That is a lot of stinkin' money!!!

Hey Friends and Family!

I will first say that my Mom, Barbara Pon, made the suggestion that I write this blog...and for good reason.  Some of you have probably wondered why an adoption would cost as much as $30,000.  That is a large sum of money!  Each adoption agency Kristen and I have communicated with has provided their "fee schedule."  The fee schedule is an estimated set of costs that are expected to be paid at certain times throughout the adoption process.  What I want to do is share with you what we are looking at regarding the fee schedule.  I'll first give you a few interesting statistics I have found:

• Between 1999-2011, U.S. families completed a total of 233,934 international adoptions. 
• Between 1999-2011, U.S. families completed a total of 582 adoptions from Ghana, Africa (Male: 263, Female: 319).
• In 2011, adoption agencies reported charging between zero dollars and $64,357 for all adoption services, with half charging less than $26,559.50 and half charging more.
• In 2011, the median cost to adopt from the Netherlands was $6,750, Canada $20,000, and South Africa $26,063.

That being said, here is what a fee schedule generally includes:

Service	Fee
Agency Fee	$5,750
Express Mail Fee	$225
Wire Fee	$600
Post Placement Fees	$1,400
Total Agency Fee	$7,975
Dossier Submission	$3,500
Referral Acceptance	$2,000
Host Fees	$5,000
Final Fees	$2,000
Total International Fees	$12,500
Foster Fees	$1,350
School Fees	$540
Travel Expenses	$10,000
Total:	$32,365

*Ghana requires the parents travel to country two times.  Travel expenses include two round-trip flights plus room and board.

*All fees listed above are general estimates.

Statistics Sources: 

http://adoption.state.gov/content/pdf/fy2011_annual_report.pdf

http://adoption.state.gov/about_us/statistics.php

You can continue to follow our journey here:

Email us at: MakingLifeRICH@gmail.com

Our videos are here:  www.youtube.com/MakingLifeRICH

We stay connected here:  Facebook “Making Life RICH”

A big THANKS!

Wow!  Kristen and I would really like to thank all of you who have already decided to support us with your encouraging words, prayer, and financial gifts.  In just over a month, you have helped us raise over $1,140!

Kristen and I would specifically like to thank:

Dan and Jackie Townsend - Our loving parents

Espen Skjelstad - My Norwegian brother from another mother

Jennifer Lamine - Friend through the challenging times

Gary and Ginny Kimbrell - A really fun aunt and uncle pair

Steve and Deyanira Morales - Fellow Marine family and Okinawa friends

Travis "Killer" and Allison Davidson - Our best friends

Melanie Devich - Our Knoxville supporter and newest friend


Look for us to update this list often!!!

You can continue to follow our journey here:

Email us at: MakingLifeRICH@gmail.com

Our videos are here:  www.youtube.com/MakingLifeRICH

We stay connected here:  Facebook “Making Life RICH”

Our Video Story

Hi everyone!

Kristen and I are making the final decisions in choosing the adoption agency we will work with.  It is an in-depth process and we did not realize the differences that must be considered when choosing an agency.  Some differences are vast, and some are subtle.  The character, size, scope, and mission of the adoption agencies are all different.  We have narrowed it down to two or three and the one we choose will need to be the one we feel most comfortable in helping us adopt our child.  Kristen and I will keep you posted!

In the mean time, please enjoy this video of our adoption story so far.  The video ends with some music and pictures of Rich during his time as a foreign exchange student in 2009 at Sunyani, Ghana.

You can also follow our journey here:

Email us at: MakingLifeRICH@gmail.com

Our videos are here:  www.youtube.com/MakingLifeRICH

We stay connected here:  Facebook “Making Life RICH”  

The Letter

To start off this blog, I want to share with you an e-mail that Kristen and I sent to our immediate family to inform them of some exciting news.  It is our hope that all of you will join us on this journey!

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Hey everyone.  In spite of all our recent sadness from the loss of Rich, I wanted to fill you in on some exciting news that Kristen and I would like to share with you.  First, I want to preface with the fact that we have already shared this news with our parents and they are excited about it.  Second, this news is not a new idea for Kristen and I.  In fact, Kristen and I discussed this prior to getting married and have considered it for the past five years.  The difference is that the time is now right.  Our marriage is stable, we are financially secure, and we have a strong family life.  So, are you ready to hear what the exciting news is?  Is the suspense killing you?  Ok.  Here it goes.  Kristen and I are planning to adopt a child from Ghana!  

Take a second and let it sink in.....

I always thought that we'd adopt from China and Kristen always thought we'd adopt through the foster system.  However, after we lost Rich, Kristen thought it'd be best to adopt from Ghana in order to honor Rich's life and love for Ghana.  As soon as Kristen said, "we should adopt a Ghanaian child," it immediately felt right to both of us.  So at this very moment we are making initial plans to begin the fund raising and adoption process.  It will likely be a 1 - 1.5 year endeavor, but we are extremely excited about adopting a THIRD son!  A couple of days ago, I sent a text to Rich's girlfriend Renee Lamine that said "by the way, Kristen and I are going to adopt a child from Ghana.  Bet your freaking out right now!"  She called me immediately and was extremely excited to hear the news.  What was most interesting was Renee's insight into Rich's heart that myself, my parents, or Tracy or Beep were NOT aware of.  It was Rich's dream to eventually adopt a child from Ghana!  Below is an e-mail Renee sent me detailing one of Rich's deepest dreams:

"When I first met Rich he had recently returned from his trip to Ghana and was unbelievably passionate about the people he had met and the experiences he had gained from living there for ten months.  He told me all kinds of stories about his experience and looked forward to the day he would get to return.  Several times he told me he wished he was back there and it was always obvious just how much Ghana meant to him.  One of the things he revealed to me before we were dating was that he had a dream of adopting a Ghanaian child one day.  His passion and determination on this front would not be swayed.  He was going to adopt a child from Ghana.  End of story.  When we were more involved in our relationship we discussed more long term future plans, and even two years after he had first mentioned it to me, Rich's desire to adopt a child from Ghana remained firm.  There was no discussion on this front.  When Rich and I got married, we were going to have a Ghanaian child at some point.  It was decided.  Rich always dreamed big, and if he realized the consequences of dreaming that big outweighed the gain, he would change his mind and find a new dream.  He never changed his mind on this dream.  He was going to adopt a Ghanaian child, so when Jason told me of his and Kristen's decision, I could not have been more shocked and awestruck.  Jason and Kristen have the opportunity to fulfill one of Rich's most steadfast dreams.  It amazes me that even though Rich can no longer follow through with one of the things he wanted to do most, a Ghanaian child will still enter and be lovingly welcomed into the Pon family."  -Renee Lamine

Awesome!  We are truly excited about this news and wanted to share it with you.  There is no doubt that the road ahead will be challenging.  In the Marine Corps, we like to say that no plan survives first contact.  That will be true!  I assure you that although the decision to adopt specifically from Ghana is quite new, Kristen and I are not making this decision out of haste, nor are we trying to replace Rich in any way.  We ask that you, our closest friends and family walk through the process with us.  Pray for us, give us guidance and wisdom, and help us share this story.  We plan to raise $30,000+ to pay for this adoption through our own personal savings, fund raising (garage sales?  We better sell some expensive items!), and donations.  If you have idea's please let us know.

So what do you think?

We love all of you and thank you for the support you've given us.  Now I hope we can honor Rich and give a Ghanaian child hope!

--
Jason, Kristen, Nate, and C.J. Pon

Contact us at makingliferich@gmail.com to tell us what you think!