Burns Family Updates

In Denver!

2010-11-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

Beep Beep....
Ring Ring....
LA LA LA...
BeepRingLaBeepRingLa!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The alarms went off at 4 a.m. this morning. The day has finally arrived for us to go get our girls. Just to make sure that we didn't oversleep. We set both cell phones and the alarm clock. Having them all go off after only 4 hours of sleep was.......amusing?

The first flight was very smooth out of Cody. We are now in the Denver airport waiting for our next flight to DC.

We leave in 1 week!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

Need I say more?

"Tentative" Travel Date

2010-10-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

We have been given a "Tentative" Travel date to pick up our daughters - Nov. 16. We are just waiting for the green light from the embassy on one last document before we can go...or purchase our tickets for that matter. Here are some pictures that our agency recently shared with us. Please pray for us as we wait!

Fundraiser

2010-10-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

We had this beautiful hand crafted gun cabinet donated to us to sell to raise funds for the adoption. It has three doors plus a bottom drawer. Please note that it does not lock. We would deliver in the Big Horn Basin. If you do not live in the basin, you would need to come and pick it up. :) If you have any questions, please call us at 417-718-5597 or post us a note here. Asking Price: $300 OBO

Changing Time Frames

2010-10-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

After finding out about the typo in our adoption decree we found ourselves resigning to the fact that it would be sometime in December when we finally travelled back to Ethiopia to pick up our girls. It was the first week of August when we went to meet them. Already it feels like ages ago that we last held our daughters. Anyway we arrived at that conclusion based on our knowledge of "usual" time tables. For instance we expected court to reopen in October, then a week to get in to see a judge to fix the decree. Another week for translating, then there is the average 8 week wait for embassy approval, which would put us well into December.

Then we heard CWA was removed from the pre-screening list meaning: The Embassy wait would only be 2 weeks. Meaning a late Oct/early Nov travel date was not out of the question. However, a phone call told us that since we were already "in progress" this would not apply to us. We would have to go through the full pre-screen. Back to December it is.

Yesterday we talked with our case worker and found that much of the Embassy work is likely already done, and once they get the translated adoption decree we should be cleared to travel. So, Now we are back to thinking November..............

While we are waiting

2010-09-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

CWAF opened its new childrens home this week. This is apart of a 3 part process. Part 2 includes a guest house for parents coming for their court and embassy dates. Part 3 includes a medical facility to serve the needs of women in children there. To see pictures, go to: www.cwa.org/blog

While you are there, I would highly recommend the YouTube video in the Sept. 23 post. This is from another family that is adopting from Ethiopia. WARNING: Don't watch unless you have tissues.

Courts Reopening

2010-09-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Good news today. Courts are set to reopen on September 27!!

Originally we were told that they were tentatively scheduled to reopen on September 30. Meaning...it could be the 30th or later.

How you can pray for us:

Pray that the rest of the paper work goes through smoothly - there's always a chance for more snags. That's just the way things are.
Pray for us financially. God has blessed us with some extra jobs to go towards the adoption. We just need a little more......The price of airlines effect these costs.
Pray for peace -That God will give us and our daughters peace during this time -That we would be anxious for nothing.

T-shirt Sale

2010-09-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Help us reach our final goal and get a cool t-shirt celebrating Ethiopian adoptions at the same time. The best news of all is that the t-shirts have all been paid for already. No overhead makes for a good fundraiser.

Before you ask for it. We are completely out of the girls cut blue t-shirt.

Thanks to Harvest Church in Billings, MT for all the help with this fundraiser. What a great blessing they have been to the 10 or so families adopting from Ethiopia. This church is also campaigning to build a 4 million dollar aquatic center for their town. Now that is a witness.

$20 per t-shirt.

Lots of Blue left in every size.

Lots of Red left in every size. Both regular and girl cut. (Girls cut runs small)

Getting low on the Grey. (13 Medium - 3 Large - 5 XLs)

Only size 2x left in the adult Tan. There are several tan kids S - M - L.

Disgruntled

2010-09-01T10:54:00.001-07:00

I’m running low on patience and understanding today. I opened my email this morning to find that bringing home our daughters is going to be delayed by a TYPO. How can this be? Apparently a name was misspelled on the court documents. This little error means that we will have to wait until court reopens to have a new adoption decree issued from the judge. Then it will be another week or two until the new documents are ready, after which it will finally go to the Embassy for review. I wish I knew who to blame. I know, I know, It doesn't change anything. I just want someone to direct my frustration onto.

*Sigh* I know this is in God’s hands and His timing is perfect. Today, I’m not happy about it.

Humbled By Generosity

2010-08-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

The coffers are dry. After making our last trip to Ethiopia for court we had pretty much drained our savings. Well, we were not completely without reserves, but we didn't even have enough to purchase half of one airline ticket for the trip back. (No, we still aren't sure exactly when that will be.)

While we know God will provide the money we always wonder just how that will be accomplished. We are thinking we will need about $9000 for this next trip and have a long way to go. This week has been the beginning of that answer for us. As we checked the mail box we found checks/cash from people who don't have an abundance of extra to give. They have dug deep not just out of plenty, but out of the little that they have. Some of these people could have used those precious dollars for things they need, not just want, but need, in their own family. What a humbling moment. We are so grateful for those people who love us and our girls, even though they have yet to meet them.

Between these gifts, working every spare moment, and Naomi's thriftness with our budget we find ourselves just over halfway to where we need to be to make this trip. We know God will provide, the exciting part is watching the unexplained ways He makes it happen.

Blankets From Aunt Angie

2010-08-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

More Pictures

2010-08-20T19:44:00.001-07:00

Friends!

