A Visitor

Someone visited the orphanage where Sadie lives to bring fruit and shared this photo with us.  He also provided a short update which is truly priceless.  "

She was very happy to see me and gave hug to me.  

She is now very healthy and walk a lot, talk a lot.  

And play a lot in the courtyard."  Thank you God for people that love on not only our daughter but the other children that do not have families-for they are the hands and feet of Jesus.

 

 

Hope

i800a Receipt Notice

Yesterday (2/23) we finally received the notice that our i800a application had been received at the USCIS lockbox!  It was mailed 2/10 and received 2/11.  The notice was printed 2/13 but it took another 10 days for us to receive it.  This is part of the frustration in international adoptions.  Nothing is fast.  We are impatient.

From here we wait (again) on a biometrics appointment to be assigned to us and the notice to come; thats another 10-14 days.  We will then rush and hopefully walk-in early to be fingerprinted.  This step is to allow us as Americans to be determined by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as suitable to adopt a child from a Hague Convention country.  That also helps down the line when we return from China with Sadie, she will become a US citizen immediately.  Its a lengthy process but one that simplifies the "after".

Dossier Documents

12 original documents were overnighted to our agency in Birmingham for county and state certification and Chinese Consulate authentication earlier this week.  Because this agency is licensed in the state of Alabama they have permission to process paperwork regardless of where the documents originated.  Many adoptive parents say it is a part-time job compiling the dossier.  Here's a breakdown of the documents:

Adoption Application
Birth certificate-husband
Birth certificate-wife
Marital status certificate
Certificate of profession-husband
Certificate of profession-wife
Certificate of Income Property
Health Examination Certificate-Husband
Health Examination Certificate-Wife
Certificate of Criminal (No-Criminal) Record- Husband
Certificate of Criminal (No-Criminal) Record- Wife
Homestudy Report
Copy of Applicant's Passport-Husband
Copy of Applicant's Passport-Wife
8 Family Photos
3 Passport size pictures for each

And fees:

$36 Shelby County Probate for county certification
$60 AL Secretary of State
$150 Houston Consulate courier services
$300 My China Docs

The dossier was then mailed today to the local court to start the certification.  We expect this process to take 3 weeks and at the end of which we hope to have every document ready to be submitted to China.  We will then only need the i800a approval which is called I-797 and is a result of the clear fingerprints thru USCIS.  Please continue to pray with us for Sadie as she waits-that God will continue to protect her and prepare her for adoption.  The financial part is a strain but her waiting for a loving family is undeniably harder!

Cash That Check! :)

USCIS cashed the i800a check today (ouch and yay) and I am stalking the mailbox for a receipt date

Love Without Boundaries

http://www.lwbcommunity.org/why-international-adoption-still-matters-2

I stumbled upon this article tonight and was happy (but oddly not surprised) to see Sadie.  Love Without Boundaries is an amazing group that has been helping orphans in China since 2003.  We are fortunate that our daughter is living in an orphanage that is a part of the Nutrition program.  Her picture was chosen to represent albinism as one of the special needs in China.  We don't know too many details about her care but at one point Sadie received formula and possibly fortified rice cereal from LWB and their generous donors.  What a blessing!

3 1/2, Sadie Mae

Today Sadie is exactly 3 1/2 years old.  We have finally decided her middle name will be...Mae, it is pronounced just like May and part of the the Mandarin word for little sister "mei mei".  We have loved the name for years and we think it is perfect for her.  It can means many things; one translation is beautiful.  The children made many suggestions but ultimately Luke and I chose Mae because it was our favorite.  It is not a family name (neither of the girls' names are).  Happy Half Birthday, Sadie Mae! :)

(only Sadie Mae print currently on Pinterest-not ours!)

i800a

Our i800a application was mailed to the USCIS lockbox on February 10th and we are now officially awaiting a receipt date, the $890 check to be cashed and in the next 2 weeks an invitation to be fingerprinted (again).  This approval that follows is the final document we need for our dossier (all the 13 pieces of important paperwork that are sent to China).  In the meantime we have also submitted Luke's passport for renewal as it expires in March (whether he travels to China or stays at home he will need it).  I would like to ask that you pray for our favor as the i800a approvals are inconsistent-we're shooting for 30 days or less.  God is certainly at work and we are hopeful this part goes smoothly.

Luke's Passport Renewal $110

Home Study Approved!

Today around lunchtime we received great news that the home study was finalized and approved (yesterday).  Those documents are being overnighted from our social worker's supervisor in Florida to our agency and China social worker in Alabama.  We quickly completed the i800a and mail it and the 2nd agency payment (due at home study completion) this afternoon.  It was exciting and I felt relieved to know we can move forward with Sadie's adoption.  Thank you for cheering us on and praying for movement.

Second agency payment $3,138.75

USCIS i800a & Biometrics fee $890