A Note about Tax Deductible Donations

We've already had a few offers to donate once we have the tax deductible option up and running.  Thank you.  Thank you. You may have to wait a few weeks before you can give, but we don't need all of the money up front in any case.

We are investigating at least three organizations which provide donors with receipts for tax purposes that we are aware of:  GraceHaven Ministries, Abba Fund and Hand in Hand Adoptions.  They all have great track records.  If any of you care to comment on any of these or other options, we'd love to hear your perspective.

Unfortunately, all of them want us to have an approved home study in place before they will consider our application.  It will probably take 6 weeks or more to obtain the home study, and then the application process might be another few weeks.  We will certainly have expenses at that time, so it will not be too late, but it might just be awhile before we are ready to accept those donations. 

In addition, you should know that any donations made to an adoption fundraising organization can and must be used at the sole discretion of the organization.  They must abide by IRS guidelines, and cannot simply be used to launder the donations into tax deductions. Therefore, they all state that they will seek to honor the wishes of the donors, but ultimately will use the donations to help further their mission, which is to help families adopt children.  Our understanding is that the monies do end up getting to the families they are given to in just about all of the cases, unless more is given than needed by the agency.  In those cases, the extra is given to other families.  

We very much want to make this option available to those of you who could benefit by it.  On the other hand, if it is not all that important to you, it would ultimately be easier for us to receive the money directly. In any case, we know the Lord will meet all of our needs and will bless all of us in this crazy process. 

Agniezska is Available for Adoption

Dear Family and Friends,

As you know, we began the process to adopt a girl from Poland at the end of January.  Our last update was almost one month ago.  At that time, we had just heard from our agency that she might not be adoptable, but they had promised to investigate further.  This week we finally got an update.  Agniezska is completely free to be adopted! 

Agniezska will turn fifteen on April 24^th, 2014.  She has lived at the orphanage in Poznan only since she was twelve. We have no information about her father and how long he has been absent, but we do know that her mother has for years been neglectful and emotionally cruel. The few calls and letters Agnieszka has received from her mother while at the orphanage have been full of venom. After each of these contacts, the orphanage workers noted the Agnieszka was shaken (“very nervous”). This neglect and abuse is why Agniezska now lives under the protection of the government of Poland. To say the least, for some time she has not known parental love. We hope very much to change that. 

Until January 6^th, we had not planned to adopt an older child. God put her on our hearts when we saw her photo in an unexpected email and read a short paragraph about her.  Now, we are excited and scared.  Adoption always feels to us like a grand adventure, voyaging into unknown territory. We are also feeling a bit like Gideon in the Bible. Gideon was willing to fight a battle, but he was also extremely aware of his shortcomings. … Among our personal shortcomings are our income. Teaching is something you do for the love of it – there’s little reward to do it otherwise. And even less to store away for rainy days …. We forecast the total adoption cost ‘rainfall’ to add up to…..(keep your hats on)……$35,000! … And that does not include the unpaid leave from our college adjunct instructor jobs.   

Victor and I are willing to spend our energy and love on her for our remaining years, but money is not something we have right now.  Carina feels an absolute peace that God will provide every dime of the expenses, some of which we are already confronted with.  Victor is still trying really hard to experience that peace.  Of course, God’s provision often comes through the generosity of folks, like you, who also want to see one more of His kids rescued from a life without love, family or resources.   

Now, we would not ordinarily go around asking for large sums of money from our friends and family.  But in our role as advocates for Agnieszka’s future, we've got the extra gumption here. We will be giving this girl all we have, but we need you to help us get started.  You know us personally. Some day you will likely get to know Agnieszka. We need folks to dream big alongside us… When was the last time you wrote a huge check – a once-in-a-decade size one – because you felt that it could really do some good for someone you will actually know? This would be an amount that makes you shake your head and then smile.

A couple of years ago, when Carina wrote many of you, asking that someone give Victor their kidney, it was a very big request.  Within only a couple of days, our friend Randy called us asking if he was too late to volunteer.  He was concerned that someone else might have offered their kidney before he had the chance to be the donor!  Though Randy was disqualified as a donor for medical reasons, Victor’s eventual donor, Anne, later told us that giving her kidney was the most wonderful thing she had ever done in her life.  That same eagerness and spirit of adventure to do something really good is what we hope to witness again.

Wanna send us $5000? There is only room for seven nutty people to get that kind of crazy joy (7 x $5000 = $35,000).  Only three lunatics could send us $10,000.  And only one laughing maniac can send us all $35,000!

Okay, so we know that some of you would love to make a giant donation, but can’t.  Another way the adoption costs would be covered is if 140 donors give $250.  If that still feels like too much for you, then do it together with your book club or your co-workers, or Sunday School or something.  You get the idea.  We need all of you to get in on this with us.

We are setting up three different ways to donate to our cause.  The third one is the only one that offers a tax deduction, and it is not ready yet.

1. 1.     Simply write a check to “Children’s House International” earmarked for Kozaczuk, and mail it to:  Children’s House International, 2084 Alder Street, Ferndale, WA 98248
2. 2.      Use the PayPal button above to make a donation that will go directly to us.  We will put all PayPal donations into a special bank account designated only for adoption expenses.   
3. 3.       We will soon get set up on an adoption fund-raising organization which offers a tax deduction. Let us know if you choose to go this route, and we will make sure you know right away when the set up work has been completed.

You can also count on regular updates on the progress of the adoption from here on out.  A new feature of our blog the email sign-up on the left of your screen.  It allows you to receive an email alert every time a post has been made.