Pictures

2010-08-20T19:21:00.001-07:00

Last phone call before leaving the US

Coffee to help with the Jet Lag in Dubai

Picture Books

Post Court Update

2010-08-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

Where do we begin. Oh yeah, I know...... THEY'RE OURS!!!!! Well not in our home yet, but legally they are. We got to spend almost 15 hours with our girls while in Ethiopia. Our driver "forgot" about us at the orphanage and didn't come pick us up until late. For which we were very grateful.

We have a lot to tell, but I'm going to try to keep this to the basics for length reasons. But if there is anything specific you want to know please comment and I'll do a post about it.

Meeting our girls. We were a bit nervous about it. Will they like us? Will they not want to come home with us? Will they cry the whole time we're there? All of these questions melted away the moment we met them.

They came over hugged us. Sat in our laps and we began to go through our picture books together about what life will be like when we get to bring them home. We played. We colored. Played soccer. Tickled and laughed. All with out a single word in common. It was truly special.

Court lasted about 2 minutes. The judge asked us why we wanted to adopt from Ethiopia, if we were prepared for identity issues, if we had met the girls, and if we were absolutely sure we wanted to do this, as it is irrevocable. After which she said the most amazing words. "Congratulations, They are yours."

The next step is our embassy date, which we are told should be about 6 to 8 weeks from now. Meaning we need to do some serious fundraising fast to come up with money for airlines. However, we know that God will provide. He has yet to miss a step.

It was very difficult to say goodbye to our girls, but we know that we will be home with them soon. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers during our trip. They have meant a lot to us.

On Our Way!

2010-07-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

We are sitting in Houston waiting for our flight to take off. The next flight is about 15 hours.

We are sooo close to seeing our girls for the very first time.

Please pray for a smooth travel, that our hearts will be at peace and that we will find rest in this very long trip.

We Passed 1st Court!!!!!

2010-07-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

We just received our call this morning that we passed the first round of court. We can now solidify our travel for the second round less than 2 weeks away where we must appear in person. We are very excited to get all of this in before the court recesses for 2 months.

While We Are Sleeping

2010-07-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight while we are sleeping the Ethiopian Ministry of Women's Affairs will be submitting their recommendation regarding our adoption to the courts. During this hearing the judge will interview the responsible parties for relinquishing our children for adoption.

While the vast majority of cases eventually go through, about 50 percent are postponed for one reason or another. Please pray with us this evening that we pass court with out postponement. If it is delayed it could push our hearing beyond the recess and into October. While we know this is in God's timing we are hoping to see things move quickly.

We'll let you know just as soon as we hear. Thanks for your prayers.

Jed and Naomi

Things are moving fast!

2010-07-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, we posted that we had received a placement. At the time, we were truly expecting a long wait to get into court. Since that time we have received our court dates.

'Dates?' you might be saying. Yes, there are two dates in our horizon. The first is this Thursday, July 22. We do not attend this court date. Rather it is for local officials to testify concerning the girls' eligibility for adoption with any surviving family members. Presuming that everything goes smoothly with this first date, our second court date is set (August 4). They want us on the ground by August first. This will give us time to spend with the girls before the court hearing. Please pray for us that everything goes smoothly this week with our first hearing.

So what happens next? Unfortunately, we can't take them home after court. We have to wait for an embassy date which could take 8 weeks or more. Although the process so far has seemed long, we are mentally preparing for the pain of separation and the wait...and only God can prepare and comfort our hearts.

Thank you for your support along this journey. We are almost there. Keep praying.

Thinking about our Kiddos

2010-07-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

We spent the holiday weekend with Naomi's brother Jeff who has been in town visiting us from Ohio. We have spent the week visiting some the most scenic places in the world, which happen to be right in our back yard. Chief Joseph Highway, the Beartooth Highway, Yellowstone Park and Chico Hot Springs just to name a few. We have had such a blast. It has been a ton of fun to watch Jeff experience these places for the first time.

It has made us think of what life will be like when our girls arrive. We'll get to share all sorts of new fun/exciting/scary things together. We can't hardly wait.

As you may know we are currently waiting for a court date. Not only will this be the date we go before the judge, but it will also be when we get to meet our girls. Pray with us that this will happen soon.

Successful Auction and Other News

2010-06-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who bid on our ebay auction of the artwork from Rose Photography and Deercreek Creations. The final bid ended at $610. That was very exciting for us. I placed it in the mail yesterday, and was told it should arrive within 3 days.

The garage sale in Billings with Harvest Church also went well. The total made during the sale was just shy of $5000. Our portion of that is about $400 dollars.

We recently found out about a video crew that will make a documentary about our girls that they will be able to keep when they get older. The film crew will interview any relatives or neighbors from their village along with workers from the orphanage as well. Hopefully it will be able to assist them fill in some of the blanks that they may have as they get older and wonder about their past.

We keep getting pictures of our girls. It seems they are now in the same orphanage. They had been separated. They have such big smiles.

Our documents were submitted to the courts yesterday as well. We are praying the Ethiopian courts move quickly to set us a date.

I know there is more I'm forgetting, but these are the highlights. If there is anything I've left out that you want to know more about please just ask.

Ebay Auction

2010-06-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, So we are a few days late on the Ebay auction. Better a little late than never, right? So here is the photo taken by Rose Photography and matted and framed by Deer Creek Creations. The auction will be on Ebay for 10 days and has NO-MINIMUM bid.

This photo was taken in a bed of flowers just feet from the door of this photographer, and was just one of many butterflies visiting the garden that day. The frame comes from a recently downed barn in Wyoming.

The ebay auction number is 280521939974 (http://shop.ebay.com/ebayadvsearch/). The auction ends June 25th just before 7pm. Thanks and happy bidding.

Exciting News

2010-06-04T20:22:00.001-07:00

Jed & I accepted a placement from CWA today. We are adopting two girls: Alemitu (3) and Bereket (7).

