Adopted by Design

Overcoming Financial Hurdles in Adoption

It's no secret that international adoption isn't cheap: there are agency fees, social service fees, orphanage fees, background checks, mountains of paperwork to get notorized, travel costs, etc., etc.  The bottom-line of adoption costs can certainly look daunting at first glance, but I truly believe that finances are hurdles to be overcome in the adoption process, and not immovable boundaries.

America World is passionate about not letting money hinder families from pursuing something that they feel a calling toward.  Included in the Link section on our website, is a list of grants and resources, titled Financing Adoption, that can assist any adopting family to cover thousands of dollars worth of costs during their journey to bring their precious child home.  While this list is certainly not all-inclusive, we hope that it provides a good starting point with trustworthy organizations that believe in the mission of caring for orphans in the form of adoption.

America World also reestablished our Eternal Familiy Program (EFP) in the beginning of 2011.  Through this fund, we invite family and friends and communities to care for specific adopting families, by supporting their adoptions through monetary gifts.  It is our hope that America World families take advantage of this oppportunity, not only to relieve some of the financial burden, but also provide a way to invite others to actively and practically participate in caring for orphans through their giving.

For more information on America World's EFP, feel free to contact me with any specific questions that you may have.

I pray that each and every family wrestling with the overall cost of adoption will consider these grants and programs as viable means by which they can overcome these hurdles.  

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. - 2 Corinthians 9:8

In Him,

Jason West, Director of Development

Eternal Investments

In June of 2011, I asked each of you to prayerfully consider giving toward a need that staff became aware of at the orphanage in the Gansu region of China that America World has been blessed to support. 

Specifically, I asked for your consideration in donating money toward 35 chairs designed for supporting older children with cerebral palsy.  We were overwhelmed by your overabundance of generosity and heart to care for the orphans of this orphanage.  Although we only needed $8,400 for these chairs specifically, we were able to raise nearly $25,000!

The orphanage’s new facility was officially opened in November of 2011, and with your overabundace of generosity, we were able to provide the children there with not only these special chairs, but also more equipment and items to benefit the children currently residing there, including additional medical equipment, beds, walkers, clothing cabinets, and a new playground.

We recently had one of our in-country staff members visit this particular orphanage, where she was able to take some pictures of the equipment that your giving has helped to supply.

I hope that you are blessed by these pictures - not because of the physical items themselves, but because of the impact that each one of them will have on the lives of orphaned children.  Thank you for the way that you have participated in the Lord's calling to honor and love Him by providing for and loving children yearning to be called a son or daughter.

Thank you for the way that you are actively transitioning from being an adoptive family to an orphan advocate and making an eternal investment into the lives of the fatherless!

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions on how you, your family or church can get involved with caring for the Lord's children.  We are desirous to continue to build His kingdom by partnering and supporting your ideas and efforts.

 

In Him,

Jason West, Director of Development (jason.west@awaa.org)

2011 Agency Annual Report

America World's 2011 Agency Annual Report is now available to view and download online!

In our continued effort to be 100% transparent with prospective adoptive parents, our clients and our investors, America World staff members have compiled reviews and updates of this past year's progress and changes for all of our various Country Programs.  A condensed, physical version will also be available in another couple of weeks and can be mailed to you upon request.

Our agency's 2011 Audited Financial Statement will also be posted to the Agency Reports page within the next month, so feel free to check back soon.

Thank you for your support of America World Adoption and our mission to build God's kingdom through His design of adoption!  We covet your continued prayers for a clear understanding of the Lord's sovereign direction of our agency.  We are honored to serve your family and the orphans of the world in 2012!

In Him,

Jason West, Director of Development

Purposeful & Simple

The Bible references orphans and adoption over 52 times because of its importance to the Father. Nearly half of these verses describe God's heart for this specific group of children. The other half pertain to Christians' call to protect, give justice to and provide for "the least of these."

There are a plethora of ways that each Christian can be involved in caring for the Lord’s children.  Whether that’s walking through the adoption process or hosting a visiting child for a period of time or taking a child into your home through the Foster Care system or serving at an orphanage on short term missions trips, each area is both valuable and necessary in order to fulfill God’s command to look after orphans.

Over the past year America World staff members have worked hard on strategically rethinking the way that we seek to provide proactive care to orphans around the globe.  As an agency, we want to be continually testing and reexamining the way that we pursue orphan care so that we are being as wise as possible with all of the resources that God has graciously entrusted us with.  As a result, we have come up with a new structure for our orphan care ventures that is both purposeful and simple.

We invite you to check out and get involved in one of our various efforts to care for the Lord’s children.  We have restructured these orphan care iniatives - moving away from the idea of a limited, short-term campaign and instead transforming our work into two main, continuous and growing funds - the Isaiah 1:17 Fund and the Orphan’s Ticket Home Fund.  Each is uniquely designed to provide support and practical care to orphaned children and the families seeking to bring them home.

As in the past, all donated monies go directly to being used to take up the cause of orphans around the globe; nothing goes toward America World’s overhead costs.  It is our desire simply to provide a channel for more and more individuals, families and communities to be able to find simple and effective ways to be obedient to the Father’s admonition to care for the millions of vulnerable children worldwide - one orphan at a time.

To participate, you can give a gift online or direct your questions to me via email or phone (703-891-3280).  Thank you for your faithful partnership in defending the cause of the fatherless and considering how to be involved in further ways!

In Him,

Jason West, Director of Development