1/21/10 - Update and HUGE PRAISE
A little after noon today an email arrived from USCIS saying our case had just been completed and we would be receiving a new I-171H form within a few days - PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let me back up a day: After receiving no answer from USCIS in response to an email sent by me Tuesday night, Mike called our federal senator and representative as well as local to ask for help. After work, I faxed our Privacy Act Release Forms to both our senator and representative's offices. By 10am this morning there was an email from USCIS stating they had received our requests and specifically wanted to know, in writing (but email form was fine) from both parents (to which I signed both Mike's and my name to the email) what we wanted changed or amended to our original form. I replied we wanted our new fingerprint expiration date and the age increase to 0-6 years old.
I don't know exactly what got things rolling but I know that God's people prayed for us and He moved!! To Him be all glory and honor and praise!
After we receive our form in the mail, we'll phone NVC (National Visa Center) to verify that the information was forwarded to them and then ask our agency to email the Embassy and verify that they have received the information (and on the advice of our Yahoo Group, we ask for written confirmation that the Embassy has the info!).
What a ride!!!!
Let me back up a day: After receiving no answer from USCIS in response to an email sent by me Tuesday night, Mike called our federal senator and representative as well as local to ask for help. After work, I faxed our Privacy Act Release Forms to both our senator and representative's offices. By 10am this morning there was an email from USCIS stating they had received our requests and specifically wanted to know, in writing (but email form was fine) from both parents (to which I signed both Mike's and my name to the email) what we wanted changed or amended to our original form. I replied we wanted our new fingerprint expiration date and the age increase to 0-6 years old.
I don't know exactly what got things rolling but I know that God's people prayed for us and He moved!! To Him be all glory and honor and praise!
After we receive our form in the mail, we'll phone NVC (National Visa Center) to verify that the information was forwarded to them and then ask our agency to email the Embassy and verify that they have received the information (and on the advice of our Yahoo Group, we ask for written confirmation that the Embassy has the info!).
What a ride!!!!
1/19/10 - Update on the Age Range Update
Mike called NVC (National Visa Center) today and spoke with a nice person - yeah! However, they do not have our updated age range and new fingerprint expiration date. So I am sending an email to USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) kindly asking them to resend the information. And then - we have our senators and representatives information and we aren't afraid to call them!! Please continue to pray that this issue would be resolved and by Thursday so we can purchase our tickets!!
1/18/10 - Paperwork and Plane Ticket Update
We have tickets on hold!!!!! It is an awesome flight, leaving Saturday afternoon, flying to Washington DC, 4 hour layover, and then a direct flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with a 45 minute stop in Rome for refueling (how awesome is God - we wanted to spend am extra day in Italy but that is not to be with no vacation time for Mike but we are still getting to "stop" there!)!!! Same thing on the way back, leaving Ethiopia at 10:15pm Friday night, lay over in Rome for refueling and NOT having to get off the plane with the boys, back to Washington DC arriving Saturday morning, 5 hour lay over, and then arriving home in the afternoon. We are able to hold the tickets until Thursday.
Our agency America World has okayed our flight itinerary!
However, and this is a big but expected however, the Embassy in Ethiopia does not have our updated home study age range. That information needs to be on file before we can travel. It was already on our list to call the National Visa Center (NVC) Tuesday afternoon to see if they had received the updated information or if United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) needs to resend the information (which they have had since the first day or two of December). We have been told that NVC id "notoriously unorganized" (reassuring, huh!?) and to get a supervisor involved in the case. Mike will be making that call Tuesday afternoon, as we know from our Yahoo Group that afternoons seem to be the best time to call. PLEASE PRAY that a compassionate person answered the phone and wants to do everything in his/her power to help us!!!
Our agency America World has okayed our flight itinerary!
However, and this is a big but expected however, the Embassy in Ethiopia does not have our updated home study age range. That information needs to be on file before we can travel. It was already on our list to call the National Visa Center (NVC) Tuesday afternoon to see if they had received the updated information or if United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) needs to resend the information (which they have had since the first day or two of December). We have been told that NVC id "notoriously unorganized" (reassuring, huh!?) and to get a supervisor involved in the case. Mike will be making that call Tuesday afternoon, as we know from our Yahoo Group that afternoons seem to be the best time to call. PLEASE PRAY that a compassionate person answered the phone and wants to do everything in his/her power to help us!!!
1/16/10 - Paperwork Update
The updated home study and DCFS endorsement letter (which were a result of Mike's sudden job change) have arrived!!! Yeah and huge thank yous to our social worker Faith!!!
We are waiting for verification from America World, our international adoption agency, that the Embassy in Ethiopia has received our updated age range. Apparently we don't receive any kind of notification that this has taken place. So our agency has contacted the Embassy and is waiting to hear back from them. I don't know how quickly that will be, so we plan to call the National Visa Center (NVC) in the middle of the week to verify that they have received the information from USCIS and have forwarded it on to Ethiopia - sound confusing - it is!! But only a few more weeks of confusing paperwork stuff!!