As you may have read in an earlier blog, we now have to travel twice: once for the court date and again later for the embassy date. Which means we have to raise anywhere from $5,000 ($37,372) to $7,000 ($39,372) dollars extra than our original estimate on the thermometer on the right (updating soon!) depending on airline costs.

Our court date is not likely to be before October. There courts shut down in the month of August and September. This is fine because it will give us extra time to raise/ save the extra funds needed.

Here is what is coming up:

Yard Sale: Saturday, June 19: Billings, MT: Harvest Church
Let me know if you would like to volunteer the day of or make baked goods for the bake sale.....or just come and shop and join in the fun!
Online Picture Auction (June 11-June 27): More details coming soon!
Car Wash
Schwans Sale
& More

It is soo exciting to feel like we are moving again. Jed & I would like to thank everyone for their prayers during this time of waiting. Please keep praying as we move closer to bringing our girls home.

Things are moving

2010-05-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

In December all of our paperwork was in and completed. Since then we have been...

....waiting

....praying

....and waiting

....praying

....and doing a little more waiting

....and praying for A LOT of patience

It seems like in the last 6 months there have been reason after reason for delays in referrals. This is not just with our agency, but with all agencies in Ethiopia.

While CWA can't tell us when we will get a referral or how many families are a head of us, they have been innovative in giving families an idea of where they are at. A few months ago they put a clock in our personal log-in area that shows the month we submitted all of our paperwork to Ethiopia (December 2009) and how far back the last family is still waiting on a referral. For months the clock sat on August (2009) for the last family to receive a referral for sibling groups. In the past 10 days, the clock has jumped from August (2009) to October (2009).

Needless to say, we are very excited!!!

New Rules for Ethiopian Adoptions

2010-03-10T09:35:00.001-08:00

After a couple months of slow moving information regarding our adoption we have been informed of new rules for Ethiopian Adoptions. We have heard rumors of this for several months, but it is now official.The bottom line is that we will need to make 2 trips to Ethiopia instead of one. Apparently there have been a number of disillusionment in the past year or so. A disillusionment is when after passing court and legally adopting a child the parents back out of the adoption. So what is going to happen is that agencies will no long be able to serve as our power of attorney for the hearing. We will be required to meet the children and attend the court hearing in person.It will then be 8-10 weeks before the embassy date when we can take the kids home with us. Hence the need to travel twice.There are both good and bad sides to this turn of events. First the bad. Costs will increase. One of the major costs is the travel and airline fees which will now double. To this I respond, God is able to provide.Now the good. Since we will see our children before we officially adopt them they come to the states on an IR-3 visa and will be citizens when they touch down on American soil. Previously they would have come on an IR-4 visa and would have had to been re-adopted in the US to be citizens.Still no word on a referral. Perhaps today.

It's Been a Month

2010-03-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

Yes. It has been a month since we have last posted. Last time around I mentioned that we are just waiting for the phone to ring. I wrote that any day the phone could ring and we would hear about our new referral. Well, that day has not come yet. I'm sure it will soon.

Waiting for the Phone to Ring

2010-01-29T14:03:00.000-08:00

I'm getting a lot of questions regarding where we are in our adoption process. Today the answer is that we are just waiting. Waiting for the phone to ring again with news that our agency has a referral for us. All our paper work is now complete. We have a few thousand dollars to raise, and are working on a fund raisers that we'll do in near future. After we get the referral we estimate another 5 or 6 months before we travel, but it could be longer based on the time of year, power outages, governmental politics and more.

Another question I'm hearing a lot is, "What is the time frame?". The answer is - There isn't one. We could get a call today, tomorrow, next week, or maybe a month or two. There are just too many factors to answer that question. It depends on what children come into the orphanage, how old they are, and the adoption criteria of those who are ahead of us on "the list".

I had a conversation with our adoption provider the other day that put this in perspective for me. We are adopting children whose parents have died and have no family that can provide for them. It should not be our prayer that this occurs. It should be our prayer that it does not. Yet when it does we will be there to meet that need.

Wow. Chew on that a while. I'm so glad we are using an agency that truly has a heart for the children of Ethiopia.

Funder Results and a Surprise!

2010-01-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

What a fun time we had. Val Geissler did the entertainment and served as the auctioneer. We had about 70 people show up for the event to bid on a number of silent and live auction items. Some of my favorites were a 2ft tall plush stuffed elephant, an elk antler plant stand, a hand made entertainment center, brand new desktop computer and more. In the end some people great deals on items, and we all had a really good time. Okay, okay. I know you just want to know the dollar amount which ended right about $2500. Not bad for a half day of work. Actually the planning was a bit more, but still a success.

Then today as I'm adding it all together I get online and find that an "anonymous" donor has given us a $2000 donation. How can that be? Anonymous? You reach into our world and change it and we don't get to know who you are. In that case we will thank God for your compassion, and assume that you had followed His direction. We will give Him the glory. Thank you for following. Whoever you are.

With these donations and a smattering of others we sit about $4200 from EVERYTHING we anticipate to need before we travel. Wow, what an exciting feeling that is to be so close. Now if we can just get another referral. Maybe Monday. Maybe.

Fundraiser

2010-01-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

Our next funderaiser is January 15. Less than 2 weeks away!!!

Our last post said Dec 15 & @ the Eagles lodge. We must have been very tired when we posted it. Here's the scoop:

Friday, Jan 15, 2010 6:30 PM

VFW - Cody Wyoming

Chili Dinner

Live Entertainment

Live & Silent Auction

*gift certificates
* Handcrafted Entertainment Center
*Computer

*Decor

* & much more still coming in

Tickets are $10. Call us to reserve your spot today! 417-718-5597

If you are not able to make it, but would like to make a donation. Use the PayPal link on the right. Donations are tax deductible.

THANK YOU!

It's there!

