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Dear Family and Friends,

As many of you know, our family is in the process of adopting a child from Ethiopia. Adopting a child
from Ethiopia is a long and difficult journey and we are certain that we will need the support of our family
and friends to bring this new child into our family. International adoption comes with a unique set of
challenges. From the financial responsibilities to learning how to become a multi-ethnic family, this
process has convinced us that we will need the help of those who have been essential in our lives and
will continue to stay beside our family as we deal with the challenging realities of a world that has
difficulty understanding the beauty of a racially diverse family.

It may sound cliché, but we can’t help but think while in the midst of this journey that it takes a village to
successfully navigate the travails of international adoption. We hope this letter clearly expresses our
desire to have others accompany us on this journey. Sarah, Emma, and I want to ask each of you to help
support us as we move forward; moreover, in humility we acknowledge that there is no way we can
complete this process in our own strength – we need all of you.

Specifically, we need your encouragement. As we continue to prepare for the realities of being adoptive
parents and a multi-ethnic family, we are acutely aware of the difficulties we will encounter. More
importantly, we are aware of the difficulties our child will face trying to negotiate the challenges of a
culture too often unfamiliar with difference. In the face of these challenges we realize that all of you,
through your encouragement and acceptance, can make the world a little bit more welcoming for our
future son or daughter.

The final hurdle is, of course, the cost of adoption. In total, adopting a child from Ethiopia will cost
somewhere between 24,000 and 26,000 dollars. So far, Sarah and I have invested 10,000 dollars in fees,
home-study cost, and document acquisitions. Accounting for the final 16,000 will be a challenge. Thanks
to Sarah’s management of this process, we have located a number of grants specifically designed for
adoption, and are also looking into other programs that provide loans for adoptive families. However, in
the course of this journey, we have depleted our savings, and another round of fees are due at the end of
March. Therefore, it is with great humility and sincerity that we ask for financial assistance to complete
the final stages of this process. We are aware that this is a difficult time economically, but the kindness
and support of many can bring a child out of poverty and into a world filled with possibility.

In humility and hope,

Sarah, Emma, and John Pell

!
How to Help Financially:
If you would like to join us by contributing to our adoption fund you can do so by:
Sending a check: For tax deductible contributions please fill out the attached “Abba Fund Donor
Preference Card” and send it to PO Box 1120, Ramseur NC 28316 with a check made out to “The Abba
Fund”. Checks can also be sent directly to us but they will not be tax deductible.
Online giving: Go to our website at www.thestoryofafamily.blogspot.com and follow the Abba Fund link.
Make sure to indicate “Pell Family Fund” when asked for Partnership Fund Indication.

Adoption Fees Ethiopia

When we first started looking into
adoption, the high cost of international
adoption seemed to stand in stark
contrast to the need that we saw
around the world. Why does it cost so
much to adopt a child that needs a
home? Though it is still frustrating, we
have come to understand that the fees
help to protect adoptive children and
the fees help to support the
orphanage, clinic, and staff that cares
for children until adoptions are
finalized. We are estimating that our
adoption will cost us approximately
$26,000. The following is a
breakdown of the fees we will pay:
Home study Fees: $2,300
Agency Service Fee: $6,300
U.S. Governmental Fees: $800
Orphan Care Fee: $1,000
Translation Fees: $600
Fees to Ethiopia: $5,000
Care of Child Fee: $2,500
Travel: $5,500
Post Adoption Fees: $2,350
Education/Other: $400
Ethiopia has one of the largest
populations of orphans in the world.
The Abba Fund is a Christian non-
13 % of children throughout the
profit organization that exists to
country are missing one or both
provide financial assistance in the
parents. This represents an estimated
form of loans and grants to couples
4.6 million children – 800,000 of whom
growing their families through
were orphaned by HIV/AIDS. !The
adoption. Our church has set up a
country has seen a steady increase in
fund with the Abba Fund to help us
the number of children becoming
raise money for our adoption. Money
orphaned because of AIDS. In the past,
contributed to the fund is disbursed
famine, conflict and other diseases
as a “grant” to our family. Money
were the main factors that claimed the
contributed to our adoption through
lives of parents.
the Abba Fund can only be distributed
Many orphaned children end up living for adoption expenses and fees.
on the street and don’t have access to Contributions through the Abba Fund
basic rights such as proper care, are tax deductible.
education, psychological support and
supervision. Often, orphans and other To donate online:
vulnerable children are forced to work Go to our website
to earn an income. They are exposed http://www.thestoryofafamily.blogspot.com
to various forms of physical abuse, and follow the Abba Fund Link.
including sexual exploitation. Be sure to indicate “Pell Family Fund”
when asked for Partnership Fund
Ethiopia is just one of the many Indication.
countries around the world with
orphans that need love and care. The For more information regarding the
need can be overwhelming but we feel Abba Fund go to www.abbafund.org.
that it is essential that we all get
involved and do something to help
these children in need.