PRAISE: That we are over the hurdle of the job change update and HUGE praises for Faith!
PRAYER: That we are easily able to discover that the age range increase is where it needs to be!!
We are waiting for verification from America World, our international adoption agency, that the Embassy in Ethiopia has received our updated age range. Apparently we don't receive any kind of notification that this has taken place. So our agency has contacted the Embassy and is waiting to hear back from them. I don't know how quickly that will be, so we plan to call the National Visa Center (NVC) in the middle of the week to verify that they have received the information from USCIS and have forwarded it on to Ethiopia - sound confusing - it is!! But only a few more weeks of confusing paperwork stuff!!
PRAISE: That we are over the hurdle of the job change update and HUGE praises for Faith!
PRAYER: That we are easily able to discover that the age range increase is where it needs to be!!
Stuffed Animals and Blankets for the Boys!
Even though the boys were not with us a babies, we wanted them to have special "baby blankets." We found these cute blankets at Target and registered for them (but them bought them when they were on clearance!). And we had talked about having a special stuffed animal for each of the boys but really had no clue what we wanted. I am so blessed that my dear friend and co-worker Gina knows me so well; she found and gave us these stuffed animals! As I showed them to Mike, I had in mind which animal was for which boy, and Mike chose the same as me!!
A giraffe for Ryan:
And a zebra for John:
A giraffe for Ryan:
And a zebra for John:
Recent Newspaper Article
This appeared in our local paper about a week ago:
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/grayslake/news/1972772,grayslake-adoption-010710-s1.article
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/grayslake/news/1972772,grayslake-adoption-010710-s1.article
1/13/10 - WE HAVE OUR TRAVEL DATES!!
We received the email today: we will be traveling to get the boys February 13-20!! We are beyond excited!!!!! We are so close!!! We are going to get them soon!!!
And it is all so God. A week ago I would have been devastated to not be going in the next travel group on January 29th (which in when we thought we would be going). But throughout this past week, God has put such a peace on my heart. I thought on what was real and true - I know who my boys are and they are coming home and God's plans are good and they will not arrive one day late!! Just this week I began to pray and ask God to give us His travel dates, the dates He has known for always, and (selfishly) the dates that would stress me out the least!! And He has answered my prayers!!!
Please join us in praising Him for the good and perfect gifts of John and Ryan!! 31 days until we leave, 33 days until me meet them, and 34 days until they are with us forever and for always!!!
And we'd also take prayer for our new I171-H form to arrive - USCIS has had all the information for six weeks so we are hopeful that it will be in our hands soon! This is the form that approves our increase in age range.
And it is all so God. A week ago I would have been devastated to not be going in the next travel group on January 29th (which in when we thought we would be going). But throughout this past week, God has put such a peace on my heart. I thought on what was real and true - I know who my boys are and they are coming home and God's plans are good and they will not arrive one day late!! Just this week I began to pray and ask God to give us His travel dates, the dates He has known for always, and (selfishly) the dates that would stress me out the least!! And He has answered my prayers!!!
Please join us in praising Him for the good and perfect gifts of John and Ryan!! 31 days until we leave, 33 days until me meet them, and 34 days until they are with us forever and for always!!!
And we'd also take prayer for our new I171-H form to arrive - USCIS has had all the information for six weeks so we are hopeful that it will be in our hands soon! This is the form that approves our increase in age range.
Video of the Boys!
THANK YOU SETLIFFES SOOOO MUCH FOR THIS AMAZING VIDEO!!
We are overwhelmed with love and excitement to see our boys and can't wait to go get them!
Video one:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/4fddfe45b048a07f82815c3a7cbe91bb/video/9205606
Video two:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/4ef26f6cc78f2a27acfdb7157a20019c/video/9205574
Hope you all enjoy them as much as we do!!!!!!
We are overwhelmed with love and excitement to see our boys and can't wait to go get them!
Video one:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/4fddfe45b048a07f82815c3a7cbe91bb/video/9205606
Video two:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/4ef26f6cc78f2a27acfdb7157a20019c/video/9205574
Hope you all enjoy them as much as we do!!!!!!
1/12/10 - No Dates Yet
The three wait listed families have been denied appointments by the Embassy in Ethiopia and will therefore have to wait two weeks to travel to their precious children - please keep them in your prayers.
And so this adds three families to the next travel group with room for seven more ... we continue to wait to see if we are one one them. If not, we would leave two weeks later on February 13th (guessing here).
HOWEVER, God knows when we are traveling and when we will see our two precious boys!! And God's plans for us are good!! And our boys will not arrive home one day late!!
And so this adds three families to the next travel group with room for seven more ... we continue to wait to see if we are one one them. If not, we would leave two weeks later on February 13th (guessing here).
HOWEVER, God knows when we are traveling and when we will see our two precious boys!! And God's plans for us are good!! And our boys will not arrive home one day late!!
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