2009-12-18T15:15:00.000-08:00

We recieved an e-mail today saying that our paperwork has landed in Ethiopia! Now we are waiting on a referral.

This weekend we are starting a 10 hour online training course; and on Monday afternoon, we have a webinar with our agency titled "while your waiting." I pray that the wait is not to long; and if it is, I pray that God gives me patience.

Mark your calendars for the next fundraiser. Friday, December 15, 2009 at the Eagles Lodge in Cody, WY we will be having a Chili dinner with entertainment and auction! More details coming soon.

Dossier Completed

2009-12-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the donation I mentioned in the last post our dossier is on it's way to Ethiopia. Actually the money arrived at the agency this afternoon and our dossier will leave for Ethiopia via UPS first thing in the morning. This is very exciting. It means a couple of things. We go back on the waiting list now for another set of children. In case you are curious the people who have been waiting the longest have been waiting around 6 months, but since our options are more open (boys/girls/birth-6) we expect to get a referral much quicker.

In the mean time we have a bit more training that we have to complete. It is an online class with tests and everything. It has to be completed before we travel and will likely take around 8 hours to complete.

We will also need to raise the required funds for travel. Of course much of that will depend on airfares which right now seem to be between $1500 and $3000 per adult if we fly out of Denver. If we fly from any of the closer airports the costs can be as much as $5000 per ticket. However, many of the airlines do offer discounts for adoptive families who are traveling to pick up a child. The discounts seem similar to that of bereavement flights. Other costs as we look toward travel will include:

$3000-$6000 Airfare
$2000 Hotel/food/guides
$400 visa fee
$200 visa medical exam
$20 visa photos
$70 Ethiopian passports

That is the major break down of costs that remain. We are excited to be this far and can't wait to bring home our kids. We are almost there, but we still need your help to finish up. Please pray and consider making a donation to help us with the remainder of these costs. If you choose to do so you can make a donation through the paypal button on the right hand side of the blog, or you can mail us directly at 822 Jonathon Rd. Powell, WY 82435.

Okay So I Missed $50

2009-12-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

Yeah. As it turns out I was off in the remaining fees by $50. And not on the good side. It will be $50 more bringing the total remaining that we need to send off our paperwork to Ethiopia... $1,106 and twenty-five cents. I know it's discouraging to see the number moving in the wrong direction.

That is until God reaches into your world and proves once again that He is in control. This evening we received a phone call to tell us that someone who was making monthly donations was stepping up to provide the remaining amount needed to be "dossier ready" in one lump sum.

With the receipt of that check we will be able to finish our payments to CWA, send our dossier to Ethiopia and pay the international adoption fees. It will also put us in place to receive another referral from the agency. Something we are very anxious for.

All that will remain will be visa/travel/medical costs. I'll post a break down of remaining costs soon. Don't get me wrong, that will be costly too. But this is a major step in the right direction. Thank you for the donation. You mean the world to us.

Progress

2009-11-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

Progress takes time. I just keep reminding myself. Today, though, I had a bit of excitement as I was updating our financials. We are $1,056.25 away from sending our dossier to Ethiopia. It is currently being authenticated in DC and it will arrive at our agency by the end of the week.

Thank you to all of you that continue to help. If you would like to make a donation to help chip away at this mile stone, click the PayPal link on the right. All donations are tax deductible.

US and Ethiopian Authentication

2009-11-25T08:38:00.001-08:00

We received our dossier back from the state authentication, and it is now headed to Washington D.C. for Authentication at the US State Department followed by the Ethiopian Embassy. When we made the decision to adopt last April I was in awe at the amount of paperwork we would have to compete to reach this point. There were pages upon pages of forms that had to be filled out for both the adoption agency, the home study provider and for our dossier. Most of that has now been completed. What remains as far as paperwork goes is a questionnaire from our agency that will help us process through the many scenarios that may play out when our children get home. Things like when will their insurance kick in? Immediately, following the court date, or after they get home. Is there a therapist in your area that you may want to use should the need arise? You can see how thinking some of these things through before hand may be helpful.

In any case our Dossier is headed to D.C. and we look forward to it's quick return.

Difficult News

2009-11-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday Naomi and I were told the girls we were hoping to adopt are not available for adoption in the United States. As it turns out the mother, with the best interest of the children in mind, had lied to get them into the program. She had told authorities that the children's father was deceased, when in fact he is still alive. Apparently he has multiple wives. According to Ethiopian laws the fact that he is alive means they are not orphans and are not available for adoption. By law they must be placed back in the care of their mother.

This has been a difficult couple of days for us as we are finding that we had already grown very attached to these girls even though we only had a few pictures in our hands. On the bright side we are encouraged to know that CWA (Christian World Adoption) has placed them in their home program where they will receive food, clothing and other supplies that they may need to survive. At least they will be with their family, which is also important.

Naomi and I will once again be placed on a waiting list to receive referrals. As far as what we need to do nothing will change. Our dossier is being authenticated and we are still waiting on immigration.

Through this situation Naomi and I are reminded that when we started this process we determined that we are doing this not only for us, but as God directs. If it be His desire that these girls stay with their mother then that is where they need to be. I'm not saying it makes it easy, but I am saying that His ways are perfect.

The waiting

2009-11-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

Our dossier got the go-ahead from our agency. We sent it to the state for authentication. We are waiting for our finger print date with USCIS in Casper. Also working on two more grant applications this week. I am planning on making a list/ plans for our January fundraiser during Thanksgiving.

There are still some puzzle pieces left if anyone would like to purchases one (see older posts). Also, we have a personalized video. If you would like one, just leave a message on the blog and we will mail you one.

I am anxious to go and get our girls. We are at least 6 months out still. Once Ethiopia gets our dossier, a court date generally takes 3 months. Then we travel 6-8 weeks after that. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. We are getting closer, but we are not there yet.

