The state of our finances, past, present, and what we are doing within our budget to help fund the adoption:
I am a speech-language pathologist. I graduated with my Master's Degree from the University of South Carolina in 2005 and immediately started my first job as a speech-language pathologist in the Chatham County Public School System. After working for the school system for four years, I started working part-time as a private practice speech-language pathologist in 2009 when our second son Jackson was born. I work part-time, so I can be home to be Mommy as much as possible. Since God has blessed me with wisdom and his favor, my business has grown and maintained a steady clientele.
Matthew has had several successful sales positions with jewelry, food, and supply companies over the course of our marriage. He now owns and operates Coastal Hood Cleaning Services. Going into business for himself became a necessity when the economy went south in 2008. Since, Matthew had worked in several sales positions, he knew when things started to get bad with the economy, sales jobs (as well as all the other jobs would soon be cut). Through prayer, it became clear that the only way for him to not have the 'rug pulled out from under him' every few years when the economy takes a dip with these large corporation was to go in to business for himself. We looked for a service business that does not fluctuate drastically with the change of the economic tide. Restaurant hood cleaning is more stable than a lot of things because it is commercial rather than residential and required by law. Things have gone decently well with Coastal Hoods, and he makes a decent living at it.
However, part of the fall out from leaving the big corporate sales job was a huge pay cut as well as the added expenses of maintaining your own benefits. While he worked for the big corporations, we lived it up. With large commission checks coming in regularly, we spent it and we ran up a lot of debt. With the job change, we lost at least half of our household income. We tried to recover. We cut, we trimmed, we went to a Dave Ramsey approved financial counselor. We got on a budget and stuck to it. We started using cash for all expenses except gas and bills we mail out. . . We were too late. We still hit rock bottom. . .
Since the only way to go from the bottom is up, we took our new budget, our cash plan, and a commitment to not take on any more credit, we went forward and we have recovered!! We will probably NEVER live like we lived before. We eat at home. I avoid the mall, Wal-Mart and Target like the plague. We drive cars that may not be glamorous but they are paid off! Other than the house and my one remaining school loan (I paid the second school loan off today!! Yippee!) we are debt free!
So, in our very first adoption class when different people started detailing ways to pay for adoption, loans came up a lot. We talked and thought about the possibility of loans. We prayed about it repeatedly, and we quickly dismissed that as an option because of the work we do every day to stay out of debt and on the cash system! We know for us, credit can't be an option. Some people can handle credit & some can't. We can't.
So, know we have to be obedient to God, but we can't take on debt. The bank account says we DON'T have $25, 000 for adoption fees plus $10,000 for plane tickets. We start to look at the other ways to pay for the adoption. Some companies give people money for adoption or some people borrow from 401K plans but we are both self-employed.
A great Dave Ramsey approved way to stay out of debt is Saving: we are working on that with zeal! After looking at our budget that was already pretty lean, we found more to trim! We are calling every one we pay monthly & altering the terms of our service, cutting services out etc. . . we have found a way to save $200-$250 per month out of out budget!! With the student loan I paid off today that is another $250 per month. So, we are putting all of that towards the adoption. I also have increased the amount of time I am working per week and putting all of that money to the adoption too. Savings is going on praise the Lord!!
Some more good news: There are grants!! We will apply for as many as we can, but. . . we have to complete our Home Study first. The Home Study Process should begin as soon as orientation is completed this weekend 4/6/2013.
However, $3,600 is due at the time of orientation (We have about $2,000 in our account at this moment--yes, we have two days left--you can donate at http://www.gofundme.com/27l19g). And a few weeks later $750 is due so we can be fingerprinted by the Department of Homeland security. Then there is the wait time to complete the loan applications and get approved. Fees keep coming during that time, so we have to have some money to even give us the CHANCE to apply for grants. Grants are usually between $3,000-$5,000 each, so there is no way grants will cover it all.
Even more good news: there is a $13,000 tax credit for adoption we can get AFTER the adoption is complete. That will repay some of our expenses. . .but we have to get there!!
So, we are doing all that we can to get the money that is needed, and God will provide it through one avenue or the other. We feel like fundraising gives people the opportunity to hear about what God is doing and have the opportunity to join Him! How exciting is that!
Also, time is of the essence!! There are children in orphanages that are sick and/or neglected because there are just not enough caretakers, and the sad truth is, many will ultimately die or when they turn 14 they will be turned out of the orphanages and left to be beggars or sex salves. This is the future for these children if no one comes to be their forever family. God's plan is for every child to have a family.
Psalm 68:6
"God sets the lonely in families. . ."
Fundraising is humbling, but we will do it to save this little girl who God is so graciously going to let us have, hold, care for and call daughter!!
