LET'S DO THIS!

Today I received a card in the mail from my mom that contained a 1 dollar bill.  She works in retail and shared this story:

The other day at work, a woman made a small donation to St. Judes.  She said she was sorry that it was a small donation.  I told her about Micah and that he gets equally excited about a large donation as he does a small donation.

She immediately reached in her wallet and pulled out a 1 dollar bill and said, “For your daughter”.

I thought that was so nice.  I don't even know her name.

These kind gestures warm my heart and make me feel so blessed.  If that lady ever reads this:

THANK YOU!!!

We have 24 days until we leave for Ukraine.  
DID YOU HEAR THAT!
AHHHHHHH!!!  (That's a happy scream).

That means we have 24 days until we need to have all our fundraising wrapped up and all our adoption money gathered and ready.  

We finished up GOAL #4 yesterday which means we move on to GOAL #5.

Goal #5 covers our Ukrainian expenses.  
Here are some of the items that we need to be prepared to pay for while in Ukraine:

Lodging

Train Rides between Kyiv and Mariupol (where the orphanage is)

Gas

Drivers (They don't have cabs there.  Instead you hire a driver per day.)

Food for James and Shelly

Food for children

Medical exams for children

Visa for children

Travel for coordinator (the coordinator takes paperwork back and forth between Kyiv & Mariupol)

We have chosen to eliminate as much expense as possible by staying in Ukraine for the entire 48 days.  We have been warned that it will be VERY long and VERY difficult to stay there for that duration.  Many (if not most) people in our position, choose to come home during waiting periods and split their complete adoption process into 2 or 3 trips.  However, it is difficult to justify that additional travel expense when we are currently counting our pennies in order to pay for this adoption.  

It's a sacrifice we'll have to make.  
It's a sacrifice our family is willing to make.  
(It will be extremely difficult to be separated from our children for that long, and difficult for them to have us away for so long!)

So we're asking for your continued help.  
Can you help pay for 1 night of lodging?
Perhaps you can purchase some gas for us?
Or buy a meal for Albina?
Maybe you would like to help pay for their medical exams or their Visa's?

We have been so grateful for the donations we've received.  The outpouring of love and support have been so amazing!  The generosity of so many has helped us get really close to reaching our goal!  We are almost there.

24 days!  Let's DO THIS!