Update

2009-11-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

Immigration paper work has arrived in Texas. Pray for speedy appointment with office in Casper. Finishing grant apps tonight and mailing tomorrow.

$4,022 More to be "Dossier Ready"

2009-11-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

God is good and is providing for our adoption in the most amazing ways. On October 10th when we accepted these children, we knew that God was going to have to provide in a big way in order for us to have the additional $16,100 ready within 4 months. He has done just that. Thank you to everyone whom God is using to make this happen. It is your obedience to His voice that is making this possible.

What does "Dossier Ready" mean? - The dossier is the group of documents that is sent to Ethiopia and is then approved by the courts allowing us to bring home the girls. Of course then "dossier ready" means that it is completed and ready to be sent.

To give you an idea how big this is, the process will work like this. Once with have the additional $4,022 we will send our fees and the dossier to Ethiopia. They will set a court date. Six weeks after the court date we will travel to bring home our daughters. Very exciting indeed.

So, Naomi and I are going to push to have the additional money in very quickly. Our goal is before the end of November. Can you help us? Please pray about it before you make any decisions. Then, if you can help us reach this goal, we would love to have your help.

You can make donations by mail, or by simply clicking on the donate button on the right hand of this blog. It will take you to our paypal account where you can donate by credit/debit card. You do not have to have a paypal account to do this.

If you would like to write a check via mail please make it out to; "Ethiopia Hope Fund". This will also be a tax deductible donation, as they are run through Harvest Church. By mail donations can be mailed to us at: 822 Jonathon Rd. Powell, WY 82435.

Thanks again to everyone who has prayed for us during this process and those who have helped financially. We have a bit farther to go. But the goal is in sight.

Pasta'd Out

2009-11-01T18:42:00.000-08:00

Today, we fed over 150 at the Park Co. Wyoming fairgrounds. I'd like to thank all of our family who slaved over pasta, cookies and lemonade to make this lunch possible. A special thanks to the one family member who took a little extra sauce home in her pockets. :)

We raised $669 at this lunch. This includes selling more puzzle pieces.

If you have not had a change to attach your name to a puzzle piece, you can still do so online through PayPal on the right. See earlier posts for more details.

Attend Creation Festival next Sunday to help out with our adoption and other families who are adopting from Ethiopia. For more information, go to: http://www.creationfesttour.com/

Puzzle Progress

2009-10-27T20:48:00.001-07:00

We have currently sold 86 pieces of our adoption puzzle fundraiser. In case you are just now catching up; We are selling pieces to this puzzle for $5 dollars each. We then write your name on the back of the puzzle, which will hang in our daughters room when they arrive home. Here are just a few of the names included in the puzzle so far. (we have sold just enough to create the full puzzle border. To donate just click the "donate" button on the right hand side of this blog. You don't need a paypal account. Any credit or debit card will do. Thanks for all your help.

Fundraiser Update

2009-10-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

40 of 500 pieces have been sold so far! Thank you for your donations! If you have not purchased your piece, click on the PayPal link on the right to donate. You DO NOT need a PayPal account to donate, just a debit or credit card. If you would rather send a check in the mail, make it out to:

Ethiopian Hope Adoptions
822 Jonathon Road
Powell, WY 82435

This goes through Harvest Church in Billings, MT (www.harvestweb.net) and these checks are tax deductible. Donations made through PayPal are not tax deductible. If you are mailing us a check, please write on a separate sheet of paper the name(s) you would like to have written on the puzzle for your donation. Again, THANK YOU for all of your help!!

Online Fundraiser

2009-10-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

It will be official tomorrow. We are accepting our placement. As mentioned below, Ethiopia does not allow us to publicly post photos, but we will have a picture with us and close to our hearts. We can send a personal e-mail of a photo. If you would like this, please let us know and give us your e-mail account.

Here's how you can help. Our next fundraiser starts tonight! We have purchased a 500 piece puzzle (below). We will put the puzzle together and hang it in the girls' room. You can adopt a puzzle piece(s) for $5 each. Simply click the paypal link on the right and make a donation. When you adopt a piece, your name will be written on the back.

If you would like to go above and beyond purchasing a piece, forward our blog and info to your friends. Post it on your facebook, tweet it...etc. We appreciate all of the help that we can get. We need to raise $15k in the next 4 month. This is one of four fundraisers planned.

Thank you!!!!

Naomi's Birthday Gift

2009-10-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, October 6th was Naomi's birthday. About 4pm my phone rings. It was Naomi. She says to me. "I just got the best birthday present." I thought she was calling to thank me for the flowers. This was not the case, in fact as I think about it, I'm pretty sure she never even mentioned the flowers. This is understandable as you will soon see.

Naomi then tells me that in our email is a message from Christian World Adoption. An excerpt from the email follows.

"I am contacting you because we have a pair of sisters who have become available. According to the documents, they are 2 and 5 years old. However, because we don’t have birth certificates in Ethiopia, the ages are only guesses. We do have photos of the girls I could send you, so you could assess their ages yourself, as much as photos will show. These girls are living in the Soddo CCCE Orphanage. They were admitted on September 1st. We do have medicals and referral paperwork for them, all of which I could send you, if you are interested."

As you can see we are very excited and will be making a prayerful decision regarding this in the next couple of days. There is one issue though. In order to prevent these girls from having to wait too long the agency requires that we have everything in, including more than $15,000 in fees, within 4 months. Currently we have about $13,000 more to go. Daunting to say the least.

Due to regulations in the Ethiopian Adoption, I can not post pictures on the net. Once we formally accept the children, I will send pictures to those who request them. Thanks to everyone who have prayed for us so far, as well as those who have given financially. We couldn't do this without you.

