Signatures and Notaries and Apostilles, Oh My!!

I knew there was going to be a lot of paperwork involved in getting our adoption done, and after 15 years in the Air Force I am used to bureaucracy but I am in shock at how much time we have spent compiling documents over the last 5 days.

Every item we sign has to be notarized. Then, if it is going overseas, it needs to go to the State Department to be apostilled (which is basically the Federal government certifying that the notary is true and accurate). Thank goodness we are so close to Austin and can get the apostilles done in person. If we had to mail them in and wait to get them back I would probably lose my mind!

And as if making the documents official wasn't complicated enough we have to go through not one, not two, but three separate fingerprints sessions and police checks! I have a military security clearance, but I still have to have my background checks done. Geesh! I am beginning to think that everyone wants a "piece of the pie" so to speak. Why should Texas and New York let us use the FBI clearance we have done when they can charge us some money and make us do it again? Sorry to be cynical, but I am just a little frustrated with this process!!

Please pray that everything will go smoothly and we will be able to get our dossier compiled very quickly. I want to get Allen home FAST!

So Very Excited!

We have officially been "matched" with a gorgeous little guy in Europe. Based on the medical information that we have gotten we are fairly certain that he has something called Kartagener Syndrome. With this diagnosis the longer he goes without highly skilled treatment the more risk he has of suffering permanaent damage to his lungs, so we are very anxious to get him home as soon as we can.

So, when can we bring him home? The answer depends on several factors:
1) How quickly we can get the dossier compiled and sent to his country. Believe me when I say we will be doing this as fast as humanly possible because now that he is "ours" I can't stand the thought of him sitting in an orphanage for even one day longer than he has to!
2) How quickly the various governments involved process the paperwork. We don't have any control over this one.
3) How quickly we can raise the funds we need to travel to Europe to complete the court paperwork and then bring him home. Won't you consider a donation to help us get him home quickly? If you click on our family page on Reece's Rainbow (Allen for the Jakubauskas Family - Buda, Texas) you can make a tax deductible donation that will go directly to Allen's adoption costs.

Let's get Allen home!

Catered Dinner, Child Care and a Concert for FREE??

I am just SO overwhelmed by the way God has been working over the last two days! I posted a few days ago about our Love the Least Adoption Dinner Party on May 14th. We had planned to charge $25 per ticket in order to be able to cover the cost of the event and raise a small amount for our adoption. Since that time God has arranged everything so that all of the costs of the event will be covered so that we can offer the tickets for FREE!!

Everyone can come join us for awesome food, amazing music and a chance to learn more about adoption (both domestic and international) and it won't cost anything! Even the child care is free! Anyone (like us!) been looking for an inexpensive date night? How does FREE sound?

I imagine that at this point you're asking "So how are you going to raise any money if tickets are free?" We are planning a silent auction with some amazing items, and we are praying that some of those who attend will be able to make a small donation during the event. We will also have our 147 Million Orphans gear available to order that night.

I am very, very excited about this evening. If you attended the HHBC Taste of Christmas event in December of 2010 you had Cheryl's food and know that it is
amazing, and Brett McDonald's band Theophany is awesome too. It is going to be a wonderful night!

Please help us get the word out by sharing this post on your blog, posting on face book, tweeting about it, sending an e-mail about it, or telling your friends and family. We would love to fill the church and let the world (or at least Hays County!) learn about how to help orphans!

The Need is Big, But GOD is Bigger!!

Sometimes the need for adoptive families overwhelms me. I get upset that there are so many requirements that prevent our family from adopting certain kiddos who are in desperate need of a family. My heart hurt today when I read about this little girl in Haiti who needs a family to adopt her NOW. Like all teenage girls she has hopes and dreams for her future. But without a family to commit to her the only future she will have is living on the streets and doing desperate things just to survive. She deserves so much better. If you are paperwork ready to adopt internationally or know someone who is, please read about her.

Save the Date! Adoption Dinner Party!

Love the Least Adoption Dinner Party!
Saturday, May 14th
6PM - 9PM
Hays Hills Baptist Church - 1401 N. FM 1626 in Buda
Featuring:
Music by Theophany
Catered Dinner by Cheryl Bailey Catering
Silent Auction (items include a 1 hour massage, a photo shoot package, pearl earrings, and more)
FREE Child Care
Tickets are only $25

Anyone who donates an item for the silent auction will receive either one half price ticket to the dinner or a buy one get one free deal for two tickets.

We are hoping that this will be a big fund raiser for us. And we are going to need the funds very soon! Stay posted for a big announcement in the next few days. ;-)