I have never in my life experienced the rise and fall of emotion like during this adoption process. Last entry we were full of excitement and on top of the world, having sent off our dossier, just waiting for the big day when we'd hear that our dossier could be submitted.
Last night, though, we got an email from our social worker saying there are new problems with the agency approval. Apparently, Mexico does not have the Interpol clearance, even though they had told our agency they did back in April. There is a bunch of confusion on the US side and the Mexico side and our agency is stuck in the middle not knowing what's going on. This is terribly disappointing since tomorrow is the monthly meeting to review the agency paperwork and now we have no idea when that will take place. At minimum it's another month. Worst case scenario- well, we don't even know yet. This means it also pushes back dossier submission dates, which is frustrating for all the families waiting.
We are vacillating between frustration and faith today. God is in control and this hasn't taken him by surprise. Even though we are filled with disappointment because this delays our process, we are choosing to trust His timing. We are fully convinced that God is using this to refine our faith, scrape away our own desires and be filled with trust and peace. Going through the refining fire is never a painless process, though, so we would ask for your prayers during this time. We truly desire that God be magnified through the events of our adoption, and all involved can see His sovereignty. Maybe He will do that by bringing a miracle in the midst of this situation, or He will be honored by our hearts learning to trust in ways we haven't before. Either way, may He be glorified....
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Dossier Complete!
Well, after 7 months of paper chasing, we are finally finished our dossier. This is our big stack of paperwork that will eventually make its way to Mexico City where it will be reviewed and hopefully approved! God has been so good to us as we have progressed this far. This last hurdle with the translations, was so full of God's working that it is exciting to us to see how He is just pushing each thing along, us completely out of control of any of it.
On Thursday of last week I Fed Ex'ed our 5 inch thick, 5 pound box of documents to our agency. We are so excited! Although, now it really feels weird to not have anything more to do! For so many months, we've been running full speed ahead and now, we're at a sudden stop! I think I might have whiplash from it!!! LOL!
Our agency's paperwork will be reviewed by the Mexican Central DIF on May 20. After this meeting, if all is approved, our agency can begin sending dossiers! WooHOOO!
On Thursday of last week I Fed Ex'ed our 5 inch thick, 5 pound box of documents to our agency. We are so excited! Although, now it really feels weird to not have anything more to do! For so many months, we've been running full speed ahead and now, we're at a sudden stop! I think I might have whiplash from it!!! LOL!
Our agency's paperwork will be reviewed by the Mexican Central DIF on May 20. After this meeting, if all is approved, our agency can begin sending dossiers! WooHOOO!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Prayer Warriors Needed!
Hey Everyone,
It's strange how we never have to meet someone in order to feel connected to them. Being online and reading people's blogs about their lives and families really can make you feel like friends even if never having met in the flesh.
A few months ago, I found another blog of a family adopting a teenage boy from Mexico. This in itself is a miracle since I have found no more than 3 blogs about Mexican adoptions. And believe me- I've searched and searched, just ask my hubby! There are a plethora of blogs about Chinese or Ethiopian adoptions, but barely any for Mexico. But, to top it all off, they are a family who loves the Lord and have older biological children. And they are adopting an older child.
It has been so fun to keep up with their family and pray and get excited with them as they finished up the tail end of their adoption journey and he became their son. But, the past few months have brought lots of pain and frustration. It seems that due to a paperwork mistake, they are not able to bring their son home at this time. I am heartbroken for them, as I can't begin to imagine how hard this is for them and for their son, who has been returned to the orphanage for the time being.
So I am asking all my friends to pray. Pray that God would move mountains and work a miracle in this situation. Pray that their son would have comfort and peace and it would not affect his healing process. Pray for the family as they have had their hearts ripped out for the past three months as they have waited to get the right paperwork. Pray for God to be glorified by doing something completely impossible and unexpected. If you want the whole story, you can read backward on the blog here.
It's strange how we never have to meet someone in order to feel connected to them. Being online and reading people's blogs about their lives and families really can make you feel like friends even if never having met in the flesh.
A few months ago, I found another blog of a family adopting a teenage boy from Mexico. This in itself is a miracle since I have found no more than 3 blogs about Mexican adoptions. And believe me- I've searched and searched, just ask my hubby! There are a plethora of blogs about Chinese or Ethiopian adoptions, but barely any for Mexico. But, to top it all off, they are a family who loves the Lord and have older biological children. And they are adopting an older child.
It has been so fun to keep up with their family and pray and get excited with them as they finished up the tail end of their adoption journey and he became their son. But, the past few months have brought lots of pain and frustration. It seems that due to a paperwork mistake, they are not able to bring their son home at this time. I am heartbroken for them, as I can't begin to imagine how hard this is for them and for their son, who has been returned to the orphanage for the time being.