Home Study

2009-09-09T10:10:00.001-07:00

Our home study interview process will finish up this Friday morning. Then, we just have to wait for the paperwork to get processed.

Looking and getting grant applications ready this week.

Lots to update

2009-08-26T20:04:00.001-07:00

It was hard to think of a title for this blog since there is soooo much to update on.

In a few minutes we will be taking our pictures for our passport packet. We can then take them to Ralston, WY (6 miles west of Powell) to process.

We have finished our adoption book and passed with flying colors - 97%.

We have our first interview with our homestudy provider on Saturday. The final two will happen about two weeks later.

Then we will have to go to Cheyenne to file immigration paperwork, finger printing, etc. We have to wait until the homestudy is complete to do this process so that we can take the paperwork with it.

We have a funder in Billings on Nov. 9. We will be posting more details on it soon.

We are working on another dinner.

It has been soo cool and rainy this summer that we haven't been able to do a carwash yet. Pray for a warm sunny day....on the weekend.

God has blessed us. Of this I am certain. Somedays I feel like things are moving so slow, but then His timing shows up and I am always amazed.

Thank you to all of you who have supported us with your time, prayers and finances.

Car Wash Cancelled

2009-08-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

So, you may have heard a brief commercial or read an ealier blog post or face book post about a car wash this Saturday.

Mid this week, the weather forecast changed and we are going to post-pone the car wash. Cody, Wyoming is going to be in the mid 60's and raining. We are currently in a severe thunderstorm warning.

We will plan another weekend, so check back soon!!

Thank You!

2009-07-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

Jed got shot again yesterday. I have had all of my vaccines from previous trips out of the country. So I get to make fun of him everytime he has to go in for one. Laughter is good for the soul. :)

This past week has been long and stressful at work. So I haven't been able to complete as much on my end. But thank God its Friday!! Seriously, I am thanking Him. I am in much need of a break and want to spend some serious, serious time on adoption stuff this weekend.

We are reading our first book that we have to go through for the agency on overseas adoption. This weeks section is on sleep. Even though our kids may be older, we can expect the same amount of sleep as a new parent.

NEXT FUNDRAISER: Car Wash: Saturday, August 8: Big Horn Avenue, Cody, WY @ JCS America West!!!!

Finger Printing

2009-07-28T11:15:00.001-07:00

Naomi was finger printed yesterday. I need to get mine done today. Off to the police station I go, then tonight it's another evening of paper work. What were all my addresses for the past 10 years?

OOPPPS!!!

2009-07-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

So, I finally found the box where the final letters -that need addresses hunted down- were at.

Got excited..
Got them labeled...
...stamped..
...put in mail box.

opps....no green envelopes.

So, if you have been anxiously awaiting your letter (Chad Dawes) I hope you won't feel slighted too terribly.

The Waiting...

2009-07-07T19:50:00.001-07:00

We are all moved into our cozy new house. It is soooo nice to have closets again!

I received the check from Harvest in the mail yesterday. I immediately took it to the post office to send to the first down payment to the adoption agency. My first instinct was to overnight it, but then I remembered that we are in Wyoming. Overnight really means two or three days. So it went priority. They should have it by Thursday. The other couples that we have talked to have had their placements within a few weeks.

I have spoken with the agency doing our homestudy. Still no date set.

So we wait. Patiently Wait.

In the mean time, there will be a second garage sale in Powell, Wyoming (at the corner of Gilbert and Lane 8) at New Life Church. The date is set for Saturday, July 18 @ 6:30am....which in yard sale time, we should be ready by 6 am. I'm excited. The move has helped me find all kinds of things that I can part with.

Now if it were to take you hours upon hours to travel to get here for the sale, you can always make a donation online through the PayPal link on the right.

The Move

2009-07-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

I spent last week on the phone with our agency for our home study - Wyoming Children's Society. They have received our information and I am waiting on a date to be setup for our first appointment. There is no one in the Big Horn Basin Region to do a home study through them, so they will be sending someone up from Cheyenne.

My big question to them was "Do we have to be in the home that we are going to be in when we bring our children home?" The answer was Yes....and No. They can come back and make an update to the original study, but that would cost us more money. so we decided to move.

Now, its not that we don't like the house that we are currently in, it just that when our family doubles, we will be busting out the seams. There is one closet in the entire house. While I have managed to make it work 85% of the time over the last 8 months, it would be nearly impossible with two children....or at least very uncomfortable.

So we are moving this week. God blessed us with a very affordable home that will meet our needs.

The one good thing about moving is that you find all kinds of things that you have tucked away that you don't really need.......and that means one thing.......YARD SALE!! We had an enourmous response of people with more items to donate after our last Yard Sale in Billings, MT. So we are doing a second sale in Powell, WY, on July 18. You won't want to miss it. More information will be posted on the sale soon....

Back to the boxes.

Checking the Mail

2009-06-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Checking the mail is a chore that I normally don't care for much. It isn't unusual for me to go weeks without even opening the door on the curbside tin box. For normally it holds only reminders of the pockets where the fruits of my labors ultimately reside. It isn't as though it goes unchecked as Naomi seems to enjoy this task. Perhaps she likes the idea of someone thinking specially of her when they place an item in the mail. Perhaps she just enjoys reading the arriving papers and browsing the catalogs.

As of late, though, things are beginning to change. A few weeks ago we sent out a letter updating folks about where we are in our adoption process, and of course asking for help from those who can. Enclosed in the letter is a little green envelope to secure a donation. The past few days these have begun arriving in our mail box.

My perception of the mail, she is a changin' as each envelope brings us closer to bringing home our kids.

Lots of Small Costs

2009-06-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

Quite a few people are telling me they would like to help, but they can't donate thousands of dollars right now. I'll admit when I first began looking at the $30,000 price tag I was a bit taken back, wondering if we were ever going to get there. I do know however that God has a plan. So here are some breakdowns that make it a little easier to swallow.

