We're back!!! It was truly the most amazing experience of my ENTIRE life!! and being that I'm almost 40 that encompasses a LOT!!!
So here they are - My Ethiopia Top Ten!
1. Meeting our daughter - duh!!! She is FABULOUS!!! I am already so in love with her I can hardly stand it! We got home Saturday night & Sunday morning she's crawling around with her brothers like this is what she's always done! She's perfect :)
2. The connection with our travel group. I was excited to meet everyone & had "stalked" their blogs trying to get to know them - but I was completely unprepared for how quickly we'd connect! Imagine - you have Christ & Adoption in common - you're 90% there!!! I miss you guys & can't wait to see your babies grow up!!!
3. Visiting Kingdom Vision Intl. This orphanage was not on our list to visit. But we did anyway! I am so glad! We were able to meet the founder/director & really talk about his work, their needs, how we can help. We are super excited to get our whole church on board in some way - God is still working out the details - we'll keep you posted!
4. The AWAA in-country staff. They are PHENOMENAL!!! I knew they'd be taking care of us - but had no idea how WELL we'd be taken care of!!! What an amazing blessing they were to us.
5. Visiting Arsi Negele where our daughter was found. It was a LONG 3 hours each way - with many near death misses - and I am so glad I went! I'd do it again in a heart beat! The people were so wonderful - I understand why her family would choose this village to bring her too.
6. Delivering care packages for 2 other families. I felt so special getting to love on them for their parents! What an incredible connection we formed - I can't wait to hear the rest of their stories either!!!
7. Sharing the joy of Metcha Day with 9 other families - it truly multiplied it 9 times for me! Initially I was a bit frustrated I was saddled to a "Ross" - as they call you alphabetically - but in the end my excitement was heightened with each new Metcha!!! Thanks for sharing this SUPER special day with us!
8. The guest house! It was beautiful. Although I complained a bit about the hike up 5 flights of stairs - I am now grateful for my lungs/buns of steel :) Make sure you have the Chef's egg omelet - the best I've EVER had! and the pancakes - yum! I miss his breakfasts!
9. A quiet nights sleep. I never knew what a light sleeper I was & now I am incredibly grateful for my rural country, no dog barking life!! VERY grateful!
10. Realizing that every single minute of the wait & every single penny spent was SO WORTH IT! I pray that God will find us worthy to do it again :)
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My new Motto!
I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the
something I can do.
Helen Keller
I cannot do everything,
but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the
something I can do.
Helen Keller
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REQUIRED READING! Amazima is run by a 19 year old girl - her story is MORE than worth reading!
Why Ethiopia???
• One in six children die before their fifth birthday
• One in ten children die before their first birthday
• 44% of the population of Ethiopia is under 15 years old
• 60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted because of malnutrition
• The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years
• 1.5 million people are infected with AIDS (6th highest in the world)
• 720,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS alone
•There are 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia and the country is twice the size of Texas
• Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa
• Drought struck the country from 2000-2002 (first year no crops, second year no seeds, third year no animals)
• Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school. 88% will never attend secondary school
• Coffee prices (Ethiopia’s only major export) fell 40-60% from 1998-2002
• Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000
• One in ten children die before their first birthday
• 44% of the population of Ethiopia is under 15 years old
• 60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted because of malnutrition
• The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years
• 1.5 million people are infected with AIDS (6th highest in the world)
• 720,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS alone
•There are 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia and the country is twice the size of Texas
• Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa
• Drought struck the country from 2000-2002 (first year no crops, second year no seeds, third year no animals)
• Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school. 88% will never attend secondary school
• Coffee prices (Ethiopia’s only major export) fell 40-60% from 1998-2002
• Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000
Round 2!!!
Nov 3, 2010 - Decide to adopt through CCI
Nov 9 - Contact Home Study Agency
Nov 16 - Decide to adopt B & B
Nov 18 - 1st meeting for Home Study - $1700
Nov 22 - send in application to CCI with $250 application fee
Dec 11 - we've been approved to adopt through CCI!
