar-for-dollar with Lifesong is:

https://www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate/one-time/?giftchoice=Adoption%20Funding&adoptionfunding=Family%20Specific

Family Name: Wilks 
Family Account Number: 4622
 

I am going to try to replace the buttons at the top of our blog with a new button for paypal payment to Lifesong, but until then please use the link for any donations you make! :)
________________________________

We also have one more prize giveaway (formerly known as a raffle;)  coming up soon!  I'll announce it later today!! :)

Also- we have had SO MANY requests for toddler shirts in our Ephesians 3:20 tees that we have opened it back up until Wednesday.  So if you'd like to order this shirt in toddler size, all sizes in white, or a grey hoodie- contact me on facebook or via email at mepscoastie@yahoo.com

Our shirts are also available for order on Booster in size Kid-XS through Adult-4XL in grey & blue.  You can click on this link to order & have them direct shipped to you! :)

www.booster.com/bringinglailahome2

Thank you to EVERYONE who has bought a shirt or made a donation large or small to help us bring this special little girl home.  We are humbled and grateful and truly blown away by all your love & generosity!!

A Big Financial Update is coming soon as is an update on how our Laila is doing and the status of our paperwork.

Thanks for stopping by,
Fannie, Matt, & the three awesome Wilks kiddos