Updated letter

Here is a copy of the most recent letter we have sent out.

December 1, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

We wanted to write and inform you of our progress with the adoption. We have completed all the paper work on our end and officially obtained our spot on the waiting list for a baby on March 1, 2011.  We have completed our home study, fingerprinting, and necessary clearances.  While the adoption agency cannot say with certainty when we will receive our referral, it may be as soon as sometime in 2012. It is difficult to express how excited we are about the prospect of meeting our son.  We are confident that God knows the right child for our family and that His timing will be perfect whenever we are united.

While our central focus during this process has been preparing our home and hearts for our new child, we have also spent a good deal of time trying to collect information and record our process so that we might serve as a resource for others who may choose to adopt in the future. Finances are a large part of this process and it has been our hope to be transparent in this area in order to be an encouragement to others that may be thinking about adopting but are overwhelmed by the high cost. It saddens us to think that finances would come between an orphan and a loving home.  Please continue to ask us about our adoption as we want to tell how God is working in our lives through this process. 

While we are limited in our finances, we have seen the generosity of family and friends as they partner with us. We are SO TRULY grateful to all of you that have affirmed our decision to adopt verbally, prayerfully, and/or financially.  We have completed a number of fundraisers (photography, concert, produce boxes, and spaghetti dinner) that have helped us raise the full amount for our adoption when added to our savings(18K) plus $4100 toward our travel expenses (estimated at 8-10K).  Truly God has his hand of blessing on this adoption.  Part of this total also reflects an adoption grant we received of $2500 from Show Hope.   ALL of this money has been paid toward our adoption at this point. 

Currently, we will need to raise another $4-6K so that both of us can travel to Ethiopia after we receive our referral.  Unfortunately we will have to travel there twice.  The first trip is to meet our boy and to go to court.  The second trip is to get his visa and bring him home.   While the sum seems overwhelming, and at times too great to meet, we are humbled and encouraged by the ways God has provided, often through those reading this letter, and are certain that money will not stand in the way of a child receiving a family.

Please continue to read our adoption blog at www.buildinghisforeverfamily.com to stay up to date on our latest news.  We will post any future fundraisers we have planned for the spring/summer to raise the final travel amount.  We hope to have Both Hands Fundraiser sometime in the spring or summer.  Thank you so much for your interest and support through this process.

Blessings,

Josh, Amy, Brady and Holden Cox