Dec 13 - sent in contract & $5800 - $5200 agency fee, $100 home study review fee, $500 humanitarian aid fee
Jan 24, 2011 - realized we need NEW birth certificates and marriage certificates - $122.50 to have them overnighted!!!
Jan 26 - spent $16.15 to express mail Dossier cover sheet & Power of Attorney to Olympia for AUTHENTICATION with $30 for processing
Jan 27 - received new birth & marriage certificates!!!
Jan 29 - received notarized copy of home study
Jan 31 - spent $16.15 to express mail I600a application to USCIS with $890 to process our application to bring an orphan into the US
Feb 2 - spent $16.15 to overnight our DOSSIER to The Assistant Stork in VA who will courier it through the State Dept & The Ethiopian Embassy - sent checks for $80 to Stork, $16 to State Dept, and $$189.60 to Embassy
Feb 2 - priority mailed 2 copies of our Dossier to CCI with a check for the first half of our country fee - $8500
Mar 1 - our case is submitted to the Ethiopian court
Mar 18 - FINGERPRINTED for our USCIS clearance
Mar 24 - received court date of May 20th!!!!
Mar 30 - 171h arrived!
Apr 12 - plane tickets purchased! $1372 each - what a BARGAIN!
May 14 - receive news our court date has been canceled....we travel anyway
May 26 - able to give our consent to the ET courts
Jun 1 - travel home
Jul 25 - passed court in ET - they're OURS!!!
Jul 26 - paid the 2nd half of the in-country fee - $8,500
Aug 11 - submitted to Embassy
Sept 12 - Embassy requests interview with birthmom
Oct 11 - Reschedule interview to Oct 25 due to car trouble
Oct 25 - We're CLEARED!
Oct 26 - Given Embassy interview date of Nov 2nd
Oct 27 - Tickets purchased, 1 adult & 2 children - $2800
Oct 31 - leave for ETHIOPIA!
Nov 4 - check out of hotel - $280
Nov 5 - return HOME!
Total so far: $31,878 and worth EVERY penny!
Nov 9 - Contact Home Study Agency
Nov 16 - Decide to adopt B & B
Nov 18 - 1st meeting for Home Study - $1700
Nov 22 - send in application to CCI with $250 application fee
Dec 11 - we've been approved to adopt through CCI!
Dec 13 - sent in contract & $5800 - $5200 agency fee, $100 home study review fee, $500 humanitarian aid fee
Jan 24, 2011 - realized we need NEW birth certificates and marriage certificates - $122.50 to have them overnighted!!!
Jan 26 - spent $16.15 to express mail Dossier cover sheet & Power of Attorney to Olympia for AUTHENTICATION with $30 for processing
Jan 27 - received new birth & marriage certificates!!!
Jan 29 - received notarized copy of home study
Jan 31 - spent $16.15 to express mail I600a application to USCIS with $890 to process our application to bring an orphan into the US
Feb 2 - spent $16.15 to overnight our DOSSIER to The Assistant Stork in VA who will courier it through the State Dept & The Ethiopian Embassy - sent checks for $80 to Stork, $16 to State Dept, and $$189.60 to Embassy
Feb 2 - priority mailed 2 copies of our Dossier to CCI with a check for the first half of our country fee - $8500
Mar 1 - our case is submitted to the Ethiopian court
Mar 18 - FINGERPRINTED for our USCIS clearance
Mar 24 - received court date of May 20th!!!!
Mar 30 - 171h arrived!
Apr 12 - plane tickets purchased! $1372 each - what a BARGAIN!
May 14 - receive news our court date has been canceled....we travel anyway
May 26 - able to give our consent to the ET courts
Jun 1 - travel home
Jul 25 - passed court in ET - they're OURS!!!
Jul 26 - paid the 2nd half of the in-country fee - $8,500
Aug 11 - submitted to Embassy
Sept 12 - Embassy requests interview with birthmom
Oct 11 - Reschedule interview to Oct 25 due to car trouble
Oct 25 - We're CLEARED!
