Here's where we are...

"In the I-800 process, after you are matched and your dossier has been sent to China (DTC) and logged-in (LID) (sometimes people are matched prior to their dossier being sent, and other times after), you will be waiting for the CCCWA (China Center for Child Welfare and Adoption) to issue you your Letter of Acceptence (LOA). Upon receipt, you will then file your I-800 (not to be confused with the I-800A which is filed as part of the process of completing your dossier). Once you receive your I-800 approval, the National Benefits Center (NBC) will send notification of your approval to the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC will then cable notification of your approval to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China. You will then wait for the "cable letter" or "cable email", which is necessary in order to proceed with the next step. You will email your agency a copy of the letter or email, and they will in turn forward it to their staff in China. They will then deliver it, along with other documents you will have prepared, to the Guangzhou Consulate. The Consulate will then issue you the "Article 5", which basically states that the child you hope to adopt meets the Hague's definition of "orphan" and can therefore be internationally adopted. Your agency's courier/staff will pick up the Article 5 and deliver it to the CCCWA in Beijing. Then, you are waiting for the CCCWA to issue you your Travel Approval (TA). Once that arrives, your agency will secure your Consulate Appointment (CA) with the Guangzhou Consulate and then notify you of your confirmed travel dates."

To simplify it, here's a numbered list:

1. Home Study
2. I-800A
3. State Certification & Chinese Embassy Authentication of Documents
4. Dossier to China (DTC)
5. Dossier Log-in Date (LID)
6. Referral of Child!
7. Letter of Intent (LOI) for specific child
8. Pre-Approval (PA)
9. Letter of Approval (LOA) from China (This is what we are waiting for right now.)
10. I-800
11. Cable Letter
12. Article 5
13. Travel Approval (TA)
14. Consulate Appointment (CA)

These last 5 steps usually take 2-3 months, and when travel approval comes you can travel in about 3 weeks.  So we may not travel until November.  Did you get a pain in your chest as you read that, as I did as I typed it?  UGH.  I am the WORST wait-er in the world.  September sounds okay, yet still a longer wait than I think I can bear.  November sounds like torture.  UGH.  I think I'm going to listen to some John Waller, "While I'm Waiting."  Oh let it seep into my soul, God.

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Sweet Jada.  I'm getting impatient again to hear news of you and I want so badly to make sure we are there to get you as soon as humanly possible.  We are waiting for our LOA, and true to form, I'm starting to obsess about things I can't control!  So I will pray. 

Father God, please bring our little girl home!  May it go as quickly as Your perfect timing will allow.  Please ready her for the huge transition that she is about to make.  May she know how much we love her, and how much You love her.  In Jesus' Name, Amen

Still Waiting Little Jada

Well, Sugar, we are still waiting here in America for you.  The next step is waiting for our LOA, our Letter of Approval from China.  Once that gets here things should move more quickly I hear.  I'm starting to get anxious again, checking email like a crazy person again.  I am so much happier that we know who you are though.  I bought some stickers to send you and got a picture to send of us so maybe we'll look familiar to you when we come to bring you home.  I'm praying you will have an easy transition into our family and that even now you will know how much you are loved by us and Jesus. 

More Paperwork

Well sweet girl, we sent off our placement agreement today, with some other adoption forms. 

• 3 notarized copies of the placement agreement
• Invoice for the adoption program fee & post placement visits
• Document Processing Information Form
• Travel Questionnaire
• Foreign Travel Release (notarized)
• DS-230 (Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration)
• Passport photocopies
• Release of Information

Shew!  Every milestone brings a slew of paperwork to do!  And every time I think that has to be the end of it!  I'm thrilled that I got it all done, but it wasn't all back in 7 days like they (Holt) asked.  I would've been happier if it had gotten there last week.  But, notarizing things slows me down!  When, oh when, will we be able to come get you?!  It's looking like October, but God I'm praying it could be much sooner!

You should know that we were able to pay our $10,000 plus adoption program fee because of the wonderful support and gifts of our friends, family, and a matching grant from HandinHand!  So many people are looking forward to welcoming you home!  We love you and want you here, but so does our family and church community!  Never doubt that you belong here.  Oh I pray that you will grow up always knowing how much we all love you, but best of all, how much God loves you!

One Year

I just noticed that we sent our adoption application in one year ago tomorrow!  I had so many fears back then that we wouldn't be approved, that we would get turned down because we don't make enough money, or already had too many kids.  I was already so invested in this, it was as if I was searching for my own lost daughter.  And indeed I was.  At last we have found her!  Here she is, our Jada!

Oh little girl, I long to squeeze you and kiss those little cheeks!  You are perfectly beautiful!  I can't wait til we can come meet you and bring you home. 

Referral!!!

We got a call the very next day for a referral!  Oh how silly and impatient I am!  I knew it even then, but couldn't shake it.  Now I can tell my new daughter that as I sat there, crying (quite literally) about not getting a phone call about her, the phone rang.  It was my agency telling me they had a match for us!  On my husband's birthday!  A three year old little girl!  By the way, Laith has been saying he wants a 2-3 year old and I have said a 3-4 year old is what I want.  Perfect!  So anyway, she has had corrective surgery for her health issue and is otherwise perfectly healthy!  Praise the Lord!  It's like knowing there may be something wrong with your baby while you're pregnant, only to find out she's fine!  We were ready for much bigger issues to deal with, and we're thrilled that our daughter's prognosis is "excellent." 

She just had her birthday so I went shopping to celebrate!

Happy 3rd Birthday Jada!