Matching Grant from Hand in Hand

We just received exciting news!

October 30, 2014

Dear Ethan & Randy:

We have reviewed your application for a matching grant and are pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a dollar for dollar matching grant up to $5000.  The specific amount received will depend on the amount of funds donated by family and friends on your behalf.  The grant amount includes both the funds raised and the funds matched by HANDinHAND Christian Adoption, Inc.  If you raise $2,500 from family and friends, HANDinHAND will match those funds for a total grant of $5,000.  Funds received over the grant amount will go towards your adoption expenses not to exceed the outstanding adoption expenses but will not be matched by HANDinHAND.  Funds received over outstanding adoption expenses will help other children find "forever" families through the general fund of HANDinHAND Christian Adoption, Inc.

All monies will be disbursed directly to your adoption agency, adoption lawyer or other adoption expenses after HANDinHAND has received an approve invoice from one of these sources.  Monies already paid will not be reimbursed.  Only outstanding balances will be paid by your awarded grant.  Monies will be disbursed up to the amount of the final awarded grant.

All donated monies must be in our HANDinHAND office or postmarked by December 11, 2014 to be considered in the dollar for dollar match for your specific grant.  Funds received after this time will go toward the general fund of HNDinHND Christian Adoption, Inc. to continue to help children find "forever" families.

In the case of a disrupted adoption, monies will be hald for your use for us to 1 yeard from the disruption then after that time will be used to help other children and their families through Hand in Hand's general fund.

We are so excited to be able in a small way to help a child find a "forever" familiy.  Thank you for being obedient to Gods call in your life to help a child.  We appreciate your heart and look forward to working with you in accomplishing this goal.

Sincerely,
Trudy A. George
President
HANDinHAND Christian Adoption, Inc.

We are excited to receive this good news!  If you would like to help us meet our $2500 goal to meet this match, please send your donation made payable to "Hand in Hand Christian Adoption" and postmarked by December  11.  For tax purposes please include our name on the OUTSIDE of the envelope only - do not put our name on the check itself.  Send to:

Hand in Hand Christian Adoption, Inc.
Ethan and Randy Lanz
18318 Mimosa Court
Gardner, KS 66030

If you have any questions concerning this grant you may contact Hand in Hand Christian Adoption, Inc. They can be reached at 913-248-5015 or by email at handinhandadopt@gmail.com .  This fourth international adoption within two years has us totally tapped out, so we are very grateful for your help. 

Enjoying Photo Memories

Another family who adopted from Pat's orphanage visited there this month.  I was able to send a photo book full of pictures of our time together this summer.   It was so precious to see him enjoying these memories.

One week down in the wait for LOA.  The current average these days seems to be upwards of 75 days.  Sigh... settling in for a long wait.

Official Log In Date today!

 I was very surprised to hear from our agency that our dossier has been officially logged in!  Only five days!  On to translation!

Our dossier arrived in China!

It is there!  We found out this morning that our dossier arrived at the CCCWA office in China. So thankful that it was an uneventful trip for these important documents.  They completed their first round in our country, so now we wait for them to go through the various stages in the second country.

Tax Deductible Gifts

Some have asked me to let them know when we establish a way for them to give towards Pat's homecoming in a way that is tax deductible for them.  We are happy to let you know that we have been accepted as part of the Family Sponsorship Program through Reece's Rainbow.  If you would like to contribute in this way, simply click the Reece's Rainbow graphic in the right hand border, and it will automatically transfer you to our FSP.  They will hold the funds for us until closer to travel. 

Thank you!

DTC!

That REALLY important step has been achieved!  I just got notice from our agency that we have DTC!  Yes!  Our Dossier has been sent To China!

Hopefully next week week will find us with an official LID (Log In Date) and a fast track to having our documents OOT (Out Of Translation.)  Is it time to brush up on the Adoption Acronyms ?

Dossier Complete!

The week began with the bulk of our dossier documents back from their final step of authentication in New York.

This was followed up today with the final three documents that went through the Secretary of State and then the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

So this afternoon has been a whirlwind of carefully, so very carefully making photocopies so as not to disturb the various certifications and authentication attachments, and then matching up all of these photocopies (eventually) into three identical stacks.

And here is what we have been working towards since August 6.

One packet of photocopies for our agency, and one beautiful packet of FULLY AUTHENTICATED dossier documents!  This is where it starts to get real!  :)