Update: money stuff

We've had several questions recently about how fundraising is going and what is next in that regard. We have raised $11,400. READ THAT AGAIN. WOOWWW. Have we thanked you all lately for helping make that happen?? 

We sent $7200 of that total to Angel Adoptions 2 month ago so here's a break down/overview of what's next...maybe:
- Medical expenses for the birth mother; not all birth mothers need assistance so this number could be $0 or it could be $2400. We have put in our profile that we are willing to assist if the birth mother has a need. Our agency coordinators will give our profiles to mothers who need assistance AND mothers who don't - by being willing to assist we hit a wider range of birth mothers
- Travel expenses to meet the birth mother if she desires that; so this could also be $0 or it could be $3000+ if she lives in the middle of Washington. Again, in an attempt to be able to connect to the most birth mothers possible, we put in that we are WILLING to travel, if that is something a birth mother so desires
- Legal fees; this will range from $3000 to $10,000 depending on which state our birth mother is from, if there are any special laws in that state, etc. If a birth mother from Florida chooses us, this will dramatically reduce this cost. If a birth mother from Colorado (currently a difficult legal state to adopt from) that number could easily go to high side of that range (or over)
- Hospital and hotel stay during the birth of our child: this one is a totally wide open number; we will need to stay in a hotel in the city where our birth mother gives birth from up to 2 weeks and we will need to get an adjacent room to her in the hospital for up to 3 days (well, that 'up to' could go any direction but we are required to plan on being in the hospital for 3 days). 

OK, that's a lot of information so here's the summary: we could still be on the hook for up to $18-20k or that number could much closer to $6-7k. You generous people have asked how to continue to help financially. There you have it - we have right around $4200 in the bank to go towards what's next. 

Love you all!!

Bethany and Wayne 

Our profile is alive!

That's right, friends, our adoption profile is live and out there for a birth mother to see. Wow!!

Here's what this means with a lmore detail: 

- A paper version of our profile will be sent from our agency (Angel Adoptions) to their local contacts (example: Women's Resource Center in Gainesville or a church they trust in Atlanta or a birth mom they have connected with in the past)

- Those paper versions are already being sent out 

- The paper version (we'll post some pictures of that) is a format that many birth mothers appreciate over electronic versions; there is, however, an electronic version as well - AND you can check it out right now! 

http://www.angeladoptioninc.com/birthmothers/choose-a-family/profile/wayne-bethany.html

- That link will you take you to the profile that anyone can find, including potential birth mothers. It is not, however, the extensive profile that a birth mother will have access to if she partners with Angel Adoptions

- You are welcome to repost that link 

- We will receive monthly updates and we'll hear how many times our profile was sent out and how many birth mothers were interested in our profile; Wayne is overly excited about these monthly updates, because, well, he sucks at waiting and not doing something (another post coming about that - waiting isn't nothing, and how hard that is to live in; thank you Dave Ainsworth for your wisdom and guidance there)

- There are elements of our profile that you won't be able to see, specific parameters that are for birth mothers to use when deciding if we are the adoptive parents she wants to choose; as an example, we have indicated we are willing to travel to meet our birth mother before she chooses us. We won't go over all of these parameters but we want you to know so you can get a glimpse at how we are waiting and how we are trying to increase the number of potential birth mothers we connect with

- If you guys have any questions about any of this, let us know! wayne.rivercross@gmail.com is the best way to ask questions.

Prayer request: Would you all pray with us that our profile would be found by the right birth mother? Would you also pray for our hearts as we wait for our child to come into our home? We do not have any fairy tale idea of a child completing us AND we very much look forward to the privilege of parenting. God is a good, gracious and perfect Father and we want

to reflect that into our child's life.

Thank you all for your continues support!

Bethany and Wayne