50 people give $600
100 people give $300
200 people give $150

As you can see every little bit helps and gets us closer to where we need to be. It reminds me of our walk with God. If we look at the goal of becoming like Christ we get discouraged and think it can't be done. But if we break it down into smaller bits, like helping a neighbor carry in the groceries, or providing a meal for a family in need, suddenly it becomes more manageable.

If you are looking for a small way to help in our adoption, here are some of the smaller costs that will ad up;

$25 - Adoption Parenting Book
$175 - Online Parent Training Course
$80 - Second Fingerprint Fee
$200 - Authentication of Documents (for each adult)
$100 - Passport (for each adult)
$200 - In Country Expenses (per day)
$50 - Second Child Document Translation
$650 - Child Passport (per child)
$500 - Second Child Post Adoption Translation ($1000 for first)
$670 - Child medical Exam (per child)

As you can see many of these are not huge fees, but when you combine them they can look daunting. Thanks to everyone who have helped to get us where we are so far. I can't put into words how grateful we are for your help to bring home our kids.

Thermometer Update

2009-06-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

Hey I did it...... all on my own! - Jed

Ready to Send Paper Work

2009-06-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here is the deal. We need to send out two sets of paperwork. The first is going to be our contract along with $2500 to CWA (Christian World Adoption). This will allow us utilize their services. We have the money for this, but it is spread out over 3 different accounts. We are waiting for the checks to arrive and it will go out in the mail. This is very exciting as we have found that the other couples who have already done this, got referrals for children in a week. That would mean we could have pictures soon.

Secondly we need to send out our paper work for the home study. As it turns out an error on my part (Jed) caused us to think we had to pay for this upfront, $1600. We don't. We only have to send off $150 to start the process. So, we could have had this done a while ago. I am kicking myself a bit about this because as soon as we complete the home study we will be able to apply for grants.

Our current fund raising total is $3666. We sent out letters to friends and family last week and have about 50 more to go out. Some of which we just have to find addresses for. If you haven't received a letter updating you on our progress and would like one, please respond and I'll ensure you get one. Things are moving along, but it doesn't seem real yet. Maybe after we get our referral pictures.

FYI - The Ethiopian Government will not allow us to post pictures of our kids when we get the pictures. So if you want to see them you will need to be on our mailing list. If you haven't gotten a letter, that means you aren't on the list. Again just reply if you would like updates including pictures.

Yard Sale Pictures

2009-06-04T20:58:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to give a special thank you to everyone who helped with the yard sale and to those who made donations. We will have a second yard sale in Powell in late July. I will be updating the thermometer this weekend.

We are sending out our home study application tomorrow after I pick up my paperwork from the doctor's office.

Yard Sale!!

2009-05-29T20:46:00.001-07:00

The big funder day is finally here. 8 hours in the hot Big Sky country sun and a parking lot plum full of items sorted, folded, some labled and ready to go for the yard sale. If you are in Billings, head up to harvest church. There will be some good deals.

It's 10pm here. Just got home. I will be heading out at 6am tomorrow for another full day.

Two of the families there have already gotten their placements. We are sending out our $1,900 next week after we get our physical results back. Then, we raise and send $2,500 to the adoption agency. The couples who have sent in their $2,500 have already recieved their placements - some within a week.

We are planning a dinner in late June - just looking for a good place to host it. And another yard sale in Powell in July.

Last Sunday, we had a great opportunity to speak in a local church and we are looking for other opportunities to speak.

If you can not make it to any of these events, but would like to help you can donate through PayPal on the link on the right hand side of the blog.

We're Getting Shot!!!!!

2009-05-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

We're Getting Shot!!!!!!

Sounds bad, right?

It's actually pretty exciting. We have a doctors appointment in less than two weeks to have a physical done for our homestudy. While we are there, we will be getting started on some of our immunizations.

There is a 2 page list that the CDC recommends that we get. Some, such as the HepA&B will take a series of shots over 6 months. Ouch!

Once our doctor's appointment is over, we will send in our application and paperwork to get our homestudy process started. This costs $1,900. We need $500 more in the next two weeks to send in our paperwork.

Cutting Back

2009-05-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

As we are raising the $25-30,000, we are also looking for ways in which we can personally cut back to save money. This week, we disconnected our cable. This saves about $100 a month.

I thought it would be miserable, but I have been able to accomplish so much more. AND I am still able to watch my favorite shows (House, Bones, Lie to Me, Hells Kitchen...) and catch up with the news online with less commercial interjection. Now, I am wondering why I hadn't done this sooner.

I know that other people have found ways to cut back due to job loss or the threat of job loss. We would love to hear how people are saving money or finding areas of extra income. (NOTE: Our blog was accidentally set so that you had to log in to post. Now, anyone can post.)

If you are on FaceBook, look us up - NaomiJed mcdowellBurns

Networks

2009-04-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

Everyday we are running into new people who have adopted from overseas - even some from Ethiopia. It is so encouraging to hear their stories.

Our entire lives seem to be revolving around this process. In fact, when I find someone that I haven't told that we are adopting - I get excited sharing the news again and again.

We have joined facebook (under Naomi Burns) in an effort to reconnect and keep our friends and family up-to-date....which is usually driving them to our blog.

More pictures are coming soon. We have been searching for some, but most of them is just of one of us because the other is taking the photo.....or being eaten by the bears! :)

Dinner Results

2009-04-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

I asked everyone there to write me a check for 5 thousand dollars. For some reason they thought I was cracking a joke. In case you were there... I wasn't. Kidding of course. The dinner went very well. Of course you always hope for a better turn out, but in the end we made some really good contacts and have cultivated a few more fund raisers.