Oct 26 - Given Embassy interview date of Nov 2nd
Oct 27 - Tickets purchased, 1 adult & 2 children - $2800
Oct 31 - leave for ETHIOPIA!
Nov 4 - check out of hotel - $280
Nov 5 - return HOME!
Total so far: $31,878 and worth EVERY penny!
Our Adoption Timeline!
Nov 10, 08 - Sent application to America World & $250 application fee
Dec 10, 08 - Sent first program payment fee of $1350 to AWAA.
Dec 22, 08 - Accepted into the Ethiopia Program at AWAA.
Jan 7, 09 - Requested birth certificates & marriage certificate....sent $60 (? can't remember exact amt!) to State of Wa & Or for these documents.
Jan 15, 09 - paid $95 for the online Hague Compliance training
Jan 21, 09 - Matt & Jill physicals and fingerprinting...$20 for fingerprints....sent fingerprints with $30 to FBI for
background check.
Jan 21, 09 - TB test for everyone :) yeah! $16 each.
Feb 18, 09 - sent $1800 for homestudy & $1050 for post adoption reports.
Feb 19, 09 - first meeting with the social worker doing the homestudy
Feb 23, 09 - Jill's 1:1 interview with social worker for homestudy
Mar 1, 09 - Matt's 1:1 interview with social worker & home inspection for homestudy
Mar 2, 09 - sent $30 to California for the background check for the homestudy
April 16, 09 - final meeting with social worker for completion of homestudy
April 22, 09 - over-nighted I600A paperwork to social worker who included notarized copy of HOMESTUDY (it's DONE!!!) and over-nighted I600A & Homestudy to USCIS - with $870
Apr 30,09 - had all paperwork notarized - for FREE thanks SUSIE! Over-nighted certification paperwork to Olympia with $30.
May 1, 09 - received notification from USCIS that they'd rcvd our paperwork and would be sending us our fingerprinting appt in the next few days!!!!
May 3 - paid $70 for our home study social workers travel expenses.
May 4 - we have our fingerprinting appointment!!! It's set for May 27th....but I'm hoping to see if we can get in earlier - of course!
May 5 - no chance to get an earlier fingerprinting appt :(
May 7 - WOW! Our paperwork came back from Olympia already!!! Now we're just waiting on the I-171!
May 27 - Fingerprints DONE!!!
June 2 - Matt's fingerprints didn't go thru, he has to go back and have them redone :(
June 4 - Matt's fingerprints are redone - pray they go thru this time!!!
June 18 - spent $20 and 3o minutes making 3 copies of the Dossier
June 20 - received our I-171H
June 22 - overnighted Dossier to AWAA with $7500...of which $1000 will be refunded when we do our 3, 6, and 12 month post-placement visits
June 26 - DTE!!!
July 2 - Dossier arrives in Addis Ababa, ET
July 26 - 1 month DTE
Aug 24 - Amend request to include HIV+ child
Aug 26 - 2 months DTE
Sep 16 - Sent $450 to AWAA to update Home study to include HIV+
Sep 26 - 3 months DTE
Oct 6 - Referral Call
Oct 8- Sent in referral acceptance & $5435
Nov 11 - received first pics of Ellie since her referral!!! She is sooooo BEAUTIFUL!
Nov 12- received court date of Dec 3
Nov 25 - received first "official" update on Ellie from AWAA - she's smiling & healthy & drop dead GORGEOUS!!!
Dec 3 - WE PASS COURT!!!!
Dec 21- Concrete travel dates - Jan 15-23
Dec 22 - bought plane tickets - $3244 for Matt & Jill
Jan 13 - paid in country travel fees $3877 for 5 of us
Jan 15 - left Spokane for Addis Ababa, ET
Jan 18 - Metcha Day
Jan 19 - Gotcha Day
Jan 20 - Embassy Day. $400 for her visa.
Jan 23 - HOME!
Grand Total so far: $26,581
Dec 10, 08 - Sent first program payment fee of $1350 to AWAA.
