The Cost of Adoption

Lots of people write posts on this, but not all of them are bothered by their mother to do so.  I am by no means a professional on the cost of adoption, but I am in the thick of it, so I have some idea about this subject matter.

Just what does adoption cost?  
Well, the short answer is around $30,000.
The longer answer is everything you have, plus whatever your friends and family will donate.

What? $30,000? Are you serious?  
Yes.  $30,000.  Yes.  I am serious.

Why not just make your own baby?
What?

Why does adoption cost so much?
I have no idea.  There is so much involved in adoption and so many agencies and governments get a piece, so that is part of it.  But the rest- I don't know.  What I do know is that there is a special favor and grace that comes the minute you commit to changing a child's life through adoption.  Within a couple of months of us announcing we were adopting, we received - unsolicited- over $1000!

So what is the breakdown?
It's different for every agency and situation, but here is approximately what our breakdown looks like:
$4500 - Homestudy
$1000- Fees for documents
$5000- Agency fee for international agency
$13,000- Foreign country expenses (this is for siblings- if we don't get blood related children, it will be $17,000)
$600- Foster care- this is paid for the time from when you accept the referral to the time you pick up your child
$1,200- more fees for more documents
$1000- post placement deposit
$3000-$5000- Travel to and from Congo
$29,300-$35,300- Total


So there you go.  Thats a chunk of change for you, but it will cost about a million dollars to raise these two kids, so this is really small change. 

But here is some good and wonderful news for you:

1. God provides.  Truly, from the bottom of our hearts, we believe that.  We don't have a reservoir of $30,000.  We don't even know where it will come from, but not once have we wondered if it would come.  We know it will come.  When we need it.  Right now, we have about $10K of the expenses covered.  Which in and of itself is amazing.  We're doing one fundraiser (you are invited!  October 14- details soon!) with the hopes of getting closer to what we need.  And the rest- well, it will come.
2.  The reward is priceless.  Between being obedient to what God commands and filling our home with children who need a family, there is no cost we would not pay.

I have to say this:  If you are thinking about adoption and you don't think you can afford it; I promise you this: you can't afford NOT to.  Please don't let money rule your life.  Let God do it.  He will amaze you with what He can do.
I also have to say this: If you know someone adopting, they probably can't do it alone.  If you have the means financially or otherwise, don't hold back.  You will be a part of changing history for a family, for a child and maybe for a nation.  You don't know who you are helping a child become by placing them in a family.  

^{Psalm 68} 

⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
   is God in his holy dwelling.
⁶ God sets the lonely in families,^[a]
   he leads out the prisoners with singing;
   but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.