So I am asking all my friends to pray. Pray that God would move mountains and work a miracle in this situation. Pray that their son would have comfort and peace and it would not affect his healing process. Pray for the family as they have had their hearts ripped out for the past three months as they have waited to get the right paperwork. Pray for God to be glorified by doing something completely impossible and unexpected. If you want the whole story, you can read backward on the blog here.
Yippeee!!
Just got an email that our translations are full of pretty stickers and are in flight over night tonight to arrive at our house tomorrow! Yay!
BUT, somehow I STILL haven't taken pictures of our basement! I'm truly procrastinating on this one. And, after going to the homeschool curriculum fair this weekend, I have a slew of new books that are just stacked all over the desks. Looks like a full night of cleaning is ahead so I can have our photos done for tomorrow!
We are sooooo excited!
BUT, somehow I STILL haven't taken pictures of our basement! I'm truly procrastinating on this one. And, after going to the homeschool curriculum fair this weekend, I have a slew of new books that are just stacked all over the desks. Looks like a full night of cleaning is ahead so I can have our photos done for tomorrow!
We are sooooo excited!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Day late mail and Floods
Our agency has been wonderful to work with. They have completed a number of adoptions in Mexico Pre- Hague and have done all the requirements to meet the Hague Treaty regulations. Unfortunately, as they were ready to submit a dossier last year, the "Powers That Be" in the Mexican Central DIF decided to impose an additional approval process for all adoption agencies above and beyond what Hague requires- which they have the right to do.
So, since last summer, they have been jumping through hoops meeting all the requests for additional paperwork. One thing that was newly required was an international INTERPOL clearance- which basically is an international background check for the adoption agency. Our agency has been waiting and waiting for this approval to come through and finally have heard that it did. At the end of April, all the paperwork was assembled for the DIF committee to review it and give the formal approval for dossiers to be submitted. BUT, the DIF committe only meets once a month. And the INTERPOL letter arrived one day late in the mail! GRrrrr... so now we are having to wait until May 20 in order for our agency's paperwork to be reviewed and approved. THEN, the agency's dossiers can be submitted. We hope. We all are just holding our breath and praying that they aren't going to ask for any new papers or delay giving the actual approval letter. We would love to have all our prayer warriors bathe this committee meeting in prayer!
As for our process, our translations were done last week- just in time for the flooding to hit Nashville, Tennessee where our translator is! Many office buildings and roads were impassable or under water. This posed a dilemna since all our translations need to be notorized, authenticated and then apostilled. AND, to top it all off, our translator was flying out of town for a week long training. Guess where? An hour from my house! What are the odds!
We thought it would be a disaster, but then realized that it was a blessing! She could just sign and notarize them here in MD and I could get them authenticated and apostilled here in MD since the flooding was posing such an issue.
Only one problem- in her haste to catch her flight, our translator forgot the final copies of two of our translations and didn't have any way to get them to me in MD since she was here too! Thankfully, God was watching out for us, because after talking to our social worker from our agency, she said that all our documents needed to be authenticated in Tennessee, not MD. If she had not forgotten those two documents, we would have done ALL of them wrong and spend time and money having to redo all of them! Thank you Lord for keeping me from making a big mistake!
I was concerned that we would have to be delayed indefinitely until the TN government buildings were reopened- who knows when that would be! But, after a few phone calls, I think all the buildings we need are either open or have opened at another site on higher and drier ground. Our translator is going to make the rounds to all the places that give out pretty stickers (!) this week and then we should finally be ready to assemble our dossier and send it to our agency to submit! Then it's a whole other process- but that's another post for later!
So, since last summer, they have been jumping through hoops meeting all the requests for additional paperwork. One thing that was newly required was an international INTERPOL clearance- which basically is an international background check for the adoption agency. Our agency has been waiting and waiting for this approval to come through and finally have heard that it did. At the end of April, all the paperwork was assembled for the DIF committee to review it and give the formal approval for dossiers to be submitted. BUT, the DIF committe only meets once a month. And the INTERPOL letter arrived one day late in the mail! GRrrrr... so now we are having to wait until May 20 in order for our agency's paperwork to be reviewed and approved. THEN, the agency's dossiers can be submitted. We hope. We all are just holding our breath and praying that they aren't going to ask for any new papers or delay giving the actual approval letter. We would love to have all our prayer warriors bathe this committee meeting in prayer!
As for our process, our translations were done last week- just in time for the flooding to hit Nashville, Tennessee where our translator is! Many office buildings and roads were impassable or under water. This posed a dilemna since all our translations need to be notorized, authenticated and then apostilled. AND, to top it all off, our translator was flying out of town for a week long training. Guess where? An hour from my house! What are the odds!
We thought it would be a disaster, but then realized that it was a blessing! She could just sign and notarize them here in MD and I could get them authenticated and apostilled here in MD since the flooding was posing such an issue.