As far as actual dollars we still have a long way to go before we can fund some of the initial costs. I also learned a lot about how we are going to have to raise these funds. I had initially hoped to raise the money in large chunks with simply a few events. After this first event I have discovered it will have to be done through more personal and more frequent fund raisers.

We will be replicating this fundraiser about 30 miles away in the town of Cody. The best part about it will be that all the product has been paid for. So aside from the cost of the facility it will be all profit for the adoption.

The Garage Sale is Next

2009-04-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

Our first fund raiser has yet to be completed and already we have a date for our second. There is so much to do that I wonder how we will get it all done. With that said I'm sure the day will come during our wait for a placement and travel that I'll wish for something to occupy my time other than waiting.

Soon we'll be sending out letters to everyone we know explaining what we are doing and then of course asking for money. :) But that isn't the fund raiser I'm talking about. On May 30th we'll be taking part in a group fund raiser at Harvest Church in Billings. So, If you'd like to donate an item for the sale we'd be glad to have it, or if you'd simply like to join us and purchase an item at the sale that would be great too.

Home Study Arrives

2009-04-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

So last night when Naomi checked the mail we found our home study packet. As we have discovered the home study is like the lynch pin of the adoption world. Nothing moves forward with out it. Here is what it will include:

Household information (house size, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.)
List of references (yes, we'll be calling you)
Family financial statement (all our bills... yikes!)
Adoption expense schedule (find in previous post)
Publicity clearance (so that they can use us for advertising)
Family photos (insert clever joke here)
Autobiographies for each applicant (hmmm)
Child information form (age, sex, disabilities, etc.)
Medical reports from examining physician (to say we aren't likely to die tomorrow)

Oh, and of course we need to send them $1600. I will say though that there is a lot of work that goes into this report. As a matter of fact there are numerous reports that will need to be sent off by this agency. It is well worth the money.

Moving Along....

2009-04-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

Our homestudy application is in the mail as I type. From what I am told, the homestudy could take 2-4 months to complete. Once it is complete, it has an expiration with our adoption process.

Our first fundraiser is in less that 1.5 weeks.

We now also have the ability to accept PayPal donations (see the link in the right column).

I am so excited with each passing day. On my to-do list now, (1)finish prepping for the dinner and getting the word out. (2) Get donation/ information envelopes designed & printed (3) attend a webinar with CWA

WOOHOO!!!!

-Naomi

Paperwork

2009-04-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

People who know me - Naomi - know that I like to have the game plan laid out in front of me. Tonight, after printing fliers for our dinner fundraiser (Park County Fair Grounds, April 27, 6pm), I proceeded to organize our current paperwork in a 3" extra durable three ring binder - its going to get used a lot! In the front is this checkoff list:

Agency Application Fee $350

Agency Professional Services $5,000
“Adoption Parenting” Book $25

NCFA Online Parent Training Course (single / couple) $95 / $175
Non-Resident Fee (if parents reside abroad)$1,000

Post-Adoption Administration & Translation $1,000
Home Study (if provided by CWA) $1,900

USCIS Approval / Additional Fingerprint Fee (per person) $750 / $80
U.S. Authentication of Documents $200–$400

Document Translation & Authentication $600
International Fee (if adopting one child) $7,250

Ethiopian Visa (per adult) $60–$100
Airfare per Adult $1700–$3500
Airfare per Child (varies based on child's age) $500–$1500
In-Country Expenses $3000

Child Medical Exam, Consul Fee, Visa Photos, Ethiopian passport $670

We have already paid our agency application fee. By mid-May, we need to come up with half of the Agency Professional Services ($2,500). We have our first webinar class of many next week to help us prepare for the adoption.

It is soo exciting to see everything come together. I think it is safe to classify myself as a worrier...even though I try not to be. But everyday, I am reminded of God's faithfulness to us and our new family. I know that He already has our child(ren) picked out, and that this will all come together in His timing - the right timing.

First Fund Raiser

2009-04-14T12:15:00.001-07:00

Our first fund raiser is a spaghetti dinner on April 27th. It will be in Powell, WY at the fair grounds. We are hoping to raise money, but also find a lot of good contacts in our community who will be able to assist us in other ways as well. It will be no charge, and we'll be accepting donations.

What Now?

2009-04-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a few days since Naomi and I have written since telling you that we are adopting. Since then we have been kicking into high gear. We are planning fund raisers. Getting accounts ready for people to donate tax free. Telling family and friends about our decision. Explaining to employers why they may see us doing fund raisers on the side. And soliciting everyone we know to help us in some fashion or another.

I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the reception to the news. Our employers are bending over backwards to help us, and everyone seems to be chuck full of great ideas. I know that God is going to provide everything we need to make this adoption become a reality.

The one thing that I am realizing I am going to need more than anything else is patience. Once we made this decision it seems like the fire has been stoked and I just want to run to Africa and bring home our baby. Yet it will still be months before we know anything at all.

Naomi met another couple here in Powell who adopted from Ethiopia 3 years ago. We expect them to be a great resource as we move forward.

In case you are wondering what is next. Paperwork. Lots of paperwork. We need to get the contract with CWA (the adoption agency) completed, signed, notarized and back to them with our first payment of $2500. That will get the ball rolling.

Welcome to our adoption blog!

2009-04-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Less than 48 hours ago, Jed & I made a decision that will change the course of our future - we decided to pursue an overseas adoption.

Now, just to clarify, we have been intently looking at multiple adoption and foster care oportunities over the past 6 months; and we have talked about it for even longer than that. But nothing seemed like the right fit for us until two weeks ago when we heard about a group that was going to adopt from Ethiopia through the Christian World Adoption organization (www.cwa.org).

Our little Ethiopian girl or boy will be coming home in just 12-15 months - or however fast the finances come in and the paperwork goes through.

We are setting up this blog in order to keep you up-to-date with where we are at in the process.