December Update

Hello Family & Friends,     

                                                                                                                                 

First of all, Merry Christmas to everyone!! Just writing to give you a quick update on our adoption and our life these days. . .

As of December 6th, we have officially been on the waitlist for 7 months. While the climate regarding adoptions from Ethiopia has changed significantly recently, we realize that it could be a while yet before we receive a referral. We don’t enjoy the wait time, but are content that God’s timing is better than ours, so we’ll wait on Him.

We moved to Oconomowoc at the end of November. It has been great to be around our old friends and our family “back home”, but we are also missing our friends from the LaCrosse area very much. Moving, as an adult, is just NOT fun. But, we are getting settled in and keeping very busy decorating and unpacking and getting accustomed to life out here.

Jennie has become a Pampered Chef Consultant and putting all of the money earned from that toward the adoption; however, since we have moved, she has not been able to find anyone to host a cooking or catalog show. If you know of anyone who may be interested in having a Pampered Chef cooking or catalog show in the months of December or January, please let Jennie know ASAP (you can live further away if you want to have a catalog show and Jennie can send you all you will need in the mail) so that she may be able to continue with this helpful way of earning money toward the adoption.

Here is a break down of what is going on, financially, with the adoption.

Step	Cost	Date Paid	Due Date
Application Fee – LSS	$420.00	10/25/10
Application Fee – Holt	$300.00	10/27/10
Home Study Fee – LSS	$2,780.00	1/14/11
USCIS	$890.00	2/2/11
Program Fee – LSS	$1000.00	5/20/11
Remainder of Program Fee – LSS	$750.00		Upon Referral
Dossier Fee – Holt	$3,000.00	5/6/11
Program Fee – Holt	$9,890.00		Upon Referral (have $6,000 grant and an additional $2720 in the bank for this).
Post Placement Fee – LSS	$1,300.00		Upon Referral
Trip 1 to Ethiopia	$8,000.00 (estimated)		Upon Scheduled Travel Date
Trip 2 to Ethiopia	$8,000.00 (estimated)		Upon Scheduled Travel Date

FUNDRAISERS

• Just Love Coffee: $5.00 to us for each bag of coffee sold  www.justlovecoffee.com/TheThomas. This fundraiser is on-going until we travel to Ethiopia to bring our child home.
• Lifesong for Orphans: Make a tax deductable donation. We have been told that they will continue to accept donations in our name up until we travel to bring home our child. Make checks payable to ‘Lifesong for Orphans’. In memo section: ‘THOMAS #1855 ADOPTION’. Send to Lifesong for Orphans  PO Box 40  202 N Ford Street  Gridley, IL  61744.
• Gazelle Gadget Fundraiser: We are hosting an online gadget drive through Gazelle and would love your support.  You can visit our drive webpage at http://thomasadoption.gazelle.com.  A gadget drive is a new way to fundraise that turns your used electronics (laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras & more) into cash to support a cause. Contributing to our drive is simple. Just visit our drive webpage, find the value of the gadgets you would like to donate, and send them to Gazelle (shipping is free). The value will go to support our adoption from Ethiopia. If you would like to donate, please go to Thomas Adoption Gadget Drive (http://thomasadoption.gazelle.com) to learn more about our drive and track our progress.  You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email, and we will be notified as soon as you make your donation.

PRAYER

• -          Finances to continue to come through.
• -          Jaden working on recording his first album (all proceeds earned to go toward the adoption). He is working hard. He has begun the recording process and it is going well!
• -          Our child (requesting 1 child age 0-12 months, either gender). He/she will go through mourning at the loss of his/her biological parent(s). We pray that this is a smooth transition and that he/she will stay safe and healthy in the orphanage until we are able to bring him/her home!!
• -          Our child’s birth parent(s) who will suffer a HUGE loss. That they may know God’s love for them and find some comfort that we are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to meet our child and bring him/her home!
• -          Our move and the transition of a new place and new job, etc.

Thank you all so much! We are very blessed by each of you! Hoping you all have a very Merry Christmas!!

The Thomas Family