Only one problem- in her haste to catch her flight, our translator forgot the final copies of two of our translations and didn't have any way to get them to me in MD since she was here too! Thankfully, God was watching out for us, because after talking to our social worker from our agency, she said that all our documents needed to be authenticated in Tennessee, not MD. If she had not forgotten those two documents, we would have done ALL of them wrong and spend time and money having to redo all of them! Thank you Lord for keeping me from making a big mistake!
I was concerned that we would have to be delayed indefinitely until the TN government buildings were reopened- who knows when that would be! But, after a few phone calls, I think all the buildings we need are either open or have opened at another site on higher and drier ground. Our translator is going to make the rounds to all the places that give out pretty stickers (!) this week and then we should finally be ready to assemble our dossier and send it to our agency to submit! Then it's a whole other process- but that's another post for later!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Boy Time is Flying!
Well, April 9th we had our fingerprinting a the CIS office. We were in and out in less than 10 minutes and then were able to spend the day together at the inner harbor of Baltimore. We ate at The Cheesecake Factory and enjoyed a beautiful stroll around the water. What a perfect day!
Amazingly, we got our I-797 approval in exactly ONE week! I was shocked since I'd heard it could take up to 4 more! Getting it so soon allowed us to be able to send copies of the I-797 to the translator, along with the authentications, apostilles before she was finished all the rest of the documents. That way she only has to make one trip to her government buildings- costing us a bit less! So, those are our LAST documents we needed to finish our dossier! Yahoooooo!
All I need to add to our stack are passport sized photos of Brent and I, and photos of our house. I have good pictures of the upstairs from the day we had our homestudy- all clean and perfect. BUT, for some reason I forgot to take pictures of the basement that day! Now, it's a mess with school stuff and puppy paraphernalia so I'm scrambling to get it organized enough for photographing. I may have to employ some creative photoshopping!
I've been sending out emails to family and friends asking for copies of good pictures of our whole family since we also need to send several family shots. As many of you know, I am lousy at remembering the camera. Either it is left at the house, or on the off chance I do have it, it usually has a dead battery. Thank goodness Caitlin has her own camera or we wouldn't have hardly any photos of our family's happenings! LOL!
We're so excited! I can't believe we are almost ready to send our dossier! Pinch me! Is it real?
One prayer request:
Our agency is waiting for ONE piece of paper saying that they can submit the dossiers they have waiting. Please join me in praying that Mexico will be quick about mailing it so our dossier doesn't have to sit around in an office collecting dust!
Amazingly, we got our I-797 approval in exactly ONE week! I was shocked since I'd heard it could take up to 4 more! Getting it so soon allowed us to be able to send copies of the I-797 to the translator, along with the authentications, apostilles before she was finished all the rest of the documents. That way she only has to make one trip to her government buildings- costing us a bit less! So, those are our LAST documents we needed to finish our dossier! Yahoooooo!
All I need to add to our stack are passport sized photos of Brent and I, and photos of our house. I have good pictures of the upstairs from the day we had our homestudy- all clean and perfect. BUT, for some reason I forgot to take pictures of the basement that day! Now, it's a mess with school stuff and puppy paraphernalia so I'm scrambling to get it organized enough for photographing. I may have to employ some creative photoshopping!
I've been sending out emails to family and friends asking for copies of good pictures of our whole family since we also need to send several family shots. As many of you know, I am lousy at remembering the camera. Either it is left at the house, or on the off chance I do have it, it usually has a dead battery. Thank goodness Caitlin has her own camera or we wouldn't have hardly any photos of our family's happenings! LOL!
We're so excited! I can't believe we are almost ready to send our dossier! Pinch me! Is it real?
One prayer request:
Our agency is waiting for ONE piece of paper saying that they can submit the dossiers they have waiting. Please join me in praying that Mexico will be quick about mailing it so our dossier doesn't have to sit around in an office collecting dust!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Fingerprinting Scheduled!
April 9! Brent and I have a date with a person in the HAGUE immigration office who will fingerprint us. I'm so excited! It should be our last time we have to do this! Wondering if I should bring roses and chocolates to show my thanks! LOL!
Nothing much happening around here, adoption wise. Well, I guess there is kind of something. Back on March 1, Sadie our dog, had 8 puppies. So we're working hard keeping them fed and clean and healthy. This litter's costs will go toward the adoption so it's extra special! So far we have 5 families lined up. Pretty good since I only advertised 4 days ago!
Nothing much happening around here, adoption wise. Well, I guess there is kind of something. Back on March 1, Sadie our dog, had 8 puppies. So we're working hard keeping them fed and clean and healthy. This litter's costs will go toward the adoption so it's extra special! So far we have 5 families lined up. Pretty good since I only advertised 4 days ago!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