Dec 22, 08 - Accepted into the Ethiopia Program at AWAA.
Jan 7, 09 - Requested birth certificates & marriage certificate....sent $60 (? can't remember exact amt!) to State of Wa & Or for these documents.
Jan 15, 09 - paid $95 for the online Hague Compliance training
Jan 21, 09 - Matt & Jill physicals and fingerprinting...$20 for fingerprints....sent fingerprints with $30 to FBI for
background check.
Jan 21, 09 - TB test for everyone :) yeah! $16 each.
Feb 18, 09 - sent $1800 for homestudy & $1050 for post adoption reports.
Feb 19, 09 - first meeting with the social worker doing the homestudy
Feb 23, 09 - Jill's 1:1 interview with social worker for homestudy
Mar 1, 09 - Matt's 1:1 interview with social worker & home inspection for homestudy
Mar 2, 09 - sent $30 to California for the background check for the homestudy
April 16, 09 - final meeting with social worker for completion of homestudy
April 22, 09 - over-nighted I600A paperwork to social worker who included notarized copy of HOMESTUDY (it's DONE!!!) and over-nighted I600A & Homestudy to USCIS - with $870
Apr 30,09 - had all paperwork notarized - for FREE thanks SUSIE! Over-nighted certification paperwork to Olympia with $30.
May 1, 09 - received notification from USCIS that they'd rcvd our paperwork and would be sending us our fingerprinting appt in the next few days!!!!
May 3 - paid $70 for our home study social workers travel expenses.
May 4 - we have our fingerprinting appointment!!! It's set for May 27th....but I'm hoping to see if we can get in earlier - of course!
May 5 - no chance to get an earlier fingerprinting appt :(
May 7 - WOW! Our paperwork came back from Olympia already!!! Now we're just waiting on the I-171!
May 27 - Fingerprints DONE!!!
June 2 - Matt's fingerprints didn't go thru, he has to go back and have them redone :(
June 4 - Matt's fingerprints are redone - pray they go thru this time!!!
June 18 - spent $20 and 3o minutes making 3 copies of the Dossier
June 20 - received our I-171H
June 22 - overnighted Dossier to AWAA with $7500...of which $1000 will be refunded when we do our 3, 6, and 12 month post-placement visits
June 26 - DTE!!!
July 2 - Dossier arrives in Addis Ababa, ET
July 26 - 1 month DTE
Aug 24 - Amend request to include HIV+ child
Aug 26 - 2 months DTE
Sep 16 - Sent $450 to AWAA to update Home study to include HIV+
Sep 26 - 3 months DTE
Oct 6 - Referral Call
Oct 8- Sent in referral acceptance & $5435
Nov 11 - received first pics of Ellie since her referral!!! She is sooooo BEAUTIFUL!
Nov 12- received court date of Dec 3
Nov 25 - received first "official" update on Ellie from AWAA - she's smiling & healthy & drop dead GORGEOUS!!!
Dec 3 - WE PASS COURT!!!!
Dec 21- Concrete travel dates - Jan 15-23
Dec 22 - bought plane tickets - $3244 for Matt & Jill
Jan 13 - paid in country travel fees $3877 for 5 of us
Jan 15 - left Spokane for Addis Ababa, ET
Jan 18 - Metcha Day
Jan 19 - Gotcha Day
Jan 20 - Embassy Day. $400 for her visa.
Jan 23 - HOME!
Grand Total so far: $26,581
About Me
- Jill
- Colfax, Washington Wife to Matt for 16 adventure filled years. Mom to 4 fantastic boys & one fabulous little girl! Owner of an amazing business that allows me lots of girl time & a chance to decide when that girl time is :) Lover of all things sparkly, fun, loud, and shouter from the mountain tops of the JOY OF ADOPTION!
1 comment:
Wow Jill! What an amazing journey. I am so happy this dream has come true for you and your family. Thank you so much for sharing all the detials of your journey. You are blessed.
Truly,
Danielle & Ravi Tarekere
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